American Airlines News

We're not surprised American Airlines is not interested in blinged-out first and business class cabins. But we're still slightly puzzled at the U.S. carriers' anger toward the Gulf airlines. Yes, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar receive government assistance, but so do a lot of airlines.

We like United President Scott Kirby because he says what's on his mind. But something doesn't add up here. Is this the real reason United hasn't placed a new order for the A320 family of jets?

American's loyalty program members are hopping mad over recent changes. But will its woes evaporate like similar problems at Delta and United?

Airlines might have some trouble in the Caribbean longer term, but Florida should bounce back relatively quickly. That's good news for American and other U.S. airlines.

Don't hate American Airlines if it unbundles fares on some transatlantic routes. By flying discounters like Wow Air and Norwegian, travelers have shown how much they like cheap no-frills airlines. American needs to give the people what they want — $99 one-way fares to Barcelona.

If this works at scale, it'll be appreciated by travelers in hub airports, where there's often not enough time to grab food between flights. But reliably delivering food to passengers waiting at gates is logistically difficult, if not impossible. We'll see if these new services can pull it off.

American is creating a new distribution path that might tweak the role companies like Travelport play in distribution. Travelport boss Gordon Wilson tells us he's skeptical. We remain undecided.

American is reviving its direct-booking conflict with distribution middlemen like Sabre. Advances in technology and fat profits at U.S. airlines make the threat more plausible now than a decade ago.

With new technology launched by American Airlines this week, tracking checked luggage will be ever-so easier.

Investing in a range of new products to entice new and existing customers looks like it is paying off for American Airlines. Its upbeat outlook bodes well for the rest of the year.