American Airlines
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| American Airlines | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| IATA AA |
ICAO AAL |
Callsign AMERICAN |
| Founded | 1930 (as American Airways) | |
| Hubs | ||
| Secondary hubs | ||
| Focus cities | ||
| Frequent flyer program | AAdvantage | |
| Member lounge | Admirals Club | |
| Alliance | Oneworld | |
| Fleet size | 653 (+54 orders) | |
| Destinations | 158 | |
| Parent company | AMR Corporation | |
| Company slogan | We know why you fly. We're American Airlines. | |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, Texas | |
| Key people | Gerard Arpey (CEO) Tom Horton (CFO) |
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| Website: http://www.aa.com/ | ||
American Airlines, Inc. (AA) is a US-based airline[1] and also the largest airline in the world in terms of total passengers-miles transported[2] and fleet size,[3] and the second-largest airline in the world (behind Air France-KLM) in terms of total operating revenues, [4]. A wholly owned subsidiary of the AMR Corporation, the airline is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, adjacent to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American operates scheduled flights throughout the United States, as well as flights to Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Japan, China, and India. The Chairman, President, and CEO of AA is Gerard Arpey. In 2005, the airline flew more than 138 billion revenue passenger miles (RPM).
Contents |
[edit] Overview
As of February 2007, American serves 260 cities (excluding codeshares with partner airlines) with a fleet of 670 aircraft. American carries more passengers between the US and Latin America (12.1 million in 2004) than any other airline, and is also strong in the transcontinental market.
American has five hubs: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Chicago (ORD), Miami (MIA), St. Louis (STL), and San Juan (SJU). Dallas/Fort Worth is the airline's largest hub, with AA operating over 84 percent of flights at the airport and traveling to more destinations than from any of its other hubs. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and New York City (JFK) serve as focus cities and international gateways. American operates maintenance bases at Tulsa (TUL), Kansas City (MCI), and Fort Worth Alliance (AFW).
American Eagle Airlines is a Fort Worth, Texas-based regional airline partner of American Airlines, wholly owned by AMR Corporation.
American Airlines is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance.
[edit] History
[edit] Formation
American Airlines was developed from a conglomeration of about 82 small airlines through a series of corporate acquisitions and reorganizations: initially, the name American Airways was used as a common brand by a number of independent air carriers. These included Southern Air Transport in Texas, Southern Air Fast Express (SAFE) in the western US, Universal Aviation in the Midwest (which operated a transcontinental air/rail route in 1929), and Colonial Air Transport in the Northeast.
On January 25, 1930, American Airways was incorporated as a single company, based in New York, with routes from Boston, New York and Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, and a route from Dallas to Los Angeles. The airline operated its routes with wood and fabric covered Fokker Trimotors and all metal Ford Trimotors. In 1934 American began flying Curtiss Condor biplanes fitted with sleeping berths.
[edit] American Airlines before World War II
In 1934, American Airways Company was acquired by E.L. Cord, who renamed the company "American Air Lines". Cord hired Texas businessman C.R. (Cyrus Rowlett) Smith to run the company.
Smith worked closely with Donald Douglas to develop the DC-3, which American Airlines started flying in 1936. With the DC-3, American began to brand itself using nautical terms, calling its aircraft "Flagships" and establishing the "Admirals Club", an honorary club for valued passengers. The DC-3s had a four-star "admiral's pennant" which would fly outside the cockpit window while the aircraft was parked, one of the most well-known images of the airline at the time.
American was the first airline to cooperate with Fiorello LaGuardia's plans to build an airport in New York City, and partly as a result became the owner of the world's first airline lounge at the new LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which became known as the "Admirals Club." Membership was initially by invitation only, but a discrimination suit decades later changed the club into a paid membership club, creating the model for other airline lounges.
[edit] Postwar developments
After World War II, American launched an international subsidiary, American Overseas Airlines to serve Europe; however, AOA was sold to rival Pan Am in 1950. AA launched another subsidiary around the same time, Líneas Aéreas Americanas de Mexico S.A., to operate flights to Mexico, and built several airports there.
American Airlines was an early adopter of jet aircraft, and introduced the first transcontinental jet service using Boeing 707s on 25 January 1959. With the introduction of its "Astrojets", as it dubbed the new jet fleet, American's focus shifted to nonstop coast-to-coast flights, although it maintained feeder connections to other cities along its old route using smaller Convair 990s and Lockheed Electras. American invested $440 million in jet aircraft up to 1962, launched the first electronic booking system (Sabre) together with IBM, and built an upgraded terminal at Idlewild (now JFK) Airport in New York City which became the airline's largest base of operations.[5]
[edit] Expansion in 1980s and 1990s
After moving its headquarters to Dallas in 1979, American changed its routing to a hub-and-spoke system starting in 1981, opening its first hubs at DFW and Chicago O'Hare. American began flights to Europe and Japan from these hubs in the mid-1980s.
In the late 1980s, American opened three new hubs for north-south traffic. San Jose International Airport was added as a hub after American purchased Reno Air. American also built a new terminal and runway at Raleigh-Durham International Airport to take advantage of the rapidly-growing Research Triangle Park nearby, as well as compete with USAir's hub in Charlotte. Nashville was also chosen as a hub.
