Today, it was announced that anticipated American Airlines cuts could mean a loss of 14,000 jobs across the fleet’s workforce as the struggling airline attempts to restructure its finances.

Although workers were top on the chopping block for American Airlines, the stunning number of employees won’t be the only ones to feel the pain of American Airline cuts. Unions plan to fight the losses for workers (which the airline announced early Thursday), but flyers outside hub cities like Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York can expect service on American Airlines to get a bit less convenient, frequent and perhaps more expensive as customers scramble for seats.

CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg appeared on CBS This Morning to discuss what American Airlines cuts may mean for the airline’s workforce as well as travelers who rely on the service for business and leisure jaunts. Greenberg said that unions are unlikely to take American Airlines cuts lying down:

“You lose 2,100 people, that means a lot of the jobs go out of the country… Right now, I wouldn’t be worried about that… They’re trying to terminate the pension plan, which will be a bone of contention and battleground with the union. But more importantly than that, they’re sort of circling the wagons.”

“They have a lot of cash in the bank, they’ve got the strong alliance… and a number of people [they] might end up merging with or consolidating with. In the short-term, I don’t think it’s a problem; in the long-term, you may see a different airline, but I don’t think they’re going anywhere.”

American Airlines Cuts: Jobs, Service Likely to Be Affected is a post from: The Inquisitr

Despite increased charges for checked baggage, extra costs for in-flight food & drink and other hidden fees American Airlines announced on Wednesday that it would cut out 13,000 jobs or nearly 15% of its workforce. The plan will include firing 4,600 maintenance workers, 4,200 baggage handlers, 2,300 flight attendants, 1,400 management and support employees and 400 pilots.

The company’s firings come at a time when the countries third largest airline is currently reorganizing under bankruptcy protection. To meet its goals American Airlines needs to cut labor costs by 20% and to reach that goal they will soon begin meeting with the three major unions who provide workers for the company.

As part of the company’s union talks they are suggesting that the organization’s traditional pension plan be dropped for its 130,000 employees and retirees and become replaced with a traditional 401(k) program that allows the company to offer employee contributions.

AMR Corp. (parent company to American Airlines) CEO Thomas W. Horton said on Wednesday that he hopes the company will return to profitability after shedding more than $2 billion in spending while raising revenue by $1 billion per year.

AMR suffered a loss of $884 million during the first nine months of 2011 and then on Tuesday of this week announced a $904 million loss in the month of December alone.

American Airlines has lost $11 billion since 2011 and employees at the company have been preparing for cuts for weeks.

AMR, American Airlines and short-distance provider American Eagle filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011.

In the meantime customers can likely expect higher prices for American Airlines flights if the company truly hopes to raise revenues by $1 billion in the short term.

Are you surprised by American Airlines’  recent plan to fire 13,000 employees?

[Image via Frontpage / Shutterstock.com]

American Airlines Firing 13,000 Workers, Will Cut Spending By $2 Billion is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to ABC News, 145 people – 136 passengers and nine crew members – were on American Airlines Flight 980 from Salvador Recife, Brazil to Miami, Florida when the plane experienced severe turbulence two hours into the flight.

“Everything was fine and the next minute the plane just fell, a huge drop,” said Gillas Correa, one of the passengers aboard AA Flight 980. “I was watching the movie and heads just dropped out. Everybody was in a seatbelt or not everybody just moved up on their seats and some of them just smashed against the ceiling.”

“It was a terrible experience,” another passenger, Charistianne Menezes, added. “Of course I was sure that I was going to die.”

Upon the plane’s landing, officials say local paramedics quickly boarded the craft and took five of the injured crew members to area hospitals.

The sixth injured crew was treated on the scene, and no passengers were injured, according to WPLG.  No other information was released about the severity of the crew’s injuries.

Other passengers revealed they were fortunate enough to have an emergency room physician on board who was able to help treat the injured prior to landing.

