Category Archives: American Airlines

American Airlines introduces 18 new routes and adds seats to Paris and Madrid

American Airlines is opening up additional flights to more cities across the U.S. as well as two new flights to Europe.

The 18 new routes start this summer and include a new destination: Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Montana (FCA), with service from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

The airline is also returning to Canada’s Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia (YHZ), with service from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and LaGuardia Airport in New York (LGA).

The world’s largest airline is also increasing summer service from DFW to two popular European cities next summer: Paris and Madrid.

All flights will be available for sale Monday, December 17.

More domestic flights from hubs

“With 18 new routes, we are committed to providing the most choices for our customers across the U.S. and a chance to see the world,” said Vasu Raja, Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning for American. “Service to Kalispell, for example, offers an exciting destination for our customers to experience. It also introduces new opportunities for local Kalispell customers to connect across American’s vast network through LAX, ORD and DFW.”

At the same time, the company is investing to provide a more consistent experience across regional and mainline fleets. American’s dual-class regional aircraft are equipped with first class seats, Wi-Fi and free wireless entertainment, and work has already begun to provide access to power at every seat.

More service from DFW

American continues to grow its largest hub as it increases to 900 flights per day in the summer of 2019 by opening 15 new gates at the Terminal E satellite. American will add five new routes from DFW beginning in April with service to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) in California. In May, the airline will launch new daily service to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) in South Carolina. Then, in June, in addition to Kalispell, American begins year-round service to Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) in Pennsylvania and daily seasonal service to California’s Wine Country via Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa.

The airline will also add a second daily flight to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris and Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) starting June 6, providing more choices and connectivity for its customers and cargo, improving what is already the most robust service to those destinations from DFW.

“The additional flights are scheduled to provide more flexibility in a traveler’s day with a later departure from DFW and from CDG, and, in the case of MAD, enable optimal connectivity to Iberia’s network from larger markets such as Sacramento, California (SMF); Reno, Nevada (RNO); and Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL),” said Raja.

Customers flying to CDG and MAD from DFW can choose fully lie-flat business class seats featuring access to the Flagship Lounge and chef-designed meals, as well as a lumbar support pillow and duvet from sleep experts Casper. Or, they can opt for one of more than 20 Premium Economy seats featuring more width, legroom and adjustability; extendable foot and head rests; a chef-inspired meal; complimentary amenity kits and a Casper pillow and blanket.

The additional CDG and MAD flights will be operated as part of the Atlantic Joint Business (AJB) among American, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair. Through the AJB, customers can seamlessly book and fly on nearly 150 trans-Atlantic flights to hundreds of destinations in North America, Europe and the Caribbean.

Second daily flight to CDG and MAD, June 6–Oct. 27 (subject to change)

DFW–CDG (Boeing 787-9)

AA22
Departs DFW at 8:30 p.m.
Arrives CDG at 12:45 p.m.

AA23
Departs CDG at 3:25 p.m.
Arrives DFW at 6:50p.m.

DFW–MAD (Boeing 787-9)

AA156
Departs DFW at 8:50 p.m.
Arrives MAD at 1:05 p.m.

AA157
Departs MAD at 4:55 p.m.
Arrives DFW at 8:20 p.m.

New summer routes

From DFW

Destination city	Aircraft	Flights begin	Frequency	Season
San Luis Obispo, California (SBP)	E175	April 2	Daily	Year-round
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR)	E175	May 3	Daily	Summer
Kalispell, Montana (FCA)	E175	June 6	Daily	Summer
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (MDT)	E175	June 6	Daily	Year-round
Santa Rosa, California (STS)	E175	June 6	Daily	Summer/Fall

From DCA

Destination city	Aircraft	Flights begin	Frequency	Season
Melbourne, Florida (MLB)	E175	May 4	Sat./Sun.	Summer

From LAX

Destination city	Aircraft	Flights begin	Frequency	Season
Santa Rosa, California (STS)	E175	May 3	Daily	Summer
Kalispell, Montana (FCA)	E175	June 6	Daily	Summer

From LGA

Destination city	Aircraft	Flights begin	Frequency	Season
Columbia, South Carolina (CAE)	E145	May 3	Daily	Year-round
Asheville, North Carolina (AVL)	E175	May 4	Sat./Sun.	Summer
Daytona Beach, Florida (DAB)	E175	May 4	Sat./Sun.	Summer
Jackson, Wyoming (JAC)	A319	June 8	Saturday	Summer
Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ)	E175	June 15	Saturday	Summer

