Most of us have, at some point during our travels, come across a dirty or unclean cabin, a broken seat, or an in-flight entertainment system that doesn’t work. Indeed, this can take away from the overall experience and leave passengers questioning the standard of service an airline is providing. American Airlines has long faced criticism for operating aircraft with visibly worn or broken cabin interiors.

The airline has even publicly acknowledged some of these issues and said it would take dedicated steps to address cabin cleanliness and appearance issues. The carrier has taken another step in that direction with the launch of a new program focused on improving the overall condition of its aircraft cabins.

American Launches OneCabin

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As reported by JonNYC on X, American will launch an internal program known as “OneCabin” from September 14. The program will focus on improving cabin cleanliness, appearance, and functionality across the airline’s fleet. Under the program, the oneworld alliance member is adding more than 60 maintenance technicians and will deploy dedicated repair teams at six major hubs: Charlotte (CLT), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Philadelphia (PHL), and Phoenix (PHX).

The teams will focus on accelerating repairs to broken seats and other cabin-related issues, including problems with tray tables and armrests. As noted by JonNYC, American said, “Our customers’ experience on board our aircraft is one of the most important drivers of their overall experience with us. They expect and deserve our cabins — including seats, armrests, tray tables and Wi-Fi — to not only be operable, but look their best. And we have an opportunity to not only meet those expectations, but take it several steps further.”

Simple Flying has reached out to the airline to gather more information about the program and will update this article accordingly.

American Has Acknowledged Cabin Issues

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Indeed, this is a much-needed step for American, which has faced criticism for the condition of its cabins for years. The airline seems to have more issues with broken seats than some of its major competitors. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines also have aircraft with cabin issues, but American planes seem to fly with seats out of service more often.

American has also acknowledged that some of its cabins need work. Earlier this year, following the airline’s first-quarter earnings call, Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden addressed the issue during an employee meeting. She acknowledged that American had “too many broken seats” and “too many IFE systems that do not work,” adding, “We have duct tape where we should not have duct tape.”

Overall, poor cabin conditions can directly affect how passengers view the service they are receiving. When passengers pay for a seat, they expect that seat and the features around it to be in proper working condition. Sitting in a duct-taped seat, dealing with a broken armrest, or finding that a tray table is out of service means they are not getting the product they paid for. Additionally, when a seat is taken out of service, there are fewer seats available on the aircraft, which can also mean fewer upgrades for eligible frequent flyers.

American’s Plans For Better Cabins

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Such experiences can directly affect whether passengers choose to fly with an airline again. American appears to recognize this and has been working to improve its cabins. In recent years, the airline has made major investments in its cabin products and created a team within Tech Ops, its maintenance, repair, and overhaul department, focused on making sure its aircraft interiors are in the condition they should be for customers.

It is currently retrofitting its Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft as part of its cabin upgrade plans. The changes include power at every seat, larger overhead bins, updated finishes and enhanced mood lighting. The First Class will also receive new seats with privacy wings, additional storage and dual cocktail trays. Furthermore, the airline is also increasing the number of premium seats on its narrowbody aircraft from around 25% today to about 40% in the coming years.

Furthermore, American recently announced plans to install next-generation 4K seatback screens on every seat across its narrowbody fleet. New Airbus and Boeing deliveries will receive the screens from 2028, while existing aircraft will be retrofitted, with the work expected to be completed in the early 2030s.