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{{Infobox Airline
|airline = American Airlines
|logo = American Airlines logo.svg
|logo_size = 250
|fleet_size = 664<ref name="fleetstats">See [[American Airlines fleet]] for full citation.</ref>
|destinations = 161
|IATA = AA
|ICAO = AAL
|callsign = AMERICAN
|parent = [[AMR Corporation]]
|founded = 1930 (as American Airways)
|headquarters = [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], [[Texas]]
|key_people = [[Gerard Arpey]] ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]]) <br> [[Tom Horton (executive)|Tom Horton]] ([[Chief Financial Officer|CFO]])
|hubs =
<div>
*[[Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport]]
*[[Lambert International Airport]]
*[[Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport]]
*[[Miami International Airport]]
*[[O'Hare International Airport]]

</div>
|| focus_cities =
<div>
*[[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]
*[[LaGuardia Airport]]
*[[Logan International Airport]]
*[[Los Angeles International Airport]]<ref>[http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/corporateInformation/facts/amr.jhtml AMR Corp. Fact Sheet from AA.com] retrieved 7/17/08</ref>

</div>
|frequent_flyer = [[American Airlines#AAdvantage|AAdvantage]]
|lounge = [[American Airlines#Admirals Club|Admirals Club]]
|alliance = [[Oneworld]]
|company_slogan = We know why you fly.
|website = http://www.aa.com/
}}

'''American Airlines, Inc.''' (AA) is a [[United States|US]]-based airline<ref>[http://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DSGN_CODE=AALA&OPER_FAR=121+&OPER_NAME=AMERICAN+AIRLINES+INC Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and the world's [[largest airline]] in total passengers-miles transported<ref>''Aviation Week and Space Technology'', [[January 15]], [[2007]], p. 349 </ref>, passenger fleet size, and the second largest airline in terms of aircraft operated ([[FedEx Express]], a cargo airline has more aircraft) and the second-largest [[airline]] company in the world (behind [[Air France-KLM]]) in terms of total operating revenues<ref>[http://www.aviationexplorer.com/american_airlines.htm American airlines information pictures and facts<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. 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]], [[People's Republic of China|China]], and [[India]]. The [[Chairman]], President, and [[CEO]] of AA is [[Gerard Arpey]]. In 2005, the airline flew more than 138 billion [[revenue passenger mile]]s (RPM).

== Overview ==
As of May 2008, American serves 260 cities (excluding codeshares with partner airlines) with a fleet of 655 aircraft.<ref>[http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/corporateInformation/facts/fleet.jhtml American Airlines Fleet</ref> 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 trans/inter/intra/continental market. As of [[May 19]], [[2008]], American is losing [[United States Dollar|$]]3 million per day<ref>http://www.btnmag.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003805154</ref>.

American has four hubs: [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport|Dallas/Fort Worth]] (DFW), [[O'Hare International Airport|Chicago]] (ORD), [[Miami International Airport|Miami]] (MIA), and [[Lambert International Airport|Lambert St. Louis International Airport]](STL). [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport|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|Los Angeles]] (LAX), [[JFK International Airport|New York City-Kennedy]] (JFK), [[Logan International Airport|Boston]] (BOS), serve as focus cities and international gateways. American operates maintenance bases at [[Tulsa International Airport|Tulsa]] (TUL), [[Kansas City International Airport|Kansas City]] (MCI), and [[Fort Worth Alliance Airport|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]].

==History==
===Formation===
American Airlines was developed from a conglomeration of 82 small airlines through corporate acquisitions and reorganizations: initially, '''American Airways''' was used as a common brand by a number of independent 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), Thompson Aeronautical Services (which operated a Detroit-Cleveland route beginning in 1929) and Colonial Air Transport in the Northeast.
[[Image:IMG 1265r.jpg|thumb|right|[[Airbus A300]]]]
On [[January 25]], [[1930]], American Airways was incorporated as a single company, based in [[New York City|New York]], with routes from [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[New York City|New York]] and [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] to [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]], and a route from Dallas to [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]. The airline operated wood and fabric-covered [[Fokker F.VII|Fokker Trimotor]]s and all-metal [[Ford Trimotor]]s. In 1934 American began flying [[Curtiss Condor]] biplanes fitted with sleeping berths.