In 1990, American Airlines bought the assets of TWA's London Heathrow airport for $445 million, giving American a Hub there. Due to a US/British treaty Burmuda II adopted decades earlier. American is then one of two airlines, Pan Am being the other to serve Heathrow, which sold it's Heathrow Hub in 1991 to United Airlines.
Lower fuel prices in the era and a favorable business climate at the time led to higher than average airline industry profits. The industry's expansion was not lost on the American Airline's pilots who on February 17, 1997 struck for higher wages. President Bill Clinton invoked the Railway Labor Act citing economic impact to the United States a few minutes later quashing the strike.[6] Pilots settled for substantially lower wage increases than their demands as a result.
The three new hubs were all abandoned in the 1990s: some San Jose facilities were sold to Reno Air, and likewise at Raleigh/Durham to Midway Airlines. Midway went out of business in 2001. American purchased Reno Air in February 1999 and fully integrated its operations on 31 August 1999, but did not resume hub operations in San Jose. American discontinued most of Reno Air's routes, and sold most of the Reno Air aircraft, much as they had done with Air California 12 years earlier. The only remaining route from the Air California and Reno Air purchases is San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Miami also became a hub after American bought Central and South American routes from Eastern Air Lines in 1990 (inherited from Braniff International Airways but originated by Panagra). Through the 1990s, American expanded its route network in Latin America to become the dominant U.S. carrier in the region.
On 15 October 1998 American Airlines became the first airline to offer electronic ticketing in all 44 countries it serves.
[edit] TWA merger, 9/11, and aftermath
Mr. Crandall left the company in 1998 and was replaced by Donald J. Carty, who negotiated the purchase of Trans World Airlines and its hub in St. Louis in April 2001.
The merger of seniority lists remains a contentious issue, particularly for pilots - the groups were represented by different unions at their respective airlines. In the final merger, 60 percent of former TWA pilots were moved to the bottom of the seniority list at AA. The most senior TWA captain, hired in 1963, was integrated at the same seniority level as an AA captain hired in 1985.[citation needed] However, the TWA pilots were given "super-seniority" and a specified ratio of positions as captain if they stayed in St. Louis. The result was that most former TWA pilots stayed in St. Louis and roughly maintained their same relative seniority; though, some left St. Louis and fly in the co-pilot seat next to AA pilots who may have been hired at a later date, but are more senior outside the protections afforded to that base. For cabin crews, all former TWA flight attendants (approximately 4,200 employees) were furloughed by mid-2003 due to the AA flight attendants' union putting TWA flight attendants at the bottom of their seniority list.
In the wake of the TWA merger and the roughly concurrent September 11, 2001 attacks, American Airlines began losing money. Mr. Carty negotiated new wage and benefit agreements with the airline's labor unions, but was forced to resign after union leaders discovered that Carty was planning to award handsome executive compensation packages at the same time. St. Louis' hub was also downsized afterwards.
In Mr. Carty's wake, American has undergone additional cost-cutting measures, including rolling back its "More Room Throughout Coach" program (which eliminated several seats on certain aircraft types), ending three-class service on many international flights, and standardizing its fleet at each hub (see below). However, the airline has rebounded and expanded its service into new markets, including Ireland, India and mainland China.
On July 20, 2005, for the first time in 17 quarters, American announced a quarterly profit; the airline earned $58 million in the second quarter of 2005. It had previously lobbied for the preservation of the Wright Amendment, which regulates commercial airline operations at Love Field in Dallas. On June 15, 2006, American reached an agreement with Southwest Airlines and the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth to seek repeal of the Wright Amendment on the conditions that Love Field remain a domestic airport and that its gate capacity be limited.[7]
[edit] Slogans
- Current - "We know why you fly."
- 2001 (post-9/11) - "We are an airline that is proud to bear the name American."
- Mid 1980s-mid 1990s - "Something special in the air."
- 1970s-1980s - "We're American Airlines, doing what we do best."
- Early 1970s - "It's good to know you're on American Airlines."
- 1967-1969 - "Fly the American Way."
- 1964-1967 - "American built an airline for professional travelers."
- 1950s-early 1960s - "America's Leading (domestic) Airline."
[edit] Destinations
- Further information: American Airlines destinations
American Airlines serves destinations on five continents. Its network is particularly developed in the Americas, where it serves more destinations than any other U.S. airline. Hubs at Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami and New York (JFK) serve as major gateways to the Americas, while American's Chicago hub has become the airline's primary gateway to Europe and Asia. Similar to other U.S. legacy carriers, American has dramatically cut back on flying point-to-point routes (both domestic and international) to once-important non-hub cities such as Boston, San Jose, and Fort Lauderdale in favor of consolidating operations into major hubs.[citation needed] American is the only U.S. airline with scheduled flights to Anguilla, Bolivia, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Uruguay.
