American Airlines

American Airlines traces its founding date to 15 April 1926, when Robertson Aircraft Corporation flew a bag of mail between St Louis and Chicago. Robertson was one of more than 80 small carriers consolidated in 1929–1930 into the Aviation Corporation, reorganised as American Airways. In 1934, following new federal mail-contract rules, the company restructured its network and was renamed American Airlines, Inc.

Under CEO C.R. Smith and later Robert Crandall, American became a pioneer of the hub-and-spoke model, launching the AAdvantage frequent flyer programme in 1981 and the SABRE reservations system. The airline expanded through the 2001 acquisition of Trans World Airlines, and in the same year saw two of its aircraft hijacked during the September 11 attacks.

In 2011, American’s parent, AMR Corporation, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid crushing fuel costs, labour disputes, and low-cost competition. The airline emerged from bankruptcy through its 2013 merger with US Airways, forming American Airlines Group, the entity that operates today. The carrier is now marking its centennial in 2026, a milestone it is using to anchor a broader premium repositioning amid continued activist scrutiny of its profitability gap relative to Delta and United.

American Airlines operates the second-largest mainline fleet in commercial aviation, mixing Airbus narrowbodies with Boeing narrowbodies and widebodies, a legacy of its 2011 order for 260 Airbus A320-family and 200 Boeing 737 aircraft, the largest combined aircraft order in history at the time.

Unlike a point-to-point carrier, American Airlines built its network entirely around a hub-and-spoke model, funnelling passengers through a small number of high-frequency airports rather than flying every city pair directly. This structure lets American serve smaller markets economically by routing connecting traffic through its hubs. The carrier serves more than 350 destinations in over 60 countries across six continents.

Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is American’s largest and most important hub, currently being restructured to a 13-bank operating day, with a new Terminal F opening in phases between 2027 and 2030. Charlotte (CLT) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD) round out the domestic core, while Miami (MIA) anchors Latin American connectivity.

American Airlines has operated for a century, and while its overall safety record is broadly comparable to that of other major US carriers, it has been involved in several of the deadliest accidents in American aviation history.

American Airlines posted record annual revenue in 2025 but continues to trail Delta and United on profitability, a gap that remains its central commercial challenge heading into its centennial year.

American Airlines has emphasised network and technology investment following a difficult labour and operating environment through 2025–26.

Heading into its centennial year, American Airlines has structured its strategy around four pillars: customer experience, network and fleet optimisation, loyalty depth, and distribution/revenue management recovery.

These changes mark American’s push from a debt-laden post-bankruptcy legacy carrier toward a premium-led network airline competing more directly with Delta and United on both business and leisure revenue.

American Airlines operates a multi-tier cabin structure across its network, anchored by its Flagship premium brand on long-haul widebody aircraft:

American Airlines’ change and cancellation policy varies by fare type, with Basic Economy remaining the most restrictive tier:

American Airlines updated its checked bag fees in 2026, further separating Basic Economy from its standard Main Cabin fare. One carry-on and one personal item remain free for every passenger, including Basic Economy.

American Airlines allows small cats and dogs in the cabin, and also operates PetSafe, a dedicated cargo programme for pets travelling as manifest cargo.

American Airlines uses an assigned-seating model with a tiered boarding-group system based on fare class and AAdvantage/oneworld status:

American’s AAdvantage programme, launched in 1981, was the airline industry’s first frequent flyer programme and remains one of its largest, earning miles based on the price paid rather than distance flown.

American’s reputation sits in a complex position heading into 2026: record revenue and a centennial milestone, set against a persistent profitability gap and rising internal labour tension.

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