Tell Me Why

S6:E10 — Tell Me Why: ‘The team is what's going to make this work.' — Anne Moroni by American Airlines

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Meghan Montana, Senior Vice President and Treasurer, talks about the recent run-up in fuel prices, the proactive decisions we're making to protect American from the rise in costs and how team members around the system can help conserve fuel.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Jill Blickstein, VP and Chief Sustainability Officer talks about sustainability and why it's so important for our airline. We're on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050, and there is a lot to be excited about, including a recent study American participated in with Google Research and Breakthrough Energy on avoiding contrails in flight.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network Planning, talks about the summer 2024 network announcement. Next year, we'll offer service to three new European cities, add one brand new route and resume service to Venice, Italy (VCE), from ORD.

Listen in to the latest episode for a recap of the second-quarter 2023 earnings call. Get the highlights of what Robert and other leaders discussed — from financial to operational performance.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Carolyne Truelove, Vice President of Reservations and Service Recovery, and Kim Cisek, Vice President of Customer Experience, join Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about how we're working to deliver a better experience across all touch points of the customer journey through technology and investments in our products.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about how we're working as a team and solving for the system to deliver a reliable operation this summer — and keeping our customers at the center of all we do. The summer started strong, and we're well positioned to deliver in the summer weeks ahead — and beyond.

Jessica Tyler, VP, IOC, joins Ron DeFeo to talk about how the IOC team is focused on delivering for our customers and fulfilling the promise we made when they booked travel with us. Earlier this week, Chief Operating Officer David Seymour shared an update on our outstanding Memorial Day weekend operational performance, and the IOC is committed to continuing that momentum throughout the summer and year-round.

In the latest edition of Tell Me Why, Evie Garces, VP of Line Maintenance discusses the important around-the-clock work Tech Ops performs, the critical role the team plays in our summer operation and steps American is taking to open doors to careers in aircraft maintenance, ensuring a full pipeline of aviation maintenance professionals for the future.

Don't have time to listen to the full earnings call? No worries. We've put together the highlights in our new podcast recapping the call where Robert and other leaders discussed our financial and operational performance.

In the newest edition of Tell Me Why, Scott Laurence, SVP of Partnership Strategy and International, and Thomas Rajan, VP of Global Sales, discuss how American is implementing New Distribution Capability technology, which we use to distribute offers to customers through travel retailers, and giving customers the best content by improving the digital retail experience.

In the Season 6 premiere of Tell Me Why, Julie Rath, SVP of Airport Operations, discusses how the American team is carrying our strong operational momentum forward, following an impressive first quarter and spring break operation period so far. With the summer in sight, our focus remains on delivering a reliable operation for our customers by planning, executing and recovering. For the Airport Operations team, Julie says that means doubling down on our turn performance with the right tools and support. And when the inevitable spring and summer storms hit, we'll continue to prioritize our swift recovery with a resilient plan, the right resources, refined processes and new technology.

Don't have time to listen to a full earnings call? We've launched a new series with all the highlights. Hear what CEO Robert Isom had to say about our financial and operational performance in 2022 and what lies ahead for American.

In the Season 5 finale of Tell Me Why, Julie Rath, SVP of Airport Operations, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to discuss how our team ran a reliable operation during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period and is prepared to serve more than 10 million customers during the winter holiday travel peak. She said the team is prepared to control the controllables and deliver for our customers thanks to the great partnerships that exist across the airline, team member staffing and winter weather prep.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Rusty Robertson, award-winning marketer and Co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), and Eric Stonestreet, two-time Emmy Award-winning actor, best known for his portrayal of Cam on the hit comedy series “Modern Family,” join Ron DeFeo, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, to talk about what makes American's partnership with SU2C so unique, how funding supports scientists in the mission to make every cancer patient a long-term survivor and how their personal stories make them passionate about this cause.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Scott Laurence, SVP of Partnership Strategy, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about how our partnership strategy is helping us create a world-class customer experience. Scott also discusses the importance of our new agreement with all three major global distribution systems and how our redesigned AAdvantage program is helping contribute to our goal of returning to profitability.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Ralph Lopez, VP of CLT Operations, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about the work the team is doing in CLT to run a reliable operation. Succeeding in DFW and CLT is critical to our airline's success and the team in CLT is setting an important tone across key dependability metrics. Plus, Ralph and Ron share more about their excitement for the upcoming World Cup.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, JC Gulbranson, Senior Vice President of Flight Operations and IOC, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to discuss American's strong operational performance in September, including during the devasting hurricanes, as well as what we're focused on as we carry that momentum into October and through the busy holiday travel season.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Juan Carlos Liscano, Vice President of MIA Operations, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to discuss his personal story tied to Hispanic Heritage Month and the Latin Diversity Network (LDN) Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) as it celebrates 25 years of supporting local communities.

