Is flying American Airlines a challenge? Here are tips to help Charlotte travelers

More than 1,000 flights out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport have been slashed from American Airlines’ September and October flight schedules, The Charlotte Observer recently reported.

The proactively canceled flights come amid a growing trend of airlines slashing schedules as a way to catch up with travel demand.

“Our operational performance from the (full) quarter and the results we have delivered in the first few weeks of July, give us confidence moving forward. But we still aren’t where we need to be. And we have a lot of flying ahead of us, still in the summer,” American Airlines CEO, Robert Isom, said in the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

The airline canceled 504 flights from its Charlotte Douglas International Airport September departures schedule and 595 flights from its October schedule. The adjustment will bring the airline’s Charlotte departures down by 3% in September and 3.5% in October, said to Andrew Trull, a spokesperson from American Airlines.

Trull explained that the flight cancellations have not resulted in the complete elimination of routes, but rather a decrease in frequency to certain routes.

“These adjustments were made in markets with multiple frequencies — with the goal of moving customers to different flights. There were no market exits at CLT as a result of these schedule changes,” Trull told the Observer.

Even with the decrease in route frequency, the airline still offers travelers the largest network of flights out of all U.S. airlines, said to Trull.

The airline says customers affected by changes will be contacted with options to book a new flight. Customers also have the opportunity to request a refund for their canceled flights.

Here’s what you should know about traveling with American Airlines and any others amid uncertainty.

Non-refundable tickets might not be worth it

American Airlines states that a change fee and difference in fare will be assessed when you change a flight. Furthermore, tickets booked with basic economy fare are not eligible for free changes.

Check in as soon as you can

You can save yourself a whole lot of trouble by checking in to your flight as soon as you’re able to. Simply visit the American Airlines website or login into the app. Then find your flight and press “Check In” as early as 24 hours before your flight’s departure time.

Every airport has a minimum check-in time, according to the airline. If you’re not checked in to the flight before the minimum check-in time deadline, you run the risk of losing your seat. At Charlotte Douglas International Airport, you must check-in:

• At least 45 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights within the United States

• At least 60 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights to or from airports outside of the United States

Keep an eye on your flight’s status

You’ll definitely want to consistently check your flight’s status in the days, or even hours, leading up to your departure. Recently, the airport has been plagued with hundreds of back-to-back delays and cancellations due to severe weather, the Observer reported.

According to American Airlines, you may be able to change your flight at no cost, even if you’ve purchased basic economy fare, but only if your trip has been impacted by severe weather or uncontrollable events.

To book a new trip without a change fee, find your trip and look for the “Change Trip” option in your toolbar. If you don’t see that option online, try calling the reservations and ticket changes helpline or visiting the American Airlines ticketing counter at CLT for further assistance.

Flying American with a family

If you didn’t have your seats assigned when you purchased your tickets, the airline’s system will automatically group families together, especially those with passengers under 15 years old, according to American.

However, with a heightened demand for travel, seats may be limited and your family may be separated. The airline guarantees to arrange seating so that all children under 15 are seated next to at least one adult.

Overbooked flights are more common than you think

Often during peak travel seasons, errors take place and there are more passengers at the gate than seats available on the plane. According to American’s website, airline staff works quickly to resolve the issue when it comes to attention.

Airline staff will often ask passengers whether they’d be willing to change flights in exchange for monetary compensation.

But, if there aren’t enough volunteers, the airline could choose passengers or even deny boarding to passengers in some cases, American Airlines states on its website.

“If this happens, we’ll follow the Department of Transportation compensation rules and get those customers on the next possible flight,” the airline states. “We will not involuntarily remove a revenue passenger who has already boarded in order to give a seat to another passenger.”