Dude that’s so lame to say.

Cue the AA roast fest

 

I mean let's be real. United furloughed in 2003 and 2008. I have buddies who got furloughed twice. Both times they went from hiring to furloughing within a couple of months. They're the worst about that. They would have furloughed in covid too if the pilot group hadn't voted to take pay cuts to save the furloughs. They have gone all in on international WB especially Asia and that's going to be the first canary to die in the coal mine on the next downturn. Japan and China are the largest players in that theater and both of their economies are garbage.

AA ain't no gem but because we're all in on domestic. We'll never score big profits but it's also never going away. We'll just keep stumbling along and offering some token International flying. SWA and the ULCCs are on the rocks too and that's going to be good for us. They are our competitors not UA and DL. Let UA and DL battle for king of the hill we'll just keep making money flying Hank Hill to Midland.

 

No doubt. they've been very reactionary, and thats on the record. Isom said in 2018 that "Spirit and Frontier were the most profitable airlines in the industry and we need to be mindful of that." That model was what we chased and we're still seeing the effects of that. Now of course they're aggressively making the switch to premium and high end customers to chase DAL/UAL because thats what's working....but international growth is constrained by the shortsighted COVID decision to retire the 75/76 and 330 and (not their fault) delays of the 78's and XLRs.

That being said, considering our present position, he's got a point that we have a larger growth runway in future years in the premium/intl space than the other network carriers. So we can all hope. XLR's coming. new credit card deal starts next year. More 78's on the way and 773's getting new interiors. Still hiring pilots for growth. Let's see where things stand by end of 2026....

 

Honestly, I don’t care about being “king of the hill”. I’m just a stakeholder in AA doing well and want to see AA be the most profitable it can be.

AA management needs to find direction and vision, because right now we are just good enough which isn’t “good enough”.

If you don’t want to be on the winning team and enjoy the perks that come with that like “profit sharing” okay…

I’m not a management cheerleader. I do my best when I show for work and I expect management to do the same.

I’m sure you’re a cool guy to fly with but your constant mudslinging of the DL and UA cheerleaders comes off super petty even though their “my dad could beat your dad” banter is lame too…

Difference is they are on the winning teams right now.

 

No you don't get it. I make fun of the cheerleaders because this is just a job not an identity and too many pilots make all about their whole identity.

Do I want AA to succeed? Of course. I need the checks to keep clearing for at least 10ish more years. Do I believe we will ever be the most profitable of the big 3 and offer the best premium product? Not a chance. But I go to work and do my job and let management do their jobs. I don't worry about crap above my pay grade. As long as the pay checks keep cashing that's what I'll keep doing.

Now if you're 30 years old and working here you may have a different perspective. I'd be worried too. But you have options.

 

👍

filler

 

According to the financials American just filed, their 2025 Q2 revenue was $14.39B and last year 2024 Q2 was $14.32B. That's a 0.4% increase.

What is he comparing the 10% to? Here is the link to AA's filing. https://americanairlines.gcs-web.com...ancial-results

Just look for "total operating revenues".

 

I'm not an accountant, just watch the interview

Start at four minutes in
https://youtu.be/jfQhTxz4QhM?si=wE3QWkB6CHj42une&t=240

 

United has had 2 furloughs since the 1970s. 9/11 and GFC. AA and CAL also furloughed for 9/11 and GFC as did other airlines. Also there is nothing inherently magical about United or any airline that "it" likes to furlough, etc. United last 2 furloughs were different management teams. I laugh when someone says "I don't want to go to United because I am likely to get furloughed. United has hired around 26,000 pilots since 1985 and only about 2,500 have been furloughed, yes some were furloughed twice. That means that the odds that a United pilot was furloughed was less than 10%. Some of the 9/11 furloughs were back after 18 months and that was their only furlough.

 

United's quarterly free cash flow is higher than AA's annual FCF.

If anyone is going to furlough it's not going to be UA.