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American Airlines is a leading U.S. airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. As the core subsidiary of American Airlines Group, it is a founding member of the Oneworld aviation alliance, operating flights to over 350 destinations across more than 60 countries, making it one of the world's largest airlines by passenger volume and fleet scale.
Key moments
1926Launched its first air mail service, the earliest origin of the airline
1930Officially established through merging around 82 small regional airlines
2013Merged with US Airways to form American Airlines Group
2026To mark its 100th anniversary of continuous operations
Competitive Analysis for American Airlines
Domestic Competition: The airline competes with the other two major U.S. network carriers: Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, alongside low-cost leader Southwest Airlines which dominates short-haul domestic markets with its affordable fare model.
International Competition: It rivals global aviation giants such as Lufthansa and British Airways, while its Oneworld alliance membership creates both collaborative partnerships and competitive dynamics with other global airline networks.
Market Position Shift: The 2013 merger with US Airways drastically expanded American's scale, solidifying its status as one of the largest U.S. airlines and intensifying competition across both domestic and international route networks.
Domestic rivals include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and low-cost leader Southwest Airlines
Internationally competes with major global carriers while leveraging its Oneworld alliance network
The 2013 US Airways merger made it one of the largest U.S. airlines by fleet size and route count
American Airlines holds a dominant position in the global aviation industry, leveraging decades of operational history and a vast route network to build substantial brand equity. As one of the largest airlines in the world by passenger volume and fleet size, it has earned strong recognition among both leisure and business travelers, anchored by its founding membership in the Oneworld alliance that extends its reach across international markets. Its scale and long-standing presence in the United States, the world's largest single aviation market, provides a solid foundation for overall brand strength that supports consistent market penetration and customer retention.
The brand has navigated significant industry disruptions, including post-pandemic travel recovery and sustained fuel price volatility, adapting its service offerings and loyalty program benefits to maintain customer engagement. The 2013 merger with US Airways transformed its market position, consolidating domestic market share and expanding its international footprint, though integration created short-term brand challenges that the company has addressed through targeted service improvements and strategic marketing investments.
American Airlines' AAdvantage loyalty program is one of the most well-known in the global aviation sector, contributing to recurring customer revenue and deepening brand connection with frequent flyers. This program, combined with its extensive hub network across major U.S. cities, creates meaningful switching costs for customers and reinforces the brand's competitive standing against both legacy network carriers and low-cost competitors.
Brand leadership
Score: 82/100
American Airlines ranks among the top three largest legacy carriers in the U.S. market and is among the top five global airlines by passenger volume, giving it strong leadership in the North American aviation sector. It holds significant domestic market share across key business and leisure routes, and leads the Oneworld alliance in terms of operational scale and passenger carrying capacity, competing closely with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines for the top position in the U.S. industry.
Customer interaction
Score: 70/100
American Airlines engages with customers through multiple touchpoints, including its user-friendly mobile app, active social media channels, premium airport lounges, and its long-running AAdvantage loyalty program. It regularly solicits customer feedback to refine in-flight services and ground operations, though it faces ongoing customer satisfaction pressures compared to some peer carriers, particularly around on-time performance and baggage handling consistency.
Brand momentum
Score: 65/100
Following global post-pandemic travel recovery, American Airlines has recorded steady growth in passenger volumes and revenue, supported by rising demand for both leisure and business travel. It has expanded its route network to new underserved destinations and invested in fleet modernization to improve customer experience, but faces headwinds from ongoing cost inflation and competitive pressure from low-cost carriers that limit faster brand momentum growth.
Brand stability
Score: 75/100
As a well-established legacy carrier with a large, diversified route network, American Airlines exhibits strong brand stability, with consistent top-of-mind recognition among global travelers. It has overcome multiple industry downturns, integration challenges from merger activity, and global disruptions to maintain its leading market position, and its parent company's solid financial standing post-recovery supports long-term brand stability amid changing market conditions.
Brand age
Score: 90/100
American Airlines traces its formal founding back to 1930, giving it nearly a century of continuous operating history, one of the longest tenures of any major U.S. airline. Its long history has allowed it to build deep brand recognition and trust with multiple generations of travelers, contributing significantly to its accumulated brand equity and market presence.
Industry profile
Score: 85/100
American Airlines is a highly visible benchmark brand in the global aviation industry, widely referenced in analyses of legacy carrier performance and market dynamics. As a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, its strategic moves including the 2013 merger with US Airways have reshaped competitive dynamics across the global airline industry, giving it outsized industry influence relative to most smaller regional and international carriers.
