American Airlines will book flights to full capacity

DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines said Friday that it will start booking flights to full capacity next week.

The move comes as the United States sets records for new reported cases of the coronavirus. United Airlines already does not block any seats. But other major U.S. airlines including Delta and Southwest leave middle seats open or limit bookings to create space between passengers to minimize the risk of contagion.

Almost all U.S. airlines require passengers to wear face masks, and in a few cases they have banned customers who refuse to comply.

American says it will notify customers when a flight is likely to be full, and will let them change flights at no extra cost.