American Airlines has made major adjustments to its long-haul international schedule for winter 2020 through summer 2021 amid low demand due to the coronavirus crisis, the carrier announced in a statement posted on its website.
As part of the its plans to reset its international network, the carrier says it will seek government approval to move its Los Angeles International Airport service to Shanghai to operate out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport instead.
The US carrier announced that it is cutting several routes, and its summer 2021 long-haul international capacity will be down 25 per cent compared to 2019.
“Covid-19 has forced us to reevaluate our network,” said American’s chief revenue officer Vasu Raja.
“American will have a significantly smaller international network in the year ahead, but we are using this opportunity to hit reset and create a network using the strength of our strategic hubs that we can build and grow upon and be profitable on in this new environment,” Raja added.
Cancelled routes amid low demand
American says it will exit several routes, including “underperforming routes” from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to destinations in Asia.
The carrier will cancel its Los Angeles-Beijing, Los Angeles-Hong Kong, and Los Angeles-Shanghai Pudong (subject to government approval of SEA—PVG route) routes.
Here is a full list of the routes AA will no longer operate:
| Origin | Destination |
|---|---|
| CLT | BCN |
| CLT | FCO |
| CLT | CDG |
| DFW | MUC |
| LAX | Hong Kong (HKG) |
| LAX | EZE |
| LAX | GRU |
| LAX | PEK |
| LAX | PVG** |
| MIA | Brasilia (BSB) |
| MIA | MXP |
| ORD | Budapest (BUD)* |
| ORD | Krakow (KRK)* |
| ORD | Prague (PRG)* |
| ORD | Venice (VCE) |
| PHL | Berlin (TXL) |
| PHL | BUD |
| PHL | Casablanca (CMN)* |
| PHL | Dubrovnik (DBV) |
*American says it will not launch ORD—BUD, ORD—PRG, ORD—KRK and PHL—CMN as previously announced.
**Subject to government approval of SEA—PVG.
The carrier says Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will become its major trans-Pacific hub while Miami International Airport (MIA) will continue to be the preeminent hub for flights to the Caribbean and Latin America. Once government restrictions on trans-Atlantic flying subside, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL ) will continue to be American’s primary hub for service to Europe, the carrier said.
Below is the updated international schedule posted on the airline’s website.
| Origin | Destination | Schedule change |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte (CLT) | Frankfurt (FRA) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| CLT | London (LHR) | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| CLT | Munich (MUC) | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| Chicago (ORD) | Barcelona (BCN) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| ORD | Dublin (DUB) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| ORD | Paris (CDG) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | Beijing (PEK) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| DFW | Buenos Aires (EZE) | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| DFW | Lima (LIM) | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| DFW | Sao Paulo (GRU) | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| DFW | Rome (FCO) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| DFW | Santiago (SCL) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| DFW | Tel Aviv (TLV) | Service launches winter 2021 |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | Auckland (AKL) | Service launches winter 2021 |
| LAX | LHR | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| LAX | Sydney (SYD) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| New York (JFK) | CDG | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| JFK | BCN | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| JFK | EZE | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| JFK | Rio de Janeiro (GIG) | Service resumes winter 2021 |
| JFK | GRU | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| JFK | Madrid (MAD) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| JFK | Milan (MXP) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| Miami (MIA) | CDG | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| MIA | GIG | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| MIA | GRU | Service resumes Aug. 6, 2020 |
| MIA | MAD | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| MIA | SCL | Service resumes Aug. 5, 2020 |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | Amsterdam (AMS) | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| PHL | DUB | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| PHL | LHR | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| PHL | Manchester (MAN) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| PHL | MAD | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| PHL | CDG | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| PHL | FCO | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| PHL | Zurich (ZRH) | Service resumes summer 2021 |
| Phoenix (PHX) | LHR | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| Raleigh (RDU) | LHR | Service resumes winter 2020 |
| Seattle (SEA) | Bangalore (BLR) | Service launches winter 2021 |
| SEA | LHR | Service launches summer 2021 |
| SEA | Shanghai (PVG) | New service subject to government approval |
AA says international schedule updates will be reflected on aa.com Sunday, July 5.
No change fees for flights booked by July 31
The airline is expanding waived change fees for customers booking tickets for any new travel purchased by July 31, 2020. Any first, business, premium economy, and Main Cabin tickets purchased on or before July 31, 2020, for future travel will not incur change fees prior to travel, the carrier said.
Customers are allowed to change their origin and destination cities as part of this offer. The offer excludes Basic Economy and AAdvantage award tickets. The carrier says customers must pay any fare difference, if applicable, and fare rules may apply depending on the ticket.
According to the carrier, customers have flexibility for AAdvantage award tickets as changes made 60 days or more before travel have no reinstatement fee.
American currently has a change fee waiver in place for all tickets, including basic economy and AAdvantage award tickets, for travel through September 30, 2020.
