American Airlines News

American took the safe approach in matching Delta on two key routes. It makes sense because carriers don't like to fall behind their competitors on the New York-California flights.

A surprising number of airlines held out against adding premium economy as long as they could. But now most big airlines have added it or plan to. That's good news for passengers who want a little bit more space at a reasonable price.

Passengers flying on American and Delta may notice new boarding procedures this month. Now's a good time to double check that boarding pass.

Consumers aren't going to like this product, but Basic Economy fares are a sign of the times. Travelers are already buying tickets on Spirit and Frontier that come without free large carry-ons, so why shouldn't American and United offer a similar option?

American Airlines has a deep bench, so it will be fine. But this is a big get for United, which needed to bolster its senior management ranks. United has not had as much talent in its ranks as American.

American has been a big player in Chicago for decades, and that probably won't change. But United President Scott Kirby is one of the most fierce competitors in the airline industry. If he says he wants to win in Chicago, he means it.

A strange bug in the upgrade process at American Airlines had been preventing passengers from getting early upgrades. The airline finally fixed the glitch last week.

The Obama Administration's decision to block Qantas' application for antitrust immunity with American came as a surprise to most observers. The Trump administration's Department of Transportation would normally be likely will rule otherwise. But this new administration is unpredictable, so it's hard to say for sure.

Airfares in the U.S. are still near historic average lows, and a transatlantic fare war should last for more than a year. But after a delay, American is copying Delta's playbook. It aims to fix its profit margin problem by coaxing business travelers to pay more on routes worldwide by 2018.

Yet again, Southwest is choosing not to copy United, American and Delta. Its independent strategy has worked well for the last five decades, so why change what works?