Tag Archives: American Airlines

American delivers on Thanksgiving with 80,759 flights to be operated during the holiday period

American Airlines and its regional partners will operate 80,759 scheduled flights this Thanksgiving travel period, larger than 2024 and the biggest schedule of any airline worldwide.

American Airlines looks forward to delivering a reliable Thanksgiving operation this year as it moves past the industrywide flight disruptions caused by the government shutdown. Despite this disruption, the airline has continued to deliver for its customers and has staged a strong recovery.

“The Thanksgiving holiday period is one of the most condensed and most important for our customers — the stakes are high, and the American team is ready to deliver,” said David Seymour, American’s Chief Operating Officer. “Customers making last-minute holiday plans — and those who booked months ago — can rest assured that our operation will run smoothly and safely. In the spirit of giving thanks: We’re thankful for everyone who worked hard to get us through several difficult weeks, especially our team members and federal aviation workers.”

American’s operation stood out, delivering industry-leading on-time departure and arrival performance among the three major network carriers from Sunday, Nov. 9 through Saturday, Nov. 15. With the termination of the FAA’s flight reduction order, customers can expect all flights to operate as scheduled. The airline fully expects this resilient streak of strong operational performance to continue into its Thanksgiving travel period. The airline and its regional partners will operate nearly 81,000 flights during this period, which runs from Nov. 20 through Dec. 2.

“As American approaches the busy holiday season, our operation is delivering an on-time and reliable operation,” said Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer. “Our customers can count on American to get them to the Thanksgiving table, giving them the certainty they deserve in their travel plans this holiday.”

American’s 2025 Thanksgiving operation

A larger schedule: American and its regional partners will operate 80,759 scheduled flights this Thanksgiving travel period, larger than 2024 and the biggest schedule of any airline worldwide.

Peak travel days: Sunday, Nov. 30, will be the most traveled day, followed by Monday, Dec. 1.

Extra capacity: Special late-night flights have been added at Phoenix (PHX) and Chicago (ORD) on Nov. 30 to help customers return from the holiday.

Keeping bags moving: American expects to handle nearly 5.6 million checked bags during the holiday period, continuing its record-breaking baggage handling performance.

Peak operations: At 11:10 a.m. CT on Dec. 1, 1,077 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute, the highest number during the travel period.

Fun fact: The Boeing 777-300ER, American’s largest aircraft, has a maximum takeoff weight of 775,000 lbs., equal to about52,000 15-lb turkeys.

Making change count: American Airlines honors flight attendants powering UNICEF’s mission

American Airlines announced:

American Airlines recently recognized nine flight attendants as Champions of the Year for their dedication to the UNICEF Change for Good (CFG) program. These volunteers, known as Champions for Children, went above and beyond by collecting extra U.S. and foreign currencies from customers on international and Hawaii flights to support UNICEF’s global mission to help children in need.

Since launching the program in 1994, American Airlines and its customers have raised more than $18 million for UNICEF through Change for Good. These funds have helped improve and save the lives of countless children by:

Delivering vaccines and medicines to prevent deadly diseases
Providing nutritional support to fight malnutrition
Supplying clean water and sanitation facilities to communities in need
Supporting education programs and safe learning environments
Responding rapidly to emergencies, such as natural disasters and conflicts

Every cent collected on board helps UNICEF reach children in more than 190 countries with critical health care, education and protection services.

American brings more learning and laughs to the skies

With more than 1,500 hours of carefully curated movies, TV shows and audio content, American Airlines is elevating the inflight experience for every traveler. From reality TV favorites and beloved children’s stories to the latest educational and family-friendly content, American’s expanded entertainment lineup offers something for every mood, moment and customer on board.

Fun for every age: From toddlers to teens

American now offers even more ways for families to keep little travelers entertained from takeoff to touchdown. For the youngest travelers, “Hey Bear Sensory” videos, filled with colorful animations and rhythmic music, have become a hit among babies and toddlers. And now, a new partnership with Lingokids adds a fresh layer of fun and learning for children ages 2-8.

Through engaging songs, stories and games, Lingokids encourages curiosity, creativity and early language skills. With 10 hours of series, songs and craft videos to choose from, kids will be able to make time fly with fun, safe and educational content. This is just another way American is helping families enjoy a stress-free, screen-happy journey for everyone on board.

