American Airlines is adding new seasonal routes from DFW to Reykjavik-Keflavik, Iceland (KEF). The new service will commence June 7 and run through October 26 of 2018, and be flown on the Boeing 757-200 with 176 seats. Why is American using such a large plane for what are often only connecting flights from Iceland to Europe? Apparently, American’s VP of Network & Schedule Planning Vasu Raja believes Iceland is attracting more tourists, saying, “Reykjavik has become a very popular leisure destination and we look forward to giving our customers the opportunity to experience Iceland’s unique landscape of geysers, volcanos and hot springs with our new direct service next summer,” and added, “The new destination complements our continued growth from Dallas-Fort Worth, including Rome and Amsterdam.”

American has impeccable timing. Earlier this year, WOW and Iceland Air announced service to DFW. Both have connecting networks to Europe from Iceland…something American lacks. That means travelers have been able to get cheap flights to Europe by flying through Iceland and picking up a connections on WOW and Iceland Air. They can also stay a day or two in Iceland for free. A win for the consumer and a win for the two airlines, but not so good for American.
It is no surprise then that American is now flying through Iceland. But does this behavior mirror AA’s actions the past? Is the behavior that landed them in court in the 1990s when they took on the now defunct Legend Air?
Legend Air’s Demise at the Hands of American Airlines
Legend Airlines had Dallas Love Field as its hub in the ’90s. It ran routes to New York, Las Vegas, southern California, and Virginia. Legend did not last long, however, since it was forced to file for bankruptcy only five years after it received corporate status. Its initial flights were delayed substantially by court battles with American, who was joined in the fight by the City of Fort Worth.

One cannot help but notice a pattern and even compare American Airlines’ behavior in the 90s to its current plans to launch service to KEF. American is coming into the market with larger planes and lower prices, effectively fighting for elbow room with WOW and Icelandic Air.