Do we like them?

Do we like American Airlines?

Major US passenger airline, one of the world's largest by fleet size, based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Our score: 4 out of 10. Not one we'd back with enthusiasm: repeated fines and settlements over customers, and staff unions have lost confidence in the boss.

American is one of the biggest US airlines, based in Fort Worth. Robert Isom has run it since March 2022. He used to run operations at US Airways, which merged into American.

In October 2024 the US Transportation Department found wheelchair damage and delays for disabled passengers. American agreed to a $50 million civil penalty. Half is a fine and half is an investment commitment. American didn't admit wrongdoing.

There's a long record of settlements. These include $7.5m over bag fees and $24.9m to resolve FAA safety claims during its bankruptcy. American denied any agreement in the fare-coordination antitrust case, which it settled for $45m.

Inside the company, things look rocky. Reports say the flight attendants' union held a vote of no confidence in Isom in February 2026, and a pilots' union demanded action from management. One Mile at a Time says the board seems happy with him. That's a mixed picture, so we score it a 4.