Tag Archives for american airlines.
An American Airlines passenger discovered a snail in their business class meal on a recent flight from Liberia, Costa Rica, to Dallas. Snails found in produce can carry bacteria or even rare parasites.
United Airlines will purchase the last two Spirit Airlines Chicago O’Hare gates for $30 million, significantly escalating its strategic battle to push American Airlines out of the critical hub. With both airlines locked in an intense fight and billions in loyalty revenue at stake, United’s aggressive move sharply raises the pressure on American as the two carriers are in a pitched battle at the airport.
Speculation about American Airlines CEO Robert Isom’s future has reached fever pitch at the airline’s headquarters, distracting employees as rumors swirl about possible replacements. With unions demanding change and recent operational failures shaking confidence, the conversation inside American Airlines isn’t about whether Isom will go—but who might be next in the top seat.
American Airlines is being sued over the deadly January 2025 midair collision near Reagan National Airport, despite the U.S. government already admitting liability for the crash involving an Army helicopter and an American Eagle regional jet. Plaintiffs argue the airline shares responsibility, even though American complied fully with federal safety protocols—and the government’s failures in airspace design and air traffic control are clearly documented.
American squawked 7700 over Cuba and reversed course on the Miami–Quito run after the crew described the cabin as being “in lockdown” over a violent passenger who had to be physically restrained. The jet returned to South Florida about 74 minutes after departure, and after landing the aircraft underwent a brake inspection consistent with an overweight return when a long-haul flight turns back with much of its fuel still onboard.
American canceled more than 9,000 flights during winter storm Fern — and as the operation unraveled, flight attendants wound up sleeping in airports, stuck on hold with scheduling, and waiting hours for hotels and transport. In a post-earnings employee meeting, CEO Robert Isom called it “unacceptable” — then brushed it off as something that “comes with the kind of business we run.”
Citi is surveying a refresh of the American AAdvantage small business card that looks meaningfully better than what’s sold today — even with a higher annual fee. The two hooks: authorized-user spend would earn Loyalty Points too, and the card would add a simple flight-based bonus (4 qualifying flights = 4,000 Loyalty Points, up to 12,000 a year), with credits used to sell the higher fee.
American’s free Wi-Fi rollout is about to go from “most planes” to the long-haul fleet too. In a leaked recording from an employee meeting after earnings, the airline says it has free Wi-Fi on 90%+ of aircraft now and plans to add it to the remaining widebodies over the next 12–24 months — while also teeing up more lounge announcements and new food and beverage partnerships.
American has been spending real money on “premium” — new suites, new lounges, better champagne, better policies — but the company has lacked anything resembling a mission that connects it all. In a leaked recording from a post-earnings employee meeting, that finally changes: leadership frames Chicago as an existential fight with United, and ties winning the market directly to loyalty and credit card economics, and that easily extends to the need for a premium service culture.
The Barclays-issued AAdvantage cards are officially converting to Citi on April 24, and Citi just published the full playbook — including new cards with new account numbers and a no-login window April 24–26.
The sleeper detail is that for now your existing card’s legacy perks stay in place while you also pick up the standard Citi-version benefits, creating a temporary stacking window (especially valuable for Aviator Silver moving to Globe).
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
