American Airlines expects to welcome over 75 million customers, beating its previous summer travel record set in 2019. All this as fuel prices rise.
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines is expecting another record-breaking summer for travel despite fuel prices placing a strain on the industry, according to a new release from the company.
American expects to welcome over 75 million customers across 750,000 flights this summer, beating the company’s previous record from 2019.
Summer travel kicks off Memorial Day weekend on May 21, 2026, and runs through May 26, 2026. The most traveled day is expected to be May 22, 2026, with over 4.2 million customers across 40,000 flights.
American Airlines announced several major upgrades to customer experience this past year. This includes adding a new 13-bank schedule at the airline’s largest hub at DFW Airport. The new schedule has already minimized misconnects, gate changes, and delays, according to the release.
The airline has also added additional self-service options like digital vouchers, bag tracking, and rebooking. TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is also now available at over 60 airports nationwide.
Fuel costs are dampening the summer travel outlook, however. United CEO Scott Kirby previously said fares could cost roughly 15 to 20% more this summer. The US and Israel’s attack on Iran is causing the price of jet fuel to spike, prompting some airlines to raise fares and others to increase fees or cut flights.
In April, American Airlines increased the fee for checked bags in response to the rising costs.
The strain caused Spirit Airlines to shut down completely earlier this month.