American Airlines facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the one specific US-based airline named "American Airlines". For its parent company, see American Airlines Group. For a full list of all US-based airlines, see List of airlines of the United States.

Quick facts for kids
American Airlines, Inc.

Founded	April 15, 1926; 99 years ago (1926-04-15) (as American Airways, Inc.)
Commenced operations	June 25, 1936; 88 years ago (1936-06-25)
AOC #	AALA025A
Hubs	Charlotte Chicago–O’Hare Dallas/Fort Worth Los Angeles Miami New York–JFK New York–LaGuardia Philadelphia Phoenix–Sky Harbor Washington–National
Frequent-flyer program	AAdvantage
Alliance	Oneworld
Fleet size	961
Destinations	353
Parent company	American Airlines Group
Headquarters	Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Key people	Robert Isom (CEO) Doug Parker (Chairman) Devon May (CFO)
Employees	103,200 (2023)

American Airlines is a very large airline in the United States. Its main office is in Fort Worth, Texas. It is the biggest airline in the world based on how many passengers it carries and how far they fly.

American Airlines and its smaller partner airlines, called American Eagle, fly almost 6,800 times a day. They go to about 350 places in 48 countries. American Airlines is also a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, which is a group of airlines that work together.

The airline has 10 main airports it uses as "hubs." The biggest one is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Every year, American Airlines carries over 200 million passengers. That's more than 500,000 passengers every single day! As of 2023, about 103,200 people work for the company.

American Airlines: A Brief History

DC-3 "Flagship," a key aircraft for American Airlines during World War II.

American Airlines started in 1930. It was formed by joining more than eighty smaller airlines. Two important early companies were Robertson Aircraft Corporation and Colonial Air Transport. These companies merged in 1929 to form The Aviation Corporation. In 1930, this became American Airways.

In 1934, the company reorganized its flight paths and changed its name to American Airlines. Between 1970 and 2000, American Airlines grew its international flights a lot. In 2001, it bought another big airline called Trans World Airlines.

American Airlines helped create the famous Douglas DC-3 airplane. The CEO of American Airlines, C. R. Smith, convinced Douglas Aircraft Company to design a new plane. This new plane would be bigger and more comfortable. American Airlines promised to buy 20 of these planes. The first prototype, called the DST, flew on December 17, 1935. A version with 21 seats, called the DC-3, became very popular. American Airlines started passenger service with the DC-3 on June 26, 1936.

"Think of her as your mother," an American Airlines advertisement for flight attendants from 1968.

American Airlines also played a part in developing the DC-10 airplane. In 1966, American Airlines asked plane makers for a wide-body aircraft. They wanted a plane smaller than the Boeing 747 but able to fly long distances from shorter runways. McDonnell Douglas created the DC-10. American Airlines ordered 25 DC-10s. The DC-10 first flew on August 29, 1970. It started commercial service with American Airlines on August 5, 1971. Its first flight was between Los Angeles and Chicago.

Passengers exiting a plane at the El Paso Airport in 1957.

In 2011, the airline industry faced tough times. American Airlines' parent company, AMR Corporation, had to file for bankruptcy protection. In 2013, American Airlines merged with US Airways. They kept the American Airlines name because it was better known around the world. This merger created the largest airline in the United States, and eventually, the world.

Where American Airlines Flies

Destinations

As of July 2022, American Airlines flies to 269 places within the United States. It also flies to 81 international places in 58 countries. These destinations are on five different continents.

Hubs

American Airlines has its largest hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

American Airlines uses ten main airports as its "hubs." A hub is a central airport where many flights connect.

Charlotte: This is American's hub for the southeastern United States. It's also a key airport for flights to the Caribbean. American Airlines handles most of the flights here. It used to be a US Airways hub.
Chicago–O'Hare: This hub serves the Midwest. American Airlines is the second largest airline at O'Hare.
Dallas/Fort Worth: This is American's biggest hub overall. It's the main hub for the southern United States. American Airlines has its headquarters near this airport. DFW is also a main gateway for flights across the Pacific Ocean and to Mexico.
Los Angeles: This hub serves the West Coast. It's also a secondary gateway for flights across the Pacific.
Miami: This is American's main hub for flights to Latin America and the Caribbean. American Airlines is the largest airline at Miami airport.
New York–JFK: This is American's main hub for flights across the Atlantic Ocean. It serves many popular destinations from New York.
New York–LaGuardia: This hub is mainly for domestic flights within the United States from New York. Most flights here are operated by American Eagle.
Philadelphia: This is American's main domestic hub in the Northeast. It's also a secondary hub for flights across the Atlantic. American Airlines is the largest airline at Philadelphia airport. It was a US Airways hub.
Phoenix–Sky Harbor: This hub serves the Rocky Mountain region. American Airlines is the largest airline at Phoenix airport. It was also a US Airways hub.
Washington–Reagan: This hub serves the capital of the United States. American Airlines is the largest airline at this airport. It was a US Airways hub.

Airline Partnerships

American Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance. This means it partners with other airlines around the world. They also have "codeshare agreements" with many airlines. This allows them to sell tickets on each other's flights.

American Airlines also has "joint ventures" with some airlines. This means they work even more closely together on certain routes.

Atlantic Joint Business: American Airlines works with British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia for flights across the North Atlantic to Europe.
Pacific Joint Business: American Airlines partners with Japan Airlines for flights across the Pacific Ocean. Together, they offer many daily flights between Japan and the United States.
Australia and New Zealand Joint Business: Since 2019, American Airlines has partnered with Qantas for flights between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

American Airlines Fleet

This section is transcluded from American Airlines fleet

Inside the Planes: Cabins

American Airlines offers different types of seating, called "cabins," on its planes. These range from very fancy first class to standard economy.

