American Airlines pauses ticket sales from Amsterdam as chaos continues
Airports in Europe can't catch a break from summertime crowds and chaos — and the mess is starting to affect U.S. carriers.
American Airlines told employees on Wednesday that it is pausing ticket sales on flights that depart Amsterdam Airport Schipol (AMS) from July 7 to July 31, at the airport's request; "other airports may soon follow," the company added.
"Given the number of confirmed tickets already sold, American is no longer selling seats on our flights departing from AMS during this timeframe," the note to employees said, which was seen by TPG and confirmed by an airline spokesperson.
American operates two flights a day from AMS: a flight to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and a flight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). American's move only affects those two flights; it is still selling tickets out of Amsterdam on joint venture partners such as British Airways and Aer Lingus. Tickets on American-operated flights to Amsterdam will continue to be sold as normal.
A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines — which operates 17 daily departures out of Amsterdam and uses the airport as a major European gateway with partner KLM — told TPG the carrier was not making any changes to its operations there. United Airlines — which has five daily departures from AMS — did not respond to a request for comment.
AMS has perhaps been the hardest-hit airport in Europe this summer; travelers have faced crushingly long lines and frequent flight disruptions amid widespread staffing shortages. Last month, KLM paused ticket sales for a weekend due to overcrowding. The following weekend, the Dutch flag carrier took a remarkable step — it did not even board passengers on some flights to AMS.
Amsterdam is not alone, though.
Air travel apocalypse: Every flight on my trip got disrupted; things you should know
This week, the Lufthansa Group sent its passengers an apology letter for disruptions across its portfolio of European airlines.
"The ramp-up of the complex air transport system from almost zero to now almost 90% is clearly not proceeding with the reliability, the robustness and the punctuality that we would like to offer you again," the owners of Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings wrote. "We want to be completely honest: In the coming weeks, as passenger numbers continue to rise, be it for leisure or business travel, the situation is unlikely to improve in the short term."
The company hopes things will be better next summer, according to the letter.
Giving up? Delta issues travel waiver for July 4 weekend for all
Airports in the U.K. such as London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Manchester Airport (MAN) have also been subject to large crowds and operational issues. Heathrow has faced baggage-handling backups, while Manchester has faced long security lines. Just this morning, Heathrow asked airlines to cancel 30 flights due to concerns about the airport going over capacity.
While Europe is perhaps the faring the worst of all regions right now when it comes to flight disruptions, similar issues are playing out in other parts of the world.
More: TPG’s guide to understanding EU261 flight compensation
Late Wednesday night, Air Canada announced it would be trimming its July and August flight schedules in a "meaningful" way — roughly 154 flights per day — due to its own operational issues.
"Around the world, there are recurring incidents of flight delays and airport congestion, resulting from a complex array of persistent factors impacting airlines and our partners in the aviation ecosystem," Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau wrote in a letter to customers.
Earlier this week, Delta issued a highly unusual network-wide travel waiver for flights between July 1 and July 4, and it predicted operation issues across its network during the holiday weekend. Last week, United announced it was trimming 50 flights per day at its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) due to congestion.
If you're caught up in this summer's flight delays and cancelations, here's what to do. If your flight involves Europe, here's an explainer on EU261, and how you can be compensated in the event of a flight disruption.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.