American Airlines to keep Embraer E190s longer amid Boeing 737 MAX uncertainty
American Airlines will fly the majority of its Embraer E190 fleet through the end of 2020 as uncertainty around when the Boeing 737 MAX will return to the skies persists.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier will fly 17 of its 20 E190s "through 2020" -- a timeline TPG understands to be December -- American spokeswoman Andrea Koos told TPG. The jets were previously due to retire by the end of the summer.
The move comes as American faces uncertainty around its fleet this year. The airline's 24 737 MAX 8 jets have been grounded since March 2019 with no return-to-service date on the horizon, and American continues to face delays getting new Airbus A321neos.
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In addition, the MAX grounding is forcing American to remove four small regional jets from its feeder fleet before June in order to comply with terms in its pilots' contract that stipulate the ratio of planes can be flown under its regional and mainline fleets.
American's move to extend the lives of the E190s, albeit by just several months, also comes amid a rapidly changing demand environment. Potential passengers have begun deferring travel bookings amid fears of the emerging COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.
As a result, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines have trimmed domestic schedules by up to 10% over the next few months. Southwest Airlines has not reduced capacity but expects the disease to reduce revenues by up to $300 million in the first quarter.
Related: American Airlines may have to park regional jets as 737 MAX grounding drags on
American has waived change fees for travelers who book tickets during March amid mounting concern about COVID-19.
The Oneworld alliance member has yet to indicate whether it will cut domestic capacity as fears of COVID-19 spread.
Related: Could the coronavirus end the decade-long U.S. airline expansion?
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10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
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Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023