The CNBC special, called "Inside American Airlines: A Week in the Life," covers familiar ground for frequent travelers, from how difficult it is to get a frequent-flier-award seat at the lowest mileage-redemption levels to a history of labor woes. But it has some bits of enlightenment for viewers -- an insider's window on an airline scramble to accommodate passengers when bad weather and mechanical problems arise, a sobering look at the lack of cargo-security screening and a lesson in practicality when a mechanic spends his days sharpening old tools back to life to save $1 million annually.

There's a bit of airline trivia, too, like why Jim Wilson always gets the worst seat on the plane -- in the cargo hold. "Jim Wilson" turns out to be American's internal code for a cadaver