Globalization
Score: 78/100
American Airlines operates flights to over 350 destinations across more than 60 countries, with a broad international network covering North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. Its Oneworld alliance membership extends its reach even further, allowing it to offer seamless connectivity to thousands of additional destinations worldwide, though its total revenue remains disproportionately concentrated in the U.S. domestic market compared to some other fully diversified global mega-carriers.
AI-generated analysis can support preliminary reasoning around American Airlines' brand value, but any derived figures presented in supplementary analysis are illustrative only. For a fully audited, official brand value assessment for American Airlines, contact the World Brand Lab.
frequent flyer
AAdvantage
alliance
Oneworld
fleet size
1,017
destinations
353‡R5R‡
parent
American Airlines Group
headquarters
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.‡R6R‡
key people
Robert Isom (CEO)
Greg Smith (Chairman)
revenue
US$49.6 billion (2024)‡R7R‡
operating income
US$2.6 billion (2024)‡R7R‡
net income
US$0.8 billion (2024)‡R7R‡
assets
US$61.8 billion (2024)‡R7R‡
equity
US$-5.0 billion (2024)‡R7R‡
num employees
103,440 (2024)‡R7R‡
website
aa.com
American Airlines, Inc. is a major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the largest airline in the world in terms of passengers carried and daily flights.[8] American, along with its regional subsidiaries and contractors operating under the brand name American Eagle, operate an extensive international and domestic network with almost 6,800 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in 48 countries.[9][10] The airline is also a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, one of the world's three major airline alliances.
American Airlines and American Eagle operate out of ten hubs, anchored by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the airline's largest.Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) follows as the second-largest hub, serving as a primary gateway for Southeast and transatlantic travel.Miami International Airport (MIA) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) share the third-place spot, each serving a distinct strategic role: Philadelphia acts as the premier connection point for flights between the Western U.S. and Europe, while Miami remains the leading hub for travel to the Caribbean, South America, and Latin America. The airline serves more than 200 million passengers annually, and averages more than 500,000 daily. As of 2024, the company employs 103,440 staff members.
History
American Airlines was started in 1930 as a union of more than eighty small airlines.[11] The two organizations from which American Airlines originated were Robertson Aircraft Corporation and Colonial Air Transport.The former was first created in Missouri in 1921, with both being merged in 1929 into holding company The Aviation Corporation. This, in turn, was made in 1930 into an operating company and rebranded as American Airways. In 1934, when new laws and attrition of mail contracts forced many airlines to reorganize, the corporation redid its routes into a connected system and was renamed American Airlines. The airline fully developed its international business between 1970 and 2000. It purchased Trans World Airlines in 2001.[12]
American had a direct role in the development of the Douglas DC-3, which resulted from a marathon telephone call from American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith to Douglas Aircraft Company founder Donald Wills Douglas Sr., when Smith persuaded a reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 to replace American's Curtiss Condor II biplanes. (The existing DC-2's cabin was 66 in wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths.) Douglas agreed to proceed with development only after Smith informed him of American Airline's intention to purchase 20 aircraft.
Charlotte: American's hub for the southeastern United States and secondary Caribbean gateway.
Chicago–O'Hare: American's hub for the Midwest.
Dallas/Fort Worth: American's hub for the southern United States and largest hub overall.
Los Angeles: American's hub for the West Coast and transpacific gateway.
Miami: American's primary Latin American and Caribbean hub.
New York–JFK: American's secondary transatlantic hub mainly serves destinations with high demand from local New York traffic.
New York–LaGuardia: American's New York hub for domestic flights with a few exceptions.
Fleet
Cabins
Flagship First is American's international and transcontinentalfirst class product.It is offered only on Boeing 777-300ERs and select Airbus A321s, which American designates "A321T".The seats are fully lie-flat and offer direct aisle access with only one on each side of the aisle in each row.[38] As with the airline's other premium cabins, Flagship First offers wider food and beverage options, larger seats, and lounge access at certain airports.[39] American offers domestic Flagship First service on transcontinental routes between New York–JFK and Los Angeles, New York–JFK and San Francisco, New York-JFK and Santa Ana, Boston and Los Angeles, and Miami and Los Angeles, as well as on the standard domestic route between New York-JFK and Boston.[40] The airline will debut new Flagship Suite premium seats and a revamped aircraft interior for its long-haul fleet with fresh deliveries of its Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, beginning in 2024.[41]
Reward programs
AAdvantage
AAdvantage is the frequent flyer program for American Airlines.It was launched on May 1, 1981, and remains the largest frequent flyer program, with over 115 million members as of 2021.[50] 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 accumulation of Loyalty Points with American Airlines, are designated AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, and AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite members, with privileges such as separate check-in, priority upgrade, and standby processing, or free upgrades. AAdvantage status corresponds with Oneworld status levels allowing elites to receive reciprocal benefits from American's Oneworld partner airlines.[51]
AAdvantage co-branded credit cards are also available and offer other benefits. The cards are issued by CitiCards, a subsidiary of Citigroup, Barclaycard
Corporate affairs
Business trends
The key trends for American Airlines are (as of the financial year ending 31 December):[66]
Ownership and structure
American Airlines, Inc., is publicly traded through its parent company, American Airlines Group Inc., under NASDAQ: AAL nasdaq: AAL, with a market capitalization of about $11 billion as of 2024.In September 2024, it was removed from the S&P 500 index and placed into the S&P MidCap 400[77]
American Eagle is a network of six regional carriers that operate under a codeshare and service agreement with American, operating flights to destinations in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Three of these carriers are independent, and three are subsidiaries of American Airlines Group: Envoy Air Inc.
