Tag Archives: American Airlines

American severs its interline connections with Aeroflot and S7 Airlines

American Airlines has suspended its interline agreements with Aeroflot Russian Airlines and S7 Airlines.

American to trim its summer schedule due to Boeing 787 delays

American Airlines has announced it will be forced to trim its international summer schedule due to delivery delays by Boeing of its ordered Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.

Due to the delays, AA will only receive 10 787-8s this year versus the 13 that were scheduled. Three deliveries have been pushed back to 2023.

According to Reuters, AA will temporarily suspend routes between Seattle/Tacoma and London Heathrow, Los Angeles and Sydney, and Dallas/Fort Worth and Santiago.

AA will also delay the launch of service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Tel Aviv, and reduce the frequency of flights between Miami and São Paulo to one flight a day.

American Airlines and Gol complete agreement to form exclusive partnership

American Airlines has announced it has signed a definitive investment agreement with Gol, Brazil’s largest airline, deepening the relationship between the two carriers to create the broadest and most rewarding network in the Americas. The combined networks will provide customers with more than 30 destinations in the U.S. served by American and more than 34 new destinations in South America served by Gol.

American has served Latin America since 1942 and offers service to 17 destinations in South America, including Sao Paulo (GRU) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) in Brazil, from its U.S. hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA) and New York (JFK). American has flown more than 14 million customers between the U.S. and Brazil in the last 10 years — more than twice as many as any other U.S. carrier. Gol serves 63 destinations in Brazil and is the country’s largest airline.

As part of the investment agreement previously announced last year, American will invest $200 million in 22.2 million newly issued preferred shares of Gol in a capital increase, for a 5.2% participation in the company’s economic interest. The execution of the other agreements described in this press release, and the closing of the equity investment, are subject to certain conditions, including government and regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Enhanced Joint Loyalty Offering

The largest network in the Americas will also be the most rewarding for travelers. In 2022, GOL’s SMILES and American’s AAdvantage® loyalty members will gain access to their status benefits on both airlines, such as priority check-in, priority security, priority boarding, a larger checked baggage allowance, lounge access and preferred seats. The two airlines also expect to offer an enhanced joint loyalty offering to give customers more ways to earn and redeem miles.

American to acquire 23 additional Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 aircraft, defers 787-9 deliveries

American Airlines is adjusting its fleet plans as markets recover from COVID-19.

The airline has agreed to to convert 23 Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 purchase options into firm options.

AA is also deferring Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner deliveries due to the slower recovery of foreign travel according to the filing below.

Deliveries of the 787s will now begin in the fourth quarter of 2023 and will continue into 2027, with four 787-9 aircraft now scheduled for delivery in 2023.

American Airlines issued this filing:

On January 31, 2022, American Airlines, Inc. (American), a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc. (the Company), entered into an amendment to that certain Purchase Agreement No. 03735, dated as of February 1, 2013, with The Boeing Company (Boeing), pursuant to which American has agreed to purchase a total of 23 additional 737 MAX 8 aircraft through the conversion of existing purchase options. In addition, American intends to convert a further seven of its purchase options in 2022, bringing its firm order of additional 737 MAX 8 aircraft to 30, with 15 of such aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2023 and 15 scheduled for delivery in 2024.

Additionally, on January 31, 2022, American entered into an amendment to that certain Purchase Agreement No. 3219, dated as of October 15, 2008, with Boeing, pursuant to which American and Boeing agreed to defer the delivery of certain 787-9 aircraft previously scheduled for delivery beginning in January 2023. Pursuant to this amendment, deliveries of these 787-9 aircraft will commence in the fourth quarter of 2023 and will continue into 2027, with four 787-9 aircraft now scheduled for delivery in 2023.

The delivery schedules presented herein represent our best estimates as of the date of this report. Actual delivery dates are subject to change based on various potential factors including production delays by the manufacturer.

Top Copyright Photo: American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 N310RF (msn 44451) JFK (Fred Freketic). Image: 956674.

American Airlines aircraft slide show:

American Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

American Airlines cuts 1,600 departures from DFW in March schedule

American Airlines is being forced to cancel approximately 1,600 flights from its DFW hub in March.