From ORD

Destination city	Aircraft	Flights begin	Frequency	Season
Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT)	CRJ700	June 6	Daily	Year-round
Kalispell, Montana (FCA)	E175	June 6	Daily	Summer
Durango, Colorado (DRO)	CRJ700	June 8	Saturday	Summer

From PHL

Destination city	Aircraft	Flights begin	Frequency	Season
Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ)	E175	June 13	Daily	Summer

From PHX

Destination city	Aircraft	Flights begin	Frequency	Season
Raleigh, North Carolina (RDU)	A320	May 3	Daily	Year-round

Also, as previously announced, American will inaugurate 28 new domestic and international routes from Dec. 19 to 22, 2018 on top of two international launches this week: MIA–Matecana International Airport (PEI) in Pereira, Columbia, and MIA–Argyle International Airport (SVD) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by American): American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner N832AA (msn 40638) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944767.

American aircraft slide show (Boeing):

American’s first-ever biometric boarding program arrives at LAX

American Airlines mad this announcement:

Better boarding for American Airlines customers arrived today at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with the launch of the carrier’s first-ever biometric boarding pilot program.

American customers traveling on select international departures from LAX Terminal 4 can now enjoy additional convenience during the departure process thanks to cutting-edge technology. Instead of scanning boarding passes, the new one-step facial recognition program will scan and verify a customer’s identity with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in seconds at the gate.

“LAX is American’s gateway to the Asia-Pacific region, making it the perfect location for American to launch biometric boarding,” said Suzanne Boda, Senior Vice President of Los Angeles at American. “The goal of the new technology is to provide a more efficient, modern experience for our customers and team members while enhancing aviation security. That is exactly what we’ve been working to do here in Los Angeles.”

When customers begin the boarding process, the facial recognition program will scan an image of their face and send it to an existing cloud-based CBP database. The system then instantly matches the image against the passport photo already on file with CBP and sends back a yes or no determination on whether they are cleared to board within seconds at the gate.

Agents will continue to ensure customers have their passports with them before departing. Customers may also choose not to use the new system and board with their regular boarding pass.

The pilot program will be used at LAX for 90 days as American evaluates its potential expansion to more flights and locations throughout its global network.

All photos by American Airlines.

American inducts first CFM56-5B engine

Last November, American announced it would bring CFM56-5B engine maintenance work to Tech Ops – Tulsa. The work had previously been completed by GE before that contract expired in October 2018. Now, one year after the announcement, the team is celebrating as the first -5B engine was inducted in the Tulsa engine shop Nov. 15.

American insources more maintenance work than any other airline. Bringing this work to Tulsa is a testament to the hard work and talent of the mechanics and support personnel in the engine shop and their goal to be the very best in the industry. Over the last several years, they’ve sharpened their skills on the maintenance of the CFM56-7B engine, which powers more than 300 of our Boeing 737 aircraft. They took the turn-around time for -7B engine maintenance from 76 days to a world-class average of 53 days — a timeframe they’ve maintained for three years.

In the year since the announcement, the engine shop has stayed busy prepping for the -5B. Approximately 85 team members have been added to the shop to handle the new engine fleet, along with the -7B volume expected next year for regular maintenance. Existing team members bid their schedules to perform the new work, which led to openings in other workgroups, and eventually a need to hire externally to fill aircraft cleaner positions. It all builds on the goal of providing long-term, high-volume, sustainable work for Tech Ops – Tulsa and our Maintenance team.

A team was established to look at tooling — what could be used between the two engines and if there was enough of it, and what new tooling would be needed to perform the work. The engine test cell also required an upgrade to run the -5B.

Another team was focused on training. They looked at the differences between the -5B and -7B engines and developed courses to train their colleagues about each engine and the differences between the two. General training for the engine shop will be ongoing to bring team members in the shop up to speed.

“This work is our future, and we can only grow from here. The team has worked really hard to get this, and now that’s paying off for them,” said Wayne Thomas, Director of Engines.

The -5B powers 151 of American’s Airbus A320 family aircraft. The Tulsa engine shop expects to induct three more -5B engines before the end of 2018 and is estimating 30 engine shop visits for 2019.

