USA: American Airlines Opens New Routes

American Airlines launched 26 routes between 18 December and 6 January, with the airline’s Charlotte Douglas (CLT), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas/Forth Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Phoenix (PHX) and New York LaGuardia (LGA) hubs all seeing new services.

The carrier has also begun a route from Las Vegas (LAS) to Tokyo Narita (NRT), although this route will only operate on a daily basis for the duration of the technology show CES 2019, taking place in Las Vegas between 8-12 January.

The route is also operated by Delta Air Lines during this period. Of the other 25 routes launched, six face direct competition. See how the FTWAs from Oaxaca and North Eleuthera compare to other entries from around the globe.

American Airlines launched a three times weekly service between Los Angeles and Buenos Aires Ezeiza on 19 December, with the first flight touching down in Argentina the following morning.

On arrival, a gift exchange took place, which was conducted by: Gonzalo Schames, Manager of Operations Argentina, Chile & Uruguay, American Airlines; Martin Eurnekian, President, Aeropuertos Argentina 2000; Guillermo Dietrich, Minister of Transport of Argentina; and Andrés Duncan Paterson, Sales Manager Argentina and Uruguay, American Airlines. No other airline operates the city pair.

American Airlines commenced flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and Oaxaca on 19 December, with a press conference being held at the Mexican airport on the day of the route launch.

Among those taking part in proceedings were: Juan Pablo García Luna Gutierrez, Administrator of the Airport of Oaxaca; Juan Carlos Rivera Castellanos, Secretary of Tourism of Oaxaca; Alejandro Ismael Murat Hinojosa, Governor of Oaxaca; and José María Giraldo, Director Mexico and Canada, American Airlines. The 1,765-kilometre route will operate daily.

American Airlines launched a daily service between Philadelphia and Mexico City on 5 July, with the US airport baking this fantastic cake to commemorate the new service, with the culinary masterpiece having been made by Night Kitchen bakery, a company with over 30 years baking expertise.

Seen posing with the route launch party showstopper are Olympia Colasante, VP Philadelphia Operations, American Airlines and Chellie Cameron, CEO of Philadelphia Airport.

American Airlines launched another international route from Philadelphia (PHL) on 5 July, beginning a daily service from the Pennsylvania hub to Mexico City (MEX).

The oneworld member will operate the 3,212-kilometre connection between Philadelphia and the Mexican capital daily utilising its fleet of A319s, with the carrier not expected to face any direct competition on the sector.

With this launch, American now serves two destinations in Mexico from Philadelphia, with it already operating to Cancun 15 times weekly this summer.

The USB3 carrier already serves Mexico City from Charlotte Douglas, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami. In total American will offer 97 weekly departures to Mexico City across its six routes from the US in S18.

American Airlines has commenced flights from three different hubs, all launched on 15 February. New A320 services from the carrier’s second-largest operation, at Charlotte Douglas (CLT) were started to Tucson (TUS).

Additionally, the oneworld airline kicked off a 2,403-kilometre link between Philadelphia (PHL), its fifth-biggest base in terms of weekly seats, and San Antonio (SAT), which is flown by its 128-seat A319 fleet.

Approximately 120,000 travellers fly between San Antonio and Philadelphia each year, so this new service answers the need for many travellers and is a highlight to our economic progress, said Russ Handy, Aviation Director for the City of San Antonio.

Finally, again on the same day, American began the airport pair from Washington Reagan (DCA) to Tallahassee (TLH), operated by its CRJ 900 aircraft. None of the new route trio has any direct route competition, and all will be operated on a daily basis.

American Airlines commenced six new US domestic connections on 3 April, with its bases at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), New York JFK (JFK), New York LaGuardia (LGA), Phoenix (PHX) and Washington Reagan (DCA) all gaining at least one new service.

Of the six airport pairs which launched, only two face no direct competition, namely the sectors between Phoenix and Amarillo (AMA) and Reagan to Little Rock (LIT).

The average sector length of the six services is 949 kilometres, with the distances ranging from the 150-kilometre hop between JFK and Philadelphia (PHL) to the 2,338-kilometre route from Dallas/Fort Worth to Oakland (OAK).

American Airlines over the past seven days has launched 27 new routes, of which 24 were domestic. The only international connections inaugurated included a weekly (Saturdays) service between Miami (MIA) and Bonaire (BON), an airport pair which began on 9 June.

The others were between Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Calgary (YYC), plus Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Rekyjavik/Keflavik (KEF), with the latter two having launched two days earlier.

Of the 27 routes commenced by the oneworld member this week, only 15 are presently not served by another carrier. Of those which do face competition, 11 will go head-to-head with Star Alliance carrier United Airlines, including all nine routes introduced to American’s network from Chicago O’Hare.

