Tell Me Why

In this episode of Tell Me Why , Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper reflects on nearly three decades in the airline industry — including a surprising family tie to American’s earliest roots — and explains the “commercial virtuous circle” that guides how we build our network, elevate the customer experience and strengthen revenue and loyalty.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, American’s Chief Digital and Information Officer Ganesh Jayaram joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to talk about the priorities for American’s IT team, how technology is helping to improve the team member and customer experience and how American is leveraging AI to build a more efficient airline.

In the first episode of Season 9 of Tell Me Why, GE Aerospace Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Culp joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to talk about the decades-long relationship between American and GE Aerospace and how GE and CFM’s fuel-efficient engines power American’s aircraft. Larry emphasized GE Aerospace’s commitment to deliver best-in-class engines to help American max...

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo at The Star in Frisco, Texas, to talk about the power of partnership and what it means to build something enduring. Jerry reflects on the Cowboys’ long-standing relationship with American Airlines, the shared pursuit of excellence and how customer exper...

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Finnair CEO Turkka Kuusisto discusses the importance of one world and the Atlantic Joint Business. He also discusses Finnair’s recent centennial, improvements to the customer experience and the airline’s focus on sustainability. 

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, José Freig, Vice President, International and Inflight Dining Operations, discusses American’s newest international routes and the exciting new products the airline is rolling out to support these markets. José also highlights the excitement of international team members as American heads into its centennial year.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy discusses the evolving future of transportation and the work being done to build a state-of-the-art air traffic control system.

Brian Znotins, SVP of Network Planning, discusses the newly announced international routes and the reasoning behind the selected destinations.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Chief Digital and Information Officer Ganesh Jayaram joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to discuss the critical role IT plays in enhancing the operation and customer experience. From app redesigns to new technologies supporting operations and customer interactions, the team is working hard to deliver a seamless digital journey.

On the season 8 debut of Tell Me Why, Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to talk about the renewed focus on the customer experience and how the Customer Experience organization is keeping customers at the center of decisions being made. From new lounges and a redesigned mobile app to complimentary Wi-Fi for AAdvantage® members, sponsored by AT&...

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Scott Chandler, Senior Vice President of Revenue Management and Loyalty, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to share exciting updates to the AAdvantage® program. From getting to use your miles onboard to keeping it straightforward to earn status, discover how we’re making loyalty more rewarding for our customers.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Capt. Alan Johnson, Vice President of Flight, and Cedric Wilson, Vice President of Safety Systems, Efficiency and Compliance, join Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about how our Operations team is getting ready for a busy holiday travel season. Learn more about how American is preparing to welcome nearly 8.3 million...

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of U.S. Travel Association, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about the work the association is doing to advocate on behalf of the travel industry. American is a proud member of U.S. Travel and partners with them to ensure that the interests of the travel community, and all those employed by i...

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about the summer 2025 network announcement. American continues to grow its comprehensive global network and will offer customers five new routes to Europe next summer, including returning to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI) for t...

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Heather Garboden, Senior Vice President, American Eagle and Cargo, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about how our regional carriers and Cargo team are helping us achieve our goals of running a reliable and profitable airline.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Ganesh Jayaram, Chief Digital and Information Officer, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about how technology is powering our airline.  Team members are leveraging technology to support customers this summer  by mitigating disruptions, driving faster recovery during irregular operations and delivering new features that make the c...

In the Season 7 premiere of Tell Me Why, David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to preview American’s summer operation and share some of the preparations we’ve made to ensure the airline runs smoothly for our customers during this critical time of year. Learn more about our preparation for the summer travel season on our ...

In the season 6 finale of Tell Me Why, Vasu Raja, Chief Commercial Officer, talks about how we think about our business and our customers – from the best global network to the award-winning AAdvantage program to connecting directly with our customer.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Anne Moroni, Vice President of Operations Planning and Performance, talks about our strong operational performance, how we’ve prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday travel period and the latest tools and technology helping our team. We’re running the best operation in our history, and we’re prepared to continue delivering for our customers this winter holi...

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Meghan Montana, Senior Vice President and Treasurer, talks about the recent run-up in fuel prices, the proactive decisions we’re making to protect American from the rise in costs and how team members around the system can help conserve fuel.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Jill Blickstein, VP and Chief Sustainability Officer talks about sustainability and why it’s so important for our airline. We’re on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050, and there is a lot to be excited about, including a recent study American participated in with Google Research and Breakthrough Energy on avoiding contrails in flight.

 In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network Planning, talks about the summer 2024 network announcement. Next year, we’ll offer service to three new European cities, add one brand new route and resume service to Venice, Italy (VCE), from ORD.

Listen in to the latest episode for a recap of the second-quarter 2023 earnings call. Get the highlights of what Robert and other leaders discussed — from financial to operational performance.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Carolyne Truelove, Vice President of Reservations and Service Recovery, and Kim Cisek, Vice President of Customer Experience, join Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about how we’re working to deliver a better experience across all touch points of the customer journey through technology and investments in our products.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about how we’re working as a team and solving for the system to deliver a reliable operation this summer — and keeping our customers at the center of all we do. The summer started strong, and we’re well positioned to deliver in the summer weeks ahead —...