AS to join OneWorld / AA to make SEA an Intl gateway

I'm assuming if it the email came from AA management it isn't a joke, too early for April Fools

Here is a source from the Dallas Morning News
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/air ... nd-london/

American Airlines is rekindling its partnership with Alaska and adding flights from Seattle to India and London

BrianDromey · Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:56 pm

While this wont make up for the loss of LATAM in South America, it is a good move for AA and AS, against DL.

Im surprised that a major airline would join an alliance in the current climate - the direction seems to be away from alliances, rather than towards. A great addition for AA, AS and oneworld.

yeogeo · Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:56 pm

And as a result: "American will launch the first service from Seattle (SEA) to Bangalore, India (BLR) beginning October 2020. A new American route from SEA to the global business hub London Heathrow (LHR) will begin flying in March 2021."
Interesting!

716131 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:56 pm

Found another from Tweets and AS is also joining OW next year as well. Big congrats to AA.

https://twitter.com/JTGenter/status/1227953872850653184

iyerhari · Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:59 pm

Wow! This came out of nowhere IMO.

AA flight from SEA to BLR! AA finally makes it to India after a longtime. This would be also nice considering that only AI and UA fly from SFO to India. SEA also has a huge tech community including possibility of taking in Canada passengers.

whywhytee · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:00 pm

I don’t know why but I always thought they’d join SkyTeam

Antarius · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:00 pm

Wow. Just wow.

flyfresno · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:00 pm

I mean, it's a good response to MIA. AA is gonna have to up their game though if they are going to create a seamless product in SEA from AS...

Polot · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:01 pm

whywhytee wrote:
I don’t know why but I always thought they’d join SkyTeam

Any chance of that ever happening went away when the relationship between AS and DL soured over DL’s SEA buildup.

Varsity1 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:01 pm

WOW!!! AA going to India out of Seattle!?!

tphuang · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:02 pm

This is going to work out great for AS I think. I see them as the big winner from having more feeds here.

Looks to me a clear retaliation from AA toward the DL/LA tie up. I'm liking this new AA willing to think outside the box to take on DL rather than just letting DL eat its lunch everywhere. It's about time legacies take on each other rather than on smaller carriers.

Ishrion · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:03 pm

WTF?? BANGALORE? Did NOT see that coming

KFTG · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:04 pm

With what gates?

enilria · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:04 pm

BrianDromey wrote:
While this wont make up for the loss of LATAM in South America, it is a good move for AA and AS, against DL.

I'm surprised that a major airline would join an alliance in the current climate - the direction seems to be away from alliances, rather than towards. A great addition for AA, AS and oneworld.

100% agree with all of that. I wonder if B6 will also join OneWorld? The trade off would be knife stab to Delta and potentially getting AA's JFK slots vs. the impact on B6's Europe plans.

How many of AS current code share partners are not OW? I suspect AS will not eliminate any of them, though.

jplatts · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:05 pm

whywhytee wrote:
I don’t know why but I always thought they’d join SkyTeam

DL already has a hub at SEA, and DL also already has nonstop service out of SEA to some destinations in Alaska, Western Canada, and the Pacific Northwest. DL's codeshare partner VS also already serves LHR nonstop from SEA in addition to AS's codeshare partner BA.

LAXdude1023 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:05 pm

Looks like AA found a way to get DL back for the whole LATAM fiasco.

VTORD · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:05 pm

Okay...did not see this one coming! SEA-BLR!?

So a/c will be most likely a 787-9 I suppose?

Tristar787 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:06 pm

Interesting development. I can’t imagine DL being thrilled about this. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them find a slot at LHR to launch RDU-LHR as a response. But congrats to AS/AA! SEA is definitely busting at the seams at the moment waiting for the expansion to wrap up.

MIflyer12 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:07 pm

Varsity1 wrote:
WOW!!! AA going to India out of Seattle!?!

Pragmatically, it's an easier ULH route than LAX-BLR being ~1000 sm shorter at 8,078 sm. There's also this certain software company at both ends of that route...

aaflyer777 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:07 pm

Anyone know where this LHR slot is coming from?

whywhytee · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:08 pm

Yeah, I think oneworld makes a lot more sense for them, I’ve never put too much thought into what alliance Alaska should join lol

cledaybuck · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:08 pm

yeogeo wrote:
And as a result: "American will launch the first service from Seattle (SEA) to Bangalore, India (BLR) beginning October 2020. A new American route from SEA to the global business hub London Heathrow (LHR) will begin flying in March 2021."
Interesting!

Consider me skeptical that SEA-BLR is going to work.

vhtje · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:09 pm

Ever since AS ended its partnership with DL, and moved closer to BA, QF, etc wasn’t AS joining oneworld a case of when, not if? I always thought they would go the oneworld connect route, not full membership. I am happy to have been proven wrong though.

Themotionman · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:09 pm

SEA-BLR - AA is not messing about! A complete reversal of the direction of the AA-AS relationship. I thought it was only a matter of time before AA returned to India, but I did not expect it to be from SEA!

jplatts · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:10 pm

AA adding SEA-BOS nonstop service might be a possibility with AA having recently added a few other point-to-point nonstop routes out of BOS.

