The American Airlines App Just Got a Lot Better

You get to the airport two hours early, just like you're supposed to. You breeze through security and patiently sit at the gate. Then your flight gets delayed an hour. Then another hour. Then another hour.

Finally, you board. You taxi out to the runway. Then you sit there. And sit there. And sit there. They take you back to the gate and kick you off the plane. You sit at the gate for another hour, only to learn what you already suspected: your flight has been canceled.

There's nothing worse than being stuck at the airport due to a canceled flight. Suddenly, everything is up in the air—except for your flight. But American Airlines just rolled out changes to its mobile app that aim to make dealing with flight cancelations a tad less traumatic.

What’s New With the American Airlines App

With American Airlines' new app features, you won't have to wait in a never-ending line to lash out at exhausted, stressed out gate agents. Now, you can manage the entire experience straight from your phone. Per a press release, the updated app contains dedicated buttons to rebook your trip and track your bags. It also gives travelers instant access to digital hotel, meal, and transportation vouchers if they're available. You can book a hotel directly in the app, as well as order an Uber or Lyft.

The new features are available as soon as a disruption occurs, whether it's a delay or a full-on cancelation. The app will now use easy-to-visualize color coding on disrupted flights: orange for delays, red for cancelations, green when you can rebook yourself, and blue when the airline is automatically rebooking you.

“Our new app enhancements are unlike anything else in the industry because they don’t just explain why travel was disrupted, they help customers take action," the airline's chief customer officer, Heather Garboden, said in a statement. "We’re giving travelers real-time options, real control and real peace of mind when they need it most."

What Travelers Think of the New App

Reddit users are feeling pretty optimistic about the changes. "Love the ability to rebook in app," one person wrote. "I hate either waiting in line or on the phone behind 100 other angry people." Another noted that while helpful, American is not the first airline to implement changes like this. United Airlines' app, for example, already provides access to digital food vouchers. "You get a digital MasterCard that can be used right away," they wrote. "Hopefully this is the same implementation."