And that world-class turn-around time? It’s going to take a little time for the -5B as the team works to validate that things like parts, components, tooling procedures, and processes are fine tuned. Other teams outside the engine shop, including Production Control, Supply Chain, Quality Control, Engineering and Facilities Maintenance, are playing an integral part in ensuring the -5B’s success and are working closely with the shop.

Jim Blesi, Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT), was one of the first team members who opened the -7B engine shop in 2005. Now, he is reliving the journey all over again with the -5B as he lends his expertise and training. “You don’t realize what a big project it is to get ready for something like this, especially with things like tooling,” he said. “Brand new tooling has a lot of issues to work through — the tolerance is tight and you have to spend a lot of time breaking it in. But it’s a challenge we’re ready for.”

The engine shop knows with the right support, they can turn the -5B into another world-class maintenance milestone for American. Jim Bressers, another AMT, sees this as the tip of the iceberg on what could be next. “It’s great that leadership has the confidence we can do this job,” he said. “Insourcing this is invigorating. Now, it’s up to us to prove they made the right decision.”

Photos: American Airlines.

American Airlines: Celebrating five years of merger milestones

American Airlines issued this status report since the American-US Airways merger:

As we celebrate five years since our merger, we’re showcasing some of our key milestones from across the company. Explore more of our milestones on our 5-for-5 page.

Celebrating five years of merger milestones: Network

American Airlines celebrates unveiling of new concourse at New York’s LaGuardia Airport

American Airlines on November 29 joined New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo; Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; representatives from LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) team members to celebrate the unveiling of a new concourse at LGA’s Terminal B. American will begin operating flights out of the new concourse December 1.

The construction of the new concourse is the first step in the reimagining of Terminal B, where American has exclusively operated since December 2017. The $5.1 billion transformation of the rest of Terminal B is scheduled for completion in 2022 and is led by the Port Authority, LGP, American and other airport stakeholders.

The new concourse is filled with world-class technology, innovation, best-in-class amenities and services, including notable brand names like FAO Schwarz, Shake Shack, and M∙A∙C, and provides a preview of what the completed project will offer.

Over the next few years, two new concourses featuring 35 gates will be built at Terminal B. The two concourses will be connected to the main terminal by dual pedestrian bridges spanning an active taxiway, allowing customers and aircraft to move about seamlessly. The project includes a new 840,000-square-foot main terminal with soaring ceilings and corridors filled with natural light.

LGA is not American’s only hub or gateway getting an extreme makeover. With its airport partners, American has spent and committed billions of dollars for projects at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Miami International Airport (MIA), Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where the airline recently broke ground on a $1.6 billion project.

All images by American Airlines.

American Airlines introduces premium Airbus A321T aircraft to transcontinental service between Los Angeles and Boston

American Airlines will introduce its unmatched premium travel experience twice daily on a three-class Airbus A321T between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) beginning April 2, 2019. American already offers more flights between LAX and BOS than any other airline, and with today’s announcement, becomes the only airline to offer both first and business class on this route.

Customers traveling from coast to coast on the A321T in Flagship First and Flagship Business will experience fully lie-flat seats and a chef-curated menu, as well as premium wines and amenity kits. Those traveling in Main Cabin can stay connected with power at every seat, high-speed Wi-Fi and seatback entertainment. And, as part of American’s new collaboration with Zoës Kitchen, Main Cabin customers can purchase new light and healthy menu options.

The A321T has become the standard for comfort when traveling between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LAX, as well as between JFK and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Flagship First and Flagship Business customers have access to meals designed by chef-partner Sam Choy as well as a lumbar support pillow, duvet, mattress pad and other bedding from sleep experts Casper. The aircraft also offers 36 Main Cabin Extra seats, which include extra leg room and complimentary beer, wine and spirits. All customers enjoy free movies and TV shows with seatback entertainment. High-speed satellite Wi-Fi is available for purchase with bandwidth sufficient to support access to personal subscription video streaming services like Netflix* and Hulu*.

Customers at BOS traveling in Flagship First or Flagship Business will have access to the newly renovated Admirals Club, which re-opens in early 2019 after an ongoing colocation project is completed. This will move all American flights to the same terminal with one ticket counter and one baggage claim, and with all gates in the same area, for a seamless customer experience in Terminal B.

