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American Airlines Reponds

American Airlines took exception to The Crabby Traveler's year-in-review column, So Long, Legroom. Here is the carrier's point-by-point response to the commentary from spokesman Tim Smith:

I've just finished reading this column, and while I'll certainly agree that American Airlines is not mentioned once, we ARE included in the series of BROAD generalizations you used. 

I'm disappointed by that because, in most the cases you cited, American did not, or does not, do what you generalized about.

Let's take them one at a time:

"Passengers Get Closer"  Not true at American.  Our coach cabin seat pitch has been the same since 1982.  It is 32-33" and remains so, including in aircraft where we added additional seats in first class (something our business travelers have been asking for, I might add). Instead of tightening the pitch, as you generalized, we TOOK OUT seats in one cabin to make room for more seats in the other, leaving pitch for remaining seats exactly the same as before. 

In addition, American is in the midst of a $400 million upgrade to its interiors.  Included are new Recaro seats (yes, of BMW and Mercedes fame) in our coach cabin on most aircraft.  The pitch will remain the same, but there will be more usable space for customers due to the new seatback design.  Don't be infering the we've cut back on room in coach when we haven't.

"Free Miles Fade Away" While it is true that some of the rental car companies HAVE ended their relationship with some airlines, that is not so at American.  In fact, American added a SEVENTH rental car partner in 1998.

"More Musical Chairs" You infer that the move to boarding passes issued only on day of travel means business people have to stand in line to get a seat assignment.  Not so at American.  People INCORRECTLY equate a seat assignment with a boarding pass.  American will assign you a seat in most cases at the time the booking is made -- up to 331 days -- 11 months -- prior to travel.  The fact is, the boarding pass as an authorization to board the aircraft did not die in 1998.  It stopped being of value (until the day of travel) two years ago when the FAA made us do additional security screening and stamp boarding passes proving we had done that screening.

Today, American no longer stamps boarding passes with that messy green ink.  It's all electronic now, and the very issuance of a boarding pass means the computer knows you've been security checked.  In addition, American is the ONLY U.S. airline that allows travelers with an electronic ticket and no bags to check to by-pass ALL other airport lines and proceed directly to the jetbridge when boarding is called.  The electronic ticketed customer simply inserts his or her credit card or AADVANTAGE card into our electronic gate reader (at EVERY jetbridge gate in the U.S. and San Juan).  The customer's electronic reservation is automatically matched to their name record for that flight...they show the agent their photo ID and they're okayed to board. 

You are correct that frequent flyers are not big security risks....and at American they can avoid many airport lines as well.  Again, we've been lumped into a generalization that infers we don't care about making our customers experience a better one than the other guys.

"Room Service Endangered"  Nothing to argue about on this one -- AMR got out of the hotel business years ago.

Thanks for reading this.  I know the space limitations of a column and I know the practicalities of trying to sort out everything each carrier is doing.  But as an airline that didn't deserve the broad brush stroke of your "lament".... I felt compelled to tell you why.

Tim Smith
American Airlines Corporate Communications