Originally Posted by
saturn
AA also ordered 50 of the 321XLR. Miami-South America, PHL/JFK/BOS?-TATL.
For what it's worth, Glen Hauenstein said in a investor call recently that he wasn't seeing the 321XLR for our TATL network. He explained his doubts that it's the solution, mentioned pilot wages being a factor, and reiterated the desire for a NMA solution. I'm assuming by wages, he means its affect on CASM.
The A321 has issues for use transatlantic regardless of range. Several of the key airports are slot constrained at the prime international departure times on both sides of the pond. You are not going to pull a 767 off a slot for a A321 in the summer and lose 65 seats. In addition to the loss of seats you lose cargo. Pilot pay with that large loss of revenue is almost the same. Frequent fliers hate single aisle aircraft and if you read flyer talk go out of their way to avoid them. Range is still going to be an issue. Claimed range and real world range are two different animals. When you have a 150 mile headwind and get 320 on the track and your alternate is IAD for JFK real world range drops like a stone.