American Airlines

[Gautier84]

hello all! I was hired for American Airlines on March,13th 2008. I am 23, Belgian. I work in Dublin as a reservations sales representative.
I must say that I love my job and I am very motivated in working for American Airlines, one of the biggest airlines worldwide.
When I read the news, it's not reassuring.Due to dear oil prices and economic crisis in the US, AA loses money every day and its future seems all but nice. I hope we'll be able to overcome this difficult period.

On a personal level, I would love to work in Canada as I have a valid work permit to work there. If you have any tips, they are welcome.

As strange as it can be, I have for now never taken an AA/AE flight but I'll do so in my first holidays, in mid-June. I plan to travel as a non-rev from Brussels to Montreal via Chicago.

Can you tell me if there are lots of opportunities for Res agents? I wouldn't like to do that for too many years, I'd rather love to work in an airport.

Is that true that for new hires, the first 4 non rev flights are free in coach class?

Thanks for the answers,

Gautier

 

[WingNaPrayer]

Gawd I love this!

Res jobs with AA in the USA are going by the wayside. AA is getting rid of them slowly but surely. Those that are left requiring a real person rather than a machine are being shifted overseas where wages are cheap and benefits are less because governments provide universal health care. If AA could, they would provide zero benefits to their workers in the USA, and good luck using your employee travel. Give yourself an extra day or two in each direction for getting bumped or there being no seats available. Always make sure you have the means to get home by paying full fare when traveling on the employee chit.

If you are looking to ride the AA coat tails into the USA or Canada, you\\\'ll need to get out of reservations. AA has shut down most of their res offices in the US.

You might try Mexico! B)

Res jobs are not secure. AA is moving more and more towards automation in the customer process from start to finish. Sure, they tout customer service, but with the internet and self-service kiosks, they\\\'ll be shedding themselves of that nasty customer contact soon enough.

Good Luck!

Is that true that for new hires, the first 4 non rev flights are free in coach class?

 

[eolesen]

Gauthier, there certainly are opportunities to get out of DUB and into the airports, but that's a shrinking opportunity in Europe. It's been long speculated that BA will wind up doing a lot of the ground handling for AA once they get anti-trust immunity. Given the open skies agreement that just went into effect last month, that is more and more likely.

AA has shut down most of their res offices in the US.

Really?... By "most" you mean they're closing the smallest of the five offices which have existed since 1989?...

CVG is closing this fall, but SWRO (TUS), SERO (RDU), ERO (BDL), and SRO (DFW) are alive and well.

Sure, there were res offices inherited from Reno which were closed down, and res offices inherited from TWA which were closed down, and AA closed down the outsourced SAT office right after 9/11.

But the five main offices have stayed pretty much the same for the past 20 years, with one exception -- the WRO moved from LAX to TUS in the late 80's/early 90's.

 

[FrequentFlierCA]

Those that are left requiring a real person rather than a machine are being shifted overseas where wages are cheap and benefits are less because governments provide universal health care.

Factually inaccurate. Try flying UA, US or DL and having to deal with their outsourced call centers. I'll take a US-based agent at AA any day.

 

[IORFA]

DUB is far from being cheap. Try visiting sometime. You will surely be surprised at the costs.