Originally Posted by
Workhard
that’s rich coming from AA guy whose airline is saddled with debt. UA and Delta more leg stand on… AA, absolutely not. AA is just as bad as b6. Worst ceo in industry by far with worst first class product with AA. And you Over 800 posts on apc. Find a gf. A wife. Something. Get a life bro.
Ehh, ego isn’t big enough to care about the swipe at the current employer (AA), but for the sake of the spirit guys looking for a place to land:
AA is very different airline than B6. Despite the neglect, they do have an international presence and some name recognition. Did they screw the pooch getting rid of the 75/76 and 330 fleets during Covid? Yeah, sure looks like it. Are they slowly rectifying that with XLR and 787 deliveries? Also yes.
Is there too much of a sun belt/domestic tilt given the current yield environment? Yes. Does it look like they tried to be the international LCC after pulling fares from GDS? Yeah. Are they rectifying that? Seems to be yes with the firing of Vasu and the re-engagement in ORD and NYC.
Is there also a lot of debt? Yeah, definitely. Are they paying it down? Yeah. They seem to want to be disciplined going forward. Who was the architect? Kirby. What’s he doing at UA? United next looks pretty similar, maybe bigger. Leverage is awesome when you’re making money. Really sucks when you aren’t or are sliding sideways. Hopefully his instincts are correct this time. Kinda hobbled us, though.
As far as the CEO? Yeah, he’s “meh”, but he’s finally steering the ship in the right direction. Better late than never, I guess. Seems pretty concerned with the things that drive pax nuts, like misconnects and mishandled baggage. Also seems concerned with making money.
Does our contract lag DL and UA in some areas? Certainly yes. Stop by the AA sub if you want the low down. Short version is seniority matters a lot. We’ve got a few nice things, too, though, like “sick if needed” on reserve and a reservable jumpseat with a “one shot, any method” commuter clause.
AA has its challenges, for sure. There’s reason for concern, but not panic. We’re running classes and we’ve still got a ton of retirements. So does UA, of course. Don’t let the trolls convince you to avoid applying. I don’t think AA is going anywhere any time soon. Same for any other legacy.
And also, our first class product holds up fine when the number one FA cooperates. As a former gov traveler that routinely got upgrades on all 3, I miss the screens, but not enough to care if I’m looking at a convenient flight. We’ve got a new FA contract. AFAIK, AFA recently rejected theirs.