The average weekly frequency of American’s new routes is 7.5, while the mean sector length is 1,627 kilometres.


Tourism Observer

BONAIRE: American Airlines Goes To Bonaire

American Airlines officially launches its first-ever flights to Bonaire this weekend, with plans for more.

The carrier will also be adding flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Dec. 15 through March 30, 2019.

That’s along with the Saturday flight that launches June 9.

The American flight will leave Miami on Saturdays at 12:05 PM, arriving in Bonaire at 4:13 PM local time.

The return flight will depart Bonaire at 5:05 PM, arriving in Miami at 7:15 PM.

The move comes after the performance of the Saturday flights is booking extremely well, according to a statement from the Tourism Corporation Bonaire.

We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement with American Airlines to provide additional non-stop service to Bonaire, said Maurice Adriaens, Director of Tourism Corporation Bonaire.

They are confident that the extra flights will do well.

These flights will allow us to generate more traffic to the island concurrent with the expansion of our hotel and villa inventory.

TCB said the bookings for the Saturday flight thus far had been concentrated from Miami, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte.

It all adds up to a significant boost for the Dutch Caribbean island, which is best known for its remarkable marine offerings but has increasingly put itself on the map of late in areas like food and adventure sports.

The island also added a very sleek new boutique beach resort, the Delfins Beach Resort.

Tourism Corporation Bonaire is very excited about this opportunity and we look forward to continue to build a long term partnership with American Airlines, TCB said in a statement.


Tourism Observer

USA: Dog Gives Birth At Tampa International Airport

In the midst of the highest dispute regarding service animals flying on planes, a service dog named Eleanor or Ellie Rigby gave birth to eight puppies at the Tampa International Airport’s Gate 80 moments before its flight to Philadelphia departed.

Ellie, a trained and permitted to fly yellow lab, was flying with its owner.

As the dog went into labor, the airport’s fire rescue team arrived at the scene to assist with the birth of eight blonde pups.

The airport registered the whole event, which was also witnessed by numerous passengers and airport workers, through social media by using the #AirportPuppies hashtag.

American Airlines (AA), Delta (DL) and United (AA) issued new rules, banning animals like goats, hedgehogs, insects, reptiles, snakes, spiders, ferrets, spiders, and non-household birds.

The airlines are also banning unclean animals.

The service animal benefit has been exploited to a level in which passengers have brought the wildest kind of animals with them on a flight.

American Airlines states that emotional/psychiatric support and fully-trained service animals can fly in the cabin at no charge, highlighting that these must meet the requirements.

Before, passengers could arrive at the airport and file the paperwork at the check-in desk. This is no longer permitted.

From now on, however, those passengers who wish to bring such type of animal on board a plane must file paperwork at least two full days before the trip.

A domestic one-way ticket for a service animal costs $125 on a Delta flight.

We support the rights of customers, from veterans to people with disabilities, with legitimate needs for a trained service or support animal, AA said in a statement.

Unfortunately, untrained animals can lead to safety issues for our team, our customers, and working dogs onboard our aircraft.

American Airlines also claims that between 2016 and 2017, the number of service animals traveling onboard its planes have grown by a whopping 40%.

Delta’s numbers are higher, with over 250,000 animals flying since 2015—a 150% increase.

Delta is now asking its passengers to sign a form that the animal is trained, well behaved, and will not pose a threat to other passengers at the airport and the flight.

Last year, a passenger was hospitalized because another passenger’s dog attacked him during boarding.


Tourism Observer

Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Jet Airways To Expand Codeshare Cooperation

Delta Air Lines and joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic will expand the airlines’ existing cooperation agreement with India’s Jet Airways, the carriers announced Oct. 31.

Beginning Nov. 2, Delta and Virgin Atlantic passengers flying from the US into London Heathrow (LHR) will be able to make connecting flights to Mumbai and Delhi on Jet Airways.

Simultaneously, Jet Airways passengers will be able to connect through London Heathrow onto Delta routes to nine US cities: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

The new London-Mumbai/Delhi connections complement Delta and Jet Airways codeshare agreements already offered out of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport.

“With up to 11,000 people flying daily between India and North America, and with trade and tourism flows increasing between the US, UK and India, we are giving our customers more … options between North America and India,” Delta SVP-Europe, Middle East, Africa and India Nat Pieper said. “Customers will be able to hold a single Delta ticket from North America through London to India.”

Virgin Atlantic already has a codeshare agreement with Jet Airways on flights between five Indian cities and London Heathrow via Delhi. In 2017, subject to government approval, the airlines plan to expand their codeshare agreement when Virgin Atlantic places Jet Airways’ marketing code on flights from London Heathrow to 10 North American cities.

