American Airlines raises Q4 unit revenue forecast

American Airlines said higher average fares per mile have boosted its revenue and profit expectations for the fourth quarter, a day after rival United Continental also raised forecasts. Shares of top US airlines rose Friday, with American's up 4% and United's up 4.2%. American said Friday it expects Q4 unit revenue to range between a decline of 1% and an increase of 1%, compared with its previous forecast of a decline of 2.5% to 0.5%. Unit revenue compares sales to how many seats an airline flies and how far it flies them. The airline now expects pre-tax margin excluding items to be between 6 and 8%, up from its previous range of 5 to 7%.<br/>