American Airlines recently became the most criticized U.S. airline on social media, with passengers complaining about costs, flight delays, and other customer service issues. However, the consensus has taken a positive turn following the recent ground stops at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which led to hundreds of flight cancellations.
In a social media post, an American Airlines flyer noticed an “uptrend” in the carrier’s customer service during these frequent disruptions, and many agreed. While American delivered an impressive response, competitors like United and Southwest faced mounting passenger complaints as the chaos rippled through their networks.
American Airlines Praised For Impressive Customer Service During O’Hare Ground Stops
On Tuesday, an American Airlines passenger wrote on Reddit that the airline is “definitely trending up,” referring to its “friendly” and “professional” customer service in every interaction they personally encountered or witnessed. But it especially stood out during the ground stops at O’Hare on Monday, which caused his flight from Denver International Airport (DEN) to be diverted to Nebraska’s Eppley Airfield/Omaha Airport (OMA) to ride out the stops in Chicago.
“The GA’s handled everything well and were good with updates as they came in. On the return back to DEN as we speak and on the free wifi that has been good both flights,” shared the Redditor. “There is not a single thing that I can criticize. Flights like this DO happen and in my cases, more and more. It was touch and go there for a while… but something is definitely different lately.”
Other passengers weighed in, sharing their own recent experiences of seeing more polite American Airlines employees smiling and leaning into passenger concerns, particularly during flight disruptions. Loyal American flyers credit Heather Garboden, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, who is known for leading American’s premium transformation strategy.
Garboden is behind major initiatives, such as expanding premium economy seating and options, revamping airport lounge access, elevating food and beverage selection, and incorporating modern technology like artificial intelligence (AI) to address passenger queries more effectively. Here are the notable improvements passengers attribute to these efforts:
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– “The whole communication department has had such a stark improvement recently, [Garboden] and the chief marketing officer are doing great things there.” |
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– “I agree. I fly every week and I can see a big difference. Also the food in first class is waaaayy better. They finally made positive changes.” |
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– “Even in the lounges. Noticeable difference in the offerings. More and different charcuterie options and the prepared food has gotten decent.” |
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– “The phone agents have been nothing but incredible. Got a weather cancellation and the phone agent rebooked me on the same flight the next day with no issues after auto-rebooking put me on a crazy itinerary. She sympathized with me and said that whatever the system did was ridiculous.” |
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– “For the last two years they have told us gate agents don’t have the kind of power to simply put people on standby for earlier flights [during delays] unless you are EP (Exclusive Platinum status), and then they say they don’t know how and will need a supervisor to assist. And yet this is exactly what they did, put people on standby and then cleared them on the earlier flight. I was so impressed. Feels like something has changed.” |
An American Airlines flight attendant also responded to the post, noting that the carrier has recently been sending them messages about the actions they are taking based on crew reports about flight issues. “It really makes a difference to morale,” said the flight attendant.
However, while American proved it had genuinely leveled up by the way it navigated the O’Hare ground stops, its competitors faced heavier criticism amid cascading delays and cancellations.
United And Southwest Face More Complaints Than American Airlines Over O’Hare Ground Stop
United Airlines bore the brunt of passenger frustrations following the thunderstorms that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) severe ground stops at O’Hare starting Sunday, August 30. It recorded the highest industry cancellations during the weekend, delaying nearly half of its entire O’Hare flight volume.
Coincidentally, on September 1, United Airlines introduced a self-service standby feature on its mobile app that lets passengers on delayed or canceled flights join standby queues for up to three earlier departures without losing their automatically rebooked seat.
By Monday, United had recorded a total of 856 delays and was still leading the cancellations by Tuesday, with 22 affected flights in the late morning alone. While American Airlines also experienced 17 cancellations during the same time on Tuesday, United passengers reported slower recovery following the O’Hare disruptions. Many cited communication blackouts at gate desks and long lines for rebooking agents.
Southwest Airlines, which had 860 delays by Monday, has also received complaints over long waits and a lack of timely gate updates during recent disruptions. American, on the other hand, has largely managed to stay ahead of these hurdles.
American Airlines’ Edge During Ground Stops
American Airlines’ edge during ground stops and subsequent flight disruptions is its advanced backup flight-planning tools and specialized proprietary algorithm called HEAT (Hub Efficiency Analytics Tool). This software manages and isolates operational disruptions at its major airport hubs, preventing them from spilling across the rest of the network. It is preemptive, while Southwest, for instance, plays catch-up after the disruption due to its point-to-point model.
Air travelers also praise American Airlines for closing the information gaps during these crises and delivering updates in a timely manner. In March, the company notably updated its app to give the reason for the disruptions. This positive feedback is even more remarkable, as American still has the highest disruption rates of all major U.S. carriers, based on a new study:
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U.S. Airlines |
Disruption Rate |
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American Airlines |
27.42% (5th highest overall, worst of all major U.S. airlines) |
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Southwest Airlines |
23.56% (8th overall) |
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United Airlines |
21.82% (12th overall) |
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Delta Air Lines |
20.42% (the “most reliable” overall) |
Despite these figures, American Airlines’ customer service upgrades show that it is not defined by its disruptions. For instance, giving travelers the “why” behind delays and cancellations has significantly reduced stress and now enables them to simply handle cancellations on the phone instead of standing in line to speak with a gate agent.
What U.S. Airlines Owe Travelers During Flight Disruptions Due To Ground Stop
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), airlines are legally required to provide travelers a full, automatic cash refund if a flight is canceled or delayed by more than three hours for domestic flights and over six hours for international flights—regardless of the reason—and the passengers choose not to travel.
The catch, however, is that U.S. carriers are legally allowed to offer you a travel voucher or flight credit instead. Still, travelers must be explicitly told that they have the right to a cash refund first and honor it if you say no to the voucher or credit, refuse to respond to their email offer, or choose not to fly.
Making a choice becomes complicated due to the realities of air travel logistics and how securing a refund affects the rest of your journey. Time constraints for rebookings and tedious processes for claims can force passengers to settle for vouchers instead of cash. But as American Airlines flyers noted on Reddit, the dedication of the flight crew can completely transform the experience.
TheTravel has reached out to American Airlines for more information about how they handle passenger accommodations during ground stops and flight disruptions.
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