American brings Harry Potter to the skies

Last year, American launched its partnership with Audible and has since brought new literary experiences to the skies. Starting in December, customers can immerse themselves with exclusive access to the first five chapters of “Harry Potter^™ and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” American is the only U.S.-based airline to offer this unique listening experience, bringing magic to the skies and setting a new standard for inflight storytelling.

From the exploration of Muhammad Ali’s life and legacy in “Ali in Me,” to meditation guides and self-help options, there is an audiobook for every kind of listener.

Bravo, indeed!

Pop culture lovers, rejoice. The launch of American’s new Bravo channel means customers can now enjoy their favorite reality hits, from culinary competitions to stylish, drama-filled reunions, all at 35,000 feet.

Whether it’s catching up on “Top Chef,” reliving iconic “Real Housewives” moments or sailing through the high seas on “Below Deck,” it’ll provide customers the perfect dose of Bravo energy.

Endless choices on any flight

From must-watch blockbusters to timeless classics, chart-topping albums, podcasts and language learning, American’s inflight entertainment offers content for every traveler on every journey. Available on seatback screens or on personal devices, customers can explore the full entertainment lineup ahead of their flight at entertainment.aa.com.

Because no matter who our customer is, or how they like to pass their time in the skies, American is making sure there’s something great waiting for them on board.

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American outlines its Thanksgiving travel plans with over a 1,000 planes airborne on December 1

American’s 2025 Thanksgiving operation

A larger schedule: American and its regional partners will operate 80,759 scheduled flights this Thanksgiving travel period, larger than 2024 and the biggest schedule of any airline worldwide.

Peak travel days: Sunday, Nov. 30, will be the most traveled day, followed by Monday, Dec. 1.

Extra capacity: Special late-night flights have been added at Phoenix (PHX) and Chicago (ORD) on Nov. 30 to help customers return from the holiday.

Keeping bags moving: American expects to handle nearly 5.6 million checked bags during the holiday period, continuing its record-breaking baggage handling performance.

Peak operations: At 11:10 a.m. CT on Dec. 1, 1,077 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute, the highest number during the travel period.

Fun fact: The Boeing 777-300ER, American’s largest aircraft, has a maximum takeoff weight of 775,000 lbs., equal to about 52,000 15-lb turkeys.

American Airlines welcomes the Airbus A321XLR to the fleet

American Airlines is “suite-ening” its premium cross-country experience with the debut of the Airbus A321XLR in its fleet. Customers can purchase tickets now on aa.com and via American’s mobile app for the inaugural flight — flight AA3 on Dec. 18, 2025 from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX).

American received delivery of its first A321XLR with a three-cabin layout on Oct. 22, arriving directly from Airbus’ Hamburg, Germany, aircraft assembly line.

Each A321XLR will feature 20 Flagship Suite^® seats, 12 Premium Economy seats and 123 Main Cabin seats. The aircraft will initially operate on U.S. transcontinental routes, offering customers American’s newly debuted Flagship Suite^® lie-flat seats that elevate travel with privacy doors, more personal storage space, a wireless charging pad, cocktail tray and a personal reading light.

As American takes delivery of more A321XLR aircraft, the type will expand to other routes, including international service in the first half of 2026, with additional details coming soon.

As part of the Flagship Suite^® service, customers receive Priority check-in, security, boarding and baggage handling as well as access to the Greenwich Lounge^™ experience at JFK that offers elevated dining and unique cocktails in a luxurious, relaxing atmosphere.

Inflight Flagship Suite^® service also offers a multicourse meal curated to pair with award-winning wines, premium amenity kits containing an array of luxury skincare items and a comfy duvet blanket accompanied with a refreshing dual-sided pillow with cool touch fabric on one side and traditional fabric on the other.

Customers who choose the airline’s new Premium Economy seats on the XLR will enjoy an enhanced winged headrest for increased privacy, calf and footrests for relaxing comfort, wireless charging and enhanced dining with hot meal entrees. On board, customers will find a personal amenity kit with premium skincare products and can comfortably rest with an Ostrichpillow^® lumbar pillow and crepe weave blanket.

All photos by American Airlines.

