American Airlines to allow travellers to switch from crowded flights as coronavirus fears linger

American Airlines has started alerting travelers about crowded planes before their trips and allowing them to switch to other flights in an effort to calm customers nervous about the spread of the coronavirus. The measure, which American announced Wednesday, follows a similar step by United. United instituted a new policy that tells customers when their flight is more than 70% full and lets them switch to another flight without paying an extra fee, after a passenger posted a photo on Twitter of a packed cross-country flight that went viral. American Airlines’ customers will be notified that a “flight may be busier than you expected” when they open their digital check-in window. In an effort to encourage new bookings, American also extended its waiver by a month so customers who buy tickets through June 30 for dates through the end of September can change their tickets without paying a change fee if they fly by Dec. 31, 2021.<br/>