Controversies and conflicts
Environmental violations
Between October 1993 to July 1998, American Airlines was repeatedly cited for using high-sulfur fuel in motor vehicles at 10 major airports around the country, a violation of the Clean Air Act.[138]
Lifetime AAirpass
In 1981, as a means of creating revenue in a period of loss-making, American Airlines offered a lifetime pass of unlimited travel for the initial cost of $250,000.[139][140] This entitled the pass holder to fly anywhere in the world without paying any subsequent fare. Twenty-eight were sold. However, after some time, the airline realized they were making losses on the tickets, with the ticketholders costing them up to $1 million each. Ticketholders were booking large numbers of flights with some ticketholders flying interstate for lunch or flying to London multiple times a month.
Accidents and incidents
Environmental impacts and initiatives
American Airlines reported total CO2e emissions (direct and indirect) for the twelve months ending December 31, 2020, at 20,092 Kt (-21,347 /-51.5% y-o-y).[159] The company aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.[160] In November 2023, American Airlines purchased the first carbon credit contract (for 10,000 metric tons of sequestered at $100 per ton) from Graphyte, a carbon removalstartup company invested in by Breakthrough Energy that compresses sawdust, tree bark, rice hulls, plant stalks, and other agricultural waste into biomass bricks wrapped in a polymer barrier to prevent decomposition that are stored underground.[161][162]
The prototype DST (Douglas Sleeper Transport) first flew on December 17, 1935, the 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Its cabin was 92 in wide, and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14–16 sleeping berths of the DST was given the designation DC-3.
There was no prototype DC-3; the first DC-3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line and was delivered to American Airlines.[13] American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights from Newark, New Jersey, and Chicago, Illinois.[14]
American also had a direct role in the development of the DC-10, which resulted from a specification from American Airlines to manufacturers in 1966 to offer a widebody aircraft that was smaller than the Boeing 747, but capable of flying similar long-range routes from airports with shorter runways.McDonnell Douglas responded with the DC-10 trijet shortly after the two companies' merger.[15] On February 19, 1968, the president of American Airlines, George A. Spater, and James S. McDonnell of McDonnell Douglas announced American's intention to acquire the DC-10.American Airlines ordered 25 DC-10s in its first order.[16][17] The DC-10 made its first flight on August 29, 1970,[18] and received its type certificate from the FAA on July 29, 1971.[19] On August 5, 1971, the DC-10 entered commercial service with American Airlines on a round-trip flight between Los Angeles and Chicago.[20]
In 2011, due to a downturn in the airline industry, American Airlines' parent company, the AMR Corporation, filed for bankruptcy protection.In 2013, American Airlines merged with US Airways but kept the American Airlines name, as it was the better-recognized brand internationally; the combination of the two airlines resulted in the creation of the largest airline in the United States, and ultimately the world.[21]
In December 2023, the company was added to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, and was named to the index for a second consecutive year in December 2024.[22][23]
Philadelphia: American's primary transatlantic hub and Northeastern Hub.
Phoenix–Sky Harbor: American's southwestern hub.
Washington–National: American's hub for the capital of the United States.
American Eagle
Alliance and codeshare agreements
American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance and have codeshares with the following airlines:[25]
American Airlines has established three joint ventures with fellow Oneworld alliance members, expanding beyond basic codesharing to include coordinated route planning, scheduling, and revenue sharing on jointly operated routes.[30] The Atlantic Joint Business covers transatlantic flights with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia.[31][32] The Pacific Joint Business encompasses transpacific flights with Japan Airlines.[33] A joint venture with Qantas covers routes between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.[34][35]
Interline agreements
American Airlines have interline agreements with the following airlines:
Flagship Business is American's international and transcontinental business class product.
