Severe winter weather nationwide has disrupted airline operations over the past several days, triggering record levels of flight cancellations and delays that have stranded travelers and forced carriers to scramble for operational fixes.
American Airlines recorded the highest number of weather-related cancellations in its 100-year history, creating an urgent need for pilots and flight attendants to cover additional shifts.
As of publication time, the Fort Worth–based airline had canceled 653 mainline and regional flights on Wednesday, along with nearly 1,077 delays, according to real-time tracking data from aviation analytics firm FlightAware.
“Teams across American continue working around the clock to fully restore operations following the significant impacts of Winter Storm Fern. We are grateful to our team members for their tremendous efforts over the weekend and throughout the week as we work through the storm and take care of our customers,” an American Airlines spokesperson told ABC News.
To accelerate recovery, the airline offered employee incentives on Wednesday, including double pay for flight attendants and an additional five hours of pay for pilots.
Meanwhile, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants said some crew members have been stranded and forced to sleep at airports, complicating efforts to contact scheduling departments.
“Winter weather impacting many of American’s hubs since last Saturday has resulted in widespread cancellations. As operations deteriorated, many flight attendant trips began ‘breaking,’ preventing crews from completing their scheduled routings,” a union representative told ABC News. “When flight attendants are unable to receive the FAA-mandated rest, disruptions compound, leading to additional delays and cancellations the following day.”
Although American’s cancellation figures improved from Tuesday, they remained far higher than those of its competitors. As of publication on Wednesday, United had canceled 11 flights and Delta had canceled 14, according to FlightAware.
As American works to stabilize its operations, its major hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport continues to face challenging ramp conditions, gate congestion, and other disruptions caused by dangerous ice.
The airline said that as operations resumed at DFW, “there has been a marked improvement in departures and arrivals,” with expectations that more flights would be completed throughout the evening.
“Cancellations are not what we want for our customers or our team members, and teams across the airline are working diligently to minimize them,” an airline spokesperson said.
American is advising travelers to monitor the airline’s app and website for the latest flight updates and to take advantage of added flexibility options outlined on its travel alerts page, which have been extended through Jan. 29.
Refunds for Unfulfilled Ancillary Services
If an airline fails to provide purchased ancillary services—such as in-flight Wi-Fi or lounge access—travelers are entitled to request refunds for those services.
24/7 Customer Service Access
Airlines are required to offer round-the-clock customer support through live communication channels, including phone assistance or live chat.
Image Credits- American Airlines