===American Airlines before World War II===
[[Image:americanairlines.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|left|[[Boeing 767]]]]
In 1934, American Airways Company was acquired by [[E.L. Cord]], who renamed the company "American Air Lines". Cord hired Texas businessman [[C. R. Smith|C.R. (Cyrus Rowlett) Smith]] to run the company.

Smith worked closely with [[Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.|Donald Douglas]] to develop the [[Douglas DC-3|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 Airlines 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 [[Airport lounge|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.

===Postwar developments===
[[Image:Boeing 707 of American Airlines at Basle - April 1976.jpg|[[Boeing 707]] freighter at [[EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg]] in [[France]] (near [[Basel]]) in 1976|thumb]]
After [[World War II]], American launched an international subsidiary, [[American Overseas Airlines]] to serve Europe; however, AOA was sold to rival [[Pan American World Airways|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 707]]s 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 990]]s and [[Lockheed L-188 Electra|Lockheed Electras]]. American invested $440 million in jet aircraft up to 1962, launched the first electronic booking system ([[Sabre (computer system)|Sabre]]) together with [[IBM]], and built an upgraded terminal at Idlewild (now [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK]]) Airport in [[New York City]] which became the airline's largest base of operations.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,810685,00.html Jets Across the U.S.], ''TIME'', [[November 17]], [[1958]].</ref>

===Expansion in 1980s and 1990s===
After moving its headquarters to [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] in 1979, American changed its routing to a [[spoke-hub distribution paradigm|hub-and-spoke system]] starting in 1981, opening its first hubs at DFW and Chicago O'Hare. Led by its new outspoken chairman and CEO, [[Robert Crandall]], 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. [[Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport|San Jose International Airport]] was added as a hub after American purchased [[AirCal]]. 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/Douglas International Airport|Charlotte]]. [[Nashville International Airport|Nashville]] was also chosen as a hub.

In 1990, American Airlines bought the assets of TWA's operations at London Heathrow airport for $445 million, giving American a hub there. Until the adoption of the "[[open skies]]" agreement in April 2008, the US/British treaty [[Bermuda II]] the only U.S. airlines allowed to serve Heathrow were American and [[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 Airlines pilots who on [[February 17]], [[1997]] went on strike 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=http://www.iht.com/articles/1997/02/17/fly.t_1.php | work= | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/1997/02/17/fly.t_1.php | accessdate=}}</ref> 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.

During this time, investor concern over airline bankruptcies and falling stock prices brought a now-prophetic warning from American's CEO [[Robert Crandall]], an executive known for his candor. "I've never invested in any airline," Crandall said. "I'm an airline manager. I don't invest in airlines. And I always said to the employees of American, 'This is not an appropriate investment. It's a great place to work and it's a great company that does important work. But airlines are not an investment.'" Crandall noted that since the airline deregulation of the 1970s, some 150 airlines had gone out of business. "A lot of people came into the airline business. Most of them promptly exited, minus their money," he said.

[[Miami International Airport|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.

[[Image:aa.b777-200er.n781an.arp.jpg|thumb|right|[[Boeing 777|Boeing 777-223ER]] landing at [[London Heathrow Airport]]]]

=== TWA merger, 9/11, into present ===

Robert 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 contentious 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. All were subsequently furloughed, and most remain on furlough. The most senior TWA captain, hired in 1963, was integrated at the same seniority level as an AA captain hired in 1985.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} All TWA captains and first officers hired in March 1989 and later were appended to the seniority list junior to American Airlines first officers hired in June 2001. However, TWA pilots were given super-seniority and a 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 flew 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. The extensive furloughs of former TWA pilots in the wake of the 9/11 attacks disproportionately affected St. Louis and resulted in a significant influx of American Airlines pilots. For cabin crews, all former TWA flight attendants (approximately 4,200) 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. Carty negotiated wage and benefit agreements with the airline's labor unions, but was forced to resign after union leaders discovered he was planning to award executive compensation packages at the same time. St. Louis' hub was also downsized.

