robertff

This is not the same as having an organized group having direct input into discussions which affect the miles held by AAdvantage members.

robertff

"The slant is obvious. As it typically is in this newspaper."

What the heck does that mean????? What slant?

sosafan

Was Groucho a "neo-Marxist"?

JDiver

Well, I am certainly in for any committee that will attempt to represent our current rights, or at least privileges and desires, as a concerned AA passenger and EXP who does not believe AA's first response is to preserve customer goodwill (yet, keeping us engaged can be great publicity for them and a sounding board as well).

I won't be back in the US until later May, but I will try to keep up on what is going on when I have Internet access.

Good first steps for anyone interested:

Check with the DL Forum and see who / how the SaveSkyMiles came about; establish liaisons and document best practices.

Begin getting statements of interest, levels of AA flying and available skills (e.g. if interested, who can help organize, e-mail and / or telephone chains, independent website, determining target individuals at AA, etc.

Begin to note important dates, milestone events and occurrences in the reorganization and how the committee (say, SOAAP, or "Save Our American AAdvantage Program" - keep it easy, simple and with a name that provides clear identity and purpose, and in this case keep it clean ) can best determine times and events to impact AA at.

Don't worry so much about those who would purport to "help" for $550 an hour or call Americans and others wishing to organize for representing their interests "communists" (upper or lower case), who often can't do that anyway in what are frequently totalitarian societies.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Unless you are a bankruptcy attorney you would not understand or know about bankruptcy law.

george 3

I am all for preserving and enhancing American Airlines and AAdvantage as an independent airline with accompanying FF program. And I'm not a communist (upper or lower case.) My point was that I am and will always be suspect of anything appearing in the NY Times.

george 3

I believe he was a Republican.

BrewerSEA

Nobody called you a communist. In fact, it was quite literally the reverse. Our personal views about the NYT are irrelevant. The idea that AA passengers could participate in the reorganization process has been proposed. I suggest we discuss the merits of that idea.

Stripy

I'm sure you have a great wealth of knowledge to do with FF programs and flying/travelling but you clearly have no idea what Marxism or neo-Marxism is. So, please spare us the political comments and let's stick to AA related stuff.

emma dog

I realize this sounds simplistic, but what does bankruptcy got to do with anything? Shouldn't we be trying to have a say ALL the time???

lobo411

That's almost as bad. Zing!

JDiver

Whilst I am off soon in the land of aconnectivity, at this point may I strongly suggest we keep it less OMNI and more on topic? Regardless of the source, this may be an idea worth entertaining, and it does seem to have at least one positive precursor and possible model.

Moderator hat off, but close at hand.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I finally got around to reading this article, the author is clueless. There is no way creditors or a judge would allow a customer committee. Also as I said before they would need an attorney because an attorney needs to write the motions placed for the Court and there is no way creditors or a judge will allow that cost attached to the case.

DillMan

I think you read things a bit too literally. I'm fairly certain the suggestion was to create a group that would say, "HEY! Merger partner! We are a big chunk of AA's revenue and here is what we think. You'd want to keep us on board if you are planning on taking over this airline."

I don't think anyone was actually suggesting creating a group that would have any sort of power in the bk process. That would be absurd.

panjabi

I was about to make the same comment. We are missing the point if we talk about NYT

NYT is a sore point for conservatives (myself included) but this article per se has NOTHING to do with being a conservative or liberal

The goal here, which I support TREMENDOUSLY, is to create a LOBBY group or a ADVOCACY group of elite fliers who are opposed to the AMR-LCC merger

Simple as that. NO OTHER AGENDA

Here should be the "Constitution" or goals of this organization

PROPOSED NAME: American Freedom!

GROUP ADVOCACY GOALS:

1. Put pressure on Creditor Committees and the BK Judge to let AMR emerge independent

2. Oppose LCC takeover during the bankruptcy process

3. Oppose LCC even having a say in AMR affairs during the BK process

4. Make ourselves heard in the media with a consistent point of view opposing the merger


MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES:

1. Must have been an AAdvantage Member with some level of Elite Standing for 2012, achieved in 2011: Concierge, EXPLAT, PLAT or GOLD.

2. Cannot be a OW elite. Dilutes our advocacy group

3. The reason for having elite status is that it takes away to a large extent any shills that LCC may try to get on our group

That is the reason that we want elites who qualified for their current status in 2011, to eliminate any proxies that LCC pushes through elite status right now via PLAT challenge etc

4. Cannot comment on any Union negotiations with AMR. This will prevent an ideological split between pro and anti union people and will keep us united

5. CAN comment on Union negotiations with LCC, as they are focused on merger with LCC, which we all oppose ("we" here being members of this group)

6. No politics. No comments about Obama, Bush etc. Again, go with what unites us, which is our dislike of LCC


FORUMS:

1. With the rules in place above, I feel that we will meet the Ts & Cs of FT as well as Milepoint and others and thus we should ask super moderators to help set us up as a sub-group of FT-AA

2. Facebook page (I can help set it up)

3. Twitter (I can help set it up)