Significant profit gap between American Airlines and Delta, United

American ranks first among U.S. airlines in passenger volume and flight count, but last year's profit was only $111 million, far below Delta's $5.1 billion and United's $3.3 billion, and it is expected to post a loss this year. Since November 2023, Delta and United shares have more than tripled, while American's gain was less than 30%. Missteps such as removing seatback screens on domestic narrowbody aircraft and a weaker international network are cited as partial reasons for its lagging profitability. Whether American can narrow the gap with Delta and United remains to be seen.