Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[Deleted.]

Good news and bad news..

CLT is AA best performing hub! But there is a likely reduction in international flights. 

I've got a horrible felling that we will be left with London, Madrid and Frankfurt as the only European flights. Overall I feel like CLT has been screwed over in this merger. 

Edited October 15, 2015 by Piedmont767

[cltbwimob]

Where are you hearing this? 

Also I think Dublin and Barcelona will be fine since Aer Lingus will soon be a member of Oneworld and Vueling already is.  And I think Paris should stick around.  If Raleigh can support a flight I am almost certain Charlotte can.  

***Edit-Dublin is a hub for Aer Lingus and Barcelona is a hub for  Vueling which is why I think those are safe.

Edited October 15, 2015 by cltbwimob

[atlrvr]

If that happened, Air Fraince would almost certainly start Paris, and Lufthansa will keep Munich.

[Deleted.]

Where are you hearing this? 

Also I think Dublin and Barcelona will be fine since Aer Lingus will soon be a member of Oneworld and Vueling already is.  And I think Paris should stick around.  If Raleigh can support a flight I am almost certain Charlotte can.  

***Edit-Dublin is a hub for Aer Lingus and Barcelona is a hub for  Vueling which is why I think those are safe.

Vueling is not in oneworld. And this is coming from a reliable sources on flyertalk. He knew about the cancellation of Philadelphia-Tel Aviv/ London (the daytime flight) and Miami-Frankfurt before they were actually cancelled.  

[Miesian Corners]

If that happened, Air Fraince would almost certainly start Paris, and Lufthansa will keep Munich.

Or Delta.  I honestly don't see any reductions from the current seasonal service. Maybe a downgrade of equipment (767s or 757s).

[ChessieCat]

As posted before, Tuesday's article from Airways News was pretty darn thorough about how CLT is core to AA and will NOT be on the chopping block:

Which of American’s Nine Hubs Are on the Chopping Block?

http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2015/10/13/which-of-americans-nine-hubs-are-on-the-chopping-block/

"Certainly, for all the talk of possible drawbacks in Charlotte, such forecasts have hardly materialized yet. A recent study from OAG ranked Charlotte among the top ten most quickly growing megahubs globally in terms of connectivity, undermining the idea that American plans to scale back activity. It would appear American envisions an important role for Charlotte in its route network long-term."

Sure, AA may cut some int'l flights and push back delivery dates of 787 and (possibly) A350 widebodies, but the sky is not falling people!!!

Edited October 15, 2015 by ChessieCat

[LKN704]

It was written on the wall when the merger began that INTL routes would be cut, IMHO. But I honestly cannot see FCO or CDG being cut, especially when MSP just received service to FCO for example. Now DUB or BCN being dropped would not surprise me. LHR is safe. MAD is safe. FRA should be safe, as it has been operated for the past 20+ years and there is a strong local market. Something were to be seriously wrong if AA were to axe CLT-FRA.

How is LH doing here?

[USAir767]

How is LH doing here?

They will be adding seats next summer, going from 216 to 236. Do they do that every summer?

[ssh214]

I don't believe anything I hear on any of the airline forums anymore... AA cutting MIA-FRA was proof of that as none of those Miami fanboys caught it beforehand. I believe we will keep all of our routes and QR will add Doha and AA/JAL will add Tokyo... Long live CLT as the "little engine that could!"

[Silicon Dogwoods]

I would happily trade all the non-stop flights to Europe except LHR, FRA and MUC for non-stop flights to Tokyo and Shanghai.

 

Edited October 16, 2015 by Silicon Dogwoods

[Miesian Corners]

They will be adding seats next summer, going from 216 to 236. Do they do that every summer?

Probably just a reconfiguration of an A330. I guess the A340 won't be making the summer schedule any longer.  I flew them from Charlotte to Gdansk via Munich last month.  Full on the CLT-MUC leg. Even business class was full--I know, because I got the last biz seat :-)

[Midwoodian]

Anyone have an update on when the new lease with American Airlines will be finalized?  I'm guessing that is fairly important to Charlotte's future as a global airport and hub for AA.

[js4life]

CLT is in a good postion long term even though some flights may be reduced short term. First & foremost  the low cost just got lower with the fuel tax exemption & can get lower as future revenue is generated from the land it plans to lease to logistics & other companies. Add low cost to the growing global presence of companies located within a 2 hr or less drive of Charlotte allows airlines to supplement any passenger revenue with air cargo. So really CLT is important not only to Charlotte proper but to the greater region as a whole

[dcharlotte]

It was written on the wall when the merger began that INTL routes would be cut, IMHO. But I honestly cannot see FCO or CDG being cut, especially when MSP just received service to FCO for example. Now DUB or BCN being dropped would not surprise me. LHR is safe. MAD is safe. FRA should be safe, as it has been operated for the past 20+ years and there is a strong local market. Something were to be seriously wrong if AA were to axe CLT-FRA.

