Actually AA has reversed itself twice before 9/11. When I got one of the very early personal GPS devices, AA would not allow its use as a "receiver". After they became more popular/cheaper, AA did allow them to be used. After about 1 year or so, AA banned in-flight use and added that to the flightcrew manual (an FA showed it to me). A little later the ban became "public" and has been in the American Way and sometimes on the PA announcement since then. All of this before 9/11.