American Airlines is a major global airline, with more than 1,000 mainline aircraft alone serving over 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. The airline traces its origins to an early mail delivery flight Charles Lindbergh flew between St. Louis and Chicago.
Based in Fort Worth, Texas, American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld Alliance and has hubs in Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK and LGA), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX) and Washington, D.C. (DCA).
If I’m flying to, from, or through any of these hubs, it’s a good bet an American Airlines flight will be among the best and most convenient options.
American Airlines fares and cabin classes
American Airlines offers multiple fare types across main cabin, premium economy, business and first-class cabins. Availability depends on your destination (regional, transcontinental, or international) and the aircraft used on the route.
I often find that choosing among the different options can get daunting. When it does, I try to remind myself that no matter what price I pay or where I end up sitting, everyone on the plane takes off and lands at the same time.
Basic Economy
Basic Economy seats are in the Main Cabin but come with restrictions. These include late boarding (Group 9), no seat assignment until check-in, no free changes after 24 hours of booking, and reduced AAdvantage miles and loyalty points accrual.
Basic Economy fares generally don’t include free checked bags, though some Trans-Pacific flights to or from Australia and New Zealand may include one free checked bag. You can avoid some restrictions based on your AAdvantage status or with certain credit cards.
When the flight is short, my budget is tight, I’m traveling with only carry-on items and I’m confident my plans won’t change, I look closely at Basic Economy fares. But if I’m considering this ticket and paying for an advance seat assignment or there’s a chance I’ll check a bag, I always compare the total fare price against Main Cabin and Main Cabin Plus fares, which often prove more efficient.
Main Cabin and Main Cabin extra seating
Main Cabin fares on American Airlines include complimentary seat selection at the time of booking, with the option to purchase Preferred or Main Cabin Extra seats for a fee. Beyond that, your boarding group, bag fees and mileage accrual will be based on your AAdvantage status or the airline credit card you hold.
Main Cabin Extra seating is available for an extra fee based on flight length and seat location (window or aisle), though it may be complimentary based on your AAdvantage status. You can also use AAdvantage miles to purchase these seats. With this upgrade you’ll get early boarding (Group 5) and complimentary alcoholic drinks. This upgrade is often not that expensive, and when traveling during certain day parts and on longer flights, I often pay the Main Cabin Extra fee both for expanded seat selection and the drinks.
Premium Economy
On long-haul international, select transcontinental, Hawaii and Alaska flights American offers a Premium Economy section with upgraded seats, complimentary meals and drinks. On international flights you’ll also get a nice amenity kit and enhanced bedding. This is a great option for long flights when First or Business class seats are too expensive or unavailable.
Business, First and Flagship service
American Airlines has multiple cabin and fare levels for the front of the plane. On some shorter international flights, the Business Class cabin may be the highest level of service. On most two-cabin flights between U.S. cities, there will be a First-Class cabin.
For some international flights and on select transcontinental flights (like between LAX and JFK, BOS or MIA), American offers Flagship Business and Flagship First Class, each with a bevy of premium services at the airport and in the air. If you can splurge or have plenty of miles banked to book these fares, this is the experience to purchase.
That said, keep in mind that American Airlines is introducing Flagship Suite seats on new 787-9 and A321XLR aircraft and retrofitting its 777-300ER fleet, transitioning away from its traditional Flagship First cabins. This promises to be as good or better than its current first-class service and will feature suite-like seats and elevated amenities.
Baggage policy and fees
Each American Airlines passenger may board with one free personal item that fits under the seat in front of them and one carry-on bag that fits in the overhead bin. Checked bag fees are waived for some ticket classes, certain elite members and certain credit card holders, but otherwise you’ll pay a fee for each bag.
I’m a dedicated carry-on-only gal but know that if I had to check a bag when flying within or between the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on a fare that didn’t include a complimentary checked bag I would make sure to take advantage of the discount offered for paying the checked bag fee online. You can save a few dollars on the first checked bag fee when paying online up to 30 days before departure.
I would also be sure to use the American Airlines “Track your bag” tool and, for good measure, I would drop a tracking tag into my bag.
Tip: If you’re paying to bring your pet on board in a carrier that fits under your seat, remember that on American Airlines your pet carrier will count as one of your two allowable carry-on items. The rule isn’t consistently enforced, but I once witnessed a woman stuff her purse into her dog carrier just to meet the carry-on restrictions.
Onboard experience for American Airlines flights
The American Airlines inflight entertainment system includes an extensive library of movies, TV series, music, audiobooks and other content delivered through the American Airlines app. The list includes AppleTV+ and Apple Music, which is a nice bingeable perk for folks like me who don’t have subscriptions to those services at home. Parents and those seated near parents traveling with squirmy kids will appreciate the extensive kids’ channel, which includes a nice assortment of soothing sensory programs.
Tip: American Airlines offers seatback entertainment screens on some newer aircraft like the A321XLR, but many domestic aircraft use personal-device streaming instead. So, before take-off be sure to download movies or add the airline’s app to your devices so you can access the airline-provided content. Otherwise, your inflight entertainment options will be limited to sleeping, reading, working, looking out the window, or chatting with your seatmate.
High-speed Wi-Fi is available for purchase on most American Airlines flights. T-Mobile customers may get complimentary Wi-Fi depending on their phone plans. For example, my plan gives me a complimentary hour of Wi-Fi on each flight, plus four chits for flight-long Wi-Fi each year.
On many American Airlines flights, you can also get 20 minutes of free Wi-Fi by watching a short advertisement. I usually find this is hardly enough time to do more than dash off a quick email, download a file to work on offline or check a game score.
Lounges
American Airlines has dozens of Admirals Clubs in cities around the world, plus numerous partner lounges in various cities. Some large airports have more than one lounge location. Amenities include snacks and drinks, personal travel assistance and, in some locations, made-to-order meals and shower suites.
Lounge access is determined by membership, flight class, route, AAdvantage or oneworld Alliance status, or which credit card you own. You can purchase a membership or day pass with cash or miles, but when lounges are operating at or near capacity you may not be able to purchase or use a pre-purchased day pass when you planned to.
American Airlines also has a set of premium Flagship Lounges in Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA) and Philadelphia (PHL) as well as joint premium lounges at New York JFK and an arrivals lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Access is open to qualifying First and Business passengers and others based on mileage plan status and other criteria. These swank lounges have upgraded seating, meals and cocktail service as well as shower suites and, in some locations, table service dining.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