For more information on the American Airlines Flight 980 severe turbulence incident, check out the following local news clip below:

via ABC News

American Airlines Flight 980: Severe Turbulence Leaves 6 Injured on Miami-Bound Plane is a post from: The Inquisitr

Alec Baldwin on Saturday took to Saturday Night Live where he made fun of his recent American Airlines incident in which he flipped out on the flight crew when asked to turn off his Words With Friends game.

Playing the role of American Airlines captain Steve Rodgers he referred to himself (Alec Baldwin) as an “American Treasure.”

After the incident Baldwin tweeted:

“Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt”

In apologizing to himself during Weekend Update with Seth Meyers he said:

“It was awful, Seth, which is why it was very important for me to come here tonight and on behalf of everyone at American Airlines issue an apology to Mr. Alec Baldwin.”

Meyers then asked:

“Alec, are you sure this is the right way to handle this?”

Baldwin then answered (as pilot Rodgers):

“Mr. Baldwin is an American treasure and I am ashamed of the way he was treated.”

Baldwin then went on to explain why he slammed the lavatory door during his standoff with the crew, claiming ”Words with Friends” is “frustrating.”

Here’s the Saturday Night Live video from Alec Baldwin:

What did you think about the Weekend Update comedy sketch.

Alec Baldwin Makes Fun Of American Airlines Incident On Saturday Night Live [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last week Alec Baldwin was kicked off an American Airlines flight for playing Words With Friends on the runway. After the incident, Balwin wrote an article entitled “A Farewell to Common Sense, Style, and Service” to apologize to his fellow passengers while slamming the airline. But Baldwin isn’t done talking about his fiasco. Last night he appeared on Saturday Night Live as American Airlines captain Steve Rogers to apologize to himself.

After the incident, Baldwin wrote:

“The lesson I’ve learned is to keep my phone off when the 1950′s gym teacher is on duty. That was my fault there, even though this trip was quite a bit different from so many others. But it is sad, I think, that you’ve got to fly overseas today in order to bring back what has been thrown overboard by US carriers in terms of common sense, style, and service.”

During his article, Baldwin also managed to insult the bus industry. Balwin wrote that the lack of common sense, style, and service in the airline industry make flying a “Greyhound bus experience.”

Here’s the clip from SNL.

Do you think Alec Baldwin is handling this situation correctly?

Alec Baldwin Apologizes to Alec Baldwin on SNL [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

American Airlines and their food provider Sky Chefs are being sued for $1 million by a Miami family who claims that their family member became sick and then died after eating a chicken meal provided by the food provider and airline.

According to the family Othon Cortes was headed home from Barcelona when they ordered a chicken meal, by the time they had reached their connecting flight in New York they were experiencing “clear outward manifestation of severe physical illness.”

According to CNN the family says Cortes was experiencing nausea, shortness of breath and a cardiac “event” by the second flight, forcing American Airlines to make an emergency landing in Virginia.

By the time the plane reached the airport Cortes was already dead.

Sky Chefs, which offers in-flight meals for more than 300 airlines has asked that their involvement in the lawsuit be dismissed since they claim to have not catered the flight in question.

In the meantime officials at American Airlines have not yet commented on the passengers illness and their involvement in the event.

I’m typically not worried about Airline food killing me but I try to avoid the cardboard tasting meals whenever I can.  Are you afraid to eat airline food after reading about this lawsuit?

[Image via Christopher Parypa / Shutterstock.com]

Family Claims Airline Food Killed Family Member, Files $1 Million Lawsuit is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a statement, the carrier, currently the third largest US airline, said the decision to reorganize was made “in order to achieve a cost and debt structure that is competitive in the airline industry,” adding that it was in the “best interest of the Company and its stakeholders.”

The announcement also came along with the news that CEO Gerard Arpey would also step down and be replaced by Thomas Horton, the current president of American Airlines.

“This was a difficult decision, but it is the necessary and right path for us to take — and take now — to become a more efficient, financially stronger, and competitive airline,” said Thomas Horton in a statement.

