FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) has acknowledged persistent cabin maintenance problems across its fleet, including broken seats, non-functional in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems, and visible duct tape repairs.
The airline’s Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, confirmed that a new dedicated team within Tech Ops will focus solely on aircraft interiors, with significant improvements expected by the end of summer 2025.
The admission came during American Airlines’ (AA) quarterly internal “State of the Airline” employee meeting, held after its latest earnings call.
Garboden framed the airline’s recent pace of change as the most aggressive in years, stating the carrier has delivered more customer-facing enhancements in the last nine to ten months than in the previous six to seven years combined.
The updates span cabin repairs, lounge expansion, Net Promoter Score gains, and frontline employee engagement.
American Airlines Plans Broken Seats Fix
American Airlines has long faced criticism for flying aircraft with visibly worn or broken cabin interiors. Seats taken out of service, broken armrests, non-working tray tables, and duct tape patches have been recurring complaints from passengers and frequent flyers.
The problem carries direct financial consequences. Every out-of-service seat means one fewer passenger or one fewer upgrade that can clear, which frustrates loyal customers and reduces revenue potential.
Garboden acknowledged the issue directly during the internal meeting. She stated that the airline has “too many broken seats,” “too many IFE systems that do not work,” and “duct tape where we should not have duct tape.”
In response, American Airlines (AA) has created a dedicated team within its Tech Ops division. This team’s sole focus will be ensuring aircraft interiors meet the standard passengers expect. The airline targets significant visible improvements by the end of summer.
The move signals a shift from reactive to proactive cabin maintenance. Previously, when questioned about broken seats, the airline’s position centered on whether flights should be delayed for repairs.
The new approach emphasizes overnight line maintenance and consistent proactive inspections to catch problems before aircraft return to service, View from the Wing reported.
American Airlines (AA) started 2025 with operational challenges. A January meltdown led to nearly 10,000 flight cancellations, which dragged down early Net Promoter Scores. However, scores recovered through March and April.
Garboden reported that on-time NPS figures have reached levels the airline has not seen before, with 13 of the last 14 months showing year-over-year improvement. The airline attributes this to cumulative investments in product and customer experience.
According to Garboden, one point of NPS improvement translates to between $50 million and $100 million in revenue.
The airline separates its NPS analysis into on-time and delayed flight categories. While on-time performance sets the baseline, American Airlines (AA) recognizes it must also improve the experience during irregular operations (IROPS).
The airline has rolled out self-service rebooking tools along with automated meal and hotel voucher distribution to reduce friction when disruptions occur.
Largest Lounge Expansion in Airline History Underway
American Airlines (AA) has announced more than 12 new or renovated lounges in the past nine to ten months. Garboden called this the largest lounge investment in the carrier’s history.
Key lounge projects include new builds or renovations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Miami International Airport (MIA), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Nashville International Airport (BNA), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
Charlotte (CLT) will receive its first-ever business class Flagship Lounge, while Miami (MIA) will get a new Flagship Lounge that frees space for the existing D30 Admirals Club to expand. The upcoming Terminal F at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will also include a full lounge complex.
More announcements are expected later this year, though most new lounges will open in 2027 and 2028, given the long lead times involved in lounge construction.
The recent lounges opened over the past five years have marked a noticeable design improvement over the “modern hospital” aesthetic the airline adopted starting in 2017.
Employee Engagement Becomes Central to Customer Strategy
Garboden emphasized that headquarters leadership must be visible and engaged with frontline staff. Her team flies regularly, visits hubs weekly, and participates in purser and captain-upgrade training classes. The goal is to connect product investments with the employees who deliver the experience daily.
The airline faces a cultural challenge at the middle management level. Historically, managers who focused on customer-facing details and policies did not see career advancement from that effort.
Changing this dynamic requires leadership to judge managers on how well they maximize every dollar spent on customer experience, from wine selection to service flow on new aircraft like the Airbus A321XLR.
American Airlines (AA) flight attendants now operate under the same profit-sharing formula as Delta Air Lines (DL). The missing ingredient is profit itself. If the airline’s product improvements translate to a revenue premium and stronger margins, employees stand to benefit directly, which creates a reinforcing cycle between employee satisfaction and customer experience.
Not Every Recent Change Has Been Positive
Despite the progress, some recent decisions have drawn criticism. American Airlines (AA) closed airport customer service counters that provided live help for delayed or cancelled passengers.
Service flow planning on the new Airbus A321XLR fleet reportedly fell short. Additionally, Admirals Club members have reportedly been limited to a single food item at Charlotte’s (CLT) “Provisions” outlets.
Coach buy-on-board food has seen slight improvements, but the airline still trails competitors like Alaska Airlines (AS) and United Airlines (UA) in that category. The overall trajectory is positive, but gaps remain in execution and consistency.
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