Quote:
Originally Posted by kbud
ORD 21 is squarely targeted to replace T2 and offer a new home for United/Star and American/OW international carriers to consolidate operations. When complete all of UA operations at ORD will be much nicer than all of American's operations at ORD. It has been no secret that American has been scaling back ORD domestically and internationally but they have not hinted at all about closing the ORD hub. So if United has a better domestic and international route network at ORD, more frequencies at ORD, better terminal facilities, and a better onboard product then how will American be able to compete at ORD? They are not a LCC.
Does anyone think they'll try to redo T3 or add another satellite concourse to temporarily house their operations while T3 is torn down? I think the only hub for American with worse facilities than ORD is Philadelphia.
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I mean...... It's a question of: Is American suffering more broadly which reflects their lack of expansion at O'Hare? Or..... Is this because of the very nature of the expansion?
If you look at the outcome of this expansion, AA isn't getting much here. Yes, they will have some new gates in the OGT for international departures, but it's a terminal that will be shared with Star Alliance and other OW partners. Meanwhile, Delta has a nice comfy home over in T5 where they have a really nice new lounge. Shit, even SouthWest has access to the shiny new wing of T5.
Besides the few gates they will operate out of in the OGT, they are getting the handful of L stinger gates built in 2018, and the few additional ones being squeezed in right now.
If I were AA, I would just maintain current lines and adapt when needed for market conditions. Maybe sometime down the road if they see a need for massive expansion to meet UA, they could try to get in on a new satellite or two West of the new satellites about to be built. In the process, they could put flights over there while T3 is redone to be a beautiful new AA terminal. But that would be a long long long time from now.
The risk I see for AA here is a cycle where Chicago fliers who want to get in on miles/alliance perks will start gravitating away from AA to UA. Shit, I'm one of them..... I have a Chase card, which makes taking advantage of UA miles easy, but even if I didn't have that, I see all of this expansion UA is going to get at O'Hare, and it makes me want to work towards status with them given they have more lounges, and will most likely have even nicer ones once the satellites and OGT is finished.
So.... In the short term, AA probably will do what they need to do to keep a presence and gates, but it's a strategy that could start to become a problem if they don't retain flyers.