QATAR: Qatar Airways With 168 Aircraft And 330 Jets On Order, Lands Its Newest Plane To America

Qatar Airways is ramping up its expansion into the United States regardless of whatever concerns American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines may have.

This week, Qatar Airways announced plans to commence service between its home base in Doha, Qatar, and the US using its new fleet of Airbus A350 jets.

A350 service in the US kicks off January 1 on the airline's Doha-to-Philadelphia route.

"We are proud to be the first commercial airline to land the Airbus A350 in the United States," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said in a statement.

"As the global launch customer of this new-generation aircraft, we are excited to introduce it to the American market."

Qatar Airways currently flies to 152 destinations around the world, including New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Houston, and Washington, D.C.

The airline plans to open routes from Doha to Los Angeles in January, Boston in March, and Atlanta in June.

The Persian Gulf-based airline has grown rapidly over the past decade and now boasts a fleet of 168 aircraft with another 330 jets on order, which are valued at more than $70 billion.

In June, Qatar Airways was named Airline of the Year for 2015 by the leading aviation consumer organization Skytrax. It's a prize the airline also took home in 2011 and 2012.

Qatar's success has not come without pitfalls. American, United, and Delta Air Lines have accused Qatar along with Etihad Airways and Emirates of fueling its palatial terminals, luxury service, and massive fleets with $42 billion in government subsidies.

Qatar, Emirates, and Etihad deny these accusations. The coalition of US airlines has petitioned the US State Department to reevaluate the "Open Skies" agreements between the US and the Gulf states that allow airlines to fly freely between the countries.

Al Baker said that whatever money his airline had received from the Qatari government had been in the form of investment in exchange for equity.

Etihad CEO James Hogan echoed Baker's sentiments, telling Business Insider: "At the end of the day. We have a shareholder who placed equity in the airline who gave us loans to be repaid. That's what people do when they invest in the business."

"We've done nothing improper," Hogan continued. "We've created a great airline, with great service, created value, and the accounts are audited by one of the top accounting firms in the world."

Qatar is the launch partner for the Airbus A350-900 twin-engine long-range airliner. The airline expects to have eight of the jets in its fleet by the end of the year, with 72 more on order.

The A350 is powered by two powerful and efficient Rolls-Royce Trent turbofan engines. The jet can carry as many as 325 passengers in three different classes, with a fuel range of about 8,700 miles.

USA: Frontier Airlines Takes Delivery Of Its First A321

Frontier Airlines, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, USA has taken delivery of the first Airbus A321 to join its fleet. In the last year, the airline has placed firm orders for 19 A321s, reflecting its market strength and the need for the largest Airbus A320 Family member. All 19 A321s are the current engine option (ceo) and will be equipped with Sharklets. Each will seat 230 people in a single class, and be powered by CFM56-5B engines from CFM International. Frontier’s current in-service fleet consists of 57 A320 Family aircraft (35 A319s and 22 A320s). In addition to the remaining 18 A321s on backlog, the airline has 18 A319neo (new engine option), 62 A320neo, and two A320 ceo aircraft on order, for a total backlog of 100 Airbus single-aisles.

All of Frontiers A321s will feature lightweight composite Sharklets, 2.4-meter/94-inch tall wing-tip devices that provide a fuel consumption reduction of up to 4 percent, plus either a range extension of 100 nautical miles or increased payload of up to 450 kilograms/992 pounds.

Frontier’s new A321s will initially be used on their routes from Orlando to Philadelphia, Denver, Cleveland and Detroit. The airline just this fall opened up a new crew base in Orlando to support the A321.

“All of us at Team Frontier are excited to welcome our first A321 into our family of Airbus aircraft,” said Barry Biffle, President – Frontier Airlines. “The A321 is the perfect complement to our fleet as we continue to seek areas of growth and offer our customers Low Fares Done Right.”

“Frontier took delivery of its very first Airbus aircraft in 2001, starting its transition to an all-Airbus fleet and its realization of the merit and flexibility of the A320 Family,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer – Customers. “The airline understands the value of continuing to upgrade its fleet with new aircraft and our ever-evolving fuel-saving technologies. In addition to saving money, Frontier is keeping its passengers happy with the most comfortable single-aisle cabin in the sky.”

The A320 Family, both CEO and NEO derivatives, seat from 100 to 240 passengers, seamlessly covering the entire single-aisle segment from low to high-density configurations on domestic to longer-range routes. To date, Airbus has sold more than 12,200 single-aisle CEO and NEO aircraft and delivered over 6,700 CEO to more than 300 operators worldwide.

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