American Airlines is ready for the Thanksgiving holiday and expects to welcome nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights. This comes on the heels of a strong fall travel season, when the airline canceled the fewest flights in the industry during October.
American is staffed and prepared for winter weather, with team members trained for deicing and expanded capacity at airports like Chicago O’Hare (ORD). The airline also continues to improve the airport experience for a more efficient and pleasant journey.
7 quick facts about American’s Thanksgiving operation:
- American’s travel period runs from Nov. 21 to Dec. 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than last year.
- The most-traveled day will be Sunday, Dec. 1, with the second most-traveled day slated for Monday, Dec. 2.
- 1,500 mainline and regional aircraft will travel nearly 65 million miles — the equivalent of more than 2,500 times around the Earth — between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3.
- The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 a.m. CT on Sunday, Dec. 1, the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.
- The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff® cookies on board from Nov. 21 to Dec. 3. If placed in a line, these cookies would stretch nearly the distance of a flight from New York (LGA/JFK) to Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT).
- Thanksgiving comes after American’s best-ever October for on-time departures, on-time arrivals and baggage handling performance.
- There were nine days in October when American did not cancel a single mainline flight and 10 when the airline didn’t cancel a single regional flight.
American encourages customers to follow these tips:
Travel starts before you leave home.
- Make sure you’ve downloaded the American Airlines app, checked in for your flight and added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.
- If you haven’t already, join the AAdvantage® travel rewards program for free and add your member number to your trip. This will help you earn miles for future free travel and lock in earlier boarding.
- If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.
Your American Airlines app is the ticket to an easy experience at the airport.
- Use the app to find information about your journey, including flight status, connecting gate, baggage tracking and where to claim your bags.
- Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.
- Use the maps feature in the app to help navigate many of the airports to which American flies, including how to find the nearest Admirals Club® location.
- Have a question? Chat live with someone about your travel 24/7 through the app.