In 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), 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 [[Republic of Ireland|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 [[Dallas Love Field|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.<ref>[http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/wright_amendment/index.html American Airlines Joins Southwest Airlines in Defeating the Wright Amendment] (Today In The Sky: [[November 2]], [[2006]])</ref>

American Airlines canceled over 1,000 flights to inspect wire bundles over three days in April 2008, and to make sure they were compliant with government safety regulations.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24029455/ American cancels more than 1,000 flights]</ref> This massive disruption caused significant inconvenience to its passengers, and substantial financial problems for the airline. American is also in the process of replacing all its [[MD-80]] jets with Boeing 737s.
In May 2008, a month after its mass grounding of aircraft, American announced a series of capacity cuts and fees to increase revenue and help cover the high fuel prices. The airline increased fees such as a $15 charge for the first checked bag and $25 for the second, as well as a $150 change fee for domestic reservations. American Airlines also announced in May that it expects to retire 40 to 45 mainline aircraft in fall 2008, the majority of which will consist of fuel-inefficient MD-80s but will also include some Airbus A300 aircraft. AA's regional airline will retire 35 to 40 regional jets around the same time, as well as its entire Saab turboprop fleet.

Looking into the future, American Airlines faces many challenges which threaten to shrink its world-leading size and scope. The pending [[Delta Air Lines-Northwest Airlines merger|Delta-NWA merger]], which, if approved, will create a global airline larger than American. American also faces the challenge of retiring its massive MD-80 fleet, which will take several years. [[MD-80]] jets, which account for over half of American's mainline fleet, are one of the least fuel-efficient aircraft flying today, and given today's high fuel prices, will pose a challenge when competing with rivals such as Jet Blue that have a much newer fleet with more amenities overall. American so far has increased orders for efficient 737-800 aircraft to help replace the MD-80s, but those orders don't amount to even a third of the MD-80 fleet.<ref>[http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2008_05/21_capacity.jhtml AMR Corporation Announces Significant Capacity Reductions, Aircraft Retirements and Additional Revenue Growth Efforts]</ref>

On [[July 2]], [[2008]], American announced furloughs of up to 950 stewards and stewardesses, via Texas' [[Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act|Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act]] system.<ref>http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200807021332DOWJONESDJONLINE000563_FORTUNE5.htm</ref> This furlough is in addition to the furlough of 20 [[MD-80]] aircraft<ref>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/368286_air25.html</ref>. Another casualty will be American's hub operations at [[SJU]] that will be truncated by over 50 percent (from 38 to 18 daily inbound flights), effective [[3 September]], but the carrier will retain service in a [[focus city|diminished capacity]].<ref>http://www.caribbeanlogue.com/american-airlines-reducing-caribbean-flights.html</ref><ref>http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1411103/american_airlines_american_eagle_cut_flights_to_caribbean/</ref>

In 2008, American Airlines started charging $15.00 to check a first bag on tickets purchased after June 15, 2008. A second bag will be checked for $25.00, $100.00 for the third, fourth, and fifth bag, Plus $200.00, a piece for the 6th bag and more. American Airlines is not the only airline doing this, as Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways are now joining American Airlines and charging $15.00 for customers first checked bag. There may be some exceptions.<ref>[http://www.aa.com/aa/pubcontent/en_US/utility/FAQs/customerService/BaggageAllowance.jsp New Baggage Policy] Customer Service FAQs - Baggage Allowance -- AA.com</ref>

===Slogans===
[[Image:AARDUT.jpg|thumb|right|[[MD-82]] at [[Raleigh-Durham International Airport]]]]

*Current - "We know why you fly, we're American Airlines."
*2001 (post-9/11) - "We are an airline that is proud to bear the name American."
*Mid 1990s - "Based Here. Best Here."
*Mid 1980s-mid 1990s - "Something special in the air."
*1980s-1988- "The On-Time Machine."
*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."