American Airlines aircraft photo gallery (Airbus):

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American Airlines elevates the inflight and lounge experiences with new Lavazza coffee partnership

American Airlines is raising the bar on inflight and lounge hospitality with the introduction of Lavazza coffee, a globally celebrated Italian brand known for its premium blends. For the first time, American customers will enjoy a consistent coffee experience both on the ground and in the air. This partnership reflects American’s commitment to curated excellence throughout the travel experience.

Lavazza, a family-owned Italian brand since 1895, is dedicated to crafting exceptional coffee experiences that reflect a legacy of expertise, passion and innovation. For the last 130 years, Lavazza has been at the forefront of coffee craftsmanship, blending time-honored Italian traditions with modern techniques to create premium coffees that are rich, balanced and universally admired. Today, its premium blends are served in top restaurants and hotels around the world, making it a natural fit for American’s elevated hospitality offering. By partnering with Lavazza, American is bringing a globally respected name in coffee to its customers — one that aligns with the airline’s focus on refined offerings and exceptional service throughout the journey.

Beginning in early 2026, American Airlines travelers will be able to enjoy Lavazza’s premium coffee blends across all cabins in flight and at American’s Flagship^® and Admirals Club^® lounges across the system. This exclusive rollout marks a significant step in American’s continued evolution of the premium travel experience.

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First Look: American Airlines unveils special Flagship livery ahead of centennial year

With just six months to go until American Airlines officially celebrates its centennial, the airline is unveiling a special livery that will begin flying in November on a Boeing 777-300 registered as N735AT. This special Flagship^® livery blends one of the airline’s original liveries with a modern flair as American will upgrade the aircraft to feature a new, more luxurious interior.

“American has thoughtfully chosen a design that evokes our rich history while looking ahead to our next 100 years,” said Ron DeFeo, American’s Chief Communications Officer. “Throughout American’s history, ‘Flagship^®’ has always been recognized as our premium travel experience. Our renewed focus on the customer experience is making premium travel better than ever across all aspects of our customers’ travel journeys. Painting the original Flagship^® design on our Flagship^® aircraft is a powerful way to honor that legacy while embracing the future.”

American Airlines (Flagship Detroit Foundation) Douglas DC-3-178 NC17334 (msn 1920) “Flagship Detroit” MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 100050.

Behind the design

At the base of the livery is the airline’s Silver Eagle^® paint color, which is currently found on more than 1,600 aircraft in American’s mainline and regional fleet. Across both sides of the aircraft, the iconic orange lightning bolt motif makes its bold reappearance after first debuting nearly 90 years ago on the Douglas DC-3. The DC-3 captivated passengers with American’s first foray into premium air travel experiences that the airline is now taking to new heights with its Boeing 777-300 aircraft flying to far-flung international destinations including Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and beyond.

When American took delivery of new DC-3 aircraft, they were named based on cities the airline served at the time. In keeping with tradition, American will name this aircraft “Flagship DFW” as an homage to the airline’s home and largest hub.

Toward the rear of the aircraft, customers will notice a roundel featuring one of the most recognizable motifs from American’s history: the eagle connecting the world. American flies to more than 350 global destinations today and operates more flights carrying more customers than any other airline in the world — a reminder of how far the airline has come since its first flight in 1926.

The Flagship Knoxville housed in the American Airlines CR Smith Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Since American first took delivery of passenger aircraft in the 1930s, the airline has been known for offering an elevated “Flagship” experience first on board coast-to-coast transcontinental routes and today also includes the airline’s long-haul international network.

While customers recognize American’s premium Flagship^® lounges and Flagship^® Business class that have welcomed travelers for years, they will continue to enjoy the Flagship^® experience next year, when the airline begins refreshing the interior of its Boeing 777-300 fleet to include Flagship Suite^®seats.

American continues to focus on elevating the onboard customer experience to deliver a modern travel journey. After making their debut earlier this summer, the Flagship Suite^® seats, Premium Economy and upgraded Main Cabin products continue to earn rave reviews from customers and are part of the airline’s commitment to innovation. Highlights include:

The Flagship Suite^® seats are American’s first-ever onboard business class product featuring privacy doors, wireless charging pads and a one-of-a-kind chaise lounge seating option with an adjustable headrest pillow.
American is the first U.S. carrier to introduce wireless charging in Premium Economy, which includes the introduction of new headrest wings and new calf and footrests for enhanced comfort.
Main Cabin customers will experience the airline’s elevated international inflight experience, including 4K QLED screens — the first in the U.S. to be introduced in this cabin — and USB-C and AC power.

