AA Discontinuing Service to LGW

[ff999]

In mid-April American Airlines is discontinuing service to LGW and all operations are transferring to LHR. I have not seen an official announcement from AA but I’m enclosing a newspaper article.

 

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/airlines/stories/022608dnbusaaheathrow.2a3b9945.html

 

There are a lot of unanswered questions that need to be addressed by AA for those passengers holding tickets to LGW after mid-April. Nothing official yet but I would suggest that if you have travel plans on AA that take you to LGW after mid-April that you be proactive and call AA or your travel agent to be rebooked. I would not wait to be assigned a new itinerary.

 

On Feb 26 I called AA to get my August flight (DFW-LGW-AMS) changed. The agent was not aware of the LGW to LHR move but after several minutes of checking she acknowledged the change and updated my flights. So, if you call AA you may also find an agent that isn’t aware of the change.

[Globaliser]

In mid-April American Airlines is discontinuing service to LGW and all operations are transferring to LHR.

...

There are a lot of unanswered questions that need to be addressed by AA for those passengers holding tickets to LGW after mid-April. Nothing official yet but I would suggest that if you have travel plans on AA that take you to LGW after mid-April that you be proactive and call AA or your travel agent to be rebooked. I would not wait to be assigned a new itinerary.

I think one shouldn't make this more of a big deal than it is.

 

American Airlines currently only has three flights a day at Gatwick: Two to/from Dallas Fort Worth, and one to/from Raleigh Durham. Currently, they cannot be served from Heathrow. But when the open skies agreement goes into force in four weeks' time, both of the cities can be served from Heathrow.

 

AA had already announced (long ago) that two of these three flights would be moving to Heathrow as from that start date - one of the DFWs, and the RDU. But the other DFW was to stay at Gatwick.

 

Now, reports suggest that AA has picked up an extra pair of slots at Heathrow, so they can move the last Gatwick flight to Heathrow. And AFAIK that's all that's going to happen. No rebooking needed, no changes in itineraries. You're just going to fly to/from the other airport.

[JJPNYC]

Agreed, switching from LGW to LHR is not that big of a deal, unless you already hold a connecting flight from LGW.

 

This switch is equal to AA switing from JFK or LGA, MIA to FLL, or MDW to ORD. You're still getting to the same city, just a different point-of-entry.

[Globaliser]

Agreed, switching from LGW to LHR is not that big of a deal, unless you already hold a connecting flight from LGW.

Actually, you're right about connecting flights - I didn't think that many cruise passengers would connect off AA at LGW but I suppose there must be some VCE pax who would.

[FlyerTalker]

My only possible concern would be if I had an onward connection from LGW, likely on BA. BA schedules to the continent from LGW are different than from LHR (and some different cities served at each, IIRC - correct me Globaliser if wrong). I would also have concerns if I was booking an airport hotel, or had my own ground transport arrangements that need to make the shift.

 

If all I was doing was DFW or RDU to LGW on AA, agreed no sweat.