American Airlines rides high on travel boom

Timothy Ahern, third from left, vice president of American Airlines, cuts a ribbon with Park Yoon-kyung, right, the U.S. carrier’s commercial manager in Korea, and other dignitaries during a ceremony at Incheon International Airport to mark American Airlines’ first flight between Incheon and Dallas/Fort Worth on May 10, 2013. The U.S. carrier operates non-stop daily flights on this route.

US carrier plans to connect Incheon with another US city after Dallas

Park Yoon-kyung, American Airlines’ commercial manager in Korea

By Lee Hyo-sik

American Airlines (AA), the world’s largest carrier, has been challenging Korean Air since May 2013 when it launched non-stop daily flights between Incheon and Dallas, Texas.

The decision to break Korean Air’s two-decade-long monopoly on the Incheon-Dallas route has been quite successful for the U.S. carrier. It has seen a steady increase in the number of both business and leisure travelers using its latest Boeing 777-200 aircraft with 245 seats to one of the largest cities in the Southern U.S.

An increasing number of Korean travelers fly with AA, not only because it offers convenient onward connections to various destinations in the United States, but also because it flies to dozens of cities in Canada and Latin America, according to Park Yoon-kyung, AA’s commercial manager in Korea.

“AA has been performing well in Korea because more and more Korean business travelers choose to fly with us,” Park said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “As part of cost-cutting efforts, more Korean companies choose us over Korean Air or Asiana Airlines because we offer seats at competitive prices and more convenient connection flights within the United States or to neighboring countries.”

“In the past, large companies here used to buy seats from national carriers. But now they are also doing business with AA and other foreign carriers, which offer lower fares and convenient connections abroad,” Park said. “Dallas/Fort Worth is our headquarters, offering hundreds of flights to U.S. cities and destinations in Latin America. Korean travelers can benefit from our service beyond Dallas. This is why more Korean firms want to do business with us.”

American Airlines’ Boeing 777-200 aircraft

In addition, AA has been attracting larger numbers of Korean leisure travelers heading to North America and Latin America, according to Park.

“More and more leisure travelers are realizing that we offer not only lower fares, but also convenient connectivity to anywhere they want to go in North America and South America,” she said. “Dallas is not the final destination for the majority of Korean passengers. They transfer to connecting flights to other destinations at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. If they fly with Korean Air to Dallas, they have to claim luggage, undergo the check-in process, and wait longer for connecting flights. This is one of the reasons why more Korean travelers fly with us.”

The manager then said that a popular reality-travel show currently aired on cable channel, “Youth over Flowers, ‘’ has sparked interest in Latin America among Korean travelers. The show, which began airing on Aug. 1, features three male singer-songwriters in their 40s backpacking through Latin America.

“The singers and the program’s supporting staff first flew to Dallas on the AA flight and then transferred to another AA plane to Lima, Peru. This shows that we are the best airline for Koreans going to Latin America,” Park said. “We will soon introduce a tourist package jointly with travel agencies for those seeking to visit the region. We are positive that people will fly to Latin America with us.”

AA plans to link Incheon with another US city

The manager said AA will soon launch a route linking Incheon with another U.S. city, after Dallas, as part of its expansion plan in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Besides Dallas, we have eight more hub airports in the United States. We are working hard to start a new route between Incheon International Airport and one of our hub airports, but it is too early to say when it will happen. Senior managers at the headquarters are positive about the plan.”

AA’s eight hub airports are in Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

The U.S. carrier has been refitting its entire fleet, Park said, adding that when the process is completed, AA will operate a newer and larger aircraft on the Incheon-Dallas route.

“We will continue to upgrade our in-flight meals for Korean passengers and train cabin crews to offer more premium in-flight services,” she said. “We also place top priority on ensuring aviation safety. Our pilots and flight attendants are well prepared to cope with any emergency situations. We are doing everything we can to ensure safe flights for all our customers.”

American Airlines, founded in 1930, merged with U.S. Airways in December 2013, creating the world’s largest airline. The combined carrier carries the American Airlines name and operates more than 6,700 daily flights to 336 destinations in 56 countries. It is a member of the One World Alliance along with British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and many others.

About Park Yoon-kyung

Since March 2013, Park has been overseeing AA’s operations in Korea.

She has gained extensive experience in the aviation industry since she joined United Airlines in 1991, holding various positions in ticketing, corporate sales, customer service and other operations at the carrier’s Korean office.

Park served as a general sales manager for United Airlines from 2005 to 2007. Under her leadership, the carrier launched a non-stop flight from Incheon to San Francisco in 2006.

Park received a bachelor’s degree in arts and history from Yonsei University.