Can American Airlines Be Saved?

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 467
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American Airlines for the most part has enjoyed a reputation over the years for offering cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages. Now it is dealing with bankruptcy and some are questioning whether the airline has much of a future.

Recent publicity regarding loose airline seats on American’s planes and flights being delayed or canceled are contributing to those doubts. American pilots have been calling in sick and slowing operations by filing additional maintenance reports, supposedly in retaliation against the airline’s cost cutting measures.

The following are the steps American Airlines needs to take if it wants to successfully turnaround its business:

• Admit what is not working and take the necessary actions to fix it. American is suffering from a series of quality failures and needs its senior management to publicly take responsibility and design a plan to quickly address the pressing issues.

• Seek solutions from its employees, including pilots, flight attendants and mechanics. Front line employees typically understand best what is wrong and can brainstorm solutions to ...
... serious problems. Unfortunately right now there is significant antagonism between employees and management that will make gaining the trust of employees difficult.

• Shift investments away from anything not directly related to passenger and front line employee experience. Corporate staff will need to be downsized. More resources need to be shifted to people delivering the product and those experiencing it.

• Understand that happy front line employees are needed in order to deliver a good product to customers.

• No matter what, the product must be safe and perceived safe.
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