In recent years, American has begun to expand its network in Asia, albeit with mixed success. In 2005, American re-introduced a non-stop flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Osaka, which had been discontinued after the September 11 terrorist attacks, but this service was discontinued a year later. American also launched non-stop service from Chicago to Nagoya, but that too ended within a year. Also in 2005, American launched service from Chicago to Delhi.[8] Somewhat surprising to some (given the lack of success that United Airlines encountered operating the same route) this service has been profitable. In April 2006, American began service from Chicago to Shanghai, which has also proven to be profitable for the company. However, in October 2006, American ceased its San Jose, CA to Tokyo/Narita service, leaving LAX as American's sole international gateway on the West Coast. American planned to start flights between Dallas/Fort Worth and Beijing via Chicago-O'Hare (on Westbound only) in 2007 but lost its bid to United Airlines' Dulles to Beijing route. However, in September 2007, AA was granted permission to start a Chicago-Beijing route to be included in a new set of China routes in 2009.
[edit] New routes
- New York Kennedy, New York (JFK) - Orlando, FL (MCO) begins December 13, 2007
- Miami, Florida (MIA) - Barranquilla, Colombia (BAQ) begins December 13, 2007
- Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW) - Santa Fe, New Mexico (SAF) begins December 13, 2007 (Operated by American Eagle)
- Miami, Florida (MIA) - Phoenix, Arizona (PHX) begins December 13, 2007
- Miami, Florida (MIA) - Sarasota, Florida (SRQ) begins December 13, 2007 (Operated by American Eagle)
- Chicago O'Hare, Illinois (ORD) - Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE) begins December 13, 2007
- New York Kennedy, New York (JFK) - Pittsburgh, PA (PIT) begins December 13, 2007 (Operated by American Eagle)
- New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA) - Memphis, TN (MEM) begins December 13, 2007 (Operated by American Eagle)
- Chicago O'Hare, Illinois (ORD) - Gulfport, MS (GPT) begins December 13, 2007 (Operated by American Eagle)
- Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW)- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS) begins December 13, 2007
- Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW)- Panama City, Panama (PTY) begins December 13, 2007
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (FLL) - San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO) begins December 14, 2007
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (FLL) - Santo Domingo, DR (SDQ) begins December 14, 2007
- Miami, Florida (MIA) - Valencia, Venezuela (VLN) begins late 2007, pending government approval
- Miami, Florida (MIA) - Tallahassee, Florida (TLH) begins March 2, 2008 (Operated by American Eagle)
- Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW) - London-Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) begins March 29, 2008
- Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina (RDU) - London-Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) begins March 29, 2008
- New York Kennedy, New York (JFK) - Barcelona, Spain (BCN) begins May 1, 2008
- New York Kennedy, New York (JFK) - Milan, Italy (MXP) begins May 1, 2008
- Chicago O'Hare, Illinois (ORD) - Moscow, Russia (DME) begins June 2, 2008
- Miami, Flordia (MIA) - St. John, Antigua (ANU) begins November 19, 2008
- Chicago O'Hare, Illinois (ORD) - Beijing, China (PEK) begins March 25, 2009
[edit] Fleet
[edit] Current fleet
Almost half of its fleet is composed of McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and MD-83 series twinjets, referred to by AA as "Super 80", denoting the type's original name, "DC-9 Super 80." Much of the Super 80 fleet dates back to the early 1980s, although some were later acquired from TWA. Most, if not all, of the MD-80 fleet has already been fitted with the new cabin interior. However, the first class seats are slightly narrower than the ones on the 737-800 cabin due to the width of the MD-80 cabin. American will start phasing out some of its older MD-80s when its next order of 737-800s is delivered sometime in 2009.[9] The airline will use some of its recent profits to replace its aging MD-80s, which are somewhat less fuel efficient than the 737-800, and therefore have a higher operating cost per seat mile. AA has considered ordering more new aircraft in the future if its financial conditions allow.
On April 24, 2007 American announced that it would be upgrading the interior on all of their 757s. The upgrade calls for new economy and first class seats, two additional first class seats increasing the number from 22 to 24, new interior side walls to give the cabin a brighter more welcoming appearance, new LCD monitors to replace the old CRT monitors, new interior carpet, and new digital media file servers used to enhance movie and music entertainment. American also announced on April 24 that they will be conducting the same upgrades on their Boeing 767-200 fleet. AA has also introduced new aircraft to its fleet: the newest are the Boeing 777-200ERs, which replaced MD-11s on key transoceanic routes in the late 1990s such as Tokyo Narita, and 737-800s, which replaced 727s on many domestic and Caribbean routes. The "More Room Throughout Coach" or MRTC, which increased seat pitch and passenger legroom by reducing the number of seats, was an experimental marketing and business plan that has been discontinued.
American Airlines announced on April 25, 2007 that they will be the launch customer to fit their 767-200/300 fleet with blended winglets. The company installing and designing them is APB (aviation partners boeing). All of these upgrades are expected to be completed by mid 2010 and begin in January 2008.[citation needed]
American has discontinued three-class service on most aircraft, but continues to offer first class on 777 and 767-200 aircraft. First class passengers on 777 routes enjoy the "Flagship Suite", a first class seat that can swivel inwards toward a personal work area and also recline 180 degrees to become a bed. Slightly more than half the 777 fleet have these seats, the remaining aircraft are planned to be fitted with the flagship suites in 2007.[10] 767-200 flights between JFK, SFO, and LAX offer three-class "American Flagship Service" which replicates the passenger service offered on long international flights. The business class cabins of American's 767-300 aircraft are in the process of being refitted with electronic "lie-flat" seats. However, like many "lie-flat" seats, these seats do not truly lie flat, but instead have a slight downward slope. When the installation is complete, the seats will also be introduced on American's 777s.