These upgraded amenities will also be featured on board refreshed 777-300s next year, featuring 70 Flagship Suite^® seats and 44 Premium Economy seats.

American’s Flagship Suite^® debuted on newly designed Boeing 787-9 aircraft this summer and will be on refreshed Boeing 777-300.

Be a part of American’s centennial

For more than 100 years, American has taken to the skies with timeless, iconic designs, and now, key moments from its rich history are available for purchase. The American Airlines Brand Store features a curated selection of historic advertising, vintage imagery and exclusive centennial-branded merchandise. Perfect for the holiday season, these keepsakes and gifts honor the legacy of aviation and design that has defined American for generations. Merchandise collections will continue to expand throughout the centennial year, offering even more ways to commemorate this milestone.

Video:

American Airlines slide show (historic liveries):

Millennial milestone: American Airlines receives 1,000th mainline aircraft

As American prepares to hit the century mark, the airline has reached a milestone, receiving its 1,000th mainline aircraft. The premium Boeing 787-9 aircraft with American’s recently launched Flagship Suite^® seats arrived at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) on Aug. 29.

Since April, American has received eight premium Boeing 787-9 aircraft and has a total of 30 on order. The aircraft currently operates on Chicago (ORD) to London Heathrow (LHR), ORD to Los Angeles (LAX) and Philadelphia (PHL) to LHR routes.

With the addition of more premium Boeing 787-9s to its fleet, American plans to expand the Flagship Suite® product on more flights to LHR next year. American will continue to offer the newly designed Boeing 787-9 next year on flights to LHR from ORD and PHL and will introduce service from DFW in November. The Flagship Suite® seat provides customers with a private, premium travel experience, featuring privacy doors, wireless charging pads and a cozy, one-of-a-kind chaise lounge seating option.

Customers flying in American’s premium Flagship Suite® cabin can relax comfortably with duvets, slippers and a dual-sided pillow with cool-touch fabric while refreshing themselves with luxury skin and beauty products in American’s thoughtfully designed amenity kits. Inflight Flagship Suite® service offers a multicourse chef-inspired meal paired with award-winning wines and delectable snacks sure to fulfill those midflight munchies.

In the coming months, American will offer customers the premium travel experience of the Boeing 787-9 on select flights from DFW to Auckland, New Zealand (AKL); Brisbane, Australia (BNE); and Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE) along with flights between PHL and Zurich (ZRH).

American Airlines aircraft slide show (Boeing, current livery:

American Airlines aircraftn photo gallery (Boeing):

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American Airlines adds more than 22,000 seats for football fans following release of 2025–2026 NFL schedule

American Airlines is adding thousands of seats for thousands of fans to watch touchdown after touchdown this fall. As part of the airline’s largest-ever fall football schedule, more than 185 additional flights with more than 22,000 additional seats will make it easy for fans to plan the perfect getaway that is sure to be a winning game plan.

American will add special flights for fans to watch the action where its best: live from the stadium. In total, the airline will add nearly 11,000 additional seats for fans this fall between special fan flights and larger aircraft operating from American’s hubs such as Philadelphia (PHL) and Washington, D.C. (DCA).