At LAX, customers flying in Flagship First have exclusive access to the most premium experience, including Flagship First Check-In — a private, dedicated VIP check-in facility — the Flagship Lounge and Flagship First Dining in Terminal 4. Flagship First Dining offers customers an elevated sit-down meal with regionally inspired dishes and locally sourced ingredients including the Flagship Burger, which was called the “best airport burger” by Travel + Leisure. Flagship Business customers enjoy the best amenities and services in the Flagship Lounge at LAX with a range of options, including a robust food offering and a chef action station with fresh, made-to-order dishes, along with the ability to pair meals with premium wine, champagne and spirits or a refreshing drink from the build-your-own-cocktail station.

Flights will be available for sale on Monday, Dec. 3.

A321T flight schedule (subject to change):

LAX–BOS
AA156 Departs LAX at 7:45 a.m.
AA156 Arrives BOS at 4:16 p.m.
AA2455 Departs LAX at 9:55 p.m.
AA2455 Arrives BOS at 6:22 a.m.

BOS–LAX
AA211 Departs BOS at 7:24 a.m.
AA211 Arrives LAX at 11:10 a.m.
AA2542 Departs BOS at 5:45 p.m.
AA2542 Arrives LAX at 9:28 p.m.

*Membership required for streaming services

Top Copyright Photo (all others by American): American Airlines Airbus A321-231 WL N909AM (msn 7756) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944596.

American aircraft slide show (Airbus):

Video:

American Airlines and China Southern Airlines to expand partnership

American Airlines and China Southern Airlines are taking steps to strengthen their partnership with a significant expansion of codeshare cooperation and the launch of reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access. The carriers announced the news today at a signing ceremony in Guangzhou, China.

“We are very pleased with the progress we have made so far in our newly formed relationship with the largest airline in Asia,” said Robert Isom, President of American Airlines. “We look forward to building on our successes with a significant expansion of our codeshare cooperation and the addition of reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access. With the opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport in 2019, and the ability to cooperate fully with China Southern, we are incredibly excited about American’s future in the Chinese market.”

“We are delighted to see our partnership with American Airlines being further strengthened,” said Zhang Lin, Assistant President of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited. “The advanced cooperation between China Southern and American will help both of us extend networks and meet passenger demands through sharing resources. Our cooperation is market- and passenger-oriented, founded on a win-win relationship. It corresponds to the need for frequent and intimate exchange between China and the U.S. and is in line with our value proposition of customer first. Our partnership with American is an important move in China Southern’s initiative to build new international relationships.”

American and China Southern’s reciprocal codeshare, which launched in January, gives American’s customers better access to interior China and China Southern’s customers better access to the U.S. Pending regulatory approvals, the carriers will expand the codeshare in early 2019 as follows:

American expansion on China Southern:

In addition to the 14 cities currently served beyond Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), American will place its AA* code on flights to additional cities from PEK and introduce codeshare service beyond Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG).
- From PEK:
  - Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (URC)
  - Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport (KWE)
  - Guilin Liangjiang International Airport (KWL)
  - Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK)
  - Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX)
- From PVG:
  - SYX
  - Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)
  - Shenyang Taoxian International Airport (SHE)
  - Changsha Huanghua International Airport (CSX)
  - Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (SZX)
  - Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC)
  - Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB)
  - Changchun Longjia International Airport (CGQ)
  - Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO)
With this expansion, American will have its AA* code on flights operated by China Southern to 20 cities in China beyond PEK and PVG.

China Southern expansion on American:

In addition to the six cities in the U.S. currently served by China Southern on American, China Southern will place its CZ* code on additional flights beyond Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
- From LAX:
  - Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
  - Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
  - Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
  - Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
  - Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu (HNL)
  - McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas (LAS)
  - San Jose International Airport (SJC)
  - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
  - Orlando International Airport (MCO)
  - Portland International Airport (PDX)
  - Denver International Airport (DEN)
  - Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
  - Tucson International Airport (TUS)
- From SFO:
  - LAX
  - JFK
  - Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
  - Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
  - Miami International Airport (MIA)
  - Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- From JFK:
  - LAX
  - BOS
  - MCO
  - MIA
  - DFW
  - Raleigh/Durham International Airport (RDU)
  - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
  - Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix (PHX)
With this expansion, China Southern will have its CZ* code on flights operated by American to 21 cities in the U.S. beyond LAX, SFO and JFK.

