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FORT WORTH, Texas — Window, aisle or somewhere in between? American Airlines
is making it easier for customers to find the perfect seat. A new feature in
the American app lets eligible AAdvantage® members select the seat
characteristics they want upon completing their booking. The feature then
automatically moves them when a matching seat becomes available. Instead of
checking the seat map multiple times before a trip, AAdvantage®
members can choose preferences such as a window, aisle or middle seat and let
the app do the work. If an eligible seat matching those preferences becomes
available, the app automatically updates the reservation and notifies the
customer.
"At American, we're always looking for ways to make travel easier and more
personalized for our customers," said American’s Chief Customer Officer
Heather Garboden. "This latest innovation proactively addresses customer preference. It is a simple experience that gives customers more control while asking them to do less."
The seat monitoring feature is available up to 24 hours before departure for
AAdvantage® members traveling on single-passenger reservations with
an assigned seat. AAdvantage® members can opt in and tailor choices
upon completing their booking.
Seat changes are limited to eligible seats within the customer's existing
cabin and will not result in additional seat charges*. Customers set the
preferences that guide the feature and control changes to their seat.
This latest enhancement is another step in American’s shift to digital
experiences that make a customer’s travel journey easier and more seamless. By
reducing routine monitoring and simplifying a common travel decision, the
airline’s newest feature helps customers spend less time managing trip details
and more time focused on the journey.
Built by emerging technology talent around a real customer need
This new enhancement grew from American’s ADEPT program, a two-year guided development initiative designed to recruit and develop early-career technology talent. ADEPT combines hands-on agile delivery experience with business acumen learning so that participants not only develop
technology solutions but also improve business workflows across the airline.
The work began with a straightforward customer problem: finding a seat that
matches their preferences often meant returning to the seat map again and
again. The ADEPT and Customer Experience teams translated that friction into a
digital experience that monitors seat availability, evaluates a customer’s
stated preferences and applies eligibility requirements behind the scenes. The
result is a simplified experience for the customer powered by technology that
monitors seat availability, applies preferences and manages eligibility behind
the scenes.
“This latest technology launch shows what can happen when we give talented
technologists a meaningful customer problem and the space to solve it,” said
American’s Chief Digital and Information Officer Ganesh Jayaram. “The ADEPT
team paired fresh thinking with the scale and experience of teams across
American to build something practical: technology that removes work from the
customer and makes the travel experience feel more seamless. The project
also reflects how we're using AI to help our teams work smarter,
accelerating development and allowing technologists to spend more time
focused on innovation and delivering value for customers.”
This project reflects how American is developing technology talent while
building a repeatable pipeline for customer-focused innovation. Rather than
starting with a technology and searching for a use, the team started with a
known point of friction and designed the capability around the outcome that
mattered most: making travel easier for the customer. The ADEPT team used
AI-enabled tools to streamline parts of the design and development process,
helping them move from concept to delivery more efficiently while keeping the
focus on solving a real customer need.
*There are no additional charges for seat changes on single PNRs but
American will not move customers into a higher priced paid seat, even if one
comes available within their criteria, to avoid additional charges.
See more ways American is elevating the customer experience through
technology:
About American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL)
American Airlines is a
premium global airline connecting more of the U.S. to the world. With roots
tracing back to an air mail carrier in the Midwestern United States in 1926,
American now operates more than 6,000 daily flights to more than 350
destinations in more than 60 countries and serves more than 200 million
customers annually. Powered by a proud and talented team of 130,000 aviation
professionals, American’s team lives out the airline’s purpose of caring for
people on life’s journey every day.
The world’s largest airline proudly celebrates its centennial year in 2026,
reaching a milestone that reflects a century of innovation and the Forever
Forward℠ spirit that changed the industry and the world. American
introduced the first scheduled air cargo service, the first airport lounge and
the first airline loyalty program and continues to reinvent the customer
experience today. The airline is also a founding member of the
oneworld alliance, whose members serve more than 900
destinations around the globe.
Get the latest about American at
news.aa.com and
@AmericanAir.