Whilst cruising the Flickr this a.m., I came across this photo of a billboard touting a Web site where dissatisfied American Airlines customers can "Tell Your AA Story." Fitting, of course, to see this today, as the Fort Worth-based carrier canceled approximately 1,000-plus flights today, following some 460 cancellations yesterday as it gives its fleet of MD-80s the once-over twice. (Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has, of course, been hardest hit, with 208336 cancellations; Chicago O'Hare came in second with 158.) Says Friend of Unfair Park Tim Wagner, whose job sucks more than yours today, "There are about 30 MD-80s in service as of 7 a.m., and we should complete more throughout the day." But all that's subject to change. And it will, once you add to the inspection schedule today's stormy forecast.
Anyway, the Tell Your AA Story site comes to you courtesy the Allied Pilots Association, the Fort Worth-based union for American's pilots. Says this Associated Press story, the billboard stems from the pilots insisting that AA "isn't offering enough training on new cockpit equipment."
But word is, they're also using the campaign to pressure the airline into giving into their demands for a 50 percent pay hike.
Says the site: "It doesn't matter if you lost a day at Disney with your family, a day of work for your business, or a major family event, the unfortunate truth is that your life has been disrupted, your plans destroyed, your business derailed -- all for one bad reason: THE PROFIT OF A FEW AMR EXECUTIVES." --Robert Wilonsky
