

American Airlines, so called guide!
Ask yourself should I book with this company? Or perhaps choose another airline.
Almost a full year ago, this article was written.
American Airlines pilots plan disruptions, not full strike By David Koenig, usatoday.com
$8 packet will include pillow and blanket starts 1, May, 2010.
28, June, 2010 Union TWA for AA ground handlers ask mediators to declare an impasse.
3, June, 2010 10,600 baggage handlers and ground crew workers rejected offer with management.
5/26 Flight attendant talks with management came to an impasse last Friday. AA have sent out e-mails to managers asking for volunteers if cabin crew strike. No new meetings scheduled.
19, May, 2010 Flight attendants counting strike votes.
May, 2010, AA mechanics after three years sign a tentative three year contract. 6% pay raise over the three years. Preserved medical benefits for current retiree's and current workers over 50 years. aflcio
15, April, 2010 AA and union representing workers ordered back to mediations talks today.
2, April, 20100 American Airlines told the National Mediation Board that it's making progress in negotiations with two of its unions and should continue mediated contract talks.
11, March, 2010 AA machinist now leave mediation, in 30 day cooling off period.
4, March, 2010 Flight attendants now on a 30 day cooling off period after which they can legally have a strike vote.
Expect no word till mid-April from mediation committee.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has said it will ask to be released from mediation when its next bargaining session ends Friday, 2/26/10
2/16/10 Ground workers for American Airlines threaten strike. Transport Workers Union will ask federal mediators permission to let employees walk away from mediation talks if no deal is reached by March 8, 2010. If mediators agree, union can strike legally from 30 days on. Only president Obama or Congress can block a strike.
1, Feb. Management thinking about the training of replacement workers in the event of a flight attendants striking. British Airways doing same thing as AA, but a little further along than AA.
1/29/2010 Mechanics and flight attendants are still working without contracts. Talks are still at an impasse with management.
11/17/09 American Airlines flight attendants conduct a simulated strike demonstration, Wednesday, at airports across the country, Dallas, San Diego, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston, Raleigh-Durham, Miami, San Francisco, West Palm Beach, St. Louis, Newark (NJ), and New York City. In the simulated strike, a select number of American Airlines flights will be designated as "red flights." Flight attendants assigned to these flights will wear a red disc under their union pin with the words "Got Guts" signifying this flight would not be operating if this were a real strike.
14, Oct, 09 Senators urge close scrutiny of Oneworld alliance between American Airlines, British Airways. dallasnews.com
9/5/09 American Airlines looking to merge with British Airways. British Airways hanging on by a thread and threaten strikes this Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays 2009. AA by ETR as to what's going on.
12 June, 09 American Airlines will cut about 1,600 jobs, representing 2% of AA workers. Flight attendants will take the biggest hit from NY La Guardia and Chicago. 50 cargo jobs and 40 maintenance workers. Will take delivery of 31 new Boeing 737-800 jets in 2009, up from 29. Next year, it'll take 45 of the new 737-800s, up from 39. Replacing those tatty old MD-80.
18 April, 2009 AMR CEO's 2008 compensation fell to $5.1 million. businessweek.com
2 April, 2009 Things are starting to get nasty. Employees no raise since 03 and executives will get bonuses, stock based. Of course not so much this year as AA lost $2.07 billion last year! $40 per share in early 2007 to less than $3 last month. TWU to take ads out on news sites featuring corporate executives matching name with bonus! TWU is still in mediation, no changes.
3/4/09 Latest. Thousands of American Airlines pilots gathered Tuesday to strategies about work slowdowns and other headaches that they might inflict on airline passengers. 9 Union chapters met country wide, 2,000 pilots in all. No progress with management.
2/25/09 American Airlines pilots, will not strike, but they will disrupt and cause chaos to the airline, if it can't get a new labor contract after 29 months of bargaining! Negotiations have fallen apart, but before a strike can legally occur the federal mediators assigned to making the deal work must declare the talks at a standoff. Parties have been in mediation since June 08. The union hopes that by taking a no-strike stance, it will increase the chances that the National Mediation Board (shall we say threaten board) will declare the talks at a standoff and let the union take less dramatic steps allowed by law. Mediation could go well into 2010 affectingly putting a halt to any strike.