It is offered on all Boeing 777-200ERs, Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 787-8s, and Boeing 787-9s, as well as select Airbus A321s.
All Flagship Business seats are fully lie-flat.[42] The amenities in Flagship Business include complimentary alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, multi-course meals, and lounge access.
First Class is the highest class of service on domestically configured aircraft. When such aircraft are used on international services this cabin is branded as business class. Seats range from 19 - 21 in in width and have 37 - 42 in of pitch.[42] Dining options include complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on all flights as well as standard economy snack offerings, enhanced snack basket selections on flights over 500 mi, and meals on flights 900 mi or longer.[43]
Premium Economy is American's economy plus product. It is offered on all widebody aircraft. The cabin debuted on the airline's Boeing 787-9s in late 2016[44] and is also available on Boeing 777-200s and -300s, and Boeing 787-8s. Premium Economy seats are wider than seats in the main cabin (American's economy cabin) and provide more amenities: Premium Economy customers get two free checked bags, priority boarding, and enhanced food and drink service, including free alcohol. This product made American Airlines the first U.S. carrier to offer a four-cabin aircraft.[42]
Main Cabin (economy class) is American's economy product found on all mainline and regional aircraft in its fleet. Seats range from 17 - 18.5 in in width and have 30 - 32 in of pitch. American markets several rows within the main cabin immediately behind Main Cabin Extra as "Main Cabin Preferred", which requires an extra charge to select for those without status.[42]
Main Cabin Extra seats are located in the front few rows and exit rows of the economy cabin on all aircraft and have additional pitch, complimentary alcoholic beverages and boarding one group ahead of the main cabin.[45] It is available on all of the mainline fleet and American Eagle aircraft.[42]
American also offers Basic Economy, the airline's lowest main cabin fare on many routes.Basic Economy consists of a Main Cabin ticket with numerous restrictions, including waiting until check-in for a seat assignment, no upgrades or refunds, and boarding in the last group.[46] Originally Basic Economy passengers could only carry a personal item.Later, American revised their Basic Economy policies to allow for a carry-on bag.[47]
In May 2017, American announced it would add more seats to some of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets and reduce overall legroom in the basic economy class. The last three rows were to lose 2 in, going from the current 31 to 29 in. The remainder of the main cabin was to have 30 in of legroom. This "Project Oasis" seating configuration has since been expanded to all 737 MAX 8s as well as standard Boeing 737-800 and non-transcontinental Airbus A321 jets.New Airbus A321neo jets have been delivered with the same configuration.This configuration has been considered unpopular with passengers, especially American's frequent flyers, as the new seats have less padding, less legroom, and no seatback entertainment.[48][49]
AAdvantage allows one-way redemption, starting at 7,500 miles.[57]
Admirals Club
The Admirals Club was conceived by AA president C.R. Smith as a marketing promotion shortly after he was made an honorary Texas Ranger.Inspired by the Kentucky colonels and other honorary title designations, Smith decided to make particularly valued passengers "admirals" of the "Flagship fleet" (AA called its aircraft "Flagships" at the time).[58] 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.[59]
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 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.[60]
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 liquor at the airport.[61] 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,[62] the club switched to a paid membership program in 1974.[63][64]
Flagship Lounge
Though affiliated with the Admirals Club and staffed by many of the same employees, the Flagship Lounge is a separate lounge designed explicitly for customers flying in first class and business class on international flights and transcontinental domestic flights.[65]
American Airlines is headquartered across several buildings in Fort Worth, Texas that it calls the "Robert L. Crandall Campus" in honor of former president and CEO Robert Crandall.The 1700000 sqft, five-building office complex was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.[78] The campus is located on 300 acres, adjacent to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, American's fortress hub.[79]
Before it was headquartered in Texas, American Airlines was headquartered at 633 Third Avenue in the Murray Hill area of Midtown Manhattan, New York City.[80][81] In 1979, American moved its headquarters to a site at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which affected up to 1,300 jobs.Mayor of New York CityEd Koch described the move as a "betrayal" of New York City.[82] American moved to two leased office buildings in Grand Prairie, Texas.[83] On January 17, 1983, the airline finished moving into a $150 million ($ when adjusted for inflation), 550000 sqft facility in Fort Worth; $147 million (about $ when adjusted for inflation) in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport bonds financed the headquarters.The airline began leasing the facility from the airport, which owns the facility.[83] Following the merger of US Airways and American Airlines, the new company consolidated its corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, abandoning the US Airways headquarters in Phoenix, AZ.
