401K's are the cheaper easier alternative to pensions. Of course companies want to move towards these. A defined benefit pension will plan is more secure and consistent especially in the event I end up living longer than I have planned for. This is MY opinion and I stand by pension plans as opposed to individual investments. 401K's were designed as supplementary funds to pensions, and this is how they should be applied.
There is a significant difference in the pension plans you have at AA under the TWU and the multi-employer DB which is the subject of many posts. The plan negotiated through the TWU at AA is a single employer plan held and managed by AA. They have the power through the courts to discontinue your pension plan as was the case at UA. The IBT fund such as the Cetral states or the much better positioned Western Conference of Teamsters plan however does not allow access to the company even through bankruptcy.
Here is a link to an older article that does a very good job of explaining the different types of retirement investments and outlines the planned attack on each of them by corporate America.
http://www.kyklospro...s/pensions.html