American Airlines delays its 2 new flagship long-haul routes
The pandemic continues to stymie American Airlines’ long-haul expansion.
Over the weekend, the Fort Worth-based carrier postponed two of its newest and highest-profile routes: Seattle (SEA) to Bangalore (BLR) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Tel Aviv (TLV). Both flights are now slated to commence on Jan. 4, 2022, and Jan. 6, 2022, respectively, according to Cirium schedules and confirmed by the airline.
In a statement shared with TPG, an American Airlines spokesperson wrote:
This weekend we pushed back the launch of our Dallas-Fort Worth-Tel Aviv (DFW-TLV) and Seattle-Bengaluru, India (SEA-BLR), routes until January 4. These delays are due to continued entry restrictions into Israel and the slower-than-expected return of international business travel. American is fully-committed to Israel and India – we currently serve TLV from our Miami (MIA) and New York (JFK) hubs, and we’ll begin service from JFK to New Delhi (DEL) on Oct. 31.
American’s Seattle to Bangalore route
First announced in February 2020, American unveiled this 8,078-mile route that would return the carrier to India for the first time since 2012. It was originally going to take off in October 2020, but the pandemic delayed it by a year. The Bangalore flight will be operated daily by a 285-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Though Seattle isn’t an AA hub, it is for one of AA’s domestic partners, Alaska Airlines. As part of a new West Coast International Alliance between the two carriers, Seattle would become an "international gateway" with Alaska feeding connecting passengers to American’s new long-haul flights from SEA.
While that partnership has since commenced (and Alaska joined the Oneworld airline alliance), the flagship Bangalore route, which will heavily rely on business travelers, isn’t ready to take off. (AA announced a second new long-haul route from Seattle, to London/Heathrow (LHR), at the same time as the BLR route. LHR flights launched as planned on March 30.)
Interestingly, earlier this year AA unveiled a second new India flight, from New York-JFK to New Delhi (DEL). This one was announced in conjunction with the airline’s Northeast Alliance with JetBlue Airways and is still on track to commence on Oct. 31, 2021. In fact, it was recently upgauged to AA’s flagship Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that features both a first- and business-class cabin.
If everything goes according to plan, New Delhi will now represent AA’s first foray in India in nearly a decade.
American’s Dallas/Fort Worth to Tel Aviv route
Before the pandemic, American hadn’t flown to Tel Aviv since January 2016. Now, it serves Israel from two hubs — daily service from New York-JFK and three-times-weekly service Miami (MIA) launched on May 6, 2021, and June 4, 2021, respectively.
AA had plans to launch a third Tel Aviv route, three times weekly from its Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) mega-hub on Nov. 1 that’ll now take off on Jan. 6, 2022. In fact, of the three Israel routes, DFW was announced first, and it’ll be the last to launch.
For those who might be concerned about whether DFW flights will actually launch, Brian Znotins, AA's vice president of network planning, told TPG in February that American was committed to following through on all three routes.
Asked about why American is starting so many flights to Israel during a pandemic, Znotins explained the rationale behind each route.
The feasibility of the JFK-TLV flights is boosted by “the new JetBlue partnership. In the case of Tel Aviv, once we build in the presence and connectivity of JetBlue in the New York area, we recalibrate our list of forecasts for every possible long-haul route and all of a sudden Tel Aviv… jump[s] to first on that list.”
As for flights from DFW, “while Tel Aviv from JFK is our best opportunity, we still want to fly from DFW later this year.”
And regarding Miami, “it really is an opportunistic move for us right now,” said Znotins. There’s limited competition and “demand for flights to Tel Aviv has shrunk less than other leisure destinations in Europe.”
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.