American Airlines' pilots are angry, and today they let the carrier's corporate clients and institutional investors know why: AA has been unreliable.
According to the Allied Pilots Association, which represents 12,000 AA pilots, members in nine U.S. cities and London descended on "the headquarters entrances of some of the airline's most prominent corporate clients and institutional investors, including Fidelity Investments, The Staubach Company, Anheuser-Busch, Citigroup, Carnival Cruise Line, Glaxo SmithKline, Wells Fargo Bank and Taco Bell to voice concerns."
APA president Lloyd Hill noted that more than a quarter-million of AA's 2007 flights were late or cancelled. "By any reasonable standard, American Airlines is failing its customers by costing them valuable time and money," he said. "In turn, this poor performance is having a negative effect on the value of our shareholders' investment. Our airline doesn't have enough workers to run dependably and doesn't keep enough spare parts to ensure prompt repairs. It's clear that American Airlines management needs to reinvest in our airline, and do so quickly."
APA encouraged customers to visit www.TellYourAAStory.com to "share their experiences with the airline and how to fix it."