The network planning department at American Airlines has been busy recently.
The carrier's schedule was announced on December 9. Additional service on some long-haul routes, as well as seven restarts of key flights, include Charlotte to Paris and Seattle to London.
The focus of American's summer expansion is seemingly on long-haul service, but the airline made a notable adjustment to one of its longest domestic routes.
On flights between Dallas-Fort Worth and Anchorage, Alaska, the airline will use the Boeing 787-9.
"For those looking to take in the majestic beauty of the last frontier, American will be upgauging its daily service between DFW and ANC to a Boeing 787, connecting more customers with the great outdoors."
The carrier is rethinking its plan a week after it was announced. The Dallas-Fort Worth and Anchorage routes were removed from the schedule published by American in December.
American plans to use the A321neo on the 3,043-mile route to Alaska.
The onboard experience of the A321neo is not as good as that of the Dreamliner. Premium economy recliners and large economy cabins feature entertainment screens and power outlets, as well as lie-flat business class Pods.
There are no built-in entertainment options for the roughly seven-hour flight. Travelers will need to use their own devices to access the onboard server.
You can sign up for our newsletter.
It's rare for airlines to make a major change in equipment a week after issuing a press release.
As we move in to the new year, we will evaluate our summer schedule and how we deploy our widebody aircraft so you may see small changes like DFW-ANC.
It's possible that other factors are at work, since American's statement isn't particularly illuminating.
American realized it would prefer to use a twin-aisle plane on another route. An A321neo can fly to Alaska, but it can't fly long haul like a Dreamliner can.
The cost of flying a Dreamliner to Alaska might not have been worth it for American if they boosted an existing route.
It is possible that American was trying to get a contract to carry cargo on the route. It's possible that the airline was hoping to fill the belly of the plane with fresh fish and other items from Alaska, since the A321neo has a smaller cargo capacity.
Maybe the airline's contract didn't happen, or maybe American realized it didn't need the extra cargo capacity of the Dreamliner.
There are a lot of reasons why the airline changed its mind. Delivery delays on the Dreamliner aircraft could be another reason.
Quality issues were discovered in new aircraft rolling off the production line, which led to Boeing stopping delivery of the 787s. It took two years for deliveries to restart. The lack of aircraft caused American to delay new flights and reduce service on existing ones.
If you are traveling with American this summer from Dallas to Alaska, you will not be able to enjoy a lie-flat bed, premium economy recliner or seat-back entertainment.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
