Skift Take
American has spent a fortune in the past five years trying to improve passenger experience and employee relations. The airline has made many strides, but it still has work to do on both accounts.
When top executives at US Airways took over at American Airlines in late 2013, after the two companies merged, they did not inherit the healthiest of U.S. carriers.
American had a storied history and hubs in key cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth. But it was just emerging from bankruptcy, and in the previous decade invested less than it should have in its onboard product and airport experience. It also had troubled relations with employees, and in many cases, its frontline employees did not trust management.
The new executive team, led by CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom, both US Airways veterans, has spent much of the past five years seeking to bring a more nimble approach to what is now the world's largest airline.
On the product side, they have had some success spending billions on passenger experience, though the airline has not always moved as fast with aircraft retrofits and terminal construction as some customers would like. Fixing employee relations have proved more difficult, with some workers still resenting management for cuts, such as post 9/11 furloughs and wage cuts, that happened years ago.
Now, American's