From WFAA:

https://www.wfaa.com/article/money/business/american-airlines-cuts-1600-departures-dfw-airport-march-schedule/287-38408330-16ea-4797-b74a-cb81589a0f3b

American and British move closer to a single terminal at New York JFK

American Airlines and British Airways announced more details regarding plans to co-locate operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s (JFK) Terminal 8 beginning Dec. 1, 2022. Enabled by a $400 million investment to redevelop, expand and enhance the terminal, the move will bring the Atlantic Joint Business partners closer together. Jointly, the terminal investments and co-location will offer a more seamless customer experience while supporting the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s ambitious plan to transform JFK into a leading global airport.

“American is eager to welcome British Airways to their new home at JFK,” said American’s Chief Customer Officer Alison Taylor. “Their move to Terminal 8 further deepens our longstanding partnership and makes it easier than ever for customers traveling between New York and London or onward across our global networks.”

American and British Airways were the first carriers to begin redevelopment efforts at JFK, breaking ground in January 2020 on five new widebody gates, four new widebody hardstand parking positions, an enhanced baggage handling system, new customer amenities and expanded premium guest offerings — including approximately 130,000 square feet of new and renovated terminal space.

Tom Stevens, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience said: “New York holds a special place in our heart as one of our most well-loved and important destinations. Our move to the redeveloped and expanded Terminal 8 will bring a range of benefits for our customers, including a better transfer experience, enabling them to travel to more than 30 destinations across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America with American Airlines. British Airways will remain in Terminal 7 until Dec. 1, 2022, and we have continued to invest in the experience for our customers, including our check-in area, concessions and lounges.”

Further elevating the premium guest experience

When complete later this year, premium customers traveling on both airlines and other oneworld® partners will have access to a reimagined journey through JFK depicted by newly released artist illustrations.

As customers arrive at Terminal 8, a co-branded premium check-in area providing personalized, concierge-style service for top-tier guests will replace American’s former Flagship First Check-In space. Thoughtfully designed architectural elements will also define an exclusive new check-in space for eligible business customers.

The expanded and reconfigured terminal will include five new widebody gates and 130,000 square feet of new and renovated space.

Architectural features will define, guide and direct customers towards an expanded joint premium check-in area on the ticketing level of JFK’s Terminal 8.

Once through security, three distinctive custom lounges combining the best of both brands will provide a refined, welcoming preflight experience for select guests based on cabin of travel and loyalty program status. The expanded premium lounge offerings will incorporate seating for approximately 1,000 of American and British Airways’ most loyal customers. Each lounge has been designed with original high-end finishes — evoking a unique sense of space while elevating the experience and service offered to every guest.

The most exclusive lounge will have an all-new champagne bar, fireside lounge and a la carte dining room, which reimagines American’s Flagship First Dining into a fully immersive experience.
Adjacent, another premium lounge — with sweeping airside views, a wine bar, cocktail lounge, library and buffet — will offer an elevated, lively experience.
American’s Flagship Lounge and Concourse B Admirals Club will be repurposed into a contiguous lounge for eligible business class customers.

A high-end champagne bar defines the entry to American and British Airway’s most exclusive lounge.

Distinctive elements and finishes create a unique sense of place for guests in the adjacent lounge as they dine and relax.

While disruptions to the customer journey remain limited, American’s Flagship First Check-in at JFK is expected to close, beginning Feb. 1 for construction. Premium customers traveling on eligible itineraries will be directed to temporary check-in counters located nearby. All lounge spaces will remain open and operational through the duration of the redevelopment project. Following completion, the Concourse B Admirals Club will close. The Concourse C Admirals Club will continue to serve members, qualifying elite customers and those traveling on eligible itineraries.

Creating a seamless travel experience

As Atlantic Joint Business partners, American and British Airways offer the most flights and the most competitive schedule for customers traveling between New York and London compared to any other partnership — with up to 14 peak daily departures scheduled to operate between JFK and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) this summer.

When co-located, American and British Airways customers will be able to realize even more value from established reciprocal benefits while enjoying unprecedented flexibility and a truly seamless connecting experience when traveling across airlines. Until operations are fully transitioned to Terminal 8 in December, British Airways will continue to provide a world-class experience for their customers at JFK’s Terminal 7.

American Airlines reports fourth quarter and full-year 2021 financial results

American Airlines Group Inc. today reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 financial results, including:

Fourth-quarter revenue of $9.4 billion, down 17% versus the same period in 2019 on a 13% reduction in total available seat miles (ASMs) versus the same period in 2019.
Fourth-quarter net loss of $931 million, or ($1.44) per share. Excluding net special items¹, fourth-quarter net loss was $921 million, or ($1.42) per share.
Full-year net loss of $2.0 billion, or ($3.09) per share. Excluding net special items², full-year net loss was $5.4 billion, or ($8.38) per share.
Safely transported more than 165 million passengers in 2021, more than any other U.S. carrier.
Ended the fourth quarter with $15.8 billion of total available liquidity, the highest year-end liquidity balance in company history.