According to the filing, AA listed assets of $24.72 billion and liabilities of $29.55 billion. The company said it has $4.1 billion in cash.

Reuters reports that prior to the filing, American was the only major US airline that been able to avoid bankruptcy since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

“It completes the cycle,” Helane Becker, an analyst with Dahlman Rose & Co, told Reuters. “Every major airline in the united States has filed for Chapter 11.”

Despite the filing, president Horton assured American Airlines customers that the company expects to continue normal flight operations during the reorganization.

“American’s customers are always our top priority and they can continue to depend on us for the safe, reliable travel and high quality service they know and expect from us,” said Horton in a statement. “American serves 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories, and we are committed to maintaining a strong presence in worldwide markets.”

via ABC

American Airlines Bankruptcy: Carrier Files for Ch. 11 Protection is a post from: The Inquisitr

TSA officials this week announced that they are planning to expand their invitation-only expedited screening lines to more airports. The program currently allows Delta and American Airlines frequent fliers to head through faster security checkpoints that require less stringent checks, for example shoes do not need to be removed and laptops are allowed to stay in bags when being scanned.

According to the Wall Street Journal the lanes had previously only been made available to frequent Delta and American fliers and people who pay $100 to become a member of the government’s trusted traveler program which required a qualifying interview with a Customers and Border Protection agent at several airports.

The expedited program has been in existence since October 4 in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit and Miami and will expand into Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Minneapolis.

According to one TSA official:

“The ultimate goal is to move away from one-size-fits-all.”

Unfortunately a time frame for the expanded program has not yet been announced but the TSA continues to promise improved security measures that are hopefully less intrusive for travelers.

Do you think the expedited security program provides an unfair advantage to certain travelers? Perhaps people with Afros and other big hairstyles will now be targeted less while passing through expedited security checkpoints.

[Images via Carolina K. Smith, M.D. / Shutterstock.com]

TSA To Expand Expedited Screening Program is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a harrowing day for the air travel industry, an index of 15 major airline shares tumbled 9.8%. The index is now down 41% this year – that compares harshly with a 12.6% drop for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

It was American Airlines stock plummeted the furthest – from $2.96 to $1.98 in a single day. A report has suggested the drop is down to a decreased demand for air travel (with a particularly terrible August) and a higher number of pilots retiring early. American Airlines may now consider filing for bankruptcy.

AMR was far from the only struggler, however. US Airways Group Inc. shares slipped 15.8%, while JetBlue Airways Corp. lost 14.7%.

Naturally, it seems AMR is against the idea of filing for bankruptcy. Spokesman Andrew Backover had this to say:

“Regarding rumors and speculation about a court-supervised restructuring, that is certainly not our goal or our preference. We know we need to improve our results, and we are keenly focused as we work to achieve that.”

American Airlines was the only major North American carrier not to file for bankruptcy in the decade following the September 11th attacks. Airline stocks have been gradually falling over the last five trading days, with AMR shares dropping 40% over that period.

Yet it was only in July that the 81-year-old company placed an order with Boeing Co. for 460 narrow-body planes – the biggest single order in aviation history.

Airline Stocks Plummet, American Airlines Drops 33% is a post from: The Inquisitr

I recently thought that my constantly delayed trips were reason enough to stop using Delta Airlines and it turns out my airport wait times are nothing compared to what both United and Continental Airlines are doing to customers on International flights, charging $400 or more per checked bag.

Yes the fees only apply to overweight bags in the vicinity of 71 to 100 pounds but compared to the average $30 to $40 single bag charge for domestic flights or even the average $43 single bag charge for International flights users could literally ship 10 bags that far exceed those weight guidelines for a similar or even lower price.

Continental and United are not even the worse abusers of the checked bag system, American Airlines charges $450 for the exact same service.

Throw in additional booking fees just to use frequent-flier tickets and a $250 charge to change international tickets and it’s easy to see why many Americans are excited about national high speed rail plans, at least we can save some money when we don’t have to leave the country.