Long-haul codeshare

American and China Southern will also begin codesharing on each other’s trans-Pacific flights between the U.S. and China.
American will place its AA* code on the following China Southern flights:
- From LAX:
  - CAN
  - SHE (service starts December 2018)
- From SFO:
  - CAN
  - Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH)
- From JFK:
  - CAN
China Southern will place its CZ* code on the following American flights:
- From DFW:
  - PEK
  - PVG
- From LAX:
  - PEK
  - PVG

American and China Southern will also launch reciprocal frequent flyer benefits early next year, giving customers the ability to earn and redeem miles on the other carrier’s flights. American Airlines AAdvantage^® members will be able to earn and redeem miles throughout China Southern’s network of more than 3,000 daily flights to 224 destinations in 40 countries and regions. China Southern Sky Pearl Club members will have the ability to earn and redeem miles throughout American’s network of 6,700 daily flights to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries.

Additionally, American and China Southern will begin offering reciprocal lounge access next year. Eligible American Airlines customers will have access to selected China Southern Sky Pearl Lounges throughout Asia and eligible China Southern customers will have access to selected American Airlines lounges around the world.

The new codeshare routes will be available for sale in due course with the first day of travel expected in early 2019. The reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and lounge access will also take effect early next year.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by the airlines): American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner N825AA (msn 40644) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944588.

American aircraft slide show:

American to add seasonal Chicago O’Hare – Quebec City service

American Airlines is planning to add summer American Eagle seasonal service between the Chicago (O’Hare) hub and Quebec City.

The seasonal route will operate daily between June 6 and September 3, 2019 according to Airline Route.

The new route will be operated with Embraer 175 aircraft operated by Envoy Air.

Envoy is undergoing a fleet transformation, welcoming brand-new, two-class Embraer 175 (E175) aircraft to the fleet. The spacious 76-seat E175 offers a seamless travel experience to customers connecting to and from mainline flights. We currently expect to operate at least 84 E175 aircraft by the start of 2020.

As we welcome the large E175 regional jets to the fleet, Envoy continues to operate a substantial fleet of jets, including the Bombardier CRJ700 (63/65 seats), the Embraer 145 (50 seats) and the Embraer 140 (44 seats).

Top Copyright Photo: American Eagle (2nd)-Envoy Embraer ERJ 170-200LR (ERJ 175) N223NN (msn 17000529) DFW (Ken Petersen). Image: 930876.

American Eagle-Envoy Air aircraft slide show:

American’s flight attendant union to picket the company this Sunday

APFA union has made this announcement:

American Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) are sounding the alarms this Sunday, November 18 by informational picketing systemwide on a historic date commemorating the Flight Attendant Strike of 1993, a strike which effectively shut down the carrier’s operation 25 years ago.

“It’s unbelievable that we are here twenty-five (25) years later still fighting for fair and equitable working conditions for our Flight Attendants,” said APFA National President Bassani. “Our members chose this historic date to show their extreme dissatisfaction with the failed scheduling systems, a punitive new sick policy and continued contract and seniority violations,” Bassani continued.

APFAs 27,000+ members are a diverse group of Flight Attendants spanning multiple legacy airlines. They will join together to demonstrate in fifteen (15) airports across the country from 1100-1300 local time.

Who: American Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA)

What: Nationwide informational picketing event. This is informational picketing only and is not a strike, work stoppage or any other job action.

Where: Airport locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, Charlotte, Miami, Raleigh-Durham, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago (see attached document with actual airports and locations).

When: Sunday, November 18 from 1100-1300 local time.

Why: To protest oppressive work schedules, failed scheduling systems, punitive sick policy, contract and seniority violations.

American takes the next step for new uniforms: Field test begins

American Airlines made this announcement:

After much anticipation and excitement, today more than 1,000 American Airlines team members from Flight Service, Airport Customer Service and Premium Customer Services will begin field testing their new uniform. The six-month field test is the next step in delivering an industry-leading uniform program designed in collaboration with frontline team members, ensuring the highest levels of textile safety, comfort, durability and brand integrity.

Over the past year, frontline team members from these workgroups have served on American’s Frontline Uniform Advisory Team (FUAT), making key decisions that have a direct impact not only on how American proceeds with the new uniform, but also the breadth and depth of the changes made to its uniform collection.

Those participating in the field test represent 51,000 team members who will don the new uniform when it rolls out in late 2019. Throughout the testing period, field testers will provide weekly feedback on the fit, form and function of the uniform and are responsible for listening to input from their colleagues and sharing that information, too.