American Airlines Group, Inc. is a holding company for American Airlines and US Airways. The company, together with American Eagle and US Airways Express operates an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to 339 destinations in 54 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington.
Its AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs allow members to earn and redeem miles for travel and everyday purchases, as well as flight upgrades, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and other retail products. American Airlines Group is formed with the closing of the merger between American Airlines and US Airways Group. Its business roots back to 1934 with the formation of American Airlines, Inc. The company was formed on December 9, 2013 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX.“
“American Airlines History
Predecessors
American Airlines has merged with several carriers since its formation in 1930 (which itself happened by a merger of 80 carriers), these have included Trans Caribbean Airways in 1971, Air California in 1987, Trans World Airlines (TWA) London Heathrow Airport Routes in 1990, Reno Air in 1999, Trans World Airlines itself in 2001.
Early history
American Airways was developed from a conglomeration of 82 small airlines through acquisitions in 1930and reorganizations: initially,American Airways was a common brand by a number of independent carriers. These included Southern Air Transport in Texas,Southern Air Fast Express (SAFE) in the western United States, Universal Aviation in the Midwest (which operated a transcontinental air/rail route in 1929), Thompson Aeronautical Services[15] (which operated a Detroit-Cleveland route beginning in 1929), and Colonial Air Transport in the Northeast. Like many early carriers, American earned its keep carrying U.S. Mail. By 1933 American Airways operated a transcontinental route network serving 72 cities, mostly in the northeastern, midwestern, and southwestern United States.
In 1934 American Airways Company was acquired by E. L. Cord, who renamed it “American Air Lines”. Cord hired Texas businessman C. R. Smith to run the company. Smith worked with Donald Douglas to develop the DC-3, which American Airlines was first to fly, in 1936. American’s DC-3 made it the first airline to be able to operate a route that could earn a profit solely by transporting passengers; other carriers could not earn a profit without U.S. Mail. With the DC-3, American began calling its aircraft “Flagships” and establishing the Admirals Club for valued passengers. The DC-3s had a four-star “admiral’s pennant” outside the cockpit window while the aircraft was parked. American operated daily overnight transcontinental service between New York and Los Angeles through Dallas/Fort Worth and other intermediate stops, advertising the service as an “all-year southern route.”
American Airlines was the first to cooperate with Fiorello LaGuardia to build an airport in New York City,and became owner of the world’s first airline lounge at the new LaGuardia Airport (LGA), known as the Admirals Club. Membership was initially by invitation only, but a discrimination suit decades later changed the club into a paid club.“
*Information from Forbes.com and Wikipedia.org
**Video published on YouTube by “American Airlines“
