You'll find that AA lurks all of the online message boards and usenet. It's one of the best ways that they can find out what the traveling public thinks of them, and better yet, it's a good way to find out just how much abuse they can heap on the customer and get away with.

Message boards and usenet are great places to vent be it praise or complaints because IMHO, it's the fastest way to get your message to the carrier.

Don't bet that AA is unique though, you can bet all the carriers have PR people scouring these types of boards looking for clues. It's also a good place for them to find out all the new ways customers are coming up with to rip them off or play ticket and voucher games.

Whether anyone likes it or not, these types of boards provide invaluable insight and feedback to the airline industry. Thats why I never think twice about holding back when I have an issue to dredge up.

As to your post in general, it sounds like you had a good Customer Service experience, and thats nice to hear by customer and airline alike.