AA adding SEA-AUS nonstop service might also be a possibility with AA having recently announced plans to resume SJC-AUS nonstop service and AA having recently added BOS-AUS nonstop service.

While JL already serves NRT nonstop from SEA, AA adding SEA-HND nonstop service might be a possibility if AA acquires extra slots at HND (beyond the extra slots that AA will be using on DFW-HND starting next month).

N292UX · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:10 pm

Wow. I did not see this coming at all. But love to see it.

Boof02671 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:11 pm

Tristar787 wrote:
Interesting development. I can’t imagine DL being thrilled about this. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them find a slot at LHR to launch RDU-LHR as a response. But congrats to AS/AA! SEA is definitely busting at the seams at the moment waiting for the expansion to wrap up.

AA’s RDU-LHR Flight has huge corporate contracts especially from GSK which buys seats on every flight.

Ishrion · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:11 pm

Seattle to Bangalore will be American’s second longest route after DFW-HKG.

N292UX · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:12 pm

This came out of nowhere. I'm interested to see how it works out for them. Congrats to OW and AS!

Midwestindy · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:13 pm

aaflyer777 wrote:
Anyone know where this LHR slot is coming from?

They have a year to figure it out

boeing773er · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:13 pm

W.t.f.

I hate to say airlines act on feelings, because I like to think they put their shareholders above that. But this just feels like straight retaliation against DL for the LATAM deal.

N292UX · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:16 pm

I find it interesting how BA just recently announced PDX too. I wonder if they had some sort of insight into the possibility of AS joining OneWorld.

stl07 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:18 pm

AA hits back hard

aacun · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:19 pm

cledaybuck wrote:
yeogeo wrote:
And as a result: "American will launch the first service from Seattle (SEA) to Bangalore, India (BLR) beginning October 2020. A new American route from SEA to the global business hub London Heathrow (LHR) will begin flying in March 2021."
Interesting!

Consider me skeptical that SEA-BLR is going to work.

That took long enough!!!!!

Ishrion · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:20 pm

N292UX wrote:
I find it interesting how BA just recently announced PDX too. I wonder if they had some sort of insight into the possibility of AS joining OneWorld.

Did they ever say if AA’s frequency will SEA-LHR replace BA’s? They could do something similar with DL adding PDX-LHR while VS launched SEA-LON

avi8 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:23 pm

I like this new AA. They’re becoming an aggressive, strategic player. This is going to be interesting.

J2flyer · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:23 pm

Just read the announcement. Are they for real going to fly SEA-BLR or is it a tag-on for BA connection at LHR?

N292UX · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:23 pm

Ishrion wrote:
N292UX wrote:
I find it interesting how BA just recently announced PDX too. I wonder if they had some sort of insight into the possibility of AS joining OneWorld.

Did they ever say if AA’s frequency will SEA-LHR replace BA’s? They could do something similar with DL adding PDX-LHR while VS launched SEA-LON

It's hard to tell at this point. They still have a year to figure that out, but it's possible they may be able to get another slot. If not, I'd assume they'd be more likely to cut a frequency from somewhere else rather than BA's Seattle flight, but we'll have to wait and find out.

BNAMealer · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:24 pm

Finally, AA woke up and realized they need AS.

I’m glad to see they are pushing back against the growing DL threat.

SFOtoORD · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:24 pm

MIflyer12 wrote:
Varsity1 wrote:
WOW!!! AA going to India out of Seattle!?!

Pragmatically, it's an easier ULH route than LAX-BLR being ~1000 sm shorter at 8,078 sm. There's also this certain software company at both ends of that route...

Microsoft’s India HQ is Hyderabad, but the do have people in Bangalore too. My understanding is Amazon does have their largest India footprint in Bangalore.

ERJ170 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:32 pm

Boof02671 wrote:
Tristar787 wrote:
Interesting development. I can’t imagine DL being thrilled about this. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them find a slot at LHR to launch RDU-LHR as a response. But congrats to AS/AA! SEA is definitely busting at the seams at the moment waiting for the expansion to wrap up.

AA’s RDU-LHR Flight has huge corporate contracts especially from GSK which buys seats on every flight.

AA has some guarantees, but don’t think DL doesn’t have any. It’s highly possible that DL could get VS to launch RDU-LON on a 788 and be able to have the front of the plane full. There are plenty of cards to Europe in DL hand. But they just may not be ready to pull that trigger. But yes, DL or VS launching LHR would be a big hit to AA and they would have to probably move from the 777 to the 767 or 787. But I think both routes would work. Although would KLM 787 work better with their much higher fees but lower business ties? Thoughts

stl07 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:33 pm

If there will be vistara connections to BOM then I can’t ask for anything more

flyfresno · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:33 pm

This is going to make not only SkyTeam but also Star take notice in quite a few mid-sized and smaller West Cost and Mountain cities, where OneWorld will rocket to the top in total flights and destinations.

x1234 · Thu Feb 13, 2020 2:35 pm

Considering BLR is the centre of the BPO and back-office business, increasingly call centres are also moving to MNL. I read on here DL was interested in eventually flying SEA-MNL. Where did that go!?

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