How reliable is American Airlines?

76.5% of American Airlines’s flights arrived within 15 minutes of schedule and 1.49% were cancelled in May 2026, across 88,740 flights — rank 6 of 8 major US carriers. It’s a monthly snapshot; the scorecard holds the trend.

What does American Airlines commit to for business travelers?

Matches the commitment set at the top on paper: free Wi-Fi committed, care policy filed, same-day standby free. It scores 93/100 on the Deal-Day Airline Index — published commitments only.

Does It Deliver? · Airline

Is American Airlines Good for Business Travel?

Q: Is American Airlines good for business travel?

In May 2026, American Airlines was 76.5% on-time with a 1.49% cancellation rate (U.S. DOT), ranking 6 of 8 on punctuality, and scores 93/100 on the Deal-Day Airline Index for published deal-day commitments. On-time reliability is the best proxy for making your meeting.

Is this you? ›

By Rachel Julian, Editor-in-Chief · July 22, 2026 · 3 min read

How reliable is American, and what does it commit to for the deal day — on-time performance from U.S. DOT data plus its Deal-Day Airline Index score.

Direct answer: American Airlines arrived on time 76.5% of the time with a 1.49% cancellation rate in May 2026 (U.S. DOT), ranking 6 of 8 major US carriers on punctuality, and scores 93/100 on the Deal-Day Airline Index for its published deal-day commitments (rank #1). For business travel, that combination — does it get you there on time, and what has it put in writing for the day a deal depends on the flight — is the measure that matters.

For business travel, American Airlines is judged on what it delivers and what it publishes. Here is its on-time record and its deal-day commitment score.

Does American Airlines get you there on time?

On-time arrivals (within 15 min)	76.5%
Cancellation rate	1.49%
Rank, on-time (of 8 carriers)	6
Flights operated	88,740

U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, May 2026. A single-month snapshot, updated monthly — see the full American Airlines scorecard.

What American Airlines commits to for the deal day

Dimension	Score	Published checks
Connectivity aloft	2/3
Schedule control	3/3
Disruption recovery	3/3
Work & rest onboard	3/3
Admin speed	3/3

American Airlines: 93/100, rank #1 on the Deal-Day Airline Index — published commitments only.

The read

Matches the commitment set at the top on paper: free Wi-Fi committed, care policy filed, same-day standby free.

Most reliable airlines

The full carrier ranking, on-time.

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American Airlines scorecard

The running DOT record.

Delivered, monthly →

Is your trip worth it?

Score the trip before the airline.

The Trip Scorecard →

On the road for work a lot?

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American Airlines’s reliability is computed from U.S. DOT BTS data (May 2026); commitment score from the Deal-Day Airline Index (published commitments). Independent and reader-funded — a partnership buys reach, never a rating.