D
“It’saCelebration”
Gerard J. Arpey
Chairman and CEO American Airlines
©CHET SNEDDEN
SUMMER 2011
celebratedliving.com
6
FROM
THE CEO
Doyou rememberwhatyouweredo-
ing30yearsago?Letmerefreshyour
memoryofwhat lifewas like in1981.
Dallas
was the top show on televi-
sion.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
was a
box-office juggernaut.Andwhenyou
turnedon theradio, therewasagood
chanceyouwouldhear
“
Celebration”
byKoolandtheGang. Inthespringof
1981, I was wrapping upmy formal
education at theUniversity of Texas
and dreaming, believe it or not, of a
career in the airline industry. I was
especially interested in joining
AmericanAirlines, in part because
30 years ago, AA launched a bold
marketing initiativethatchangedthe
industry landscapedramaticallyand
permanently.
I’m talking, of course, about AAdvantage, theworld’s
first frequent-flier program, whose growth over the last
three decades has beennothing short of amazing.Wehit
the ground running in 1981with about 300,000members
eagertoearnandredeem“miles”(abrand-newexpression
back then) onAmericanAirlines. Today, theAAdvantage
programhasmore than66millionmembers.Toput that in
perspective, if theAAdvantageprogramwereacountry, it
would have roughly the same population as France. And
it’s still growing. Last year, approximately2.4millionnew
members joined theAAdvantageprogram— that’s about
fourandahalfnewmemberseveryminute.
As you know, one of the keys to the AAdvantage
program’s growth has been the fact that you no longer
have tofly frequently toearnrewards.Therearecount-
lessways to earnmiles for things you do every day—
and there aremore options for redeeming thosemiles
than ever before, including car rentals, hotel stays, up-
grades, andmuchmore.
In 2010, AAdvantage members claimed more than
sevenmillionawards, redeemingmore than 165 billion
miles (equivalent to890 round-tripsbetweenEarthand
the sun). But while big numbers are impressive, the
power of theAAdvantage program rests, I believe, not
in itssheersizebut in the impact ithason its individual
members’ lives. As part of our 30th-anniversary
celebration, we have been asking
AAdvantage members to tell us
their stories, and the results have
been truly inspiring. We’ve heard
from couples who met onboard an
AA flight, used their miles to sus-
tain a long-distance courtship, and
arenowmarried.We’veheard from
members who use their miles to
lend a hand to a wide variety of
goodworks around the world. And
of course, we’ve heard over and
over again about how the
AAdvantage program is helping
people lead lives of adventure and
fun.Wemayhave invented the idea
of an airline rewards program, but
it is our customers — you! —who
have enlivened it and made it not
just agoodbusiness ideabut a cultural phenomenon.
We’re proud of the success and growth of the
AAdvantage program, but of coursewe’remindful of the
oldexpression: “Even ifyou’reon theright track,you’llget
run over if you just sit there.”Our breakthrough innova-
tionof 1981has certainlybeenadopted (
copied
is suchan
uglyword) by lots of companies in and out of the airline
industry, soweareworkinghard—and thinkinghard—
tomake sure theAAdvantage program remains as fresh
andas innovative in2011as itwas30yearsago. Inaddition
toAA.com/AAdvantage, you cankeepupwith thenewest
ways to earn and redeemmiles— aswell as share ideas
with fellow AAdvantage members — via Facebook
(Facebook.com/AAdvantage)andTwitter(@AAdvantage).
In 1982, theyear after theworld’s premier loyaltypro-
gramwas launched, I landed the job I wantedwithmy
dream company, AmericanAirlines. And in the subse-
quent years, oneof the things I have learned is thatwhile
miles are important, the loyalty of our customers is, first
and foremost, a byproduct of the skill, poise, and care of
our people. So aswe celebrate 30 years of AAdvantage, I
hopeyouwill joinme incongratulatingtheentireAAteam
formaking theprogramsuchasuccess. Iknow I speak for
them all in sayingwe intend to earn your loyalty for at
least another 30 years, startingwith your flight today.
Thankyou forflyingwithus.
