You could not pay me to fly American. Not only are they lacking in basic art of customer service, but they have total contempt for their customers. When they screw up, they try to blame it on the customers...a classic example of this is the very LAST time I ever flew American (nor ever will!): I had reservations confirmed and tickets purchased months before my flight, reconfirmed my return in Belize, etc.
When we got to the airport to fly back to the US (yes, it was more than 2 hours before departure!) they had no seats for us. Instead of admitting "we overbooked," and offering a free roundtrip ticket to anyone who would give up their seat, their desk agent said: "You have reservations but your travel agent did not reserve your SEATS. You must ask for (1) a reservation and (2) a SEAT. If you don't use the word "seat" when you reserve, you get a ticket and a reservation but there is no place for us to put you on the plane because we had no way of knowing that you wanted a SEAT!!!"
Not only that: American Airlines has a poor safety record. They have been cited and fined for illegally (and secretly) flying cargo deemed to be "hazardous materials" (not sure what they are but the FAA deems them "hazardous") on passenger flights, and have done it repeatedly despite having been previously cited (which was why their last fine was so big.) That is why sometimes you will find yourself on an American flight that is only 3/4 full, but be told that passengers must debark because "the plane is too heavy." Wonder what that stuff they are carrying is? The last time that happened it seemed strange, but then I read about the citations and fines for illegal transport of hazardous materials on passenger flights.
I personally would not risk flying on American Airlines knowing of this practice. I would spend the whole flight on pins and needles. Of course, its possible that other airlines do it too but I don't KNOW that they do; whereas American has been found guilty of doing it.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