Without a release from mediation, any strike action the union takes would be a violation of federal law. Union leaders declined to say exactly what they intend to do except that it will be kept legal as one member said "use your imagination"
Go Slow ie: flight delays, cancellations, no pilot available at this time, slow to leave gate, sick outs, extra long time sitting on runway. You know you've dealt with it. Very inconvenient. Let's get the word out. Don't book with this airline unless you don't have an alternative route or another carrier. Will check in staff be aligned with them?
Pilots due to meet up again next week.
In a nutshell, short history. 2003 AA went bankrupt, convinced staff pilots, attendants, ground crew to take pay cuts. Airline came out of bankruptcy and never came through with a deal for its staff. In1997 pilots walked off job for 24 minutes till President Bill Clinton stepped in. In 1999 Federal judge fined union $45 million after illegal sickouts canceled 6,000 flights! Unions are bitter and opened these negotiations asking for a 50 percent raise over several years! Can you blame them? AA have not made a counterproposal. Union's leverage is limited by the recession.
President Obama's first union problem?
2/26/09 Thursday, American Airlines will. let go 410 junior flight attendants by April 1 if it does not have enough volunteers for early leaves, job sharing and retirements. AA hoping that these incentives will kick in so they don't have to furlough more employees.
2/10/09 American Airlines Unions not happy that the chief executive of American Airlines won't meet with the unions president to discuss contract talks. 28 months of bargaining! Unions looking for AA to make good on the concessions from 2003. Negotiations not working, union may ask federal negotiators to declare an impasse. This could result in a 30 day cooling off period. ultimately followed by a strike. Mediators are still involved in ground crew.
29/1/09 The 300-400 Flight attendants can sigh a sigh of relief tonight, they can keep jobs. Early retirement incentives helped.
12/19/08 American Airlines flight attendants are also looking for a federal mediator
12/15/08 Wanted federal mediator for American Airlines and ground workers, flight dispatchers who are represented by the Transport Workers Union. Talks broke down after the two sides failed to agree on pay and benefits.
12/15/08 American Airlines and TWU union representing about 14,000 baggage handlers and other ground workers (cargo handlers, fleet service workers, aircraft part clerks, simulator tech's, ground school and simulator instructors ended talks after the sides failed to reach a contract after almost two weeks of negotiations.
11/21/08 American Airlines flight attendants protested to regarding new contract. They want pay increases to return salaries to 2003 levels when the union gave up wage increases as the airline hovered near bankruptcy.
10/29/08 Beginning Saturday, American Airlines customers traveling domestically or to the Caribbean or Mexico will have the choice of two new sandwich offerings for afternoon snacking: Italian Deli Panini - beef salami and turkey, provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato on panini bread served with a side of Italian herb dressing Roast Beef Ciabatta - roast beef and provolone cheese, lettuce and tomato on ciabatta bread served with a side of horseradish Dijon dressing. A customer favorite, the Asian chicken wrap -- grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, Napa cabbage, red bell peppers and Mandarin orange slices wrapped in a tortilla -- will remain on the menu. The above items are available for $6 each and will be offered on flights lasting three hours or longer and departing after 10 a.m.For customers traveling on flights departing before 10 a.m. and lasting three hours or longer, American Airlines will continue to offer its popular bagel sandwich -- a plain bagel with roasted turkey and mild muenster cheese -- and the breakfast croissant -- a croissant layered with turkey, muenster cheese, lettuce and tomato -- both available for $6 each. marketwatch.com
10/16/08 American Airlines to buy Boeing 787s
42 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners scheduled for delivery beginning in 2012 and ending in 2018. 58 additional 787s aviationrecord.com
10/8/08 American Airlines flight attendants to picket forbes.com
