And high-fuel costs, low revenue per seat, aging platforms, etc. only add to the complexity. I bet if those executives were de-motivated by removing compensation they'd probably do a better job of running the company! After all, workforce satisfaction is the principal goal right?

Frankly I think they are doing just fine at managing their workforce, from a draconian point of view. They have a labor agreement that appears to meet their needs. It's a captive workforce, meaning you aren't leaving to go to another major, so an FA/Pilot/etc. is pretty much working at AA until they die, retire, or get terminated...unless they change careers altogether. All they have to worry about is keeping the workforce happy enough to stay in the air. That's a shame, because I think most FAs, GAs, and maintenance folks probably are under-compensated, and should have more career portability...but that's just the way things are today.

It's not like the airline with the best pilots or FAs wins - we've seen that's not true since de-regulation. It's all about pricing, and for a small percentage of top-tier customers, the experience.