American Airlines is quietly rewriting the rules of missed connections by doing something that once would have sounded unthinkable in a hyper-punctual industry: it is deliberately delaying some departing flights.

The carrier is using a new artificial intelligence system to decide, in real time, when it makes sense to hold a plane so that connecting passengers can make it on board, then notifying affected travelers with automated text messages that spell out why the flight is waiting and for how long.

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AI decides when a flight should wait

The initiative centers on a decision-support tool sometimes referred to internally as “Connect Assist,” an AI-driven system that sifts through live operational data to determine whether a short delay could prevent travelers from missing their onward flights.

Instead of leaving such calls entirely to overworked gate agents and dispatchers, the software evaluates factors such as how many passengers are connecting, their incoming flight status, gate locations, crew duty limits and the knock-on effects on the rest of the day’s schedule.

When the system judges that a brief hold will salvage a significant number of connections without causing major disruptions elsewhere, it recommends a short delay.

Operational staff still retain the final say, but American has increasingly allowed the AI to guide these decisions, especially during busy bank periods at its hubs when tight connections are common and small changes can affect hundreds of travelers.

Crucially for passengers, this is not about open-ended delays. American executives and spokespersons have emphasized that the tool is calibrated for “short holds” measured in minutes, not hours, and that it is designed to preserve the overall reliability of the network while reducing the personal and financial cost of missed connections.

From Dallas experiment to nationwide testbed

American first began testing the AI system in mid 2025 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, its largest hub and a complex operation with a high share of connecting traffic.

The trial coincided with a broader push by the airline to use automation and analytics to improve decision making, from predicting crew needs to forecasting how long flights will actually take block to block.

After the early results in Dallas appeared promising, the carrier expanded the program to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, another major connecting hub. By late 2025 and into early 2026, American had rolled out the AI flight holding test to additional key airports including Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia and Phoenix, turning much of its domestic network into a proving ground for what could become a standard operational tool.

At these airports, the AI runs continuously in the background, highlighting specific departures where inbound connections are at risk. Rather than relying solely on manual checks by individual gate agents scrolling through manifests, the system surfaces priority flights where holding the door for a few extra minutes is likely to make the biggest difference.

How the short holds work for travelers

For passengers, the most visible part of the system is not the AI analysis behind the scenes but the message that appears on their phone. When American decides to hold a flight, the airline sends automated texts and app notifications to customers booked on that service, telling them the plane will wait and for approximately how long.

In many cases, those messages are triggered just as an inbound aircraft touches down, giving connecting travelers clarity before they even step into the terminal.

American has indicated that these deliberate delays typically average around 10 minutes, though some holds may be shorter or edge closer to the 15 to 20 minute mark when the benefits are especially strong.

Travelers have reported messages explaining that a departure is being held to accommodate connecting passengers from a late inbound, along with updated boarding and departure times.

For the customers racing through the terminal to make an otherwise impossible connection, that text can mean the difference between arriving home the same night or spending unexpected hours in a hotel. For those already on the held flight, the transparency of knowing why they are waiting in the gate area or on board can help temper frustration that would otherwise accompany a “delayed” status with no clear explanation.

Balancing missed connections with on time performance

American insists that the AI is programmed to weigh the trade off between saving connections and preserving network reliability. Every minute a flight is held at the gate has potential ripple effects: missed runway slots, crews inching toward legal duty limits and aircraft arriving late for subsequent departures.

The airline’s on time performance is also closely watched by regulators, investors and travelers who choose carriers based on reliability metrics.

To address this, the AI evaluates not just how many passengers stand to benefit, but also how many downstream flights and travelers could be affected by the delay. In some scenarios, holding a plane for 10 connecting customers may be a clear win if the aircraft has a lengthy ground time at its destination or if later flights are lightly loaded.

In others, especially during peak periods or at airports facing air traffic control constraints, even a small hold could cause a chain reaction of delays that outweighs the benefit of saving a handful of connections.

American has framed the system as a way to make these trade offs more precise. Instead of gut feeling or quick calculations by a single gate agent, the AI can rapidly model multiple scenarios using historical performance data and live operational feeds.

The airline says the goal is not to erode punctuality, but to use targeted, limited holds to reduce some of the most painful disruptions passengers face: unexpected overnights, missed events and long rebooking lines at the customer service desk.

Passenger reaction: relief, questions and new anxieties

Early traveler feedback has been mixed but largely favorable. Some passengers have shared stories on social media and message boards describing the relief of receiving a message saying their connecting flight would wait.

For those stuck on delayed inbound flights, the knowledge that the tight connection will still be possible changes the emotional tenor of the journey, turning panic into a manageable jog across the terminal.

Others, however, have raised questions about fairness and transparency. One recurring concern is whether certain customers such as elite status frequent flyers or premium cabin passengers are more likely to be “saved” by these holds than those in basic economy.

American has not detailed exactly which customer attributes feed into the algorithm, beyond saying that the system is intended to help as many travelers as possible reach their final destination on their original itinerary.

Some travelers also worry that deliberate holds could deepen what feels like a growing unpredictability in air travel. For passengers already boarding or seated on a flight, a last minute message that the departure will be delayed to wait for others may add to the sense that schedule times are more aspirational than real, even if the delay is only a few minutes.

The airline counters that explicit communication about the reason and duration of the hold can help preserve trust, compared with unannounced or unexplained delays.

AI and the evolving culture of airline communication

The move to use AI not just in back office forecasting but in front line operational decisions underscores a broader shift across the industry. Major U.S. carriers have steadily incorporated automation into everything from dynamic pricing to predictive maintenance. What makes this latest step striking is that passengers experience it directly, both in the timing of their flights and in the style of the text messages they receive.