On all American aircraft except the 757s formerly operated by TWA, passengers in all cabins have a cigarette port DC power ports in the first and/or business class cabins, and at select seats in coach. All classes of service on the 777 have personal video screens. Currently, American uses an analog tape system for the entertainment units on the 777, but they are in the midst of upgrading to Audio/Video On Demand (AVOD) systems [11]. These personal video screens have the "GateConnect" feature which allows passengers to view terminal maps and connecting flight information for their destination airport. American is also testing portable entertainment units on its Los Angeles to Chicago MD-80 flights. If the test is successful, these units may be introduced on other MD-80 flights, since these aircraft lack wired in-flight entertainment systems.
American has redesigned its schedules so that each hub city receives certain aircraft types more often than others, which is intended to simplify maintenance and last-minute fleet substitutions. For example, Chicago and St. Louis, receiving mostly MD-80s, typically don't receive 737-800s or A300s. Miami, which typically receives mostly 737-800s and A300s, and San Juan, receiving mostly 757s and A300s, typically don't receive MD-80s. Dallas receives all aircraft types except for the A300. In New York, American has focus operations in both New York airports, JFK and LGA, making New York secondary hub between the two. All small-body aircraft such as the MD-80 and 737-800 are flown to LaGuardia. All large-body aircraft, such as the 767, 777, and A300 are flown to Kennedy. The 757, a larger single-aisle airliner, serves both LGA and JFK. Some widebody aircraft, like the 767-300 and the 777-200ER, are reserved for international routes, transcontinental routes and/or high density domestic routes (between hubs, like DFW-MIA and DFW-ORD).
American Airlines was one of three carriers (Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines being the other two) to sign an exclusive agreement with Boeing in the late 1990s. When Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas, the European Union forced Boeing to void the contracts. The carriers are widely believed to still have a gentlemen's agreement with Boeing.
In March 2007 American decided to pull its order for 47 Boeing 737-800 forward three years from 2013-2016 to 2009-2012, to replace some of its older MD-80s and increase fuel airline fuel efficiency. The same deal includes the right to purchase Boeing 787 aircraft, although there are no details on size and schedule of potential orders.[12]
In August 2007 the airline announced the intention of offering Wi-fi internet services on it Boeing 767-200ER fleet on flights across the United States next year.[13] The service will allow passengers with wireless internet capabilities to access the internet, emails and also VPN. The service will have fees similar to those of internet cafes and will require the fitting of a GPS antenna and two other antennas which can be fitted overnight.
As of August, 2007, American's fleet has an average age of 14.4 years.[14] The American Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as of March 2007:[15]
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers (First/Business/Economy) |
Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300B4-600R | 34 | 267 (16/251) | Domestic/Latin American short-medium haul Mostly flies out of JFK, BOS, MIA, and SJU |
Exit from service: 2012 Leases expiring |
| Boeing 737-800 | 77 (47 orders) |
142 (16/126) 148 (16/132) |
North American short-medium haul Mostly flights in and out of MIA, some at DFW |
All have been fitted with winglets[citation needed] |
| Boeing 757-200 | 133 | 188 (22/166) | short-medium-long haul | To be fitted with winglets To be fitted with new interiors |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 16 | 165 (9/30/126) 167 (9/30/128) |
JFK-Bermuda, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco Sometimes substituted on 757 routes out of JFK |
To be fitted with winglets[citation needed] To be fitted with new interiors |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 58 | 219 (30/189) 223 (30/193) 225 (30/195) |
Domestic/International medium-long haul | To be fitted with winglets To be fitted with New Business Class |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 47 (7 orders) |
245 (16/35/194) 247 (18/35/194) |
Buenos Aires, London, Frankfurt, Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, São Paulo, Tokyo Chicago-Dallas; Dallas-Miami; Miami-Los Angeles |
To be fitted with New Business Class and Flagship Suites in First Class |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | 244 | 136 (16/120) 140 (16/124) |
North American short-medium haul | Planned to be replaced with the current order and future orders
Replacement aircraft: Boeing 737-800 |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | 77 | 136 (16/120) 140 (16/124) |
North American short-medium haul | Planned to be replaced with the current order and future orders
Replacement aircraft: Boeing 737-800 |
As of October, 2007[16]
[edit] Retired fleet
| Aircraft | Year retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BAC 111 | 1972 | |
| BAe 146 | 1993 | ex-AirCal |
| Boeing 707 | 1981 | |
| Boeing 717 | 2002 | ex-TWA |
| Boeing 727-023 | 1993 | |
| Boeing 727-223 | 2002 | |
| Boeing 737-1xx | 1993 | ex-AirCal |
| Boeing 737-2xx | 1993 | ex-AirCal |
| Boeing 737-3A4 | 1993 | ex-AirCal |
| Boeing 747-123 | 1983 | Exchanged with Pan Am for additional DC-10s |
| Boeing 747-SP31 | 1994 | |
| Boeing 757-2Q8 | 2007 | Ex-TWA (owned by ILFC, being leased to Delta Air Lines) |
| Boeing 767-331 | 2002 | ex-TWA |
| Boeing 767-3YO | 2002 | ex-TWA |
| Convair 240 | 1960s | |
| Convair 990 | 1970s | |
| Curtis Condor | 1930s | |
| Douglas DC-2 | 1930s | |
| Douglas DC-3 | 1930s | |
| Douglas DC-4 | 1940s | |
| Douglas DC-6 | 1966 | |
| Douglas DC-7 | 1950s | |
| Douglas DC-9 | 2001 | ex-TWA |
| Fokker 100 | 2004 | Sold to Jetsgo until Sudden Liquidation Now Sold to Avianca |
| Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor | 1920s | |
| Lockheed L-188 Electra | 1960s | |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10 | 2000 | Most sold to FedEx |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | 2002 | Most sold to FedEx |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-87 | 2001 | ex-Reno Air |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-90 | 2001 | ex-Reno Air |
[edit] AAdvantage
AAdvantage is the frequent flyer program of American Airlines. Launched May 1, 1981, it was the first such loyalty program in the world, and remains the largest with more than 50 million members as of 2005.