==Destinations==
[[Image:American Airlines MD82 North York.jpg|thumb|right|MD-82 in flight above [[Toronto]].]]
{{see|American Airlines destinations}}
American Airlines serves destinations on four continents. Its network is particularly developed in the Americas, where it serves more destinations than any other airline. Hubs at Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami and New York (JFK) serve as major gateways to the Americas, American's Chicago hub has become the airline's primary gateway to Europe and Asia, and St. Louis is a regional hub for the airline. Almost all of AA's flights include a link to one of these hubs.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} 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]].<ref>[http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2005_07/12_delhi.jhtml American Airlines Introduces Non-Stop Service To Delhi]</ref> Somewhat surprising to some (given the lack of success that United Airlines encountered operating the same route) this service has been profitable.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} 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.

More recently, the price of fuel has been forcing airlines to cut back on unprofitable flying especially in the fourth quarter of 2008, after the peak summer season. American has announced the most dramatic cuts in operations so far - over 11%- and has plans to ax more routes. American has already planned to cut back on flying especially at its Caribbean hub in San Juan, and also long distance routes such as ORD-Honolulu, which are more prone to lose money because of the high cost of fuel.

American is currently seeking DOT approval to fly non-stop from [[Miami]] to Brazilian cities [[Salvador]], [[Recife]] and [[Belo Horizonte]]. Flights would begin in December 2008 using [[ETOPS]]-certified Boeing 767.

== Fleet ==
{{main|American Airlines fleet}}
=== Current ===
American Airlines has an average fleet age of 15.2 years as of April 2008.<ref>[http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/American%20Airlines.htm Fleet age American Airlines - Airfleets<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
<center>
{| class="toccolours sortable" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+ '''American Airlines Fleet'''
|- bgcolor=#9592C6
!Aircraft
!Total
!Passengers <br> <small>(First/Business/Economy)</small>
!Routes
!Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A300|Airbus A300B4-600R]]
|33
|267 (16/251)
|''Domestic/Latin American short-medium haul'' <br> Most fly out of JFK, MIA, SJU, and MCO
|To be phased out by late 2009 <br> Exit from service: 13 in 2008
|-
|[[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-800]]
|77 <br> (70 orders: <br> 34 deliveries in 2009 <br>, 36 deliveries in 2010) <br>
|142 (16/126) <br> 148 (16/132)
|''North American short-medium haul'' <br> Most fly out of MIA, DFW, and LAX
|
|-
|[[Boeing 757|Boeing 757-200]]
|124
|188 (22/166)
|''Short-medium-long haul'' <br> Most fly out of hub/focus cities
|To be fitted with [[winglets]] <br> To be fitted with new interiors
|-
|[[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-200ER]]
|16
|165 (9/30/126) <br> 167 (9/30/128)
|JFK-Bermuda <br> Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco
|To be fitted with [[winglets]]{{Fact|date=October 2007}} <br> To be fitted with new interiors <br> One with anti-bomb device.[[Aircell]] internet access available*
|-
|[[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-300ER]]
|58
|219 (30/189) <br> 223 (30/193) <br> 225 (30/195)
|''Domestic/International medium-long haul''
|To be fitted with [[winglets]]<ref>[http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2007_04/25_winglets.jhtml American Airlines And Aviation Partners Boeing Team Up To Certify And Install 767-300ER Blended Winglets]</ref> <br> Fitted with New Business Class
First aircraft to receive winglets was Tail # N389AA (First ever 767-300 to receive winglets)
|-
|[[Boeing 777|Boeing 777-200ER]]
|47 <br> (7 orders)
|245 (16/35/194) <br> 247 (18/35/194)
|<small>'''''Domestic'''''</small> <br> Miami-Chicago <br> Dallas-Chicago <br>
<small>'''''International'''''</small> <br> Moscow <br> Beijing <small>(begins March 25, 2009)</small>, Buenos Aires, Paris, London, Frankfurt, <br> Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, <br> São Paulo, Tokyo <br> Bogota <small>(begins November, 2008)</small>,
|Fitted with Flagship Suites <br> Being fitted with New Business Class <br> Being refitted with AVOD in all classes
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-80/MD-90|McDonnell Douglas MD-82]]
|242
|136 (16/120) <br> 140 (16/124)
|''North American short-medium haul'' <br> Most fly out of ORD, DFW, STL
|To be phased out and replaced by Boeing 737-800 beginning in 2009
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-80/MD-90|McDonnell Douglas MD-83]]
|93
|136 (16/120) <br> 140 (16/124)
|''North American short-medium haul'' <br> Most fly out of ORD, DFW, STL
|To be phased out and replaced by Boeing 737-800 beginning in 2009
|}
<sup>*Aircell Internet Broadband Access is being installed on all Boeing 767-200 aircraft.<ref>[http://aircell.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=73 American Airline's First Installation of Aircell]</ref></sup>
</center>

