American Airlines To Challenge Breeze Airways Between Los Angeles & Pittsburgh

American Airlines
will reintroduce nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport
(LAX) and Pittsburgh International Airport
(PIT) starting April 4, 2025, according to the data shown by aviation analytics company Cirium, marking a return after more than six years. The airline had previously served the route with Airbus A319
s until February 13, 2017. This time, the service will utilize Boeing 737-800
aircraft, a move expected to intensify competition with Breeze airways
, which also operates flights on this route.

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

A one-way flight starts at $397, according to the carrier’s website. American Airlines’ new schedule includes daily flights between Los Angeles and Pittsburgh:

• Flight AA814 (LAX-PIT):
  • Departure time: 09:00 local time
  • Arrival time: 16:47 local time
• Flight AA814 (PIT-LAX):
  • ​​​​Departure time: 17:57 local time
  • Arrival time: 20:05 local time

Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock

A competitive landscape

American Airlines’ reentry into the market positions it directly against Breeze Airways. Breeze, known for its affordable fares and point-to-point strategy, operates Airbus A220-300
aircraft on the route. The competition will likely revolve around pricing, frequency, and passenger amenities. Below is a quick look at Breeze’s flight information:

• Flight MX545 (LAX-PIT):
  • Departure time: 12:39 local time
  • Arrival time: 20:28 local time
• Flight AA814 (PIT-LAX):
  • ​​​​Departure time: 09:34 local time
  • Arrival time: 11:58 local time

Photo: Greg K | Shutterstock

American & Breeze service analysis: April to August 2025

Cirium data from April through August offers a detailed comparison of American Airlines’ and Breeze Airways’ planned operations. The figures highlight the scale of American Airlines’ commitment to the route, particularly in terms of flights, available seats, and Available Seat Miles (ASMs).

In April, American plans 54 flights, offering 9,288 seats and nearly 19.8 million ASMs, while Breeze Airways schedules only 24 flights, offering 3,288 seats and just over 7 million ASMs. This trend persists across the summer months, with American Airlines maintaining a higher frequency and capacity.

American Airlines consistently leverages its Boeing 737-800 aircraft to maximize efficiency and capacity, allowing it to accommodate more passengers than Breeze’s Airbus A220-300. In total, American will operate 300 flights between April and August both ways, compared to Breeze’s 178 flights during the same period.

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The flight was short and uneventful.

A closer look at American’s B738s

American Airlines currently operates 303 Boeing 737-800s, with an average age of 15.1 years, according to the data on planespotters.net. Of these, 291 are currently in service, while 12 are parked. The aircraft have two main cabin layouts. On American’s website, the layout for the April 4 flight includes 16 First Class, 24 Premium Economy, and 132 Economy. Keep in mind that aircraft may change due to operational concerns.

The Breeze Airways Airbus A220-300 is also a modern and efficient aircraft. The A220 features a configuration of 12 seats in business class and 125 seats in economy, with 45 of those offering extra legroom. Data from planespotters.net shows that Breeze currently has 32 A220s in service, with an average fleet age of 1.7 years, underscoring its emphasis on modern equipment.

Photo: christopheronglv | Shutterstock

With demand for travel between Los Angeles and Pittsburgh expected to rise, travelers can anticipate competitive pricing and enhanced service offerings from both carriers. In addition to this route, American Airlines recently revealed that it will expand its network to Athens, Greece (ATH), Madrid (MAD), Milan (MXP), and Rome (FCO) and restart flights to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI) for the first time since 2019.