As per justplanes.com

American Eagle is taking over AA's YYZ-LGA flight with its ERJ135's. This is effective as of Jan. The frequency remains at 6 flights per day.

Mark

Another casualty of the strengthening RJ factor. I'd imagine incredible amounts of flights across the continent will be downgraded to RJ service in the coming years, there are many benefits to operating the smaller aircraft on short routes. One thing odd about this downgrade however, is the non increase of daily flights on this route. Must show that AA feels demand for the service is slipping.

I'd also think Air Canada does a fair bit better on this route, the way I see it is there are far more Torontonians travelling this route than New Yorkers, I could be wrong, but that's just how I visualize the market. In that case, I'd also think Torontonians choose AC just do to familiarity, they are the dominant air carrier in this market.

That all being said, I believe there was a time in the mid 1990's that AC and CP were both thinking of running the YYZ-LGA route with hourly frequencies... how times have changed!

Jeremy

YYZ-NYC is a pretty crowded market. You got service into HPN, LGA, EWR, JFK... the only carrier not involved in this party is NW-UA, and they technically are there with the AC/CO code-shares.

Mark

Actually the frequency is 7x daily. Currently 1 MD-80/6 F100, will become 7x daily ERJ. This may change though. Last week it was showing 6x daily MD-80 from Jan 04 onward.

Anyway, ORD-YYZ will still see AA F100's.

Also, one of the daily AA DFW-YYZ will upgrade from MD-80 to 738 this fall.

YYZ-NYC is a pretty crowded market.

Crowded? By who's standards? Compared to what markets?

You can't say a market is crowded. It's meaningless.

Someone forgot to mention that AA is retiring their F100s. There is currently no aircraft replacing this one at this size.

You can't say a market is crowded. It's meaningless.

Absolutely you can say a market is crowded. A crowded market exists when any player in the marketplace is forced to operate below its optimum economy of scale (or to reguage its economy of scale) in order to continue viable operation.

The fact that AA is downguaging YYZ-LGA to ERJs from mainline planes is pretty convincing evidence that the market is indeed crowded.

Sorry Neil... Justplanes said 6 a day, but indeed amadeus is showing 7 flights.

As for YYZ-DFW, funny two summers ago AA had 5 daily YYZ-DFW.. its down to 3 now I think.

Mark

The fact that AA is downguaging YYZ-LGA to ERJs from mainline planes is pretty convincing evidence that the market is indeed crowded.

Not in this case Sean. AA is removing the F100 from service. Hence perhaps the market does not justify the MD-80, so AA is downgauging by necessity. Perhaps AA is squeezing out demand by reducing capacity which will raise yields. We don't know....only AA does.

Had the AA F100 fleet remained at full strength with only the LGA-YYZ market dowgrading, a stronger argument could perhaps be made. But this is not the case.

As for YYZ-DFW, funny two summers ago AA had 5 daily YYZ-DFW.. its down to 3 now I think.

AA never had more than 4 daily DFW-YYZ. The 4th daily has been constantly added and removed for over 5 years now.

The Canada-LGA routes are pretty weak.

Save for the 645am YUL/YYZ-LGA for tommorow, all of the YUL/YYZ-LGA A319;s are leaving approx half full or worse.

Mark

The F100;s are still in service, and will still be for quite some time it seems.

ive got an AA timetable here, it shows 5 daily YYZ-DFW for summer 2001.

Mark

The LGA-YYZ/YUL routes cater heavily to business travellers, so I'm sure that yields are high. Indeed, I would not be surprized if these were AC's most profitable US routes. They run the high frequencies to satisfy the business travellers. How long before AC puts the CRJ on YYZ-LGA?

I can remember back in 1981....AA had 8 daily YYZ-LGA (2 D10, 6 722's). Capacity has really dropped!

Theyve got the BAE146 taking over YULLGA, or the better part of it for winter 2004.

Mark

The F100;s are still in service, and will still be for quite some time it seems.


AA is now down to about 55 F100's (from 75). They are being progressively removed from service. The LGA F100 base is closing. There is another thread on this.

ive got an AA timetable here, it shows 5 daily YYZ-DFW for summer 2001.

Ok, I stand corrected. I did not know that. It must have just been added for that summer. Obviously, it did not last.

I can remember back in 1981....AA had 8 daily YYZ-LGA (2 D10, 6 722's). Capacity has really dropped!

I wonder whether capacity has dropped because AA was trying to "squeeze out demand to raise yield" or because the market was simply becoming too crowded to justify that kind of capacity?  

You are right that we will never know for sure what AA's motivations are. However if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck...

I think the removal of the F100 left a stark choice....the ERJ or the MD-80, which is a HUGE capacity gap.

It would seem that AA values the YYZ-LGA market strongly....to maintain 7 frequencies in such a slot restricted airport as LGA......if the market is "crowded", it's with capacity, not frequency it seems.

Interestingly enough Americans Timetable's last version showed the LGA YYZ route as MD 80s after Dec 31. The new update shows the route as ERDs. I wounder why they changed it.

Interestingly enough Americans Timetable's last version showed the LGA YYZ route as MD 80s after Dec 31. The new update shows the route as ERDs. I wounder why they changed it.

I was wondering that also. Looks like they decided on 6x daily MD-80's, then changed their minds and put on 7x daily ERJ's.

The MD80 was certainly too big. THe loads on the F100 are usually 1/2 to 2/3 full on the average. MD80 being 40 seaters bigger.

Mark

I guess you have to look at the fact of what is more important? Frequency or capacity, and as mark has showed us Capacity is not the issue. We all agree that its down graded because of lack of passengers, as mentioned above! What times are these flights, couldn't they use 3 MD-80's on the route? or 4? Have a Morning, Noon, Evening and Night flight? or have a mix? Or could it be just because of avialable aircraft? ERJ's are avialable to fly the route and i am sure they will produce higher margins than the F-100's!

Grant

Actually, the talk of slots reminds me that LGA has seperate slot pools for flights with <50 seater and >50 seater aircraft. It is quite possible that AA is simply juggling slots and upguaging some other route to mainline equipment.

I guess you have to look at the fact of what is more important? Frequency or capacity

On YYZ-LGA, it's frequency that rules. Business travellers want hourly flights.

Actually, the talk of slots reminds me that LGA has seperate slot pools for flights with <50 seater and >50 seater aircraft. It is quite possible that AA is simply juggling slots and upguaging some other route to mainline equipment.
Ya true....good point.