10/5/08 American moving to a la carte pricing model usatoday.com
10/7/08 American Airlines considers new price structure...choose your level of discomfort .walletpop.com
9/24/08 U.S. Airlines Grounding 500+ Planes This Fall
9/22/08 American Airlines plans to give best customers priority dallasnews.com
Discontinued Service
The AAdvantage partnership with Turkish Airlines will be discontinued effective March 30, 2008. For Turkish Airlines flights taken on/after March 30, 2008, mileage accrual will no longer be offered.AA
9/10/08 American Airlines Celebrates Ramadan by Promoting Islamist Supremacy Group mypetjawa.mu.nu
9/10/08 American Airlines resumes non stop flights from Miami to Antigua after 10 years caribbeannetnews.com
9/10/08 The American Airlines routes that are being protected are Chicago, Miami and Detroit which are offering competition to Air Jamaica, the subsidized national airline which services two of these areas and needs the market. jamaica-gleaner.com
9/10/08 Grounding are older generation planes," Horton said. "They burn 35 percent more fuel per seat than the new generation planes. So, when you ground those planes, it would be very difficult to bring them back, not just in operations cost but also in maintenance infrastructure." .iht.com
9/10/08 HORROR: American Airlines Sued Over Missing Body wcbstv.com
9/10/08 US airlines not planning to cut fuel surcharges ap.google.com
8/20/08 Nine commuter aircraft were grounded for safety inspections Tuesday at Chicago's O'Hare airport after a federal security inspector climbed onto them by grabbing sensitive outside instruments, the Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday.cnn
8/15/08 American Airlines fined 7.1 million bbc
8/15/08 WASHINGTON -- Attempting to stem a national furor, American Airlines announced that it would stop charging extra-luggage fees for active military personnel. Now a Tampa Bay area congressman wants to ensure that other airlines put an end to the practice. .mgwashington.com
Thursday, August 14, 2008
8/8/08 frequent fliers on American Airlines Inc. got hit with another round of fees on Thursday – this time to upgrade discounted economy class tickets to the business and first class cabin. dallasnews.com
7/31/08 American Airlines canceled five flights that were to leave John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Thursday as a result of a glitch that delayed at least 1,000 pieces of luggage, an airline spokeswoman said. wtkr
07/16/2008 PRICED OUT BY OIL
Cheap Airlines Are Losing Altitude
14 July 08 The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents the 12,000 pilots of American Airlines (NYSE:AMR), has held what it called a "strike preparedness summit".tradingmarkets.com
3 July 08 American airline Continental and five individuals are to stand trial in France on manslaughter charges over the crash of an Air France Concorde near Paris in 2000.abc.net.au
2 July 08 American Airlines confirmed Wednesday it sent a "WARN" letter to its 900 most junior flight attendants, advising them they are subject to furlough effective Aug. 31.
6/26/08 American Airlines officials have told employees that the carrier expects to cut about 8 percent of management and support jobs at the nation's biggest airline as it copes with record high jet fuel prices.
25June 08, Lots of cuts from American Airlines kwtx.com
25 June 08 American Airlines to test in-flight Wi-Fi service, The in-flight service, dubbed "Gogo," was developed by AirCell and installed on 15 of American’s Boeing 767-200 jets. It will be available Wednesday to customers flying from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. American will begin a broader test offering of the service, which will priced at $12.95 for flights longer than three hours, and $9.95 for shorter flights.
5 June 08 American Airlines new $15 fee for first checked bag will affect fewer than one in four customers and won't lengthen lines at boarding gates.
Members of the elite levels of American's frequent flyer program won't have to pay the fee, and neither will those who bought full-fare tickets or are traveling overseas.
4 June 08, Woman suing American Airline over peanut allergy. yahoo.com
5/30/08 American Airlines has agreed to drop a controversial $2-per-bag fee for curbside check-in and lift a ban on tips for skycaps at Logan International Airport.
