Airfare Expert: Will AA's labor issues affect holiday flights?

Over the past few days, I've been inundated with questions about American Airlines; I'll try to answer some of the most common ones here.

What's with all the delays and cancellations at American Airlines?

To say the airline is going through a rough patch is an understatement. In the last 30 days or so, American canceled more than more than 900 flights and 14,000 others were delayed. On a single day this month (Sept. 17), more than 100 flights were canceled. I got caught up in this madness myself; fortunately an American gate agent acted quickly to get me on a United flight that actually got me home a bit early. What's happening is labor strife between pilots and management, though it now appears both sides will talk again. But the situation is fluid, so things can change quickly.

Is it safe to fly American?

Yes. As one American pilot told FareCompare recently, "Nothing trumps our unwavering dedication to the safety of our passengers" but his next words were the clincher: "Remember," he said, "we're right there in the airplane with you."

Should I book holiday flights with American?

I will be flying over the holidays - and I have booked tickets with American for both Thanksgiving and Christmas - and I'm not worried, not yet anyway. Advice: Watch the news and assess the risk: Can you afford a delay? What if your flight is canceled and you can't show up until the following day? Factor in the packed planes during the peak holiday travel season which may make finding a replacement for your canceled flight extra difficult or even impossible.

Now if you're traveling in the next few days to attend a meeting or conference that you absolutely cannot miss/cannot be late for, think long and hard before booking on American - and check out the carrier's latest 'delay' figures on FlightStats.

Finally, keep up with airfare sales; so far, American has not unveiled any drop-dead deals, but as noted, things can change.

What if my flight gets canceled?

If there is any problem with your flight, get in touch with the airline immediately. And here's some counter-intuitive advice: Even if you get an alert from American saying a flight has been delayed for an hour, show up on time anyway; if the problem gets fixed sooner than the airline anticipated, that plane will leave earlier whether you're onboard or not. Good news: American has waived standby fees and is allowing refunds if you cancel after a delay of two hours or more. As for canceled flights, American has boosted staffing and you should be able to find assistance at the airport, like my helpful gate agent. And don't count on e-mail; always contact someone in person or by phone as quickly as you can.

Also, if American does put you on another airline's flight, ask them to call that other airline to confirm your seat because computers sometimes take a while to process this information. You don't want to schlep all the way across an airport only to be told they gave your seat away.

FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick (@rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.