American Airlines News

Like Crossover Rewards and Rewards Plus before it, a new partnership between American and Hyatt may help elite loyalty members in both programs earn some extra perks. And with little cost associated, participation is a no-brainer.

The Department of Transportation means well with its tarmac delay program. And it has been helpful for customers, who need not fear being trapped on planes for hours. These fines on the airlines are nothing, but the publicity is a reminder to try to do better.

Since its merger with US Airways, American has taken a cautious approach with new routes. It has expanded to major Asian and South Pacific markets out of necessity but otherwise hasn't taken too many chances. It is nice to see the airline considering adding India and Africa.

Delta Air Lines wants U.S. regulators to award it a disproportionate number of slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, a preferred airport among business travelers. Other airlines disagree, but Delta probably does deserve better access, as it is the only one of the big three U.S. carriers without a Japanese partner.

U.S. regional airline Mesa Air Group has a relentless focus on costs. But with major carriers trying to increase their customer satisfaction scores, Mesa will need to raise its reliability to win and retain business.

This week in aviation, an All Nippon Airways deal could help the Philippine tourism industry, airlines target millennials with premium economy seats, and American Airlines struggles to deal with tumbling customer satisfaction.

Oneworld might have a shiny new brand identity but it should probably spend its time now trying to smooth things over with one of its key airline members.

Many airline executives believe the most important driver of customer satisfaction is reliability. American Airlines hasn't been pleased with its customer satisfaction scores, so it is trying to improve the basics of its operation. That's probably the right move. But does it also need to improve its product or brand image?

It's now possible to book international premium economy award seats on American, Delta, and United. Only one carrier, however, has published a table indicating how much the seats should cost.

American Airlines President Robert Isom said customer satisfaction may be declining because the airline has not been as reliable as it should be. Is that the entire problem?