As of 2015, American Airlines is the corporation with the most significant presence in Fort Worth.[84]
In 2015, American announced it would build a new headquarters in Fort Worth. Groundbreaking began in the spring of 2016, and occupancy was completed in September 2019.[85] The airline plans to house 5,000 new workers in the building.[84]
It will be located on a 41 acre property adjacent to the airline's flight academy and conference and training center, west of Texas State Highway 360, 2 mi[85] west from the current headquarters.The airline will lease 300 acre from Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, and this area will include the headquarters.[84] Construction of the new headquarters began after the demolition of the Sabre facility, previously on the site.[85]
The airline considered developing a new headquarters in Irving, Texas, on the old Texas Stadium site, before deciding to keep the headquarters in Fort Worth.[84]
Corporate identity
Logo
In 1931, an American employee, Goodrich Murphy designed the AA logo as an entry in a logo contest. The eagle in the logo was copied from a Scottish hotel brochure.[86] The initial logo contained large red letters on either side of the eagle, enclosed in a double red and white circle against a blue background.This initial logo laid the foundation for the visual identity of the airline for 80 years.[87]
The logo was modified for the first time in 1946, eliminating the red and white circles and making the eagle more prominent. The corporate name was standardized in a sans-serif font in italic capital letters.[87]
The visual identity was again updated in 1962 with the addition of a lighter red as an accent color and a medium grey replacing the grayish dark blue. The logo was enclosed in a red circle, the eagle designed to be more figurative, and the double A's compacted.[87]
In 1967 with the airline expanding its fleet and competing for new routes, a review of its visual identity was initiated.[87] in 1968, under the direction of Massimo Vignelli (founding partner of Unimark) a new identity program was created.[87][88][89] According to Vignelli, the approach was "not styling but reductionist based on the notion of timelessness."[87] A blue stylized bird (created by Henry Dreyfuss) was placed between Unimark's AA symbols, a design which endured until 2013.[87]
Thirty years later, in 1997, American Airlines was able to make its logo Internet-compatible by buying the domain AA.com. AA is also American's two-letter IATAairline designator.[90]
On January 17, 2013, American launched a new rebranding and marketing campaign with FutureBrand dubbed "A New American". This included a new logo, which includes elements of the 1967 logo.[91]
American Airlines faced difficulty obtaining copyright registration for their 2013 logo. On June 3, 2016, American Airlines sought to register it with the United States Copyright Office,[92] but in October of that year, the Copyright Office ruled that the logo was ineligible for copyright protection, as it did not pass the threshold of originality, and was thus in the public domain.[92] American requested that the Copyright Office reconsider.Still, on January 8, 2018, the Copyright Office affirmed its initial determination.[92][93] After American Airlines submitted additional materials, the Copyright Office reversed its decision on December 7, 2018, and ruled that the logo contained enough creativity to merit copyright protection.[94]
Aircraft livery
American's early liveries varied widely, but a standard livery was adopted in the 1930s, featuring an eagle painted on the fuselage.[95] 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.[96]
In the late 1960s, American commissioned designer Massimo Vignelli 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; instead, Vignelli created a highly stylized eagle, which remained the company's logo until January 16, 2013.[97]On January 17, 2013, American unveiled a new livery.[98] Before then, American had been the only major U.S. airline to leave most of its aircraft surfaces unpainted. This was because C. R. Smith would not say he liked painted aircraft and refused to use any liveries that involved painting the entire plane.
