Delta's July meltdown overshadowed by worse performance from American Airlines

American’s completion factor lagged behind Southwest’s and Alaska’s and was even lower than Spirit's; however, they did not cancel flights as frequently as Delta or United in July—a consequence of the CrowdStrike incident.

At the start of summer, it was noted that if passengers were experiencing delays, cancellations, diversions—or if their bags were lost or they were denied boarding despite having tickets—it was likely happening on American Airlines according to Department of Transportation reports.

For an airline whose CEO prioritizes operational reliability, American has not consistently met these standards. This focus on operational basics has come at the expense of customer experience details. Industry observers suggest that improving the airline hinges on leadership attention to detail and execution beyond merely ensuring timely arrivals.

While American has promoted improvements in their operations quality, specifics have been lacking. Some believe that when American performs well it is due to luck; conversely, poor performance is attributed to bad luck. The airline anticipates financial losses in the third quarter of 2024—encompassing late summer—which raises concerns about winter performance.

To improve financially and operationally amidst rising labor costs for flight attendants (pending ratification of a tentative agreement), American needs higher revenue streams. This necessitates selling their product at higher prices and enhancing overall customer experience beyond basic transportation services.