You've likely seen news articles lately about changes to our schedule, but there's more to the story than just the headlines. In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Brian Znotins, Vice President of Network Planning, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to discuss how schedules are built to meet the needs of our customers, team members and the operation. Looking for more insight into how schedules are built? Read Brett Snyder's story that breaks down the process on Cranky Flier.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Meghan Montana, , Vice President and Treasurer, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to share insight on three important topics – liquidity, debt and fuel. Meghan explains how well-positioned we are to continue navigating the post-pandemic recovery and how her team is focused on managing costs and reducing debt so we can achieve our goal of returning to profitability.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Anne Moroni, Vice President of Operations Planning and Performance, and Brian Znotins, Vice President of Network Planning, join Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk through how we've worked to build and deliver the best network in the world. Together with their teams, they've focused on building a schedule that our customers want to fly and that we can run reliably, with extra focus on our two biggest hubs – DFW and CLT.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Franco Tedeschi, VP of Domestic Airports and Strategic Partnerships, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about the role the spoke and gateway airports play in running a reliable operation. Our spokes and gateways account for about 47% of the airline's flying each day and play a critical role in achieving our objectives of excelling at the fundamentals and succeeding in DFW and CLT. In fact, 50% of all turns going to DFW and CLT come from the spokes and gateways.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, JC Gulbranson, SVP, Airport Operations, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about the incredible work our airport teams have been doing to get ready for summer. We've been preparing for summer for nearly a year to get the right people in the right place to support our operation.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, COO David Seymour joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to talk about our focus on excelling at the fundamentals. The “one team” mentality is pivotal to mastering the turn, which our team does nearly 6,000 times a day, and running a safe and reliable operation this summer and beyond.

Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do at American? The Tell Me Why vodcast is a series that gives team members a look at the "why" behind the decisions our leaders make in guiding the world's greatest airline. In Season 5 of Tell Me Why, we'll dive deeper into our 2022 goals and objectives so you can better understand how we'll run a reliable operation and return to profitability this year.

On a recent episode of Tell Me Why – the American Airlines vodcast series for team members that shares the “why” behind the decisions we make – host Caroline Clayton, Vice President of Global Engagement for American, sat down with Molly Wilkinson, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Molly discusses the importance of Pride Month, American's long-standing support for the LGBTQ community and the airline's ongoing advocacy efforts across the United States to ensure all people are able to live as their true, authentic selves.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Rick Elieson, President of the AAdvantage loyalty program, discusses the first 40 years of the AAdvantage program, why it’s just as important today as it was on May 1, 1981, and how a visit to AAdvantage40th.com to celebrate the milestone can lead to chances at instant win prizes and special offers.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Jennifer Saddy, Managing Director, Absence Management, discusses the importance of team members getting a COVID-19 vaccine, the efforts the company is undertaking to help facilitate that and the new incentive program for those who choose to receive a vaccine.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja explains what our new Northeast Alliance with JetBlue means for our team, the value of codeshares and how the alliance will help American continue to grow in the future.

In the Season 4 debut of Tell Me Why, Jill Blickstein, Managing Director of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), explains the strides American made on sustainability in the past year, despite the challenges the company faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, American set a goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and published its strategy for achieving that ambitious goal in a reimagined ESG report. American also took its first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel last year and launched a carbon offsetting partnership with Cool Effect. In this episode, Jill describes the significance of these developments, how they contribute to our long-term vision as a company, and what comes next in our efforts to run a more sustainable airline.

n the latest episode of Tell Me Why, two of American’s Boeing 737 experts stop by to discuss the latest as American prepares to return the Boeing 737 MAX to commercial service on Dec. 29. John DeLeeuw, Chair of the National Safety Committee of the Allied Pilots Association (APA) and Chair of APA’s 737 MAX Return to Service Ad Hoc Committee, and Chris Hurrell, American’s 737 Fleet Captain, explain the critical role American’s pilots played in the recertification process, changes as part of the aircraft’s return to service, pilot training and our Tech Ops team’s incredible work to maintain and ready the aircraft.

In the latest Tell Me Why, President of Cargo and Vice President of Airport Excellence Jessica Tyler talks about the recent blending of the Cargo and Airport Excellence groups into a single team. Jessica discusses how Airport Excellence team members help our frontline team members take care of customers and each other across our network of airports. She also shares how Cargo has been busy ramping up our cargo-only flying schedule since it was introduced in March and why cargo-only flights are so important to our business right now.

S3E5 - “That’s the key to stopping the spread. It’s the multiple layers.” — David Seymour by American Airlines

After a brief hiatus, Tell Me Why returns with a familiar face and an exciting announcement. Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja explains the strategy behind the announcement of a strategic partnership with JetBlue, which will create which will create a seamless connecting network serving the Northeast. Vasu explains how the partnership allows both airlines opportunities to grow services, offer more options to customers and build a one-of-a-kind customer experience for those traveling out of New York City and Boston.

