We knew it couldn't last forever. Although most airlines committed to blocking at least some seats in the name of social distancing this spring, American Airlines has decided to stop that practice starting July 1. The airline had previously limited its planes to 85 percent capacity.
"As more people continue to travel, customers may notice that flights are booked to capacity starting July 1,'' the airline said in a statement. "American will continue to notify customers and allow them to move to more open flights when available, all without incurring any cost.''
The airline will notify passengers before a flight if it is expected to be at least 70 percent full and outline options for travelers to rebook or be reseated if there are open seats elsewhere.
UPDATE (6/30): United Airlines will also fly full flights this summer. The airlines has a similar policy of notifying customers 24 hours before their flight if it is likely to be full and allowing them to either rebook on a different flight or receive a travel credit.
We'll take this time to remind you that American Airlines has also banned alcohol on domestic flights. Which means you might be looking for an alternative airline this summer. Southwest and Delta are still blocking seats or restricting the number of seats for sale with both airlines committing to doing so through September 30. Alaska Airlines will do the same through July 31.
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