American suspends AKL

AMERICAN Airlines has confirmed it will suspend flights between Los Angeles and Auckland from next Mar, reverting to a seasonal service in future southern summers.

The airline had already suspended the service for two months this year but had vowed to “come back stronger” with their resumption in Oct.

The carrier’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand Simon Dodd today confirmed a halt in the new year.

“We have taken a look at our Auckland-Los Angeles route and determined that next year, we will move to seasonal service from Oct to Mar, which is the peak winter travel season from the US, operating with the larger 787-9, including Premium Economy,” Dodd said.

“Most importantly, we are not making any changes to our Auckland-based team as a result of these adjustments,” he said.

“Our New Zealand team will work closely with our travel agency partners to identify any affected passengers and provide options shortly.”

The move means Qantas will not be able to have a full time codeshare partner operating between AKL and LAX.

The route had been launched amid fanfare over the proposed trans-Pacific alliance between QF and AA, which was knocked back by US regulators last year.

The oneworld partners have said they will resubmit a revised bid to the US Dept of Transport.