In this episode of Tell Me Why, Brady Byrnes, Managing Director of Base Operations, talks about the upcoming launch of the new Lands’ End uniform collection for Flight Service, Airport Customer Service and Premium Guest Services. We’ve been on the journey to new uniforms for several years. On March 2, more than 50,000 team members will debut the new industry-leading collection, and we couldn’t be more excited.

Season 3 of Tell Me Why premieres with Senior Vice President of Network Strategy Vasu Raja. Tune in to learn more about our new West Coast International Alliance with Alaska Airlines, the exciting new routes that our new West Coast gateway in Seattle will offer and why this is great news for our business.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, we sat down with Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy. Brian discusses his first redemption trip on US Airways at age 12, loyalty trends and his predictions on the future of the industry. Brian also shares his favorite destination served by American.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Ralph Lopez, Vice President of the Integrated Operations Center, talks about what takes place at the facility on a day-to-day basis, the latest technology and tools used to help run the operation efficiently, as well as the biggest challenge they face with managing an airline of this size.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, we visited the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico and sat down with center's director Scott Stark. Scott talks about why Roswell is the perfect location for aircraft storage, what happens to airplanes after they arrive and how the aircraft boneyard has helped put Roswell on the aviation map.

Check out the latest episode of Tell Me Why, in which Adrienne Schneider, Director of Benefits, shares the scoop on Annual Enrollment for 2020 benefits. Adrienne discusses several enhancements we’re making for 2020, introduces the DFW ConnectedCare option for DFW-area team members and previews several other changes team members can look forward to for 2020 like an enhanced Wellness program.

In this episode of Tell Me Why, Neisha Strambler-Butler, Vice President of Compensation and Benefits, discusses the need to increase dialogue about mental health to remove the stigma and what resources are available to help team members care for themselves and others.

In this episode of Tell Me Why, Brady Byrnes, Managing Director of Base Operations, talks about the industry-leading uniform program for Flight Service, Airport Customer Service and Premium Customer Services. With the highest level of garment certification, an unprecedented level of feedback and more choice than ever before, the American uniform program is one-of-a-kind in the industry.

In this episode of Tell Me Why, special guest Theresa Colarusso, head of Client Success at True Fit, joins Brady Byrnes, Managing Director of Base Operations, to talk about the technology behind True Fit, an online tool that team members in Flight Service, Airport Customer Service and Premium Customer Services will use to get personalized size recommendations when ordering begins for the new Lands' End uniform Oct. 23. Team members can find additional information about True Fit, including FAQs, a quick reference guide and a link to create a True Fit profile.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Margaret Dobberstein, Managing Director of Payroll Operations, and Sam Liyanage, Managing Director of Accounting Automation, talk about what team members can look forward to when they move to the new payroll system, the behind-the-scenes work involved with launching the new system and resources available to make the transition a smooth one.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, we visited the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico and sat down with Pilot Career Development Senior Analyst Cameron Row and DFW Terminal D American Airlines Credit Union Manager Brian Kilian. They discussed how much the MD-80 aircraft has meant to them and their perspectives on the retirement. Both showed how they've memorialized major aviation milestones in their lives.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, we spent time at the IOC with Jim Butler, Senior Vice President of International and Cargo. Jim discusses how two-way conversations between leaders and team members have led to better operational results, why the joint business agreement with Qantas is important and what it takes to set up service in new international destinations.

Check out the latest episode of Tell Me Why, in which we spent time in front of Terminal F at PHL with Glenda Rivera, Director of Regional Operations for Piedmont. Glenda discusses how the regional team coordinates with the mainline, the evolution of the regional operation and how creating consistency in their practices has proven to be beneficial.

Last week in our special two-part episode of Tell Me Why, Vasu Raja, Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, explained how we're entering Tel Aviv, why Eastern Europe works so well from ORD and why we're calling Morocco the gateway to Africa. Watch Part 2, where Vasu breaks down our PHL strategy, explains the importance of our Joint Business partners and the role they play in our new routes, and shares the vision for our international and domestic network growth in the future.

In a special two-part episode of Tell Me Why, we are talking to Vasu Raja, Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning about our historic summer 2020 announcement. Tune in to Part 1 where Vasu explains how we’re going to enter back into Tel Aviv, why Eastern Europe works so well from ORD and why we’re calling Morocco the gateway to Africa.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, we spent time at PHL with Sophia Philis Ortiz, Managing Director of Customer Operations, and Lakshman Amaranayaka, Managing Director of Customer Care. Together, they discuss how the team positively influences our customers’ journeys, how they focus on those customers having a safe, reliable and on-time trip, and how the leadership team works together to support frontline team members.