Logo
In 1931, an American employee, Goodrich Murphy designed the AA logo as an entry in a logo contest. The eagle in the logo was copied from a Scottish hotel brochure.[86] The initial logo contained large red letters on either side of the eagle, enclosed in a double red and white circle against a blue background.This initial logo laid the foundation for the visual identity of the airline for 80 years.[87]
The logo was modified for the first time in 1946, eliminating the red and white circles and making the eagle more prominent. The corporate name was standardized in a sans-serif font in italic capital letters.[87]
The visual identity was again updated in 1962 with the addition of a lighter red as an accent color and a medium grey replacing the grayish dark blue. The logo was enclosed in a red circle, the eagle designed to be more figurative, and the double A's compacted.[87]
In 1967 with the airline expanding its fleet and competing for new routes, a review of its visual identity was initiated.[87] in 1968, under the direction of Massimo Vignelli (founding partner of Unimark) a new identity program was created.[87][88][89] According to Vignelli, the approach was "not styling but reductionist based on the notion of timelessness."[87] A blue stylized bird (created by Henry Dreyfuss) was placed between Unimark's AA symbols, a design which endured until 2013.[87]
Thirty years later, in 1997, American Airlines was able to make its logo Internet-compatible by buying the domain AA.com. AA is also American's two-letter IATAairline designator.[90]
On January 17, 2013, American launched a new rebranding and marketing campaign with FutureBrand dubbed "A New American". This included a new logo, which includes elements of the 1967 logo.[91]
American Airlines faced difficulty obtaining copyright registration for their 2013 logo. On June 3, 2016, American Airlines sought to register it with the United States Copyright Office,[92] but in October of that year, the Copyright Office ruled that the logo was ineligible for copyright protection, as it did not pass the threshold of originality, and was thus in the public domain.[92] American requested that the Copyright Office reconsider.Still, on January 8, 2018, the Copyright Office affirmed its initial determination.[92][93] After American Airlines submitted additional materials, the Copyright Office reversed its decision on December 7, 2018, and ruled that the logo contained enough creativity to merit copyright protection.[94]
Aircraft livery
American's early liveries varied widely, but a standard livery was adopted in the 1930s, featuring an eagle painted on the fuselage.[95] 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.[96]
In the late 1960s, American commissioned designer Massimo Vignelli 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; instead, Vignelli created a highly stylized eagle, which remained the company's logo until January 16, 2013.[97]On January 17, 2013, American unveiled a new livery.[98] Before then, American had been the only major U.S. airline to leave most of its aircraft surfaces unpainted. This was because C. R. Smith would not say he liked 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 fuel costs.[99]
In January 2013, American launched a new rebranding and marketing campaign dubbed "The New American." In addition to a new logo, American Airlines introduced a new livery for its fleet. The airline calls the new livery and branding "a clean and modern update".[100] The current design features an abstract American flag on the tail, along with a silver-painted fuselage, as a throw-back to the old livery.The new design was painted by Leading Edge Aviation Services in California.[101] Doug Parker, the incoming CEO, indicated that the new livery could be short-lived, stating that "[the] only reason this is an issue now is that they just did it right in the middle [of the merger], which kind of makes it confusing, so that allows us, actually, to decide if we are going to do something different because we have so many airplanes to paint".[102] The current logo and livery have had mixed criticism, with Design Shack editor Joshua Johnson writing that they "boldly and proudly communicate the concepts of American pride and freedom wrapped into a shape that instantly makes you think about an airplane",[103] and AskThePilot.com author Patrick Smith describing the logo as a linoleum knife poking through a shower curtain'.[104] Later in January 2013, Bloomberg asked the designer of the 1968 American Airlines logo (Massimo Vignelli) on his opinion over the rebranding.
In the end, American let their employees decide the new livery's fate. On an internal website for employees, American posted two options, one the new livery and one a modified version of the old livery. All of the American Airlines Group employees (including US Airways and other affiliates) were able to vote.[106] American ultimately decided to keep the new look.Parker announced that American would keep a US Airways and America West heritage aircraft in the fleet, with plans to add a heritage TWA aircraft and a heritage American plane with the old livery.[107] As of September 2019, American has heritage aircraft for Piedmont, PSA, America West, US Airways, Reno Air, TWA, Allegheny, and AirCal in their fleet.[108][109] They also have two AA branded heritage 737-800 aircraft, an AstroJet N905NN,[110]
American, both before and after the merger with US Airways, has consistently performed poorly in rankings. The Wall Street Journal's annual airline rankings have ranked American as the worst or second-worst U.S. carrier for ten of the past twelve years, and in the bottom three of U.S. airlines for at least the past twelve years. The airline has persistently performed poorly in the areas of losing checked luggage and bumping passengers due to oversold flights.[120]
Worker relations
The main representatives of key groups of employees are:
