American extends Boeing 737 Max cancellations through December

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — American Airlines announced it will continue to cancel more flights that were scheduled on the carrier's fleet of Boeing 737 Max planes.

The cancellations were initially scheduled to last through April 24, then June 5, Aug. 19, Sept. 3 and Nov. 2 as the planes remained grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes and concerns over safety features.

A spokesperson said the airline will be extending flight cancellations each day through Dec. 3.

In total, officials said there will be about 140 flights canceled per day.

Boeing said the problem under investigation is fixed, but the company is waiting on federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, and the National Transportation Safety Board to sign off on it before resuming flights.

American Airlines said the company "remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 Max, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft this year."

At first, the cancellations were scheduled to last through March 28.

The advanced cancelation is supposed to give customers better re-booking options.

American Airlines said they will be contacting customers affected directly by email or telephone. But, not all flights previously scheduled on a Max will be canceled. Officials said they are working to substitute other aircraft.

It is still important to note, if your flight was not scheduled to be on a Max, you still may be affected.

The airline said they will be using different aircraft to cover a Max route. The goal they said is to impact the smallest number of people.

"Safety is the number one thing. If I got bumped off my fight even though I'm a paying passenger, oh absolutely it would be very, very frustrating. After finding out what you're telling me, I'm definitely going to make sure my flight is not canceled," traveler Linda Wahe said.

"I mean that's a big deal for travelers. You know, you put them in a bad spot if they need to get somewhere quick, but then again, safety. You want to make sure while you're in the air that safety is the main concern," traveler Zachary James said. "Just good for them to look out for them and protecting the consumer that shows the passengers that safety is on their minds so that's good for American Airlines to be doing that."

American Airlines said if your flight was canceled and you do not want to rebook, you may request a full refund.

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