==AAdvantage==

{{Unreferencedsection|date=December 2007}}

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 free upgrades. They also receive similar privileges from AA's partner airlines, particularly those in [[Oneworld]].

===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 free 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.

===Partnerships===
In addition to its [[Oneworld]], [[American Connection]], and [[American Eagle Airlines|American Eagle]] partnerships, American Airlines offers frequent flier partnerships with the following airlines:
{|
|- valign="top"
|
* [[Aer Lingus]]
* [[Alaska Airlines]]
* [[Air Pacific]]
* [[Air Tahiti Nui]]
* [[Brussels Airlines]]
* [[China Eastern Airlines]]
* [[Deutsche Bahn]] ([[AiRail Service]])
* [[El Al Israel Airlines]]
* [[EVA Air]]
* [[Gulf Air]]
* [[Hawaiian Airlines]]
* [[Jet Airways]]
* [[Mexicana]]
* [[SNCF]]

==Environmental Record==
The [[Texas Commission on Environmental Quality]] has awarded American Airlines its 2005 Governor's Award for its outstanding efforts in [[environmental protection]] and pollution prevention. American Airline's wastewater treatment plant [[recycle]]s water used at the base of the wash aircraft, process rinse water tanks, and irrigates landscape. That alone has saved almost 1 million dollars since 2002. In addition to that, American Airlines has also won the award for the reduction of [[hazardous waste]]. That saved them 229,000 dollars after a 2,000 investment. A bar code system used is to track hazardous waste. It has led to reduction of waste by 50 percent since 2000.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CWU/is_2006_May_11/ai_n16359869 American Airlines Receives Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Governor's Award]</ref>

Despite American Airlines positive reviews, [[Friends of the Earth]] accused them of an obscene waste of fuel. It is estimated that each of the five passengers on a [[Boeing 777]] flight from Chicago to London, produced 43 tons on [[CO2]].<ref>[http://startelegram.typepad.com/sky_talk/2008/03/green-activists.html Sky Talk Green Activists Slam AA for Nearly Empty Flight]</ref> The usual CO2 emissions for a flight from Chicago to London (one-way) is 2.9 tons.<ref>[http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org/documents/op_carboncalcs.html Sustainable Travel International CO2 Calculator]</ref>

Violations occurring over a 4½ year period - from October 1993 to July 1998, targeted American Airlines for using high-sulfur fuel in motor vehicles at 10 major airports around the country. Under the federal [[Clean Air Act]] high sulfur fuel can not be used in motor vehicles. American Airlines promptly identified and corrected these violations of the Clean Air Act.<ref>[http://epa.gov/NE/pr/1999/072099b.html Environmental Protection Agency - American Airlines Will Make Clean Air Improvements]</ref>

== 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 Division|Texas Ranger]]. Inspired by the [[Kentucky colonel]]s and other [[Title of honor|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{{Fact|date=October 2007}}, the Club (and most other airline lounges) switched to a paid membership program.

Initial membership now costs $450 to $300 a year, depending on AAdvantage frequent flyer program level (and annual renewal membership costs $400-$250); membership can also be purchased with AAdvantage miles, and will be available as a special promotion for attaining 70,000 miles by year end.

