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.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees