Oncemorealoft:
While AA is indeed my preferred choice in airlines, I'd remind you that TWA did precisely the same thing a number of years earlier, and no economic benefits resulted.
The Sunday Times alleges that "the gamble paid off", but the gamble wasn't quite as simple as that rag alleges.
What the paper fails to mention is that AA was, and is, engaged in a refleeting exercise that includes deploying a large fleet of 737-800's and 777-200s, which typically provide more capacity per hull than the types they are replacing. So, rather than flying this new capacity empty while the economy staggers a bit (which was happening prior to 9/11, etc.), they reduce capacity via this campaign.
Sadly, I suspect it won't last forever, but in the meantime, it's a win/win solution!
Malc.