Miles accumulated in the program allow members to redeem tickets, upgrade service class, or obtain free or discounted car rentals, hotel stays, merchandise, or other products and services through partners. The most active members, based on the amount and price of travel booked, are designated AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum, and AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite members, with privileges such as separate check-in, priority upgrade and standby processing, or complimentary upgrades. They also receive similar privileges from AA's partner airlines, notably those in Oneworld.
[edit] History
Increased competition following the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act prompted airline marketing professionals to develop ways to reward repeat customers and build brand loyalty. The first idea at American, a special "loyalty fare", was modified and expanded to offer complimentary first class tickets and upgrades to first class for companions, or discounted coach tickets. Membership was seeded by searching AA's SABRE computer reservations system for recurring phone numbers. The 130,000 most frequent flyers, plus an additional 60,000 members of AA's Admirals Club were pre-enrolled and sent letters with their new account numbers. The name was selected by AA's advertising agency, and is consistent with other American Airlines programs featuring "AA" in the name and logo.
Less than a week later, rival United Airlines launched its Mileage Plus program; other airlines followed in the ensuing months and years. The rapid appearance of competition changed the nature of the program, and as airlines began to compete on the features of their frequent flyer programs, AAdvantage liberalized its rules, established partnerships with hotel and rental car agencies, and offered promotions such as extra free beverages. In 1982 AAdvantage also became the first program to cooperate with an international carrier; members could accrue and redeem miles on British Airways flights to Europe.
In 2005 American Airlines joined other major US carriers in introducing an online shopping portal allowing shoppers to earn AAdvantage miles when shopping online.
[edit] Partnerships
In addition to its Oneworld, American Connection, and American Eagle partnerships, American Airlines offers frequent flier partnerships with the following airlines:
[edit] Admirals Club
The Admirals Club was conceived by AA president C.R. Smith as a marketing gimmick shortly after he was made an honorary Texas Ranger. Inspired by the Kentucky colonels and other honorary organizations, Smith decided to make particularly valued passengers "admirals" of the "Flagship fleet" (AA called its aircraft "Flagships" at the time). The list of Admirals included many celebrities, politicians and other VIPs, as well as more "ordinary" customers who had been particularly loyal to the airline.
There was no physical Admirals Club until shortly after the opening of LaGuardia Airport. During the airport's construction, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia had an upper-level lounge set aside for press conferences and business meetings. At one such press conference, he noted that the entire terminal was being offered for lease to airline tenants; after a reporter asked whether the lounge would be leased as well, LaGuardia replied that it would, and a vice president of AA immediately offered to lease the premises. The airline then procured a liquor license and began operating the lounge as the "Admirals Club" in 1939.
The second Admirals Club opened at Washington National Airport. Because it was illegal to sell alcohol in Virginia at the time, the Club contained refrigerators for the use of its members, so they could store their own liquor at the airport.
For many years, membership in the Admirals Club (and most other airline lounges) was by the airline's invitation. After a passenger sued for discrimination[citation needed], the Club (and most other airline lounges) switched to a paid membership program. Membership now costs $250 to $450 a year, depending on previous member status and AAdvantage frequent flyer program level; membership can also be purchased with AAdvantage miles.
[edit] Locations
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[edit] Codeshare agreements
American has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
AmericanConnection, which feeds American's hub at Lambert Saint Louis International Airport, is also a codesharing operation with three regional carriers. It also has reciprocal agreements for earning frequent flyer miles with several airlines, including all other members of the Oneworld alliance.
[edit] Incidents and accidents
Incidents involving American Airlines mainline are listed. For lists of incidents on subsidiary carriers, see American Eagle Airlines and American Connection
- October 23, 1942; American Airlines Flight 28, en route from Burbank, California to New York City, crashed in Chino Canyon near Palm Springs after it was clipped by a U.S. Army Air Corps Lockheed B-34 Ventura II bomber. The crash killed all nine passengers and crew of three aboard the Douglas DC-3; among the victims was award-winning composer and Hollywood songwriter Ralph Rainger. The bomber, being flown by a two-man crew, landed safely.
