American to announce...

[bigr]

Heard on the CBS network news tonight that AA will announce a major restructuring in the next 2 weeks.

The same story said the major airlines have lost 3.5 billion since January 1st.

 

[bayoubandit]

APA Blastmail said the announcement will be made on Monday. I guess the rumor is that it will be a restructuring of the hub system involving its complexes (banks) and the retirement of the F100's. It's anybody's guess until Monday.

 

[jetexas]

I wonder if I should get some KY?

 

[Batman]

Latest AA news and rumors...

Unofficial Rumor--AA is planning to start phasing out all its A300, F100, and B717 fleets...

Official Rumor--http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2002/2002-08-09-american.htm


American Airlines to try rolling hubs

By Dan Reed, USA TODAY

American Airlines, which lost $2.8 billion in 18 months, next week will announce the first big steps in an evolving plan to become profitable again.

Company officials declined to discuss the details of the changes, expected to be announced on Tuesday. But one change telegraphed by American executives is the expansion of the "rolling hub" concept the airline has tested at its Chicago hub to reduce delays and increase efficiency.

Another is likely to be the phase-out of 74 Fokker 100 jets, the smallest of its 833 planes.

American is expected to extend the rolling hub concept to its huge Dallas/Fort Worth airport hub and its smaller St. Louis hub.

In traditional hubs, banks of 20 to 50 planes arrive and depart within a few minutes of each other. American generated a more steady stream of arrivals and departures by "de-peaking" its Chicago hub, erasing inefficiencies tied to drastic swings in ground activity there.

A rolling hub also increases the hours planes can be flown each day, freeing them to seek more revenue elsewhere.

While aircraft ground time at the hub doesn't change much, planes can depart "spoke" airports as quickly as they can be reloaded. In a traditional hub-and-spoke operation, planes sometimes remain at spokes for long periods, timing their return to the hub to be a part of a bank of arriving flights.

The changes at Chicago netted American extra flying time equal to having three more big jets and two regional jets.

For travelers, the rolling hub concept means some could see their time on the ground between flights grow. A few could actually see their connect times reduced. But American officials believe most will see little change.

The change, though, does entail significant risk for the airline. Travelers historically have chosen airline flights based on total travel times. Peaked hubs were created to produce shorter elapsed times.

American's change might cause competitors to promote their shorter elapsed times and connecting times, says an industry official close to American. But management believes the savings outweighs any possible loss in revenue and market share.

Retiring the Fokker 100s has long been under consideration. Equipped with 87 seats, they are expensive to operate relative both to larger planes like the Boeing 737 and to smaller regional jets, that can be used on the routes now served by Fokker 100s.

The number of job cuts is unknown. But executives hope attrition will mean fewer layoffs.

 

[dualrated]

"Unofficial Rumor--AA is planning to start phasing out all its A300, F100, and B717 fleets... "


Uhhh...you can scratch the 717 from the rumor column and put it over in the fact column. It's already gone.

 

[BigFlyr]

How about the rumor of more furloughs to come? Anyone know?

 

[exeagle]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/3814541.htm

 

[azpilot]

From what I have heard the total furloughs will be almost equal to the amount of pilots acquired from the TWA merger. If I was an American pilot now displaced by a more senior former TWA pilot I would be pissed. Good luck all.

 

[furlough-boy]

get a clue

You mean the former TWA pilots, all locked in STL, and flying all former TWA airplanes?

Wake-up.

 

[bayoubandit]

BigFLYR,

Rumor has it another 1000-1500 guys to be furloughed. But it is just that, a rumor. My take, that would create absolute chaos in the schoolhouse and cost big bucks. But you can't put anything past AMR!!! Who knows what they are thinking.

Time will tell!

 

[TWA Dude]

From what I have heard the total furloughs will be almost equal to the amount of pilots acquired from the TWA merger. If I was an American pilot now displaced by a more senior former TWA pilot I would be pissed. Good luck all.

1. In order to furlough large numbers AA would have to ground ex-TWA MD80s since all the furloughs will be in STL. IMHO if there are more furloughs the numbers will be in the low hundreds -- or less. (I'm 100 from the bottom.)

2. All active non-STL AA pilots are now furlough protected and have Eagle flow-back priviledges (such as it is). The STL pilots have neither protection, however, those in the top third of our list that are dovetailed have de facto protection since there are AA pilots junior to them.

3. No AA pilots have been displaced by any ex-TWA pilots nor will they be anytime soon. We're still operating on separate FAA op-specs.

 

[throttlejockey]

How many F100's does AA fly right now? How many crews would that be?

Does anyone know what the Heavy Check Schedule is on the F100 Fleet?

Only stands to reason that they would retire the F100's as the Heavy Checks come due, it's too costly to retire them all at once.

Would they retire the A-300? I thought that the A-300 is a bread and butter A/C on the Carribean markets. If that one gets retired, it only stands to reason that they would retire as the heavy checks come due as well.

 

[azpilot]

Re: get a clue

You mean the former TWA pilots, all locked in STL, and flying all former TWA airplanes?

Wake-up.

I didn't say it was fact just what I heard. If you are more informed great. That is what these forums are for.

 

[dmspilot00]

The CBS report also talked about American making the hub modifications as described by the USA Today article, and also said they would be phasing out older planes. In the same report, they said Delta (I think) will be focusing on using larger planes so it would have more "bargain seats."

Just wanted to let you know... if there are two sources it must be pretty on target.

 

[bayoubandit]

Throttlejockey

There are 74 F100's. They are not due for Heavy Check (C Check) until Sept. of '03. The F100 C Check line has been closed and that is said what started the rumor of the F100 going away. Now whether it will, we will see. Most likely if it does, it will be phased out like you said.

I don't know anything about the Airbus except we have 34, and it makes alot of money because of the cargo it can carry. Anyone else??

 

[fxbat]

TWA Dude
De facto protection
Care to elaborate ?

 

[Lindy]

Bids Delayed?

Weren't the bids due out yesterday? A friend stated that the bids haven't been released yet and will be released sometime (early) next week.

Unfortunately, that makes sense if there is to be quite a bit of restructuring.

Fly Safe

 

[bayoubandit]

I had read they were delayed too. I think there was an HI6 or something asking to make sure displacement bids were in. It does all make sense doesn't it?

 

[jetexas]

At Eagle our vacancy bid results came out on the 8th. They were then changed on the 9th to the dismay of about 7 folks who had been awarded captain and then taken back. That's the first time I have ever seen that happen.
Somethings brewin' and it ain't smellin good!

 

[skydiverdriver]

Dumb question here, but how does the fact that a TWA pilot was based in St Louis make any difference? Don't furloughs go by senority at the airline, or is it senority in base for you guys? Thanks for the help.