After this weekend’s monumental storm, it’s still a mess out there, especially for American Airlines (AA) passengers and crew. That’s right, even AA’s flight attendants can’t get home, and some have reportedly been on hold for 12 hours with their own scheduling department. Worst of all, many are sleeping on airport floors.
There’s no doubt Dallas, the airline’s headquarters and largest hub, was hit hard. According to FlightAware, on Sunday American canceled a total of 1,915 flights, including 694 from DFW. On Monday, it canceled 1,838 flights, with 587 from DFW. On Tuesday, 1,370 flights, with 296 from DFW. Today (as of 1 p.m. CT), those numbers stand at 481 total cancellations, including 100 from DFW.
On the flip side, United has canceled just nine flights worldwide, and Delta has only 14 total cancellations today. That means American has roughly 34 times more cancellations than Delta.
Delta and United’s hubs were also hit by the storm, so this increasingly looks like a full-blown operational meltdown at American Airlines, and both passengers and crew are voicing their frustration on social media.
One prominent flight attendant wrote in a public Facebook post: “Domestic flying is a sh– show. Flight attendants are displaced due to the winter storm and can’t get hotel rooms. They’re on hold for hours trying to get through to tracking to find out what to do after their flight cancels. We used to have a hotel department, but now it’s a third-party source or it’s ‘handle it yourself and we’ll reimburse you’… eventually, maybe, one day. Meanwhile, pilots are taken care of, or can afford to pay $500 for rooms during a winter storm. It’s sad to see how bad things are today.”
She received more than 85 comments from fellow flight attendants expressing similar dismay. A few examples:
Karly H.: My crew was stuck in MIA with no hotel for 14 hours.
Kim G.: Thank you for posting this! These work conditions are unacceptable. I’m still trying to commute to base and have so many friends and coworkers stranded all over the country.
Natalie B.: After all these years and still the same issues. They wonder why people don’t want to come to work. They should have paid for and blocked more rooms in DFW in advance. Anytime we get a planned storm in SEA, my husband’s company blocks rooms near his work so people can walk in and keep operations running. Yes, it costs money, but if people can’t get to work, that’s half the problem.
Bill D.: Very similar to Southwest. Today we have a department that handles both flight attendants and pilots in these situations. It actually works. Why carriers think third-party anything is a good idea is beyond me.
Debbie L.: I’ve been reading about all the chaos. Flight attendants sleeping on airport floors and on hold for over eight hours trying to get hotels and new assignments. So wrong.
Cindy C.: I haven’t enjoyed flying domestic U.S. in many, many years. I’m happy to go international and do domestic in almost any other country.
CBS News reports that American Airlines Chief Customer Officer Heather Gordon issued an apology, saying: “On behalf of everyone at American, I want to assure you it’s been all hands on deck to keep our operation moving.”
This all feels eerily similar to Southwest Airlines’ Christmas 2022 meltdown. My tips from back then still apply today:
10 Tips If You’re Caught in the Chaos
1. Book another airline if you absolutely must get somewhere.
If you really need to get somewhere, try to book a seat on another carrier. It will likely cost more since prices are high, but it may be your only option.
2. Call American’s international call centers
If you didn’t book your ticket through a good travel agent (they will do the dirty work for you) and you can’t get through to an agent, try calling American’s international call centers. Here’s the list.
3. Do your own research before speaking with an agent.
If you do get through to an agent, don’t rely on them to give you the best flight options. Do your own research and find a flight that has space and that you want. It will speed things up for everyone and help you avoid settling for the first thing the antiquated software offers.
4. Save receipts
Save your receipts for hotel, food, and transportation, especially if you’re in the middle of making a connection or waiting for your return flight home.
5. File a complaint with the DOT
If AA doesn’t reimburse you (give them a few weeks), then file a complaint with the Department of Transportation.
6. Rent a car or take the train
If you really have to get somewhere and flights on other airlines are sold out, try renting a car or taking the train, an often overlooked option.
7. Carpool
If rental cars are sold out or too expensive, ask other passengers on your flight if they’re interested in carpooling.
8. Don’t check a bag
If you’re already on a trip, consider shipping your old clothes home via ground. FedEx and UPS offer reasonable rates for domestic shipping. Always carry on valuables and medications, and pack a set of warm clothes and a couple of outfits in your carry-on in case you get stranded. If you must check a bag, drop an Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag (for Android users) inside so you can track it.
9. Help other travelers out
If you see someone stranded who needs help, please help them however you can. Not everyone is savvy enough to get online and figure out these tips.
10. Be extra nice
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I’m always nice, but especially to airline employees since they can make or break your trip. It’s not their fault that airline executives have mismanaged operations. They’d rather be home with their loved ones too, so be grateful they’re showing up to work at all.
I was in New York City last week for a travel conference (IMM), and I took my own advice and got out before the big storm hit. Here’s my trip report.
