Skift Take

Hoping to avoid the chaos of last year, the Big 4 airlines are investing more in winter equipment for the 2023 holiday travel season.

With nearly 40 million people slated to fly during the holidays this year, airlines are preparing for what could be one of the busiest holiday travel seasons on record. 

There’s more pressure on airlines to ensure smooth operations following last year’s winter storm, which led to the cancellation of thousands of flights. Southwest Airlines was hit the hardest after a slew of issues ranging from outdated technology to a lack of de-icing equipment. 

Here is what each major airline is doing to prepare for holiday travel:

American Airlines

American expects 12.8 million travelers from December 20 to January 8, with 11,000 flights. 

Am