- July 28, 1943: American Airlines Flight 63 (Flagship Ohio), a Douglas DC-3 routing Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati-Louisville-Nashville crashed on the last segment of the flight (Louisville-Nashville) about 1.6 miles west of Trammel, KY. The plane descended from 200 feet until it struck trees, then across an open field and stopped in an upright position. Of the 22 people onboard (18 passenger and 4 crew) 20 died. The cause of the crash was loss of control due to severe turbulence and violent downdrafts.
[2] - October 15, 1943: American Airlines Flight 63 (Flagship Missouri) a Douglas DC-3 routing Nashville-Memphis crashed near Centerville, TN. As the plane was cleared to climb by Nashville, the plane instead descended until it impacted a sloped hill and burst into flames. All 11 people onboard (8 passengers and 3 crew) were killed, including Blan R. Maxwell, who was the speaker of the Tennessee State Senate. The cause of the crash was determined to be icing on the plane either on the wings or propellers.
[3] - February 10, 1944: American Airlines Flight 2, a DC-3 routing Little Rock, Arkansas-Memphis crashed into the Mississippi River about 18.1 miles from Memphis International Airport. All 24 occupants onboard (21 passengers and 3 crew members) were killed. 11 of the fatalities were members of the armed services The cause of the crash was never determined.
[4] - January 10, 1945: American Airlines Flight 6001, a Douglas DC-3 was approaching Lockheed Air Terminal now known as Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA when it apparently veered to the left as if circling to landing. The pilot radioed, stating he could not contact visual with the ground and requested vectors to Palmdale. The plane was given clearance to proceed, and was not seen or heard from again until the next day when search crews found the wreckage in foothills approximately 3 miles NE from the Lockheed Air Terminal. All 24 occupants (21 passengers and 3 crew) including 17 members of the Army and Navy were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be the pilot's missed approach procedure to the point where it could not be applied safely.
[5] - February 23, 1945: American Airlines Flight 9, a Douglas DC-3 flying on a routing New York City-Washington, DC-Nashville-Los Angeles, crashed into the wooded summit of Glade Mountain about 6 miles SW of the town of Rural Retreat, VA. Of the 22 occupants onboard (19 passengers and 3 crewmembers) 17 were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error in not properly remaining at a safe altitude.
[6] - March 3, 1946: American Airlines Flight 6-103, a Douglas DC-3, routing New York-Tucson-San Diego, crashed into Thing Mountain, CA near El Centro, CA. The plane reported flying over El Centro; thereafter the plane descended and crashed into the mountain. All 25 occupants onboard (22 passengers and 3 crew) were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be the pilot's action in permitting the descent to occur, to which no explanation has ever been given.
[7] - August 25, 1946: American Airlines Flight 26, (Flagship Tulsa), a Douglas C-47 was on a training flight originating and terminating in Memphis, TN. Approximately 5 miles WSW of Ashland, MS the plane crashed into the ground. Both occupants onboard were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be an unexplained loss of control.
[8] - December 28, 1946: American Airlines Flight 2007, a Douglas C-50, routing Detroit-Chicago crashed near Michigan City, IN after an emergency divert to South Bend after the pilot reported problems with both engines. The plane crash-landed near Michigan City. Of the 21 occupants onboard (18 passengers and 3 crew) 2 of the crew were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be fuel starvation in both engines.
- August 8, 1947: American Airlines Flight ? a Douglas DC-3 flying New York City-Buffalo on a cargo flight (transporting an engine) crashed into Flushing Bay while returning to La Guardia Airport after the pilot reported low oil pressure in engine #2. The plane upon impact sank in approximately 5 minutes. Both pilots onboard were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be insufficient air speed for a single engine operation while attempting the landing.[9]
- November 29, 1949: Flight 157, a Douglas DC-6, veered off the runway and struck buildings after the flight crew lost control of the plane during its final approach to Dallas Love Field 26 passengers and 2 crew members were killed.
- August 22, 1950: American Airlines Flight 14 a Douglas DC-6 flying from Los Angeles-Chicago suffered decompression after a propeller blade from the #3 engine failed and punctured the fuselage near Eagle, CO. The plane made a safe landing in Denver. One passenger, who was suffering from a heart condition died. The cause of the crash was fatigue in the engine.[10]
- January 22, 1952: American Airlines Flight 6780, a Convair 240 was on routing Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse-Newark when it crashed into the corner of the intersection of Williamson and South Streets, in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey approximately 3.4 miles SE of Newark while descending for a landing. The plane was noticed to be drifting off course and descending prior to the crash. All 27 occupants onboard (20 passengers and 3 crew) plus 7 civilians on the ground, were killed. Among the passengers was Robert P. Patterson, former Undersecretary of War under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and former War Secretary under Harry S. Truman. The cause of the crash was never determined.
[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19520122-00 - September 16, 1953: American Airlines Flight 723, a Convair 240 was flying Boston-Springfield-Albany-Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo-Detroit-Chicago-when it crashed while descending for landing. The plane crashed into a series of radio towers in a fog, crashed and burned. All 28 occupants onboard (25 passengers and 3 crew) were killed.