2025 fall games	Flight dates
Washington at Green Bay, Wis.	Sep. 11: DCA–GRB Sep. 12: GRB–DCA
San Francisco at New Orleans	Sep. 12: SFO–MSY Sep. 15: MSY–SFO
Philadelphia at Kansas City, Mo.*	Additional seats on Sep. 13 PHL–MCI and Sep. 15 MCI–PHL
Indianapolis at Los Angeles	Sep. 26: IND–LAX Sep. 28: LAX–IND
Philadelphia at Tampa, Fla.	Sep. 26: PHL–TPA Sep. 29: TPA–PHL
Kansas City at Jacksonville, Fla.	Oct. 5: MCI–JAX Oct. 7: JAX–MCI
Tennessee at Las Vegas	Oct. 10: BNA—LAS Oct. 13: LAS–BNA
New England at New Orleans	Oct. 10: BOS–MSY Oct. 13: MSY–BOS
Seattle at Jacksonville	Oct. 10: SEA–JAX Oct. 13: JAX–SEA
Detroit at Kansas City	Oct. 11: DTW–MCI Oct. 13: MCI–DTW
Detroit at Los Angeles	Dec. 12: DTW–LAX Dec. 15: LAX–DTW
New England at Tennessee	Oct. 17: BOS–BNA Oct. 20: BNA–BOS
Philadelphia at Minnesota	Oct. 18: PHL–MSP Oct. 20: MSP–PHL
Buffalo, N.Y., at Carolina	Oct. 25: BUF–CLT Oct. 27: CLT–BUF
Baltimore at Miami	Oct. 30: BWI–MIA Oct. 31: MIA–BWI
Jacksonville at Las Vegas	Nov. 1: JAX–LAS Nov. 3: LAS–JAX
Carolina at Green Bay	Nov. 1: CLT–GRB (two flights) Nov. 3: GRB–CLT (two flights)
Detroit at Washington*	Additional seats on Nov. 7 and 8 DTW–DCA and Nov. 10 DCA–DTW
Buffalo at Miami	Nov. 7: BUF–MIA Nov. 10: MIA–BUF
Pittsburgh at Los Angeles	Nov. 7: PIT–LAX Nov. 9: LAX–PIT
Philadelphia at Green Bay	Nov. 10: PHL–GRB Nov. 11: GRB–PHL
Detroit at Philadelphia*	Additional seats on Nov. 15 DTW–PHL and Nov. 17 PHL–DTW
Buffalo at Houston	Nov. 20: BUF–IAH Nov. 21: IAH–BUF
Cleveland at Las Vegas	Nov. 21: CLE–LAS Nov. 24: LAS–CLE
Kansas City at Tennessee	Dec. 19: MCI–BNA Dec. 22: BNA–MCI
Cincinnati at Miami	Dec. 19: CVG–MIA Dec. 22: MIA–CVG
Philadelphia at Buffalo*	Additional seats on Dec. 27 PHL–BUF and Dec. 29 BUF–PHL
Kansas City at Las Vegas	Jan. 2: MCI–LAS Jan 5: LAS–MCI
Green Bay home games	Additional flights throughout the fall

American is the Official Airline of the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles. With hubs in Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX) and Philadelphia (PHL), fans can cheer their teams on the road through American’s extensive network of existing flights.

Combined from DFW, LAX and PHL, American will operate nonstop flights to more than 260 destinations around the world this fall with more than 1,300 peak daily flights — that’s more than 12 million round-trip minutes flown, or more than 800,000 quarters.

“Go long” this fall with American’s international options

Fans looking to combine their love of football with an international getaway also have options with American. In November, American will be adding additional nonstop flights between Miami (MIA) and Madrid (MAD), creating the perfect mix of tapas and touchdowns.

American operates more flights to London (LHR), MAD and Sao Paulo (GRU) than any other U.S. airline. And, together with our partners, customers have the most comprehensive access to international games — including in Dublin (DUB) and Berlin (BER).

The partnership between American and British Airways is the largest of any airlines connecting the United Kingdom with the United States. Fans this fall can zip across the pond nonstop from 28 airports in the U.S. to London on more than 70 daily flights, making going from end zone to pub zone a proper no-brainer.

Location	Month	American’s international presence
Sao Paulo (GRU)	September	Four daily flights to GRU — including daily service from DFW and New York (JFK), and twice-daily service from Miami (MIA).
Dublin (DUB)	September	Four daily flights to DUB, including daily service from Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), DFW and PHL.
London (LHR)	October	American operates 24 daily flights to LHR from 10 U.S. cities including Los Angeles (LAX) and JFK — the most of any U.S. airline. Its partner British Airways operates 47 daily flights to LHR and LGW from 26 U.S. cities.
Madrid (MAD)	November	Up to six daily flights, including two daily flights on select days from MIA and daily service from CLT, DFW, JFK and PHL.

Get from gate to gridiron this fall

College football fans will also score a huge win with American adding flights for more than 40 games. Totaling more than 11,000 additional seats, getting to some of the most popular games for tailgating next season will be easy with American.

As the Official Airline Sponsor of Texas Athletics, American is adding special flights from Austin, Texas (AUS), as part of its fall schedule for fans traveling to cheer on the Longhorns.