“As we close out the second year of operating in a global pandemic, we are incredibly proud of the American Airlines team,” said American’s Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. “Over the past year, we have experienced periods of high travel demand countered by periods of decreased demand due to new COVID-19 variants. This volatility has created the most challenging planning environment in the history of commercial aviation. Yet the American team has delivered, growing back faster and further than any other U.S. airline to meet this unpredictable demand. Looking ahead, I’m excited about the future of American with Robert Isom as its new CEO. While we still have work to do as the recovery from the pandemic continues, I have no doubt the best is yet to come for American.”

For the full-year 2021, American achieved its best performance in on-time arrivals, on-time departures and completion factor since the pandemic, despite flying significantly more than any other airline. American’s relative operating performance was particularly strong during the important year-end holiday period. The company’s on-time performance in December was better than any December in years prior to the pandemic, and American performed better than its primary competitors in these operational metrics during the month. These results were achieved despite an increase in sick calls toward the end of the year due to the omicron variant.

“We’re very proud of the way our team delivered throughout 2021,” said American’s President and incoming CEO Robert Isom. “Looking forward, our focus in 2022 will be to continue running a reliable airline, returning to profitability, and delivering on our long-term plan to deleverage the balance sheet.”

American is committed to strengthening its business and achieving profitability by focusing on its three strategic objectives: Create a world-class customer experience, make culture a competitive advantage and build American to thrive forever.

To create a world-class customer experience, American:

Expanded its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with JetBlue to provide members of the AAdvantage^® and TrueBlue Mosaic loyalty programs with reciprocal elite benefits when traveling on either airline. Customers will experience even more benefits from the NEA this year, including the most flight choices in dozens of markets from New York and Boston, lie-flat seats on all transcontinental routes and a robust international network.
Introduced a redesign of the AAdvantageloyalty program, effective in 2022, that removes complicated elite qualifying metrics in favor of an easy-to-understand point system that provides members with multiple ways to earn status. Starting this year, AAdvantage members can earn status by flying, using an AAdvantage credit card for purchases, or spending with an AAdvantage partner.
Announced plans to build a new 15,000+-square-foot Admirals Club in Austin, Texas (AUS). The lounge will seat more than 250 customers, making it the largest airport lounge in Austin. Construction will begin this year.
Was recognized with the prestigious Five Star rating in The APEX Official Airline Ratings™, Global Airline category, for the fourth consecutive year. The award is based on customer feedback on the overall travel experience.
Announced new service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Doha, Qatar (DOH), which will launch this summer as part of its deepening relationship with Qatar Airways.

To make culture a competitive advantage, American:

Celebrated the opening of its Robert L. Crandall Campus in Fort Worth, Texas. Team members from across the system attended with their families and friends and joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony with American’s retired Chairman and CEO Bob Crandall.
Welcomed its first flight attendant graduating class since the start of the pandemic. These new flight attendants waited more than 600 days to officially join the airline.
Worked to ensure its team members are vaccinated against COVID-19. More than 97% of American’s team members have submitted proof of vaccination or a request for a medical or religious accommodation.

To build American to thrive forever, American:

Announced its leadership succession plan in early December. Doug Parker will retire as CEO of American on March 31 and will be succeeded by current President Robert Isom. Isom will join American’s board of directors on the same date, and Parker will continue to serve as chairman of the board. American also announced the senior leadership team that will report to Isom when he becomes CEO.
Ended the fourth quarter with $15.8 billion of total available liquidity.
Was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the first time, the only passenger airline to be included. The recognition is a testament to the airline’s ongoing commitment to excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, including reducing carbon emissions from its operations; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and providing regular and transparent ESG disclosures.
Finalized a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offtake agreement with Aemetis. The agreement brings the airline’s total SAF commitment to more than 120 million gallons over the next decade, a signal of the integral role SAF will play in American’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions and achieve its ambitious sustainability goals.
Announced that its board of directors has adopted a tax benefit preservation plan to help preserve the value of its net operating losses and other tax attributes. The company estimates that it has $17.2 billion in cumulative U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards, which are available to reduce future U.S. corporate income tax liabilities.

