American Airlines News

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.

What choice does JetBlue have but to downplay its competitive problems in Boston? But this is not good for the airline. It was bad enough when JetBlue had to worry about new routes from Delta. Now American is joining the mix.

It's always been a hot-button issue aboard planes, but the debate of whether to recline or not to recline your seat resurfaced this past week. Delta's Ed Bastian found himself in the crosshairs of that argument. He was upright with his answer — and apparently in his seat too.

Alaska Airlines startled the airline world by announcing it will enter the Oneworld global alliance. It also plans to coordinate more deeply with American, especially after American launches London and Bangalore flights from Seattle. But will the two be able to compete with powerhouse Delta, which also flies internationally from Seattle?

American Airlines suggests that it's not planning for the Boeing 737 Max to return to flying until the late summer or fall. But the airline is still positive this year will be better than last. That shouldn't be too hard.

United may argue it isn't tweaking its delay compensation scheme to save money. But we're betting this new policy will save some cash. Still, it probably won't bother customers too much. How many of them were expecting compensation anyway?