Things are about to get even cozier on 3/5 of American Airlines’ jets, as the carrier has announced it will be making squeezing in some additional coach seats on its Boeing 737 and MD-80 aircraft. [More]
American Airlines Now Allowing Travelers Without Carry-Ons To Board Earlier
By May 17, 2013
Anyone who’s ever been part of that tense time during the boarding process knows how it goes: Everyone with roller bags eyes each other, trying to get a glimpse of their rivals’ boarding passes to see who’s going to board first, and thus, easily score overhead bin space. Meanwhile the duffel bag people are like, “No worries, I can smush.” But now, those traveling extra light will get boarding preference on American Airlines. [More]
Woman Booted From Flight Because No One Asked For Her Best Whitney Houston Impression
By May 13, 2013
Just because the song “I Will Always Love” you (as written by Dolly Parton and sung by the late Whitney Houston) implies an unflagging dedication, belting it out on an airplane didn’t bring one passenger any love from an American Airlines flight crew. She was ejected from the plane for disrupting the flight, in part because she was warbling her karaoke-night best. [More]
American Airlines Apologizes To Mom Over Breast Pump Brouhaha
By April 26, 2013
American Airlines is doing the apology two-step after learning that the mother of a young child was told by a flight attendant that she could not use her breast pump on board a recent flight to Chicago. [More]
Reservation System Snafu Prompts American Airlines To Temporarily Ground All Flights
By April 16, 2013
It could be a tough travel day for American Airlines customers: An outage in its reservations system has prompted American to ground all flights, at least temporarily, until the company can get the dang thing up and running again. [More]
American Airlines Formally Files To Exit Bankruptcy So It Can Finally Marry US Airways
By April 16, 2013
You know that feeling like you just can’t wait to get married, so that you can finally become the world’s largest airline, but there’s this whole bankruptcy thing in your way? Probably that’s not something you’ve been worrying about, but it has been on the mind of American Airlines’ parent company, AMR Corp. It filed formal plans to exit bankruptcy, bringing it one step closer to walking down the aisle with US Airways. [More]
Judge Tells Outgoing American Airlines CEO He’s Not Getting $20 Million Payout
By April 12, 2013
A couple weeks back, the federal bankruptcy judge overseeing American Airlines’ attempts to get back to profitability approved the carrier’s merger with US Airways but held off on giving approval to a proposed $19.9 million payout to American CEO Tim Horton, who will be out of a job if the merger goes through. Last night, the judge finally got around to ruling on that matter, and it was probably a sad evening in the Horton house. [More]
Even If You’re Not A Celebrity, You Can Pay To Be Treated Like One At The Airport
By April 11, 2013
Times used to be, breezing through airport security in front of everyone else and skipping lines during the boarding process was just for the hoity-toity types — the wealthy and celebrities, mainly. But now that regular passengers can pay for fast-track access, airlines are scrambling to provide an even hoity-toitier (new word, deal with it) experience for anyone willing to pay a hefty price. [More]
Virgin America Soars Above The Rest In Annual Airline Survey While United Sinks To The Bottom
By April 8, 2013
Every day, airlines shuttle passengers from here to there, through friendly (and not so friendly) skies, ferrying bags and losing luggage and touching down at airports all around the country. Some of those airlines are consistently a cut above the rest, while others just can’t seem to do anything right. According to this year’s Airline Quality Rating Survey, Virgin America is the cream of the crop while United Airlines is a long, long way from the top. [More]
Bankruptcy Court Signs Off On US Airways/American Merger, But Not On $20 Million Payout To Outgoing CEO
By March 28, 2013
Yet another hurdle in the race to the altar for American Airlines and US Airways has been cleared, with the bankruptcy court giving its blessing on the matter, but reserving judgment on a proposed $19.9 million payout to outgoing CEO Tom Horton. [More]
Not Putting Anything In The Overhead Bin? American Airlines Is Seeing What Happens If You Board First
By March 22, 2013
One thing that ticks off a lot of seasoned business travelers is waiting to board a plane because the passengers in front of you are busy futzing around with squeezing their probably too-large carry-ons into the overhead bins. But now American Airlines is testing to see what happens when it gives priority boarding to travelers who won’t be using the overhead storage. [More]
Worst Company In America Round 1: Spirit Vs. American Airlines
March 21, 2013
It’s time to take to the unfriendly skies in this afternoon’s dogfight between two of your most-disliked airlines. [More]
Consumer Advocates To Senators: American Airlines & US Airways Merger Would Hurt Fliers
By March 19, 2013
Today American Airlines and its betrothed, US Airways had to defend their proposed merger in front of a Senate hearing and several consumer advocates. Citing higher fares, reduced service to smaller communities in the U.S. and a loss of competition among carriers, opponents of the impending nuptials testified at a Judiciary Committee hearing that such a joint venture would hurt consumers. [More]
American Airlines Trustee Looks At $20 Million Payout To Outgoing CEO, Says There’s Some Explaining To Do
By March 18, 2013
Though so much of the news about American Airlines has been about its impending nuptials to more financially stable suitor US Airways, let’s not forget that the airline is still clawing its way out of bankruptcy protection. Which is why the trustee put in charge of this process thinks someone should have to explain why outgoing the American CEO is being rewarded to the tune of $19.9 million. [More]
American Airlines & U.S. Airways Announce They’re Finally Getting Hitched
By February 14, 2013
After spending years as just friends, American Airlines and U.S. Airways are taking their relationship to the next level with the official announcement today (Valentine’s Day, no less) that they’re merging. The heads of both say it’s been a long time coming but that now they’re ready to take the plunge and become the world’s No. 1 airline. [More]
It Sounds Like American Airlines & U.S. Airways Are Totally Heading Toward The Altar
By February 7, 2013
According to a flurry of media reports in the Dallas area, it sounds like American Airlines and US Airways are finishing up a few last-minute details while deciding whether or not they want to stop flirtin and just ahead and tie the knot with a merger. If the union does go through, the combined entity would be the biggest airline in the skies. It’s all very romantic, really (except when someone else’s wedding is involved). [More]
American Airlines Treats Itself To A New Look With First Makeover In Over 40 Years
By January 17, 2013
Oh hey, American Airlines you’re looking different these days. Did you do something to your fuselage? Is that a new logo you’re sporting? The airline is treating itself to a revamped look for its fleet of planes, the first makeover it’s done to its exteriors since 1968, including an updated logo as part of the paint job. [More]
US Airways Already Asked American To Get Married Back In April
By January 15, 2013
While we’ve all been waiting, handkerchiefs at the ready, for the scene in which US Airways gets down on bended knee and asks poor, down-on-its-luck American Airlines for its hand in marriage, comes a report that the whole scene apparently went down — unsuccessfully — back in April 2012. [More]
