Summary
- American Airlines is switching its hub-to-hub route to narrowbody aircraft this fall, marking a major change from traditional widebodies.
- The operation will gradually shift to Airbus A321s and 737 MAX 8s with a reduced premium seating.
- The widebodies will be removed from the route indefinitely.
American Airlines will be making a drastic change to its popular hub-to-hub route between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This fall, the carrier will shift all flights on the route to be operated by narrowbody aircraft.
The shakeup is somewhat unlike the airline as it has traditionally flown widebodies on the route for decades. The move also represents the loss of its most premium product, Flagship First and Flagship Business, which is not featured on its narrowbody planes.
From one hub to another
According to aviation data and analytics firm Cirium, American will implement the equipment changes in September, following the busy summer travel season. The airline’s widebody fleet, which consists of the Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, 787-8, and 787-9 Dreamliner, has been deployed frequently on the MIA-LAX route for several years.
Photo: Jarek Kilian | Shutterstock
In terms of American’s widebody deployment, MIA is the carrier’s South American gateway hub and also has flights to Europe. LAX feeds long-haul flights to Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Flying the larger between the two hubs not only allows for increased capacity but also correctly positions the aircraft for their respective overseas flights.
June to September
This month, American will use the 777-200ER, 777-300ER, and 787-8 between MIA and LAX. The widebodies will accompany the Airbus A321ceo, A321neo, and 737 MAX 8 for a total of 477 flights. The 777-200ER is slated to handle 53 flights, the 777-300ER has 53 flights scheduled, and the 787-8 will fly 23 frequencies. Throughout the next three months, American will gradually decrease the number of flights on the route and phase out the 777 and 787.
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The total number of frequencies on the route next month will decrease slightly to 440, and the same aircraft types will be used, except for the 787-8. In August, 428 flights are scheduled between MIA and LAX and the operation excludes the 787-8 and 777-200ER. The 777-300ER will become the only widebody on the route, operating 62 flights – 31 in each direction. It will remain in September, but only for three days, operating only six flights. The aircraft’s last flight on the route is scheduled on September 3rd, according to Cirium. The remaining 378 flights out of the total of 418 flights on the route throughout the month will be handled by narrowbody aircraft.
Photo: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
American’s 777-200ERs have 37 business class lie-flat seats, and the 787-8s have 20 lie-flat seats to make up the Flagship Business cabin. The larger 777-300ER not only has Flagship Business, but also Flagship First. Eight lie-flat seats populate the Flagship First cabin, and 52 are in Flagship Business. The airline’s narrowbody fleet, with the exception of its A321T subfleet, only feature domestic first class with recliner seats in a 2-2 configuration.
In October, the frequencies will increase to 434 flights across the A321ceo, A321neo, and 737 MAX 8. The A321ceo will handle 10 flights, five in each direction, while the 737 MAX 8 is scheduled on 56 frequencies, 28 each way. The A321neo will operate the overwhelming majority of the flights – the remaining 368 flights – handling 184 frequencies in each direction.
Through the rest of the year
Interestingly, American reportedly has no plans to bring back its widebody fleet to the route for the remainder of the year. Cirium data shows that narrowbody aircraft will be the only planes deployed on the route indefinitely.
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Airlines typically upgrade some of their most popular routes during the holiday season to accommodate increased demand. However, American will only increase MIA-LAX’s frequencies this year instead. In November, the total number of flights will decrease slightly to 420, but in December, 460 total flights are scheduled on the route, with the A321neo being the leading equipment on the route.