Have you been hit with any abnormally high fees to fly? I would drown out my anger at those costs with a rum and coke when I fly but let’s be honest I’m not about to pay $7 to $8 for a single drink, I’d rather just walk to my final destination, perhaps even swim.

$400 Baggage Fees? International Travelers Often Don’t Have A Choice is a post from: The Inquisitr

The missing feline, named Jack, has reportedly been roaming around the American Airlines’ baggage center for the past five days, but thanks to the power of social media, sympathetic animal lovers are pressuring the airline to find him.

According to Karen Pascoe, the pets owner, she first learned of the cat’s disappearance on Thursday 30 minutes before her flight was scheduled to take off.

After Ms Pascoe’s unsuccessful attempts to reach someone at the airlines for an update on Jack’s status for more than 60 hours, her sister, Mary Beth Melchoir, launched the “Jack the Cat is Lost in AA Baggage at JFK” Facebook page, which quickly attracted more than 1,000 fans.

In addition to the flood of angry messages sent by members of the “Jack the Cat” fan page, many pet lovers also took to the American Airlines’ Facebook page urging them to find Jack, prompting the airline to post a response about its efforts to find the missing cat.

 “Our JFK employees are using a variety of methods to try to find Jack, including setting cans of cat food by his kennel,” American Airlines spokesman Ed Martelle told msnbc.com. “Additionally, we are working with the Mayor’s Alliance for New York City to assist in providing humane animal traps … We offer our sincere regrets for this incident and are doing everything possible to locate him.”

In addition to their rescue efforts, which include setting up “humane traps” throughout JFK, American Airlines has offered Jack’s owner, Karen, a flight to New York to personally visit the JFK operation and help assist with search efforts.

As of this posting (5pm Aug. 30), Jack the cat (seen below) is still missing.

via NY Daily

JFK “Lost Cat” Incident Prompts Uproar on American Airlines’ Facebook Page is a post from: The Inquisitr

American Airlines is switching out 6,000 in-flight entertainment systems with the Samsung 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab complete with a customized version of the Android Honeycomb OS.

The customization to the tablet will allow the units to showcase American Airlines’ own offerings such as streaming services, while also offering expanded memory on the devices, although the latter is still only a rumor.

At this time only “premium cabins” appear to be receiving the upgrade and only then on long-distance routed airplanes, for example, the units should be seen on many 767-200 models with WiFi access.

Users should expect to pay an additional premium to take advantage of the tablets.

Samsung 10.1-Inch Galaxy Tablet Coming To American Airlines is a post from: The Inquisitr

Every week when airlines introduce a new way to get people to pay for stuff that used to be a standard part of flying since people started putting planes in skies, everyone gets completely scandalized and shocked that airlines haven’t just resorted to turning you upside down and shaking you for loose change when you stop to remove your shoes at security, already.

So another week, another surprising grab by the airlines for your greenbacks. American Airlines has introduced a new fee, or option if you’re an airline exec, that preys on people’s inability to sit the frick down and shut up after the plane lands. Last week’s high-profile plane rage incident involving Steven Slater stemmed from a passenger impatient to disembark- could he be the inspiration for this latest fee?

You know how when you get your seats, some lucky bastards get to get up first and get off before you because of where their seats are? Those seats are now going to cost more on AA flights- they’ve been dubbed express seats:

The Fort Worth, Texas, airline will charge between $19 and $39 more for “Express Seats” — those spots in the first few rows of coach that include bulkhead seats.

The carrier’s parent AMR Corp. said today that the price of the seats includes getting on the plane in the first “general boarding” group of passengers.

The seats can only be purchased at airport kiosks between 24 hours to 50 minutes prior to the flight for travel within the US.

How about, if you’re in one of the seats where you’re obligated to assist in evacuation that if the event comes to pass, your airline gets to charge you for more in-flight entertainment?

[Image]

American Airlines will charge $20-40 more for exit-adjacent seats is a post from: The Inquisitr

An American Airlines 737-800 skidded off a runway in Kingston, Jamaica Tuesday night, splitting the aircraft in two.