In September 2024, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants ratified a five-year contract that included immediate wage increases of up to 20.5% and $514 million in retroactive pay, the first contract to include boarding pay for a unionized cabin crew in the United States.[128] In January 2025, the TWU-IAM alliance reached a two-year contract extension covering approximately 34,000 ground workers, with raises of 18 to 26 percent.[129] On February 9, 2026, the APFA board of directors issued a unanimous vote of no confidence in CEO Robert Isom, the first such action in the union's history.[130]
The Allied Pilots Association is an in-house union which represents the nearly 15,000 American Airlines pilots; it was created in 1963 after the pilots left the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).[121] However the majority of American Eagle pilots are ALPA members.[122]
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants represents American Airlines flight attendants, including former USAirways flight attendants.[123]
Flight attendants at wholly owned regional carriers (Envoy, Piedmont, and PSA) are all represented by Association of Flight Attendants – Communications Workers of America (AFA-CWA). US Airways flight attendants were active members of AFA-CWA before the merger, and they are honorary lifetime members. AFA-CWA is the largest flight attendant union in the industry.[124]
The Transport Workers Union-International Association of Machinists alliance (TWU-IAM) represents the majority of American Airlines employed fleet service agents, mechanics, and other ground workers.[125]
American's customer service and gate employees belong to the Communications Workers of America/International Brotherhood of Teamsters Passenger Service Association.[126]
PAFCA-AAL represents the nearly 550 FAA-certificated Aircraft Dispatchers and Operations Specialists at American Airlines. This specialized group, many of whom are licensed pilots, former Air Traffic Control personnel, and military airmen share equal responsibility with the Pilot-in-Command for the safe conduct of each the flight.[127]
Subsidiary companies
Sky Chefs
In 1942, American Airlines established Sky Chefs, a wholly owned subsidiary, as a catering company to serve their fleet.[131] In 1986, Sky Chefs was sold to Toronto-based Onex Capital Corporation for $170 million.[131][132] Sky Chefs became a subsidiary of Onex Food Services Inc.[133] Since 2001, it has been fully owned by the LSG Group.[134][135]
Flagship Hotels / Americana Hotels
In the late-1960s, American Airlines established the Flagship Hotels chain as a subsidiary of Sky Chefs. On July 21, 1972, American Airlines leased four hotels from the Loews Corporation, three of them branded as Americana Hotels, for a period of thirty years.American merged the hotels with their Flagship Hotels, and rebranded the entire chain as Americana Hotels.[136] In 1980, American Airlines sold Americana Hotels to Bass Brothers Enterprises of Fort Worth, Texas.[137]
Sky Chefs
In 1942, American Airlines established Sky Chefs, a wholly owned subsidiary, as a catering company to serve their fleet.[131] In 1986, Sky Chefs was sold to Toronto-based Onex Capital Corporation for $170 million.[131][132] Sky Chefs became a subsidiary of Onex Food Services Inc.[133] Since 2001, it has been fully owned by the LSG Group.[134][135]
Flagship Hotels / Americana Hotels
In the late-1960s, American Airlines established the Flagship Hotels chain as a subsidiary of Sky Chefs. On July 21, 1972, American Airlines leased four hotels from the Loews Corporation, three of them branded as Americana Hotels, for a period of thirty years.American merged the hotels with their Flagship Hotels, and rebranded the entire chain as Americana Hotels.[136] In 1980, American Airlines sold Americana Hotels to Bass Brothers Enterprises of Fort Worth, Texas.[137]
AA raised the cost of the lifetime pass to $3 million, and then finally stopped offering it in 2003.
AA then used litigation to cancel two of the lifetime offers, saying the passes "had been terminated due to fraudulent activity".[141]
Cabin fume events
In 1988, on American Airlines Flight 132's approach into Nashville, flight attendants notified the cockpit that there was smoke in the cabin. The flight crew in the cockpit ignored the warning, as on a prior flight, a fume event had occurred due to a problem with the auxiliary power unit. However, the smoke on Flight 132 was caused by improperly packaged hazardous materials. According to the NTSB inquiry, the cockpit crew persistently refused to acknowledge that there was a serious threat to the aircraft or the passengers, even after they were told that the floor was becoming soft and passengers had to be reseated. As a result, the aircraft was not evacuated immediately on landing, exposing the crew and passengers to the threat of smoke and fire longer than necessary.[142][143]
On April 11, 2007, toxic smoke and oil fumes leaked into the aircraft cabin as American Airlines Flight 843 taxied to the gate. A flight attendant who was present in the cabin subsequently filed a lawsuit against Boeing, stating that she was diagnosed with neurotoxic disorder due to her exposure to the fumes, which caused her to experience memory loss, tremors, and severe headaches. She settled with the company in 2011.[144]
In 2009, Mike Holland, deputy chairman for radiation and environmental issues at the Allied Pilots Association and an American Airlines pilot, said that the pilot union had started alerting pilots of the danger of contaminated bleed air, including contacting crew members that the union thinks were exposed to contamination based on maintenance records and pilot logs.[145]
In a January 2017 incident on American Airlines Flight 1896, seven flight attendants were hospitalized after a strange odor was detected in the cabin. The Airbus A330 involved subsequently underwent a "thorough maintenance inspection", having been involved in three fume events in three months.[146][147]