[11] - July 6, 1954: American Airlines Flight 163, a Douglas DC-6 was flying Cleveland-St. Louis when a 15-year-old passenger burst into the cockpit with an empty pistol. The captain produced his own gun, shot and killed the perpetrator
- March 20, 1955: American Airlines Flight 711, a Convair 240, was flying Chicago-Branson, MO when it crashed a quarter mile short of the airport while landing. Of the 35 occupants onboard (32 passengers and 3 crew), 13 were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be spatial disorientation and inattention to instruments.
- August 4, 1955: American Airlines Flight 476, a Convair 240, flying Tulsa-Springfield, Missouri-St. Louis-New York City crashed while attempting to make an emergency landing at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri after the #2 engine caught fire. While descending the right wing broke off and the plane crashed into a forest. All 30 occupants onboard (27 passengers and three crew were killed). The cause of the crash was determined to be the "installation of an unairworthy cylinder".
[12] - January 6, 1957: American Airlines Flight ?, a Convair 240, flying Providence, Rhode Island-Joplin-Tulsa when it struck trees about 4 miles N of the approach end to Rwy 17 at Tulsa International Airport, slid along the ground to the top of an upslope, and then jumped a ditch and came to rest 540 feet from the approach end. Of the 10 occupants onboard (7 passengers and 3 crew) one passenger was killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be the lack of alertness by the captain in allowing the first officer to continue the descent at too low of an altitude.
[13] - February 3, 1959: Flight 320, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashed on approach to LaGuardia on February 3, 1959 due to pilot error.
- August 15, 1959: American Airlines Flight 514 (Flagship Connecticut), a Boeing 707 was on a training flight ending at Calverton=Peconic River Airport, NY now known as Calverton Executive Airport, when during descent the plane began a barrel roll to the right, yawed and crashed in flames after the pilots shut off the engines to simulate a flemout. All 5 crew onboard were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be the failure of the crew to recognize the yaw.
[14] - January 28, 1961: American Airlines Flight 1502 (Flagship Oklahoma) was on a training flight from Idlewild Airport (now John F. Kennedy International Airport) when it crashed about five miles W of Montauk Point after being seen left-wing low steep dive. All six occupants on board were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be a loss of control but the reason for loss was never known.
- March 1, 1962: Flight 1, a Boeing 707, crashed shortly after takeoff from Idlewild airport due to a maintenance error causing rudder failure.
- November 8, 1965: Flight 383, a Boeing 727, crashed on approach to Cincinnati airport. The aircraft crashed, killing 58 and leaving four survivors, including a flight attendant, Toni Ketchell. Pilot error was cited.
- December 28, 1970: American Airlines (Trans Caribbean Airways) 727-200; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands: The pilot made a hard landing which caused the aircraft to bounce, followed by a second touchdown which caused the main landing gear to fail. The aircraft overran the runway and hit an embankment. Two of the 46 passengers were killed, the crew survived.
- April 27, 1976: Flight 625, a Boeing 727, crashed on approach to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Overran short runway, pilot error cited.
- May 25, 1979:Flight 191, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. During the takeoff roll, the left engine and pylon separated from the wing. The crew continued the takeoff, but wing damage due to the engine separation also damaged the aircraft hydraulic system and caused retraction of some flight control surfaces. The aircraft rolled and crashed shortly after takeoff. All 258 passengers and 13 crew were killed. Two people on the ground were also killed.
- 15 November 1979:American Airlines Flight 444 enroute from Chicago-Washington, DC; an unsuccessful bomb aboard the plane that did not result in any fatalities.
- 12 November 1995: American Airlines Flight 1572 an MD-83 on a domestic scheduled passenger flight between Chicago-Hartford impacted trees and landed short of the runway threshold on landing at Bradley International Airport. There were no injuries among the 78 onboard. The cause of the crash was determined to be the failure of the crew to properly maintain the required altitude during descent.
- December 20, 1995: Flight 965, a Boeing 757, crashed on approach to Calí, Colombia, on, due to an outdated flight map, and Cali's old approach system and radar knocked off by guerillas have been blamed.
- June 1, 1999: Flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, overran the runway while landing at Little Rock, Arkansas.
- September 11, 2001 attacks: Two American Airlines aircraft were hijacked and crashed: Flight 77 (a Boeing 757) was intentionally crashed into the Pentagon and Flight 11 (a Boeing 767) was intentionally crashed into the North tower of the World Trade Center.
- November 12, 2001: Flight 587, an Airbus A300 crashed in the Belle Harbor neighborhood of New York City due to separation of the vertical stabiliser.
- December 22, 2001: A plot to bomb Flight 63 by "shoe bomber" Richard Reid was foiled. The flight was en route from Paris Charles De Gaulle to Miami, and was diverted to Boston's Logan Airport.
- December 7, 2005:Rigoberto Alpizar, a passenger on Flight 924, who officials said claimed to have a bomb in a carry-on bag, was shot and killed by a team of federal air marshals on the jetway as the plane boarded at Miami International Airport for a flight to Orlando, Florida, from Medellín, Colombia.