=== Locations ===
<ref>"[http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/travelInformation/airportAmenities/AdmiralsLocations.jsp Admirals Club Locations & Pass Information]." ''American Airlines''.</ref>
{|
|- valign="top"
|
* [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Atlanta]]
* [[Austin Bergstrom International Airport|Austin]]
* [[El Dorado International Airport|Bogotá]]
* [[Logan International Airport|Boston]]
* [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport|Buenos Aires]]
* [[Simón Bolívar International Airport|Caracas]]
* [[O'Hare International Airport|Chicago O'Hare]] (3)
* [[Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport|Dallas-Fort Worth]] (4)
* [[Denver International Airport|Denver]]
* [[Frankfurt International Airport|Frankfurt]]
|
* [[Honolulu International Airport|Honolulu]] <small>(shared with [[Qantas]])</small>
* [[Kansas City International Airport|Kansas City]]
* [[London Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow]]
* [[Los Angeles International Airport|Los Angeles]]
* [[Mexico City International Airport|Mexico City]]
* [[Miami International Airport|Miami]] (2)
* [[Nashville International Airport|Nashville]]
* [[Newark Liberty International Airport|Newark]]
* [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|New York JFK]]
* [[LaGuardia Airport|New York LaGuardia]]
|
* [[John Wayne Airport|Orange County]]
* [[Tocumen International Airport|Panama City]]
* [[Charles de Gaulle International Airport|Paris CDG]]
* [[Philadelphia International Airport|Philadelphia]]
* [[Raleigh-Durham International Airport|Raleigh-Durham]]
* [[Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport|Rio de Janeiro]]
* [[San Diego International Airport|San Diego]]
* [[San Francisco International Airport|San Francisco]]
* [[San Jose International Airport|San Jose]]
* [[Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport|San Juan]] (2)
|
* [[Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport|Santiago]]
* [[Las Américas International Airport|Santo Domingo]]
* [[Guarulhos International Airport|São Paulo]]
* [[Lambert Saint Louis International Airport|St. Louis]]
* [[Narita International Airport|Tokyo-Narita]]
* [[Toronto Pearson International Airport|Toronto]]
* [[Washington Dulles International Airport|Washington Dulles]]
* [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|Washington National]]
|}

==Codeshare agreements==
American has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
{|
|- valign="top"
|
* [[Aer Lingus]]
* [[Air Pacific]]
* [[Alaska Airlines]]
* [[British Airways]]
* [[Brussels Airlines]]
* [[Cathay Pacific Airways]]
|
* [[China Eastern Airlines]]
* [[Deutsche Bahn]] ([[AiRail Service]])
* [[El Al]]
* [[EVA Air]]
* [[Finnair]]
* [[Gulf Air]]
|
* [[Hawaiian Airlines]]
* [[Horizon Air]]
* [[Iberia Airlines]]
* [[Japan Airlines]]
* [[Jet Airways]] <small></small><ref>[http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/145023.html Jet Airways to partner American Airlines : India Business<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*[[LAN (airline)|LAN Airlines]]
|
* [[Malév]]
* [[Mexicana]]
* [[Qantas Airways]]
* [[SNCF]]
* [[Royal Jordanian]]
* [[Vietnam 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.

==Livery==
American's early [[livery|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. There is a Boeing 737-800 painted in the retro AstroJet 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.

==Miscellanea==
{{Prose|date=April 2008}}

*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 lobbied heavily be assigned the IATA airline code '''US''' upon the [[US military]] releasing it for non-military use. However, [[USAir]] ultimately won the bid for the '''US''' airliner code.
*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 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.
*From October, 2001 to July, 2003, the total number of flight attendants furloughed by American Airlines were approximately 6,000, "a statement from the flight attendants' union said, as the company struggled to avoid bankruptcy. <ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Southwest/05/15/american.layoffs/index.html American Airlines to lay off 3,100, CNN.com [[2003-05-15]]]</ref>

==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.

==See also==
*[[American Airlines accidents]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
25.http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/American%20Airlines.htm
==External links==
{{Commons|American Airlines}}
*[http://www.aa.com American Airlines official website]
*[http://video.marketwatch.com/market/business/travel/airlines/airline-industry.htm?cpg=1 American Airlines Video and Audio on MarketWatch]
*[http://www.americanwaymag.com/ American Way inflight magazine]

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[[Category:American Airlines]]
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Revision as of 00:53, 24 July 2008

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