AAmerican Changes Schedules - kills STX

AA just notified me that my reservation leaving in August has been changed. Will be leaving at 2:40 PM instead of 4:30. PM Not so terrible.

The only direct return flight from Miami no leaves Miami at 10:50 AM. This is way to early if you have to make a connection. To make this flight I would have to leave Chicago at 5:30 AM. My wife has to leave Newark at 5:40 AM.

American will probably wonder why no one wants to connect through Miami and think about canceling this flight because it is so lightly utilized.

After jerking me around I forced AA to change my flight so I leave at a more reasonable hour for San Juan where I can either wait around for the late Eagle flight or see what I can do on Cape Air.

American will probably wonder why no one wants to connect through Miami and think about canceling this flight because it is so lightly utilized.

I'd rather get up early than hang around the SJU airport for several hours waiting for the 1 American eagle flight per day (that will probably be cancelled). I'd also rather connect through MIA on any day of the year rather than PR. This MIA-STX AA flight has been operating at the same time for years now, leaving MIA between 11.00 am and 12.30pm. 10.50 am does seem a little early, but when its one of the only semi-convenient options...shrug.

Red eye LAX -MIA arrive @ 6:50 AM eat and hang around till 10:45(no big deal) and arrive STX @1:30 pm.

Much better than 9:30 PM arrival.

Don't dig that SJU connection.

CD

Actually the Eagle flight departs SJU at 5:40 PM and arrives in STX at 6:16 PM.

I don't like having to be at the airport before 4 AM to check in for a 5:30 AM flight. With a 45 minute ride to the airport means getting up before 3 AM to shower and get dressed. If you have a rental car to drop off, add another 30 minutes.

AA moving the flight from 12:55PM to 10:50 AM made finding a convenient connection to STX on the direct Miami flight almost impossible.

Taking the red eye from LA at least gives you a chance to get a few hours sleep during the five hour flight and getting to an airport at 9 PM is more civilized than 4 AM.

All depends upon how you wish to travel to STX....most all AA's MIA complex are set for 0700 Eastern time, 0600 central departure cities, midnite or so for west coast departures to make connections for most of Miami's Caribbean and central America flights...has been this way for almost 7 years for these groups (called complex) and it allows for connections from north to south then onto Caribbean and Central American Routes...conversly, the same is true on return flights to MIA, allowing for complex to Europe, South America and northern cities and also the west coast.
Most all flights from MIA to the islands and central America leave starting at 10am for about 3 hours...
I have been flying into STX from the mid west for 6-7 years and I catch a flight that leave the airport at 0600 to 0615 every couple of weeks, sometimes weekly...so I go to bed early, get up at 0300 or so, and get to the airport at least 1 1/2 hours ahead of departure and do the TSA routine...just a fact of the travel requirements...otherwise there are no other connections!
I am use to the airline schedule changes...I have been flying for more than 40 years...mostly 100,000 miles per year to start...but several years I topped 300,000 per year mostly on American Airlines...being a frequent flyer I have seen airlines come and go...now that AA is in bankruptcy...expect to see more changes throughout their system...including STX and other islands.
With the new usage of GPS flight path routes, many flights have revised travel times, therefore changing all departures and arrivals throughout the system...except when weather gets in the way.
It is unfortunate for us that AA moves the STX flight around a bit, since that is what we use...but is also does it for about 200+ other connections every 90 days or so in the MIA complex...just how the airlines work.
It may be unfortunate, but travel is costly for us all...but if the airlines don't make money on routes...there is only one other option for them!
Since I sold the sailboat that I first came to STX upon, I am sure I cannot swim this far as my only other option!