American Airlines

About American Airlines

American Airlines is one of the main legacy carriers here in the United States but as of late hasn't gained as much positive feedback as Delta or United. American finds itself always playing catch up when it comes to innovation. But they are still a great option for flights throughout the United States and internationally as well as the best legacy carrier on flights to Latin America and South America.

American serves the business traveler as well as the premium traveler, but their product doesn't gain as much notoriety as Delta or United. They are now embarking on long and thin transatlantic travel to secondary European destinations to carve out a niche for themselves with their brand new Airbus A321XLRs.

Who Should Fly American Airlines?

American by no means is a slouch compared to United and Delta. They are a viable option for business travel, international flying, and flights down to Latin America. But like most legacies, if you're cost conscious you may want to opt for an alternative airline.

What the Data Shows

American Airlines owns Dallas Fort Worth and is making a run at United at Chicago O'Hare. American largely settled on flying from secondary business cities in the U.S. like Philadelphia, which allows them to fly under the radar a bit especially since Delta and United have hubs in larger business cities.

The fleet breakdown reflects American's position as a transitional airline: a large Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 NG base, with growing MAX and A321neo numbers pointing toward where the fleet is heading. The widebody types 787 and 777 post the strongest load factors, consistent with high demand on their transatlantic routes.