American makes it harder for agents to rebook coach passengers on the competition

American Airlines is making it tougher for average economy class passengers to reach their destinations when the carrier delays or cancels flights for maintenance, weather and other reasons. According to American’s new policy, airport agents are no longer permitted to rebook coach passengers on competitors during what are called irregular operations. American agents may still put coach passengers on the airline’s partners, such as British Airways or Japan Airlines, but that isn’t helpful for most domestic itineraries, as American has just one larger partner in the US, Alaska Airlines. An American spokesman said the policy is flexible, and noted other airlines also have intricate rules for when they place customers on competitors. The spokesman said an agent may make an exception in some cases. <br/>