American has highlighted its use of generative AI and conversational tools to improve customer self service during disruptions, as well as to support agents handling complex itineraries. The short hold system complements those efforts by attacking the disruption problem further upstream: keeping more passengers on track so they never need to rebook at all.

At the same time, a growing ecosystem of airline related scams has made travelers more wary of unsolicited messages about flight changes. Consumer advocates have recently warned about fake flight cancellation texts that mimic legitimate airline alerts and use AI generated language to coax travelers into clicking malicious links or calling fraudulent numbers. That backdrop places additional pressure on airlines like American to craft messages that are clear, consistent and easily verifiable in official apps.

Competitive pressure and what other airlines are doing

American is not entirely alone in experimenting with AI driven holds. United Airlines, for example, has promoted its own technology that can decide to hold certain flights when passengers face tight connections and then notify affected customers through its app. Other global carriers use machine learning to predict where missed connections are likely and proactively rebook travelers before they even land.

The difference with American’s current test lies in its scale across multiple hubs and in the way it explicitly frames these delays as deliberate, strategic choices rather than unfortunate consequences. As airlines increasingly compete on reliability and customer experience rather than just price and route networks, investing in smarter disruption management can become a selling point, especially for frequent flyers.

Industry analysts note that if American’s AI based system consistently reduces the rate of missed connections without materially harming on time performance, it could spur wider adoption of similar tools across the sector. Conversely, if travelers come to associate the carrier with frequent small delays that feel arbitrary or unfair, the experiment could backfire on customer satisfaction metrics even if it performs well in internal models.

What this means for practical travel planning

For travelers, the new AI system does not eliminate the basic advice to allow adequate connection times, especially when traveling through busy hubs or during seasons prone to weather disruptions. Short holds are meant to act as a safety net, not a guarantee. American has positioned the tools as a way to help in borderline situations, not as permission to book unrealistic connections and assume the airline will always wait.

Passengers who receive texts about deliberate holds should pay careful attention to the details. The messages typically specify the new boarding or departure time and may clarify that the flight is being held for connecting customers. Confirming the information in the airline’s official app or with gate displays is still wise, particularly as scammers become more sophisticated in imitating legitimate alerts.

In the longer term, if the initiative proves successful, travelers may experience fewer involuntary overnights and missed events, but also a subtle shift in expectations. Instead of viewing every minute of delay as a failure, some customers may come to see short, well explained holds as part of a more flexible, data driven approach to keeping as many people moving as possible on the day of travel.

FAQ

Q1: Is American Airlines really delaying flights on purpose because of AI?
Yes. American Airlines is testing an AI informed system that recommends short, deliberate holds on some departures to give connecting passengers time to board, when data shows a brief delay can prevent multiple missed connections without significantly disrupting the broader schedule.

Q2: How long will my flight be delayed if it is held for connecting passengers?
The airline says these are “short holds,” typically averaging around 10 minutes. In some cases, holds may be slightly shorter or extend toward 15 to 20 minutes, but the system is not designed for long or open ended delays.

Q3: How will I know if my flight is being delayed on purpose by this system?
Passengers generally receive automated text messages or app notifications explaining that the flight is being held, along with updated boarding and departure times. The message is meant to clarify that the delay is intentional and to specify how long the aircraft will wait.

Q4: Does the AI prioritize certain passengers, such as elite status members or business class?
American has not published the full list of factors that its algorithm uses, but it has stated that the goal is to help as many customers as possible make their original itineraries. It has not confirmed that status or cabin are deciding factors, though critics suspect that commercial considerations could influence which connections are prioritized.

Q5: Could this AI system hurt on time performance for other travelers?
Any hold, even a short one, can affect punctuality. American says the AI weighs the benefits of saving connections against potential knock on delays, so in theory it should only recommend holds when the net impact is positive. Passengers on held flights may still experience minor delays even if more travelers overall reach their destinations on time.

Q6: At which airports is American using this AI based short hold system?
The program began at Dallas Fort Worth and Charlotte and has since expanded to several other major airports in American’s network, including Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia and Phoenix. The airline has signaled that it may broaden the test further if results remain strong.

Q7: How is this different from traditional gate agent decisions to hold a flight?
Gate agents have long had discretion to wait a few minutes for late connecting passengers, but those decisions were often based on manual checks and local judgment. The new AI tool analyzes far more data in real time, including network wide impacts, and surfaces recommendations, making the process more systematic and less dependent on a single person’s quick calculations.

Q8: What should I do if I receive a text about a delayed or held flight?
First, verify the information in the official American Airlines app or on airport departure boards. If it matches, follow the updated timings and any instructions about boarding. If you have concerns or the message looks suspicious, contact the airline through its app, website or published phone numbers rather than clicking unknown links or calling numbers in unexpected texts.

Q9: Will this AI system guarantee that I never miss a connection again?
No. The tool is designed to reduce the number of missed connections, not eliminate them. Weather, air traffic control restrictions, maintenance and crew duty rules can still make it impossible or unwise to hold certain flights. Travelers should continue to allow reasonable connection times, especially for international itineraries or during peak travel periods.

Q10: Are other airlines also using AI to delay or hold flights?
Yes. Other major carriers, including rivals in the United States, have developed their own systems that can decide to hold certain flights for connecting passengers and notify travelers through apps and texts. American’s current test stands out for its scale across multiple hubs and its explicit framing of deliberate, AI informed short holds as a core part of its operations strategy.