A Short Introduction to American Airlines

In terms of the size of its fleet, passenger miles flown and revenues earned, American Airlines is the world's largest airline, running almost 7,000 flights every day. The firm was founded in 1930, but its golden age of international expansion began in the early 1970s. Soon, the unpainted gleaming metal fuselages of AA planes became a common site from London to Hong Kong. The core of American's business remains in the USA, with hubs in major destinations like Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New York, so if you want to book a trip to America, no airline offers more comprehensive coverage. The company operates direct flights from the UK to plenty of attractive destinations, including Philadelphia, Raleigh, New York JFK, San Francisco and Phoenix. Recently, AA also joined the OneWorld alliance, a group of airlines that coordinate their routes and ticketing which includes British Airways, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Flying with American Airlines

Taking AA flights is generally a painless process, and the company is known for the quality of its onboard service. Long haul services don't have a First Class cabin. Instead, the forward cabin is dedicated to Business Class, where you'll find individual compartments with 15-inch touchscreens, lie-flat seats and menus offering premium beverage and meal selections. Business Class travellers also enjoy three pieces of checked baggage and access to the Admirals Club, AA's airport-side executive lounges. Below that, AA offers Premium Economy seats on most international flights, which offer two inches more width than Economy seats, which measure between 43 and 47 cm across. All AA seats have touchscreen TVs, headphones and a wide range of entertainment options. The company also operates AAdvantage, its frequent flier scheme, which allows passengers to collect points on all OneWorld airlines, not just AA.

General Information about AA Flights

Passengers can take up to 10 bags with them on most American Airlines flights. For Economy travellers, all bags must be smaller than 158 cm square and weigh less than 23 kg. First Class or Business travellers enjoy a slightly higher weight limit of 32 kg. In almost all cases, the first item is complimentary, and further free bags are available for different tiers of AAdvantage members. Regardless of your baggage arrangements, you can check in online 24 hours before departure, and as close as 45 minutes before your plane departs.