5/29/08 American Airlines cuts service between New York's JFK, London's Stansted Airport iht
5/29/08 "A $100 million cost to shut that airplane down for something that was never, at any time, a safety factor," said. Tom Coburn aero-news Network
5/28/08 American Airlines says pilot contract would boost costs $3B a year dallasnews.com
5/12/08 American plane loses panel in flight, flies to Paris usatoday
4/10/08 See here, picture of the wiring from kxan
The airline, whose parent, AMR Corp., lost over $300 million in the first quarter this year, says passengers on those cancelled flights can get a full refund, apply the value of their tickets toward future travel, or rebook without a fee. AMR's CEO Gerard Arpey has said that the airline will contract with an independent third party to review compliance "with all future FAA airworthiness directives." Shares of AMR were down 11% on Wednesday.
The cancellation of thousands of flights within a week will definitely have an impact on the company’s earnings and is expected to cost American Airlines tens of millions of dollars. But the officials at the company said that the nation's largest carrier can withstand the losses. The main losses were incurred when it booked people on other airlines. On the other hand, it has saved the fuel that would have been spent on those 2,500 flights. AA is already running a tab for meals, hotel rooms and $500 travel vouchers for stranded passenger. Experts believe that American has fallen victim to FAA’s desperate measures to save its reputation as the agency has been under fire since disclosures last month of its lax enforcement of safety rules at Southwest Airlines Co. by Abhishek Garg
4/11/08 Still looking out for us, To help out with the inconvenience, American is offering passengers travel vouchers to make up for cancelled flights. boston.com
4/10/08 1,000 flights or more cancelled today on the MD80's.kstp.com
3/29/08 Historic day, Open Skies agreement starts today. AA lands in troubled Heathrow. dallasnews
3/27/08 AA will still pay pilots of cancelled flights will be paid if they were scheduled to fly a MD-80
We've been told that American has offered pay protection to pilots on flights that were cancelled today because of the MD-80 inspections. That basically means that they can still receive their pay if they were scheduled to fly one of those segments that was canceled.
3/26/08 300 flights, 13% of Americans planes canceled due to MD-80s, twin-engine jets that carry up to 172 passengers and make up about 45 percent of American's total fleet.. Reinspection, which took up to two hours each, focused on the attachment of bundles of wires that power the plane's auxiliary hydraulic unit, said airline spokesman Tim Wagner. "The aircraft will be rotated in throughout the day as inspections are completed," Wagner said. read full article
As of yesterday afternoon, 200 planes had been inspected and 80 were found to need modification, the airline said.
American Airlines pilots propose schedule for contract talks
*AA, Pilots, Feb.14 strike deadline. Would cost the U.S. economy nearly $4.8 billion if it lasts two months, Major repercussions involved. per findarticles.com
AA gives workers $67 million, $800 to American employees and $500 to Eagle. Professional Flight Attendants called the payments "too little, too late." A start to repaying employees for pay cuts and other concessions they made in 2003. Per
AMR Corporation: Net Profit of $504 Million, $273 Million Improvement Over 2006 per 1/16/08
AA rejected pilots request seek help from a federal mediator. Company wants joint control of meetings. 1/14/08 per Dallas News
American Airlines, first to offer in-flight Internet access 1/22/08 per Dallas news
Lie-flat beds and comfortable seats that swivel will be among the perks American Airlines will spotlight in a new campaign launching during ABC’s Academy Awards telecast on Feb. 24.per brandweek.com
3 American Jets get installed anti-missile. Will fly from California - NY. Mounted on the belly of the plane, between the wheels. The device works with sensors, mounted on the plane, that detect a heat-seeking missile and shoot a laser at it to send the missile veering harmlessly off course. per USAToday 1/3/08
American trims flights as pilots plan retirements. American Airlines is canceling dozens of flights in its February schedule as it faces potential retirements of more than 100 pilots, company and pilots union representatives said Wednesday.per Tulsaworld.com (check your flight is still on!)
American executives said the flight cancellations are unavoidable, necessitated by an early retirement option for senior pilots and a downturn in the stock market.
AA to let customers check flight status on Web cellphones 1/25/08 per USAToday
American Airlines, first to offer in-flight Internet access 1/22/08
12/18/08 Hiring new maintenance workers
Do you have any tips for this airline?
Did you loose your luggage?