NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 1:13 PM ET — Regular session
- American Airlines shares fell in midday trade after the carrier laid out a spring schedule expansion from Chicago O’Hare.
- Airline stocks were broadly lower as winter weather disrupted U.S. holiday travel and crude prices climbed.
- Investors are watching near-term disruption costs and next month’s results for demand and pricing signals.
American Airlines Group shares fell 1.7% to $15.18 in midday trading on Monday. The carrier said it will add 100 new daily departures from Chicago O’Hare for the spring travel season, and Chief Strategy Officer Steve Johnson said American was “committed to rebuilding our Chicago hub to be stronger and more compelling for our customers.” 1
The timing matters because airlines are trying to lock in demand for spring break while navigating a stretch of heavy holiday flying. That mix can quickly swing costs and revenue, and stocks tend to react to any sign of strain.
The Chicago push also adds capacity — airline jargon for the number of seats a carrier plans to fly. More seats can lift revenue if demand holds, but it can also pressure fares if too much supply hits the market.
American said the plan adds flights to more than 75 destinations and would lift peak operations at O’Hare above 500 daily departures in March, up about 30% from last spring. 1
The expansion comes as winter weather disrupted U.S. travel over the weekend. More than 9,000 domestic flights were canceled or delayed on Saturday, including many in the New York area, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. 2
Airlines including American, United and JetBlue waived change fees — charges passengers typically pay to rebook — for some customers as the storm moved through, Reuters reported. 2
Fuel costs were another focus. Brent crude rose about 2% to roughly $61.86 a barrel by midday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained about 2.3%, according to Reuters. 3
Higher crude prices often translate into higher jet fuel costs, one of the industry’s biggest expenses. That can weigh on airline shares even when company headlines are positive.
American’s move came with airline stocks broadly lower. United Airlines fell about 2.5%, Delta Air Lines slid about 2.4%, JetBlue dropped about 3.4% and Southwest Airlines was little changed.
American traded between $15.03 and $15.47 on Monday.
Traders are watching whether weather-related disruptions ease as the holiday travel rush continues, and whether higher fuel prices persist into the new year. They are also looking for signs that added spring capacity will come with enough demand to support pricing.
American is expected to report quarterly results around Jan. 22, according to Yahoo Finance’s earnings calendar. 4
The airline last raised its 2025 profit outlook in October, citing pricing gains as carriers trimmed capacity earlier in the year. Investors are likely to use the next report to gauge demand, costs and any early read-through for 2026. 5