Flagship First and Business seats on an Airbus A321 (top and bottom, respectively)

Flagship First

This is American's top-tier first class. It's available on certain long-haul international flights and special cross-country flights within the U.S. The seats are fully flat beds and have direct access to the aisle. Passengers get special food, drinks, and access to airport lounges.

Flagship Business

This is American's business class for international and cross-country flights. These seats also turn into flat beds. Passengers get free drinks, multi-course meals, and lounge access.

First class and main cabin seats on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (top and bottom, respectively)

Domestic First Class

This is the first class found on flights within the United States. These seats are wider and have more legroom than economy seats. Passengers get free drinks and snacks. On longer domestic flights, they also get meals.

Premium Economy

Premium Economy is a step up from regular economy. It's available on larger, wide-body planes. These seats are wider and offer more space. Passengers get two free checked bags, priority boarding, and better food and drink service. American Airlines was the first U.S. airline to offer this four-cabin setup.

Main Cabin Extra

Main Cabin Extra is an improved economy seat. It's available on most American Airlines and American Eagle planes. These seats have more legroom than standard economy. Passengers also get to board the plane earlier.

Main Cabin

Main Cabin is the standard economy class. It's on all American Airlines planes. Seats are usually 17 to 18.5 inches wide. They have 30 to 32 inches of space between rows. Some rows, called "Main Cabin Preferred," cost extra to choose.

American also offers "Basic Economy." This is the lowest fare in Main Cabin. It comes with more rules, like not being able to choose your seat until check-in. Basic Economy passengers board last.

Reward Programs

AAdvantage

AAdvantage is American Airlines' program for frequent flyers. It started on May 1, 1981. It is the largest frequent flyer program in the world, with over 115 million members. Members earn "miles" when they fly. They can use these miles for free tickets, upgrades, or discounts on car rentals and hotel stays.

The most frequent flyers can become "elite members." These include AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum. Elite members get special benefits like faster check-in and free upgrades. These statuses also work with American's Oneworld partner airlines.

Admirals Club

The Admirals Club is a special lounge at the airport for American Airlines' most valued passengers. It was started in 1939 by American Airlines' president, C.R. Smith. He wanted to make loyal customers feel special.

The first Admirals Club opened at LaGuardia Airport in New York. For many years, you could only join if the airline invited you. But in 1974, it became a paid membership program.

Flagship Lounge

The Flagship Lounge is a separate, more exclusive lounge. It is for passengers flying in first class and business class on international flights. It is also for those on special cross-country domestic flights.

American Airlines: Business and Structure

Company Overview

American Airlines, Inc. is owned by its parent company, American Airlines Group Inc. This company is publicly traded on the stock market under the symbol NASDAQ: AAL.

American Eagle is a group of six regional airlines. They fly shorter flights for American Airlines. Three of these airlines are owned by American Airlines Group: Envoy Air Inc., Piedmont Airlines, Inc., and PSA Airlines Inc..

Headquarters

Image of the signs of the former headquarters

American Airlines' main office is in Fort Worth, Texas. It's called the "Robert L. Crandall Campus." This large office complex is next to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. This airport is a very important hub for American Airlines.

Before moving to Texas, American Airlines' headquarters was in New York City. In 1979, they moved to Fort Worth. In 2015, American Airlines announced plans to build a new headquarters in Fort Worth. Construction finished in September 2019. The new building can hold 5,000 workers.

Company Look: Logo and Plane Paint

Logo

In 1931, an American Airlines employee designed the first AA logo. It featured an eagle. In 1967, the logo was redesigned by Massimo Vignelli. This new logo also had a stylized eagle.

On January 17, 2013, American Airlines launched a new logo and marketing campaign. The new logo includes parts of the 1967 design. It has an abstract American flag on the tail.

Aircraft Livery

American's previous livery on an MD-83.

For many years, American Airlines planes had a unique look. Most of their planes were left unpainted, showing the shiny metal. This was because the CEO, C. R. Smith, didn't like painted planes. Later, it was also said that less paint made the planes lighter, saving fuel.

On January 17, 2013, American Airlines showed off a new paint design, called a "livery." The new design features a silver-painted body, like the old planes. But it has an abstract American flag on the tail. This new look was chosen by the employees of American Airlines.

Employee Relations

American Airlines works with several unions that represent its employees.

The Allied Pilots Association represents American Airlines pilots.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants represents American Airlines flight attendants.
Flight attendants at the regional airlines (Envoy, Piedmont, PSA) are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants – Communications Workers of America (AFA-CWA).
The Transport Workers Union-International Association of Machinists alliance (TWU-IAM) represents many ground workers and mechanics.
Customer service and gate employees belong to the Communications Workers of America/International Brotherhood of Teamsters Passenger Service Association.

Past Business Ventures

Sky Chefs

In 1942, American Airlines started Sky Chefs. This company provided food for their flights. In 1986, Sky Chefs was sold. It is now owned by the LSG Group.

Flagship Hotels / Americana Hotels

In the late 1960s, American Airlines also started a hotel chain called Flagship Hotels. Later, they leased more hotels and renamed the whole chain Americana Hotels. In 1980, American Airlines sold the hotel chain.

Interesting Facts

Lifetime AAirpass

In 1981, American Airlines offered a special "lifetime pass" for unlimited travel. It cost $250,000. Only 28 of these passes were sold. People with these passes could fly anywhere in the world, as much as they wanted! Some people used them to fly across the country for lunch or to London many times a month. The airline realized they were losing money on these passes. They raised the price to $3 million and then stopped offering them in 2003.

Images for kids

Flagship First and Business seats on an Airbus A321 (top and bottom, respectively)
First class and main cabin seats on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (top and bottom, respectively)