American Airlines News

To keep cash coming in, American Airlines needs passengers to buy tickets for late this year and early next. But there's a problem. American doesn't know what flights it will fly that far in advance.

Any future messaging will need to deliver on the promises, otherwise airlines risk losing loyalty in the long term.

American Airlines' reputation took a beating the last three years. The airline is now doing its best to take care of customers. Will they remember when demand improves?

The surprise here is not how many international flights American Airlines is cutting this summer. It is how many the airline intends to operate. American is only cutting 60 percent of its international flights this summer, compared to 2019. That seems optimistic.

Richard Anderson, the former Delta Air Lines CEO, loved to talk about how Delta was a high-quality industrial company. Delta is a great airline, no doubt. But let's be honest: Airlines are not regular companies. We're now being reminded of that fact.

Loyalty programs are one of the biggest assets at an airline. As bad as things are, the programs probably still have value that airlines can leverage for cash.

U.S. airlines were in a position of strength. And then the coronavirus crisis struck. Although no carrier has announced layoffs or has requested a government bailout, the days, weeks, and months ahead look rough.

Coronavirus is a disaster for U.S. airlines. Some executives compare its impact to the fallout after 9/11. The big question is how long will it last? Airlines hope the revenue dip will be short-term.

Airline partnerships connecting North and South America look different in 2020, with Delta a stronger contender in the region than ever before. Its $1.9 billion investment for a 20 percent stake in Chile’s Latam Airlines helps. Now, the question is how it will shape the industry — and the strategies of competitors like American Airlines.

If — or more likely when — coronavirus hits the United States, few travelers will act rationally. That's bad news for U.S. airlines, which could be flying empty airplanes in the not-too-distant future.