American Airlines

American Airlines deals are easy to find, and the airline is currently one of the three largest airlines in the world in terms of number of flights and number of passengers transported. Over the years, AA has made several industry-changing customer-centered innovations. It was a founding member of the OneWorld alliance and also the first airline to launch a frequent flier program. In addition to its regular service, American has several regional and commuter affiliates. The most notable of these is American Eagle, which is a large and successful airline in its own right.

American offers extensive domestic service in the US and flies regular international routes to Europe, Asia and the Americas. It has been updating its fleet, purchasing new Boeing 737-800s and also ordering several dozen new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

AA has an a la carte pricing scheme for in-flight food and also for checked baggage. The airline waives these fees for long haul flights to South America, Asia and Europe. The extra charges are also waived for premium class passengers. American is one of the best legacy carriers in terms of premium class services.

Important Information

Hubs: Dallas Fort Worth: DAL, Los Angeles International:LAX, Miami International:MIA, Chicago O’Hare:ORD

Fleet: 626 airplanes, mostly Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777. New Boeing 737s and 787s are on order. Most popular destinations: Dallas, Chicago, Miami, LA, New York, San Antonio

On-time performance: 82%

Extra fees: $23-$25 for checked baggage, charges for food and drink on many domestic flights.

Awards program: AAdvantage (which was the world’s first airline loyalty program), founding member of the OneWorld alliance

Cabin features and services: Standard set of amenities including music and movies on longer flights. Some charges for food on domestic and regional flights.