How is LH doing here?

When does the service to CDG start from RDU? Also, when is the A-380 upgrade to start to ATL from CDG? 

[ChessieCat]

USAirways final flight #1939 just took off from PHL on the way to CLT.  It'll arrive around Noon, then fly to PHX, SFO, and back to PHL.  You can track it here:

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AWE1939

Personally I think it should have finished its journey in PIT where it all began in 1939 but whatevs...

 

Edited October 16, 2015 by ChessieCat

[USAir767]

 

When does the service to CDG start from RDU? Also, when is the A-380 upgrade to start to ATL from CDG? 

RDU starts on May 12. I didn't know AF had announce A380 service to ATL. 

[Silicon Dogwoods]

USAirways final flight #1939 just took off from PHL on the way to CLT.  It'll arrive around Noon, then fly to PHX, SFO, and back to PHL.  You can track it here:

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AWE1939

Personally I think it should have finished its journey in PIT where it all began in 1939 but whatevs...

 

Pittsburgh and US Airways had an ugly break-up. And Pittsburgh hasn't been a hub in a while. So no farewell flight for them! 

[RiverwoodCLT]

Norwegian Air is looking for a low cost airport in the US to start a 65$ one way to Norway.  Hope they look at CLT.

[ah59396]

Norwegian Air is looking for a low cost airport in the US to start a 65$ one way to Norway.  Hope they look at CLT.

man I love the European low cost carriers.  Even after taxes and fees, that's only be about a $200 one way flight.  But I can't see Charlotte being a destination for that kind of service for a long time.

[dcharlotte]

Norwegian Air is looking for a low cost airport in the US to start a 65$ one way to Norway.  Hope they look at CLT.

They fly a 787 to FLL. I'm so tempted to get on the flight for their low costs and nice equipment. I have a feeling it will be a new NE city or midwest city. 

[RiverwoodCLT]

I can still wish

[Deleted.]

Norwegian won't launch service to CLT for ages, if at all. Philly or Boston would be better for Norweigian than us. We have a small international market, and should be proud of the current international flights we have. 

Checking over the schedule for summer 2016, the only differences I see are:

-CLT-Dublin was reloaded on the A330-200 again instead of the 757-200 ETOPS 

-CLT-Paris was downguaged to the smaller A330-200 from the -300- so 33 less seats on CLT-Paris, not a big deal. I suspect this is due to Delta starting RDU-Paris. 

The reservation system switch-over occurred yesterday without a hitch. The schedule (from CLT, PHL and PHX) yesterday was cut by 200 flights and there was around 100 extra employees working. Apart from the US Airways livery on some aircraft, everything US Airways-branded is gone. Signs, boarding passes, self-check in machines, etc. The merger is almost done, just got the FOS (Flight Operation System) switch-over next year. The FOS is what employees use, so for Flight Attendants it's how we get assigned trips to work. 

EDIT- Uniforms are still LUS design 

Edited October 19, 2015 by Piedmont767

[LKN704]

Agreed regarding Norwegian. Realistically, the only international carrier I see entering Charlotte in the near future is BA who would do so to replace one of AA's LHR flights. I honestly don't see Qatar, JAL, or Finnair launching CLT either.

However, I do see AA putting a 77E (the two class version, the 77W) possibly on one of the LHR flights and possibly the CDG flight.

Regarding the switch-over, what are L-US employees wearing on the frontline? Have they received AA uniforms?

[Deleted.]

Agreed regarding Norwegian. Realistically, the only international carrier I see entering Charlotte in the near future is BA who would do so to replace one of AA's LHR flights. I honestly don't see Qatar, JAL, or Finnair launching CLT either.

However, I do see AA putting a 77E (the two class version, the 77W) possibly on one of the LHR flights and possibly the CDG flight.

Regarding the switch-over, what are L-US employees wearing on the frontline? Have they received AA uniforms?

I don't seen BA expanding here. The cost of BA opening a new base here, when AA already covers the flights to England and that BA makes money off AA, outweighs the benefits. Agree on Finnair amd JAL, but I would argue that we have a 50/50 chance of getting Qatar before the 2022 World Cup. And if we ever get a flight to Japan, it will be on AA. But that's only if we get a flight to Asia. 

Also the 77E and the 77W are seperately aircraft, I assume you mean the 777-200 (77E). I could see the 77E on LHR and FRA, don't know about CDG. 

And no, we aren't wearing new uniforms. Sorry, I should have made that clearer. We should of had uniform around the end of Decemeber, going into January. But we won't have them till the end of next year.

[ChessieCat]

^Agreed, with the strong dollar and world economy where it is right now, I just don't see any oneworld partner adding service to CLT other than Qatar.  QR did buy a 10% stake in IAG earlier this year so it would be awesome to see them open a year-round route such as CLT-MAD-DOH but that is wishful thinking.

JAL will resume flying to DFW in November and as far as expansion goes, MIA would probably be on their list before CLT.