Ref AA/UA seasonal reductions. Jan-Mar is low season so if essential maintenance is really the reason then it's probably the best time for them to cutback on services and get it done. Let's face it, they have to somehow fill all those empty Y-class seats out of LHR in the low season as well. They can't reduce frequencies there as they will be eaten alive by BA, not to mention risk losing those precious slots. So the regions are a much easier cut for them, unpleasant as that may be for the airports on the receiving end.
These two, and the US legacies generally, have been enjoying unusually good profits lately due in part to them using ageing equipment for longer than they perhaps originally planned - thanks to Mr Boeing and his 787 delays for that - not to mention keeping a much tighter control of capacity than they did previously. As a result their economy fares from the regions can be quite eye-watering at times too. But they are businesses and are in it for the bottom line, so the longer they can prolong the status quo the happier their shareholders will be, if not their customers.
I think S1E is right when he says AA don't really seem to know what to do with MAN-ORD, and considering the effort that went into getting the route started back in the late-80s. They've pulled a lot of transatlantic service out of ORD over the years, but the fact MAN has always survived means it must be profitable. But the chopping and changing between 767s and 757s and fiddling with the frequency in recent years is a cause for concern. It will be interesting to see what they do next year.
Perhaps Bagso is right....a dose of the MEB3 on transatlantic could be just the wake up call one or two airlines might need. Given the choice between a shiny 77W with all the bells and whistles, or a clapped out 757 with possibly a free stopover in Bangor in February, I know which option I'd be choosing
Though if this ever became a serious possibility I've no doubt they'd pull out all the stops to ensure it never sees the light of day.