Route	Flight dates
Birmingham, Ala., at Waco, Texas	Aug. 28: BHM–ACT Aug 30: ACT–BHM
New Orleans at Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.	Aug. 29: MSY–GSP Aug. 31: GSP–MSY
Austin, Texas at Columbus, Ohio	Aug. 29: AUS–CMH Aug. 31: CMH–AUS
Birmingham at Tallahassee, Fla.	Aug. 29: BHM–TLH Aug. 31: TLH–BHM
Indianapolis, Ind., at Miami	Aug. 29: MIA–IND* Sep. 1: IND-MIA
Detroit at Oklahoma City	Sep. 5: DTW–OKC Sep. 7: OKC–DTW
Madison, Wis., at Birmingham	Sep. 12: MSN–BHM Sep. 14: BHM–MSN
Houston at South Bend, Ind.	Sep. 12: IAH–SBN Sep. 14: SBN–IAH
Birmingham at Oklahoma City	Sep. 19: BHM–OKC Sep. 21: OKC–BHM
Gainesville, Fla., at Miami	Sep.19: GNV–MIA Sep. 21: MIA–GNV
Columbus at Seattle	Sep. 26: CMH–SEA Sep. 28: SEA–CMH
Eugene, Ore., at Harrisburg, Pa.	Sep. 26: EUG–MDT Sep. 28: MDT–EUG
Birmingham at College Station, Texas	Sep. 26: BHM–CLL Sep. 28: CLL–BHM
South Bend at Northwest Arkansas	Sep. 26: DCA–XNA Sep. 28: XNA–DCA
Austin at Gainesville	Oct. 3: AUS–GNV Oct. 5: GNV–AUS
Harrisburg at Los Angeles	Oct. 3: MDT–LAX Oct. 5: LAX–MDT
Boise, Idaho, at South Bend	Oct. 3: BOI–SBN Oct. 5: SBN–BOI
Birmingham at Columbia, Mo.	Oct. 10: BHM–COU Oct. 12: COU–BHM
Indianapolis at Eugene	Oct. 10: IND–EUG Oct. 12: EUG–IND
Gainesville at College Station	Oct. 10: GNV–CLL Oct. 12: CLL–GNV
Columbus at Madison, Wis.	Oct. 17: CMH–MSN Oct. 19: MSN–CMH
Philadelphia at Cedar Rapids, Iowa	Oct. 17: PHL–CID Oct. 19: CID–PHL
Austin at Lexington, Ky.	Oct. 17: AUS–LEX Oct. 19: LEX–AUS
Baton Rouge, La., at Nashville, Tenn.	Oct. 17: BTR–BNA Oct. 19: BNA–BTR
St. Louis at Montgomery, Ala.	Oct. 17: STL–MGM Oct. 19: MGM–STL
Dallas-Fort Worth at Greenville-Spartanburg	Oct. 17: DFW–GSP Oct. 19: GSP–DFW
Dallas-Fort Worth at Northwest Arkansas*	Oct. 17: DFW–XNA Oct. 19: XNA–DFW
Dallas-Fort Worth at Baton Rouge	Oct. 24: DFW–BTR Oct. 26: BTR–DFW
Madison at Eugene	Oct. 24: MSN–EUG Oct. 26: EUG–MSN
Oklahoma City at Knoxville, Tenn.	Oct. 31: OKC–TYS Nov. 2: TYS–OKC
Dallas-Fort Worth at Columbia	Nov. 7: DFW–COU Nov. 9: COU–DFW
Omaha, Neb., at Los Angeles	Nov. 7: OMA–LAX Nov. 9: LAX–OMA
Baton Rouge at Birmingham	Nov. 7: BTR–BHM Nov. 9: BHM–BTR
Tallahassee at Greenville-Spartanburg	Nov. 7: TLH–GSP Nov. 9: GSP–TLH
Oklahoma City at Birmingham	Nov. 14: OKC–BHM Nov. 16: BHM–OKC
Los Angeles at Columbus	Nov. 14: LAX–CMH Nov. 16: CMH–LAX
Austin at Atlanta	Nov. 14: AUS–ATL Nov. 16: ATL–AUS
Des Moines, Iowa, at Los Angeles	Nov. 14: DSM–LAX Nov. 16: LAX–DSM
Los Angeles at Eugene	Nov. 21: LAX–EUG Nov. 23: EUG–LAX
St. Louis at Oklahoma City	Nov. 21: STL–OKC Nov. 23: OKC–STL
Northwest Arkansas at Austin	Nov. 21: XNA–AUS Nov. 23: AUS–XNA
Nashville at Gainesville	Nov. 21: BNA–GNV Nov. 23: GNV–BNA
South Bend home games	Round-trip flights throughout the season on Fridays and Sundays on LGA–SBN and DCA–SBN

^*Larger aircraft will operate select flights.

American Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

New Great Airlines Series book now available on Amazon – Volume 9:

An inside look at American’s Integrated Operations Center (IOC) in Fort Worth, Texas

From American Airlines:

Day and night, rain or shine, American’s team of system customer service managers (SCSM) has a sharp focus on our customers, helping to ensure their journeys go smoothly. Though they’re based at American’s Integrated Operations Center (IOC) in Fort Worth, Texas, the SCSMs have their eye on every customer, looking for operational solutions to get customers on their way.

Daniel Schiff, the IOC’s Senior Manager of Network Ops Strategy, recently sat down with System Customer Service Manager Kim Burrell for a discussion about their roles at the IOC.

Daniel: Let’s start with the basics: what is American’s Integrated Operations Center?

Kim: We call it the IOC, and it’s the nerve center of our airline. In this large facility, more than 20 workgroups — and 1,700 team members — come together to help run our airline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We work collaboratively to solve challenges that come our way, from weather to anything else.

American’s Integrated Operations Center.

Daniel: Our strategy is our customers, and the SCSMs ensure our customers get where they want to go smoothly. The team is always thinking ahead to minimize disruptions.

Kim: That’s exactly right. A day in the life for me is busy and full of twists and turns. When I get in, I’m assigned to a unit, which is broken down by the types of aircraft we operate and hubs that we fly into. The unit is led by an Operations Coordinator, who works in tandem with team members overseeing our fleet, our crew members and, in the case of SCSMs, our customers.

Daniel: SCSMs have a key role in caring for group travel. We have large groups —sometimes really large groups with hundreds of customers — who travel throughout our network. It’s critically important they have a seamless journey when traveling with us. If one of these groups were to misconnect, it might be harder to reaccommodate them as there likely wouldn’t be enough available seats on the next flight, unlike when we have individual travelers and smaller parties to reaccommodate. The first order of business is alerting our airport teams that these groups are coming through to make sure we have a plan for them. Sometimes we’ll hold their connecting flight, and we’ve even found back-up aircraft for these groups because they’re such a big part of our operation.

Kim: Military service members are also incredibly important to us. We work to ensure that our service members have as easy and smooth a journey as possible. We look at markets that have military bases or are close to them — we have many of them — and keep an especially close eye on those markets, going out of our way to ensure there are crew and aircraft to support the operation there. We develop a plan B as well. I’m glad the SCSM team gets to play a role with caring for our troops.

Daniel: SCSMs play a key role in the recovery of our network during what we call irregular operations — severe weather or any other type of event that disrupts the airline. We’re responsible for running a tool that helps reaccommodate our customers on alternate flights when their travel plans are impacted. American has gotten much faster at recovering, and I’m proud to say that the SCSM team plays an important role as we care for customers who are impacted.

I’m sure you have some incredible stories to tell about other ways we’ve helped our customers in the 17 years you’ve worked here.

Kim Burrell working in the IOC’s regional unit.

Kim: You bet! One time, we had a group of 40 customers who were originating in Knoxville, Tennessee, connecting through DFW on their way to Honduras, and I realized that they were going to misconnect. After I worked with the station and my colleagues in the IOC, we found a solution to use a larger aircraft for the next flight. The airport let me know that the customers were very excited that they were able to get to their destination within a reasonable amount of time. For me, it was a reminder of why I do this. I genuinely care about our customers and want to find solutions.

“It was a reminder of why I do this. I genuinely care about our customers and want to find solutions.”Kim Burrell

Daniel: One of my favorite stories is when we had a high-volume connection, which means we have a large number of customers traveling between cities. This one was between Oklahoma City and Hanoi, Vietnam, with a connection in Chicago. When their initial flight was delayed, we found another aircraft from one of our regional partners to get this group to Chicago, where they connected to one of our oneworld® partners. The SCSM team coordinates within and outside of the IOC to ensure our customers are looked after, no matter who operates the flight. It felt great to help these customers out.

Kim: It’s really the best part of the job. And we do it every day because when you purchase a ticket on American, you place your trust in us to get you to your destination safely and as efficiently as possible.