An American Airlines flight lands at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., Nov. 7, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
American Airlines projected Tuesday that its focus on premium will “begin delivering results in 2026” as the carrier races to catch up to its far more profitable rivals and capitalize on strong demand from high-spending customers.
The Fort Worth-based airline projected it will deliver nearly $2 of improvement in adjusted earnings per share at the midpoint over last year.
American expects to earn 7% to 10% more revenue in the first three months of 2026 compared with 2025.
Here is how American performed in the fourth quarter compared with Wall Street estimates compiled by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: 16 cents adjusted vs. a loss of 34 cents expected
- Revenue: $14 billion vs. $14.03 billion expected
“American Airlines is positioned for significant upside in 2026 and beyond,” CEO Robert Isom said in a statement. “We have built a strong foundation, and we look forward to taking advantage of the investments we have made in our customer experience, network, fleet, partnerships and loyalty program.”
The airline also said the government shutdown negatively impacted fourth quarter revenue by approximately $325 million.
American has been revamping its fleet, lounges and food and beverages to draw in customers who are willing to spend more on premium tickets and co-branded credit cards. Rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are far in the lead, however, and account for almost all of the industry’s profit.
