American Airlines Group climbed after saying it expected to post Q3 sales above prior guidance, the latest positive sign for the industry after a number of US carriers credited the surprise strength of post-Labor Day leisure travel and an ongoing recovery in business trips. Revenue in the period is expected to be up about 13% over the same quarter in 2019, the airline said Tuesday in a regulatory filing. That’s slightly better than the company’s prior outlook of no more than a 12% increase. Pre-tax margin is expected to be 4.5%, exceeding the airline’s guidance for as much as 4%. American is the first of the four largest US airlines to provide an early glimpse at the quarter since it ended Sept. 30, and its outlook could help set the tone for earnings reports from Delta Air Lines Thursday and other carriers later this month. American is scheduled to report quarterly results on Oct. 20. The airline’s shares pared a gain of as much as 6.7% to trade up 2.7% at 9:37 a.m. in New York. American had fallen 33% this year through Monday’s close. The airline didn’t provide guidance for the fourth quarter or full year in the filing. Costs for each seat flown a mile, a gauge of efficiency, will climb about 14% in the quarter over 2019, at the top end of an initial forecast. The figures exclude jet fuel and special items. Flying capacity was 9.6% lower than the pre-pandemic level, close to American’s outlook for down as much as 10%. <br/>