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American Airlines is calling customers to apologize for summer travel disruptions

The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max jet and summer storms have affected travel on American and other airlines.

August 28, 2019 at 12:34 p.m. EDT
An American Airlines plane sits on the tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport. (Daniel Slim/ AFP/Getty Images)

It’s been a tough summer for American Airlines and other carriers. The extended grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max jets has forced them to rejigger their schedules — and even cancel some routes. Then there’s the turbulent summer weather the nation has experienced. At American, a protracted labor dispute with mechanics has led to allegations of work slowdowns causing more flight delays and cancellations.

So the airline is reaching out to customers affected by the disruptions and in some cases, even calling them to apologize.

A spokesman for American would not say how many customers have been called but said the airline recognizes that it has been a difficult summer.

“Our biggest challenge in the operation continues to be out-of-service aircraft,” American spokesman Ross Feinstein said. “This reduces our ability to start the day right and to swap aircraft when needed as the day goes on. American Airlines team members are working diligently to take care of our customers during a challenging summer.”

In addition to the apology, American is offering compensation. Depending on the circumstances, travelers might receive travel vouchers or additional frequent flier miles in their accounts.

American has extended Max-related cancellations through Nov. 2 — a move that affects about 115 flights a day or about 1.5 percent of the airline’s total daily flights this summer. Not all flights scheduled aboard a 737 Max airliner have been canceled; in some cases, the airline has substituted other aircraft. American has 24 Boeing 737 Max planes in its fleet.

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Even so, the airline acknowledged that the disruptions are troublesome for those whose travel plans have been affected.

At an industry conference in Las Vegas this week, Kerry Philipovitch, American’s senior vice president of customer experience, said she expects the 737 Max jets to return to service in time for the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas travel period, CNBC reported. However, other reports have indicated the plane isn’t expected to return to service until the end of the year.

“American Airlines remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 Max, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft this year,” the airline said in a statement last month.

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The Boeing 737 Max jets were grounded worldwide in March in the wake of two crashes involving the popular jetliner. In all, 346 passengers and crew were killed in crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.