In August 2018, American Airlines flight attendants picketed in front of the Fort Worth company headquarters over a change in sick day policy, complaining that exposure to ill passengers, toxic uniforms, toxic cabin air, radiation exposure, and other issues were causing them to be sick.[148][149]
In January 2019, two pilots and three flight attendants on Flight 1897 from Philadelphia to Fort Lauderdale were hospitalized following complaints of a strange odor.[150][151]
Discrimination complaints
On October 24, 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory for American Airlines urging African Americans to "exercise caution" when traveling with the airline. The NAACP issued the advisory after four incidents. In one incident, a black woman was moved from first class to coach while her white traveling companion was allowed to remain in first class. In another incident, a black man was forced to give up his seats after being confronted by two unruly white passengers.[152] According to the NAACP, while they did receive complaints on other airlines, most of their complaints in the year before their advisory were on American Airlines.[153] In July 2018, the NAACP lifted their travel advisory saying that American has made improvements to mitigate discrimination and unsafe treatment of African Americans.[154]
Disability violations
In October 2024, the United States Department of Transportation imposed a $50 million penalty on American Airlines for violations of federal disability protection laws between 2019 and 2023, the largest such penalty ever assessed against an airline. The violations included unsafe physical assistance to wheelchair users and mishandling of thousands of wheelchairs. Of the $50 million, half was payable to the U.S. Treasury and half credited toward remediation investments including a wheelchair tracking system and additional staff at hub airports.[155]
Industrial action
In 1999, American Airlines sued Allied Pilots Association for $45.5 million over damages due to strike action, one of the largest fines ever levied against a trade union.[156]
In January 2020, the Allied Pilots Association filed a lawsuit to stop flights between the United States and China over concerns about COVID-19.The Association of Professional Flight Attendants supported the court action.At the time, COVID-19 was mostly contained to China and had not reached pandemic status yet.[157] Because of this action, American Airlines suspended their flights the following day.[158]
American Airlines emitted roughly between 40,000,000-45,000,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCDE) annually between 2014-2019.[163] In 2020, emissions declined to 20,000,000 MTCDE as a result of travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic,[164] and have since increased back up to 40,000,000 MTCDE in 2023.[163] According to Bloomberg terminal data, American Airlines receives an overall Environmental Social Governance (ESG) score of 5.82, which is ranked as a “leading” score compared to competitors in the industry.[163]
153.[https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/10/25/naacp-most-complaints-american-airlines-what-can-brands-learn/800300001/ NAACP: Most complaints about American Airlines. What can brands learn?], USA Today, October 25, 2017^
Robert "Bob" Crandall later justified the distinctive natural metal finish by noting that less paint reduced the aircraft's weight, thus saving fuel costs.[99]
In January 2013, American launched a new rebranding and marketing campaign dubbed "The New American." In addition to a new logo, American Airlines introduced a new livery for its fleet. The airline calls the new livery and branding "a clean and modern update".[100] The current design features an abstract American flag on the tail, along with a silver-painted fuselage, as a throw-back to the old livery.The new design was painted by Leading Edge Aviation Services in California.[101] Doug Parker, the incoming CEO, indicated that the new livery could be short-lived, stating that "[the] only reason this is an issue now is that they just did it right in the middle [of the merger], which kind of makes it confusing, so that allows us, actually, to decide if we are going to do something different because we have so many airplanes to paint".[102] The current logo and livery have had mixed criticism, with Design Shack editor Joshua Johnson writing that they "boldly and proudly communicate the concepts of American pride and freedom wrapped into a shape that instantly makes you think about an airplane",[103] and AskThePilot.com author Patrick Smith describing the logo as a linoleum knife poking through a shower curtain'.[104] Later in January 2013, Bloomberg asked the designer of the 1968 American Airlines logo (Massimo Vignelli) on his opinion over the rebranding.Vignelli replied "now they have something other than Helvetica that's not as good or as powerful", adding that "it has no sense of permanence".[105]
In the end, American let their employees decide the new livery's fate. On an internal website for employees, American posted two options, one the new livery and one a modified version of the old livery. All of the American Airlines Group employees (including US Airways and other affiliates) were able to vote.[106] American ultimately decided to keep the new look.Parker announced that American would keep a US Airways and America West heritage aircraft in the fleet, with plans to add a heritage TWA aircraft and a heritage American plane with the old livery.[107] As of September 2019, American has heritage aircraft for Piedmont, PSA, America West, US Airways, Reno Air, TWA, Allegheny, and AirCal in their fleet.[108][109] They also have two AA branded heritage 737-800 aircraft, an AstroJet N905NN,[110] and the polished aluminum livery used from 1967 to 2013, N921NN.[111]
Vignelli replied "now they have something other than Helvetica that's not as good or as powerful", adding that "it has no sense of permanence".[105]
and the polished aluminum livery used from 1967 to 2013, N921NN.
