Tagged: american-airlines

What Travelers Need to Know About American Airlines' Service Meltdown

We've been warning for weeks that the return to travel this summer would be bumpy. But I don't think any of us could have predicted just how ugly things could get this week. Over the…

Another U.S. Airline to Charge for Checking Your Oversize Carry-On at the Gate

There's a moment in most movie westerns when the hero walks into town and everybody on the street slowly turns to give him a beady stare. I had that experience when I flew Ryanair in…

Airlines Bring Back Fees, But Not for Every Passenger

Strange as it may feel to find anything about 2020 that could possibly qualify as the Good Old Days, the global crisis did yield a few positives. When demand for commercial flights…

Refund Woes Fueled a Record Number of Complaints from Air Travelers in 2020

The U.S. federal government received a record number of complaints from airline passengers in 2020. In all, 102,550 complaints were filed with the Department of Transportation,…

Two U.S. Airlines Launch Digital "Passports" for Passengers' Covid Status

Frommer's has been talking for months about the advent of vaccination passports, and it looks like the first iterations in the American air industry are here, by way of United Airlines…

Jaw-Dropping Prices on Autumn Airfare to Europe on Sale This Week

On January 11, 2021, a total of 708,177 passengers were screened by TSA agents at U.S. airports. A year ago on the same day, the number was 1,992,453. And that 65% drop is spawning…

American Airlines Launches New Daily Deals—And The First One Is Fantastic

American Airlines is kicking off the new year by launching new daily promotions, and while I don't know what the future deals will be, the first one could truly be called a…

Ding Dong! Airline Change Fees Are Dead! Delta and American Copy United

Yesterday, in a huge win for travelers, United Airlines dropped change fees for many types of flights. We gave you the full rundown of the move in this earlier post. Now, as they…

Advice from an Airline Pilot About Flying Safely in 2020

Like me, my friend Andrea Eldridge, a pilot with a major airline, has been barraged by questions from family and friends about the wisdom of flying right now. In response, she posted a…

American Airlines and JetBlue Become Partners

The first sign that something was unusual was that my cell phone rang, and it wasn't a scam. My friend Jill was on the other line, and she asked breathlessly, "Is it true?" When I…

American Airlines Will Now Book Flights to Full Capacity

On Friday, June 26, the United States registered a new single-day record in coronavirus infections—more than 40,000, many of them in young people who exhibit no symptoms. Hours before,…

Changing Course, JetBlue Now Requires Masks; Delta and American to Offer Them

On Monday, JetBlue finally became the first U.S. airline to insist all passengers wear face masks during flights. The new rule takes effect on Monday, May 4. Canada led the way—Air…

Unbelievably, American Airlines Takes This Moment to Hike Bag Fees

You run an airline. Your business is facing the most dramatic economic crisis in your lifetime. Just to stay alive, you've had to suspend international capacity by a devastating 60%…

Hey, Airlines! Maybe We Don't Want to Watch TV on Our Phones

The airlines have stripped coach passengers of nearly every vestige of dignity—our legroom, our food, our free checked bags. But they're not done yet. Now they are taking away seatback…

Basic Economy Fares: What You Get and What You Lose, Airline by Airline

Despite what airlines say, "basic economy" fares do not mean lower fares for everyone. In fact, they have increased prices for most of us because they now label the lowest prices as…

American Airlines Will Allow Early Boarding for Flyers with Nut Allergies

As if determined to undo their decades of peanut pushing, U.S. airlines continue to make concessions to passengers with nut allergies. Hardly any carriers serve those snacks on flights…

Why Airlines Like to Annoy You with Credit Card Pitches—and Why It's About to Get Worse

The airlines are fond of reminding us that flight attendants are there primarily for our safety. Therefore, as we know, we must pay attention whenever they speak and heed every word…

American Airlines to Allow Carry-On for Basic Economy

American Airlines passengers who buy basic economy tickets will each be allowed to bring a carry-on bag aboard flights, starting September 5.The news was announced by American…

American Airlines Cracks Down on Support Animals

Emotional support insects are no longer welcome on American Airlines flights.Whoever heard of an emotional support insect, you ask? We have two words for you: Jiminy Cricket.In…

American Airlines Adding Basic Economy Fares to Transatlantic Flights

Starting in April, American Airlines is selling bare-bones "basic economy" tickets on some flights to Europe. The move seems an obvious effort to compete with low-cost transatlantic…

Why Wall Street Doesn't Want You to Have Cheap Airfare

It was a blip in the headlines last week, barely noticed amid a circus of political stories: United Airlines stock plunged 6%. At the same time, Delta dropped 5.4% and Southwest went…

UPDATED: Will American Airlines' Scheduling Glitch Leave You Stranded for the Holidays?

This post, originally published on December 1, has been updated below.American Airlines discovered earlier this week that a glitch in the internal system used by pilots to schedule…

After the Storms: What You Need to Know If You Have Booked Travel to Impacted Regions

In just two short weeks, Mother Nature ravaged many of the Western Hemisphere’s most alluring vacation destinations. Some should rebound quickly (Disney World and Universal Studios…

The Travel Industry Steps Up for Hurricane Harvey—And Rewards Those Who Help

As Biblical flood scenes flash across T.V. screens, and the battered residents of Texas brace for a clean-up of massive proportions, help is on its way from the travel industry. We’ve…

The Case of the Missing Gift Certificate: Flying in the Age of Monopolies

An airplane aisle separated the haves from the have nots. I’m not writing about the aisle separating business class and economy. No, in this case, the left-side of the plane, on a six…