This evening, October 18th, CNBC aired Inside American Airlines: A Week In The Life. American granted access to documentary crews on all levels, allowing them to talk to passengers, position cameras in flight, and in many private areas. They covered, to name a few:
- Frequent Flyers
- Cargo
- Maintenance
- Reservations
- Management
- Union Issues
We found it worth watching, and rather well-rounded. Today in the Sky referenced in some good commentary on the subject. One of the most interesting points is that a New York to Los Angeles flight profiled, American Flight 1, made a net profit of only $200, whereas an American flight from Dallas to Hartford, CT. earned $8,400. Scott McCartney of the Wall Street Journal attributed that to the fact that American Airlines has no low-fare competition on that route…in fact, they are the only ones operating it.