American Airlines cutting key service, testing how mad flyers get
Passengers had better make their voices heard.
Once upon a time, travelers dressed up to get on a plane, sat in comfortable seats, were served a real meal — sometimes even with actual plates and silverware — and were pleasant to their fellow passengers.
If this sounds like as much of a fairy tale as frogs turning into princes and pumpkins turning into magic coaches, that’s because airlines have long been on a race to the bottom, with seats getting smaller, in-flight offerings getting slimmer, and fees for services getting bigger.
Related: American Airlines makes move to end unpopular ticket policy
American Airlines seemed to be changing course from this troubling trend lately, deciding that a “pivot to premium” was in order. The change comes as the airline has been lagging behind close competitors, including United and Delta, with American reporting a net income of $846 million in 2024, compared to $4.7 billion for Delta and $4.2 billion for United.