- March 18, 2005: a passenger died aboard American Airlines on a New York JFK to Los Angeles flight after being restrained by seven passengers. Reportedly, the passenger was unruly prior to his death.[17]
[edit] Livery
American's early liveries varied widely, but a common livery was adopted in the 1930s, featuring an eagle painted on the fuselage. The eagle became a symbol of the company and inspired the name of American Eagle Airlines. Propeller aircraft featured an international orange lightning bolt running down the length of the fuselage, which was replaced by a simpler orange stripe with the introduction of jets.
In the late 1960s, American commissioned an industrial designer to develop a new livery. The original design called for a red, white, and blue stripe on the fuselage, and a simple "AA" logo, without an eagle, on the tail. However, American's employees revolted when the livery was made public, and launched a "Save the Eagle" campaign similar to the "Save the Flying Red Horse" campaign at Mobil. Eventually, the designer caved in and created a highly stylized eagle, which remains the company's logo to this day. In 1999, American painted a new Boeing 757 in its 1959 international orange livery.
American is the only major U.S. airline that leaves the majority of its aircraft surfaces unpainted. This was because C. R. Smith hated painted aircraft, and refused to use any liveries that involved painting the entire plane. Robert "Bob" Crandall later justified the distinctive natural metal finish by noting that less paint reduced the aircraft's weight, thus saving on fuel costs. Eastern Air Lines and US Airways have also maintained unpainted airplanes in the past.
[edit] Recent news
- September 24, 2007: AMR Corporation's stock price plunged $3.76, 15.5 percent, on disappointing earnings growth, placing its market capitalization near its smaller rival United Airlines.[18]
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- In the 1960s, Mattel released a series of American Airlines stewardess Barbie dolls.
- A fictitious "American Airlines Space Freighter", the Valley Forge, was the setting for the 1971 science fiction movie Silent Running, starring Bruce Dern and directed by Douglas Trumbull. The freighter featured the then-new "AA" logo on the hull, along with the crew uniforms and several set pieces.
- On 30 March 1973 AA became the first major airline to employ a female pilot when Bonnie Tiburzi was hired to fly Boeing 727s.
- AA is one of the few companies to have purchased naming rights for two sporting venues: the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami and the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The 2006 NBA Finals saw the Miami Heat taking on the Dallas Mavericks, creating great exposure for American Airlines.
- The airline received a 100% rating on the first Corporate Equality Index released by the Human Rights Campaign in 2002 and has maintained their rating in respect to policies on LGBT employees.
- AA is the only legacy carrier in the United States which has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- Vignelli Associates designed the AA eagle logo in 1967. Vignelli attributes the introduction of his firm to American Airlines to Henry Dreyfuss, the legendary AA design consultant. The logo is still in use today.
- American Airlines uses the code name "Jim Wilson" for corpses that are shipped with the flight. [15]
[edit] Catering
See Gate Gourmet and LSG Sky Chefs
[edit] Sources
- John M. Capozzi, A Spirit of Greatness (JMC, 2001), ISBN 0-9656410-3-1
- Don Bedwell, Silverbird: The American Airlines Story (Airways, 1999), ISBN 0-9653993-6-2
- Al Casey, Casey's Law (Arcade, 1997), ISBN 1-55970-307-5
- Simon Forty, ABC American Airlines (Ian Allan, 1997), ISBN 1-882663-21-7
- Dan Reed, The American Eagle: The Ascent of Bob Crandall and American Airlines (St. Martin's, 1993), ISBN 0-312-08696-2
- Robert J. Serling, Eagle (St. Martin's, 1985), ISBN 0-312-22453-2
- International Directory of Company Histories, St. James Press.
[edit] References
- ^ http://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DSGN_CODE=AALA&OPER_FAR=121+&OPER_NAME=AMERICAN+AIRLINES+INC
- ^ [Aviation Week and Space Technology, January 15, 2007, p. 349],
- ^ http://www.aviationexplorer.com/american_airlines.htm
- ^ http://www.aviationexplorer.com/american_airlines.htm
- ^ Jets Across the U.S., TIME, November 17, 1958.
- ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/1997/02/17/fly.t_1.php.
- ^ American Airlines Joins Southwest Airlines in Defeating the Wright Amendment (Today In The Sky: November 2, 2006)
- ^ American Airlines Introduces Non-Stop Service To Delhi
- ^ Trottman, Melanie. "AMR Accelerates Orders For Fuel-Efficient 737's". Wall Street Journal, March 29, 2007
- ^ http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2006_03/09_bizclass.jhtml
- ^ http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/travelInformation/duringFlight/entertainment/main.jsp&anchorEvent=false
- ^ Darren Shannon. "American reveals plan to buy 787s as it revises 737 order", Flight International, 2007-04-03, p. 8.
- ^ [1], 07/08/07
- ^ American Airlines Fleet Age
- ^ "Directory: World Airlines", Flight International, 2007-03-27, pp. 74-75.
- ^ American Airlines Fleet Certification (Federal Aviation Administration: October 23, 2007)
- ^ http://www.airguideonline.com/airsafety_nonfatal05.htm
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/09/24/ap4149499.html
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Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since September 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since October 2007 | Articles with trivia sections from June 2007 | Oneworld | Airlines of the United States | American Airlines | Companies based in Fort Worth, Texas | Open Travel Alliance | Airlines established in 1934
