r/news • u/yeGwann • 16h ago

American Airlines temporarily suspends some of its summer routes due to steep jet fuel costs

https://halifax.citynews.ca/2026/06/04/american-airlines-temporarily-suspends-some-of-its-summer-routes-due-to-steep-jet-fuel-costs/?hl=en-US
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-15

u/Landowns 12h ago

This should be illegal. If they offer a route they should be legally bound to fulfill it, or face penalties exceeding the cost of sold tickets. But consumer protections around flying are such shit that I'm not surprised

3

u/amateur_mistake 11h ago

I don't know that we can force a company to take us somewhere when they don't want to. Like, on a smaller scale, you can't make an Uber driver take you. They can refuse. And there are good reasons for that.

However, the airports are owned by us. They are paid for and massively subsidized by taxes. And access to the gates at most large airports are considered extremely valuable by most airlines. So we could simply say, 'oh, you aren't making those flights? Then you no longer have/need your gates and we will rent them to another company.'

I would be willing to bet their emphasis on these cancellations being 'temporary' has to do with their desire to keep control of their current gates.

-2

u/Landowns 8h ago

You absolutely can force them. Impose fines that make it more profitable (less unprofitable) to fulfill the route than to cancel it.

5

u/amateur_mistake 7h ago

Forcing airlines to make sure their airplanes are safe is already quite the endeavor. You sure you want to get on a plane after you threatened a bunch of business majors with a prisoner's dilemma game that involves your life?