American Airlines Drops more Flights between SoCal and NorCal

A day after American Airlines disclosed it will halt its two daily "nerd-bird" flights between San Jose and Austin, a spokesman for the carrier said its American Eagle affiliate will stop flying between San Jose and San Diego, and drop two daily flights between San Jose and Orange County.

On Monday, when he announced the decision to halt the nerd-bird flights — so named because they cater heavily to technology company employees — American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith insisted the airlines' parent, AMR, wasn't planning to cut other San Jose flights.
But Tuesday, Smith said he had been incorrect and discovered the additional flight reductions to San Diego and Orange County when he rechecked. Smith also said American Eagle will drop three of its five daily flights between San Francisco and Orange County. All of the flight changes will take effect Aug. 25.

Once its five daily flights between San Jose and San Diego end, American no longer will provide any direct service between those cities, Smith said. But passengers will still be able to fly between the two cities, as well as between San Jose and Orange County.

American Eagle will keep five daily flights from Mineta San Jose International Airport to Orange County's John Wayne Airport, Smith said. Southwest Airlines flies an average of about 10 times a day to San Diego and eight times a day to Orange County from San Jose, according to Ed Nelson, the airport's director of air service development. Numerous daily flights to San Diego and Orange County also are available from the San Francisco and Oakland airports.

(Sillicon Valley - MercuryNews.Com)