Guidance and investor update

American will continue to match its forward capacity with observed bookings trends. Based on current trends, the company expects its first-quarter capacity to be down approximately 8% to 10% compared to the first quarter of 2019. American expects its first-quarter total revenue to be down approximately 20% to 22% versus the first quarter of 2019.

For additional financial forecasting detail, please refer to the company’s investor update, filed with this press release with the SEC on Form 8-K. This filing will also be available at aa.com/investorrelations.

Conference call and webcast details

The company will conduct a live audio webcast of its financial results conference call at 7:30 a.m. CST today. The call will be available to the public on a listen-only basis at aa.com/investorrelations. An archive of the webcast will be available on the website through at least Feb. 20.

Notes

See the accompanying notes in the Financial Tables section of this press release for further explanation, including a reconciliation of all GAAP to non-GAAP financial information.

¹The company recognized approximately $9 million of pre-tax net special items in the fourth quarter of 2021, which principally included $29 million of nonoperating special items primarily for mark-to-market net unrealized losses associated with certain equity investments, offset in part by $20 million of mainline operating net special credits.

²The company recognized $4.4 billion of pre-tax net special items in 2021. Mainline operating special items, net principally included $4.2 billion of Payroll Support Program (PSP) financial assistance, offset in part by $168 million of salary and medical costs primarily associated with certain team members who opted into voluntary early retirement programs offered as a result of reductions to the company’s operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional operating special items, net principally included $539 million of PSP financial assistance, offset in part by a $61 million charge associated with the regional pilot retention program which provides for, among other things, a cash retention bonus paid in the fourth quarter of 2021 to eligible captains at the wholly-owned regional airlines included on the pilot seniority list as of September 1, 2021 and a $27 million non-cash charge to write down regional aircraft resulting from the retirement of the remaining Embraer 140 fleet earlier than planned. The company also recognized $60 million of nonoperating net special items, which principally included mark-to-market net unrealized losses associated with certain equity investments and treasury rate lock derivative instruments as well as non-cash charges associated with debt refinancings and extinguishments.

American Airlines’ COO message to employees

American Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer, David Seymour, issued this statement to its employees, warning of delays:

Meanwhile Verizon and AT&T will limit 5G around airports:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/airline-ceos-warn-catastrophic-disruption-5g-rollout-verizon-rcna12525

American Airlines issues a travel alert for Southeast U.S. including the Charlotte hub

American Airlines has issued a travel alert for the following stations and waiving any change fees for the next few days due to a winter storm that could bring icing conditions to the area (including CLT) this weekend.

If you’re traveling to / through / from:

Asheville, North Carolina (AVL)
Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
Augusta, Georgia (AGS)
Birmingham, Alabama (BHM)
Charleston, West Virginia (CRW)
Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT)
Charlottesville, Virginia (CHO)
Cincinnati, Ohio (CVG)
Columbia, South Carolina (CAE)
Columbus, Ohio (CMH)
Dayton, Ohio (DAY)
Fayetteville, North Carolina (FAY)
Florence, South Carolina (FLO)
Greensboro / High Point, North Carolina (GSO)
Greenville, North Carolina (PGV)
Hampton / Newport News, Virginia (PHF)
Huntington, West Virginia (HTS)
Huntsville, Alabama (HSV)
Jackson, Mississippi (JAN)
Jacksonville, North Carolina (OAJ)
Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS)
Lexington, Kentucky (LEX)
Little Rock, Arkansas (LIT)
Louisville, Kentucky (SDF)
Lynchburg, Virginia (LYH)
Memphis, Tennessee (MEM)
Nashville, Tennessee (BNA)
New Bern, North Carolina (EWN)
Norfolk, Virginia (ORF)
Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina (RDU)
Richmond, Virginia (RIC)
Roanoke, Virginia (ROA)

Your change fee is waived if you:

Are traveling on an American Airlines flight
Are booked in any fare class, including Basic Economy
Bought your ticket by January 13, 2022
Are scheduled to travel January 16 – 17, 2022
Can travel January 13 – 20, 2022
Don’t change your origin or destination city
Rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference

Keep in mind changes must be:

Booked by January 17, 2022
Completed within 1 year of original ticket date; difference in fare may apply

NWS: 24-hour forecast map:

A man was apprehended after damaging a plane during boarding process, American Airlines says

From CNN:

“A man entered the cockpit of an American Airlines plane in Honduras and caused damage while the aircraft was at the gate, the airline said in a statement.