American Airlines Announces Plans To Cancel 1% Of Flights Per Day

Your summer travel plans might see some changes. American Airlines announced Monday they have to cancel about 1% of their flights per day.

As air travel ramps up across the country this summer, American Airlines is facing a big problem.

The company said it is having to cancel between 50 to 80 flights per day moving forward because of staffing issues and a surge in demand.

Micki Dudas, director of leisure travel sales with Triple A, said consumer confidence is high as millions of Americans return to the skies. Labor shortages with the company and their vendors are making it difficult to keep up with the returning demand.

“American probably had a little more aggressive schedule and as a result they've had to cut back," said Dudas.

The planned scheduling changes come as American cancelled 450 flights over the weekend.

The company said any passengers booked through July 15th will be notified if there is a change in their flight and they'll work to re-accommodate customers.

Dudas said she recommends travelers pay close attention to their bookings leading up to their flights.

"Flexibility is certainly in order and I would also say pack your patience," said Dudas.

American said Dallas, which has a lot of flights from both Oklahoma City and Tulsa, could see the biggest impacts.

In a statement American Airlines said,

"We made targeted changes with the goal of impacting the fewest number of customers by adjusting flights in markets where we have multiple options for re-accommodation...We never want to disappoint, and feel these schedule adjustments will help ensure we can take good care of our customers and team members and minimize surprises at the airport."

There is no timeline for how long these cancellations will last. American said weather has also played a factor as well.