American Airlines has cut the frequency of its flights between Miami (MIA) and Lima (LIM) for the months of May and June. The latest data from Cirium shows that the carrier will operate 66 flights in each direction between the two cities in May and 61 in June, down from 93 and 90, respectively, in its original schedule. In terms of seat numbers, this equates to a drop of over 5,000 seats each month.
The changes will now see American Airlines operating double daily services for the two-month period, with the following schedule:
Flight number |
Route |
Departure |
Arrival |
Block time |
AA1307 |
MIA-LIM |
15:45 |
20:30 |
5 hrs 45 mins |
AA917 |
MIA-LIM |
17:39 |
22:25 |
5 hrs 46 mins |
AA1558 |
LIM-MIA |
06:30 |
13:34 |
6 hrs 4 mins |
AA988 |
LIM-MIA |
23:45 |
06:43 (+1 day) |
5 hrs 58 mins |
From July 1st onwards, frequencies are scheduled to increase to the usual 93 flights per month for the remainder of the summer, with the third daily flight leaving Miami at 23:56 and arriving in Lima at 04:40 the next day. The additional return sector departs from Lima at 22:00 and also flies overnight, arriving in Miami at 05:00 the next day.
American Airlines and the Airbus A321neo
All of American Airlines' flights on the Miami to Lima route are operated by the Airbus A321neo. According to data from ch-aviation.com, the carrier has a total of 70 Airbus A321neos in its fleet, each carrying a maximum of 196 passengers in a three-class configuration - 20 in first class, 35 in economy plus, and 141 in economy class. The aircraft are among the youngest in the airline's fleet, with an average age of just 1.9 years old.
Miami International Airport acts as American Airlines' primary hub for flights to South America, with its network spanning much of the continent, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname. The carrier faces competition from two other carriers on the Miami to Lima route - LATAM Peru and Sky Airline Peru. In addition, both JetBlue and Spirit Airlines also fly to the Peruvian capital from nearby Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
Frequency increases from another oneworld carrier
In contrast to the frequency reductions seen at American Airlines, fellow oneworld member Iberia has announced plans to increase flying throughout the summer between its hub at Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD) and Lima. By September, frequencies will peak at 13 weekly flights (twice daily except Sundays).
Iberia's flights to Peru are operated by its flagship long-haul aircraft - the Airbus A350-900. The carrier sees competition on the route from Air Europa, LATAM Peru, and Plus Ultra.
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Have you flown on American Airlines between Miami and Lima? Have your travel plans been affected by the carrier's schedule cuts? Share your experiences by commenting below.
Sources: Cirium, ch-aviation.com