Report: American Airlines to replace US fleet

American Airlines is in talks with aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing Co. to purchase at least 250 aircraft in a deal valued at about $15 billion, The Wall Street Journal said.

[aatulretired]

Appears to be a two-month-old article but the negotiating ploy is one that Bob Crandall used years ago when I believe it was also with Boeing or McDonnell Douglas and Airbus as well. According to rumors, he had them at AMR Headquarters down the hall from each other and shuttled back and forth to get the best deal, subsequently purchasing aircraft from both of them. Now if his management team could get the rest of their act together and run the corporation like Crandall did it's quite possible, if not too late, that the airline could be a leader again and shed its loser image.

[OldCapt]

Wow, I could use this guy to buy my next car!

[swa pilot]

Too big to fail

[aatulretired]

OldCapt wrote:

Wow, I could use this guy to buy my next car!

You wouldn't want to be the salesperson!

Mr. Crandall was quite the guy to be around. Whenever he flew, even after retirement, he always made the effort while in-flight to converse with the flight crew and enter the cockpit as well. If there were issues or concerns you had your magic one on one time and golden opportunity to discuss them. He had cajones to do this. Many senior execs are unapproachable.

His President Conferences were quite the place to be if you wanted information and insight to American/AMR and the airline industry as a whole. I attended many of these conferences and he was never stomped to answer ANY question regarding the corporation, I should add they were not staged. No script or telepromter were ever used, back then the equivalent of a powerpoint presentation.

He wasn't very pompous and could be easily engaged in a conversation. When addressed as Mr. Crandall his retort was you can call me Bob.

True he rattled many cages and could be very direct and forceful but we all knew where he was coming from, there were exceptions as all companies do have their box of idiots. We were truly blessed when he was at American/AMR.

I would work for him again in a heartbeat!

[RWG]

TO; AARETIRED;
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. I MISSED THE MEETINGS HE HAD WITH US IN TULE ONCE A YEAR. HE MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE IN THE SAME BOAT HE WAS AS FAR AS THE SUCC13ESS OR FAILURE OF THE COMPANY WENT.
AAL SHOULD TRY TO BRING HIM BACK NO MATTER WHAT HE WANTS.

[OldCapt]

aatulretired wrote:

<quoted text>
You wouldn't want to be the salesperson!
Mr. Crandall was quite the guy to be around. Whenever he flew,, back then the equivalent of a powerpoint presentation.
He wasn't very pompous and could be easily engaged in a conversation. When addressed as Mr. Crandall his retort was you can call me Bob.
True he rattled many cages and could be very direct and forceful but we all knew where he was coming from, there were exceptions as all companies do have their box of idiots. We were truly blessed when he was at American/AMR.
I would work for him again in a heartbeat!

Yeah, sounds like OUR Gordon Bethune. Wish we could bring him back!

[texas_pride]

AMR isn't willing to deal with Boeing's union problems in Seattle. The membership are opposed to Boeing's growth plans in South Carolina after they already spent millions on the plant.

[Prost]

texas_pride wrote:

AMR isn't willing to deal with Boeing's union problems in Seattle. The membership are opposed to Boeing's growth plans in South Carolina after they already spent millions on the plant.

AMR isn't willing to deal with it's own union problems.