ing, I learnedmore about the history and tra-
dition of this iconic company and its people.
I was able to speak with veteran flight atten-
dants and instructors who have had the op-
portunity to fly theworld, serve from a num-
ber of airports and travel with celebrities and
dignitaries.We celebrated80yearsof ourpro-
fession, heardof thegreat innovations in tech-
nologyand travel processes and the journey to
modernize the airline for the future.Wewent
through service training, safetydrillsandexer-
cisesallbuilt toensurewearewell equipped to
providea service level that puts our customers
at thecenter.
Being a flight attendant is a perfect fit for
me, and I’m thrilled to return to this profes-
sion. The jobhas alreadyprovidedmewith so
many great opportunities tohelpothers,meet
newpeopleand travel theworld—and I can’t
wait to see what’s next. At American, we are
introducingnew routes, includingDallas/Fort
Worth toSeoul thismonth, andwehavebrand
new planes entering the fleet like the Boeing
777-300ER and Airbus aircraft. Plus, there
arenew toolsavailable tome, like theSamsung
Galaxy Note that allows me to quickly access
helpful customer information such as seat
assignments and special services, loyalty pro-
gramstatusandconnectinggate information.
I’ve learned so much in the time that I’ve
been a part of the American family, and I’m
confident I’vebeengiven the right tools, train-
ing and support to best serve customers, no
matterwheretheyfly.Aswehonortheachieve-
ments of flight attendants over the past 80
years and celebratewhat’s to come, I look for-
ward toservingyouonboardmynextflight.
YourGuide toAmericanAirlines
American has been at the forefront of many
industry firsts for our profession throughout
thepast80years, includingproudlybeingone
of the first carriers to hire African-American
flight attendants in the 1960s and the first
U.S. carrier to begin equipping its aircraft
with life-saving automated external defibril-
lators (AEDs).What’smore, our industry has
changed dramatically since that first class of
flight attendants started flying. We and our
customers are nowmore connected andmo-
bile than ever, and we’re serving customers
Eightyyearsago thismonth, thefirst fourflight attendantsat
AmericanAirlinesgraduated from trainingand took to the
skies. Since thatday—May3, 1933—muchhas changed in
ourprofession, but thecorevaluesofproviding safeair travel
anddelivering top-notch service toour customersare still
firmly inplace.
fromall cornersof theglobe.
I remember last fall when I first heard
Americanwas hiring newflight attendants—
the largest group of its kind in more than a
decade.Americanhassucharichhistory, there
was no question inmymind that Iwanted to
be a part of its exciting future. Having served
as aflight attendant from 1979 to 1999before
retiring to takecareofmy threechildren, Ihad
been waiting for an opportunity to get back
into the jobI love.
Aftera littlemore thaneightweeksof train-
Americanhasbeenat the forefrontof
many industryfirsts forourprofession
throughout thepast80years.
ContactUsAnytime
• Tobook reservations, logon to aa.comor call Reservations at (800) 433-7300.
•Americanwould love tohearwhat you think about our airline andour employees. Pleasewrite tous at aa.com/customerrelations.
Celebrating80years
Flight Attendant Carol Carroll
Flight Attendant Carol Carroll is a graduateof
Class 2013-01. Shepreviously servedas aflight
attendant at American from 1979 to 1999be-
fore retiring to raiseher three children. She is
excited to be back with the American family
and is based inDallas/FortWorth.
68
MAY 1, 2013
AA.COM/NAVIGATE
