2006: A Year of Celebrations for American Airlinestitle
FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- American is celebrating a
number of notable milestones in 2006, all of which point to its long history
of customer innovation and leadership in the aviation industry.
It was 80 years ago this year that American had its beginnings in a short
flight from Chicago to St. Louis piloted by a young Charles A. Lindbergh.
Today, American is the worlds largest airline with service to four continents
and over 40 countries. Together with its regional affiliates, American Eagle
and AmericanConnection, it now offers more than 3,900 daily flights.
This year also marks the silver anniversary of the AAdvantage program --
the worlds first frequent-flier program. American launched the AAdvantage
program in 1981 with just under 300,000 members. Today, there are more than
50 million members, and the program has grown to include a wide range of
products and services that offer numerous opportunities to earn and redeem
miles.
Another American innovation turning the "Big 2-5" this year is AAirpass,
which lets customers pre-purchase blocks of miles to be used over one or more
years. Available to both corporate and individual travelers, AAirpass helps
protect travelers against fare changes by providing pre-paid unrestricted
travel at a fixed rate.
Also celebrating a silver anniversary is Americans Dallas/Fort Worth hub.
The airlines San Juan, Puerto Rico hub turns 20 in 2006, while its Tulsa
Maintenance & Engineering Base celebrates a 60th anniversary.
