By AP/KWMU
Dallas, Tex. – American Airlines is scrapping its service between St. Louis and Dallas's Love Field.
People can still fly American Airlines to Dallas, but they'll fly Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
The airline is ending the flights from Love Field to both St. Louis and San Antonio on Sept. 5, but it's doubling service from the airport to Austin and Kansas City, Mo.
American competes head-to-head with Southwest Airlines Co. at Love Field and had already switched to smaller jets in April.
Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American, said Love Field customers especially business travelers favored service to Austin and Kansas City and wanted more frequent flights. American Eagle will operate eight daily flights to each Austin and Kansas City beginning Sept. 5.
Flights from Love Field to San Antonio and St. Louis "are not performing as well," Wagner said. He declined to give occupancy figures for the flights.
American Eagle operates three daily flights to San Antonio and five under the American Connection name to St. Louis from Love Field, near downtown Dallas. American Airlines will continue to serve both cities from DFW Airport.
American pulled out of Love Field in 2001 and consolidated all its local service at larger Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where it is the dominant carrier.
But American and American Eagle went back to Love Field last year, after Southwest won the right to offer flights from Love Field to St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo.
Even before the flights started, American executives said the airline would struggle to earn a profit at Love Field. But they said they needed to offer the flights to avoid losing customers to Southwest.
In April, American cut its Love Field capacity about one-third by switching some flights from larger American jets to smaller Eagle ones.
American's main hub is Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.