Fight 331, which started in Washington D.C. with a stop over in Miami skidded off the runway in heavy rain at approximately 10:22 p.m. local time.

There were reported to be 153 people on the plane, including 7 crew members. Initial reports suggest that at least 40 people have been injured, although there was no reports of any deaths at the time of writing.

Emergency services were on scene and taking the injured to local hospitals.

More when we have it.

American Airlines 737 Crashes In Jamaica is a post from: The Inquisitr

I don’t fly so I can’t speak from experience here but the Wall Street Journal has been looking into some of the extra fees that airlines are charging and how much money those fees, which include cancellations, are making the airlines. Going through the new Department of Transportation filings these fees are making the airlines literally millions of dollars and they don’t show any sign of decreasing.

In February, the Transportation Department clarified rules on how airlines report ticket-change penalties to the government. The first-quarter numbers for 2009 offer the first accurate snapshot of how much consumers pay to make changes to non-refundable tickets. It turns out to be more than many realized.

Change and cancellation fees amount to an added 3.2% of U.S. airline passenger revenue, totaling $527.6 million for the first quarter. Business travelers pay the lion’s share.

With the information in a post on footnoted.org here’s a short list of some of the airlines and the money they’ve made on the various fees charged

1. AMR, which is the parent company of American Airlines, using “other revenues” as a way to lump all the fees, which include cancellation and baggage fees, went up by 7% to $565 million
2. Delta said its “other revenues” increased by $81 million during the quarter
3. USAirways didn’t give a money figure but has said that their “ancillary items” has seen a hefty increase
4. JetBlue will only say that “other revenue” was up by 7%

Of course some airline customers aren’t overly happy with this ‘feeing’ to death and Delta is facing several class action lawsuits challenging the baggage fees for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Airlines make a tidy bundle ‘feeing’ us to death is a post from: The Inquisitr

An American Airlines jet had to make an emergency landing in Halifax, Canada Tuesday night after pasengers and crew reported smoke in the cabin.

American Airlines flight 64 was on it’s way from New York to Zurich, Switzerland when some sort of fire broke out on board. The plane diverted to Halifax airport and landed safely where emergency crews were waiting.

Paul Baxter, vice president of operations at Halifax International Airport said the passengers were slightly alarmed but none sought medical attention. They walked off the plane without having to deploy the emergency chutes.

American Airlines dispatched another plane to pick up the stranded passengers and their flight continued to it’s destination.

American Airlines service technicians will perform any repairs to the plane and thoroughly inspect it before putting it back into service.

American Airlines Jet Makes Emergency Landing in Halifax is a post from: The Inquisitr

In September, American Airlines flight attendants, through the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, asked the carrier to filter its in-flight Internet service to block access to pornography and other web sites that are inappropriate.

The company contends that despite the move, it has not experienced any reported incidents of customers viewing inappropriate content via its Internet service. I don’t believe them. Someone must have tried looking at one. Really. There must be someone. You?

American Airlines was the first airline to launch Internet access to customers flying its Boeing 767-200 aircraft between New York JFK and San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami as part of a three-to-six month trial of inflight connectivity. The introduction of inflight Wi-Fi provides customers the opportunity to be productive and stay connected while in flight and not to satisfy clamor for porn.

So, if you want porn in the sky, American Airlines should not be your airline of choice.

American Airlines is not your airline of choice for porn in the sky is a post from: The Inquisitr

Because of this, Bloomberg reported that American Airlines flight attendants, through the Association of Professional Flight Attendants is asking the carrier to filter its in-flight Internet service to block access to pornography and other web sites that are inappropriate.

“We’ve heard a lot of complaints from flight attendants and passengers” about travelers pulling up objectionable Web pages,” union spokesman David Roscow said.

This is a good call from the flight attendants and its union. Besides, why go to those websites while out in public and way up in the sky? Such idiots.

Would You Surf Porn Sites While Way Up in the Sky? is a post from: The Inquisitr