FuelClub Discount

AMR Corp.’s American Airlines said it would accelerate its purchase of 737-800 aircraft from Boeing Co. to modernize its fleet and retire older, fuel-guzzling airplanes.

The move, which speeds up the delivery of an existing order for 70 737s and adds six to the order, follows American’s decision earlier this year to accelerate plans to begin replacing its aging fleet of 300 MD-80s. That aircraft, a workhorse airplane that American uses for most of its domestic flights, has an average age of 18 years at the airline and burns about 35% more fuel than the 737s that will replace them, American said.

Like other carriers, American, the world’s biggest as measured by passenger traffic, is responding to the recent run-up in fuel prices by grounding aircraft and reorganizing its fleet to fly more fuel-efficient planes. Aging aircraft are a problem for most of the big U.S. carriers, which kept older planes longer than they would have preferred, as they restructured following the post-Sept. 11 industry crisis.

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American Airlines on Wednesday raised its fuel surcharge by $20 per round trip, after a failed attempt to raise fares, according to reports.

Spokesman Tim Wagner said the surcharge would apply on domestic routes except those where the carrier competes with low-fare airlines.

American, a subsidiary of Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR), and several other airlines attempted to raise fares by $20 over the weekend, but failed as some carriers didn’t match the increases.
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