richvista

I've always been curious. I know that AA says that new FA uniforms are not in their budget, but were do they get the money to finance new 737's? I am a big fan of AA and fly them monthly, but their flight attendants are starting to look shabby and unproffesional. On a plane with three FA's none of them were wearing the same uniform, and it looke very unproffessional, so is there any plans for new uniforms in the future?

abmj-jr

Welcome to Flyer Talk, richvista!

We have a specific sub-forum for all things related to American Airlines and its frequent flyer program. I have requested to have a moderator move your post there, where the real experts on AA hang out.

obscure2k

Welcome to Flyertalk, richvista
The above information is correct, so I am moving your thread to the AA Forum for discussion.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

FWAAA

Welcome to Flyertalk.

Old FA uniforms aren't bleeding the company dry the way gas-hog MD-80s were when oil hit $147/bbl just over a year ago, so I'm guessing that might be part of it.

AA's FA uniforms consist of several different pieces, so the FAs can mix and match as they wish. There are dresses, skirts, trousers, shirts, blouses, sweaters, etc. Rarely are all the FAs on a flight wearing the same combo. If they're shabby and unprofessional in appearance, then it's time for the FAs to replace the shabby pieces (as FAs buy their own from a uniform allowance they're given each year).

JDiver

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

I am pretty sure there are some threads and posts that address some of this - in fact, I think it was within the week someone was discussing AA had sold some of its aircraft off to GECAS, a major leasing company, and is now using them under lease, and took out a loan secured by aircraft as well. As well, the thread addresses AAdvantage selling Citi advanced miles and getting a couple (or more?) billion dollars in financing.

Ah, there it is! Link.

As to aircraft leasing, it apparently can be quite rewarding. Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy (International Lease Finance Corp.) has done so well he substantially financed the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum branch - the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center - at IAD. (If you haven't been, and are interested in aviation, it's a good way to make an AA mileage run.)

Dr. HFH

It's truly a great museum. It's got's everything, -- the Enola Gay, the first 707, the first FedEx plane, etc. Also, Halloween's coming up. If you have children, I believe that the Museum has a Halloween sleepover on the Museum floor for children of certain ages, -- worth checking out.

PHL

Not to mention an Air France Concorde and the Space Shuttle Enterprise (which never actually flew into space).

martin33

New planes are usually very easy to finance (to mortgage, actually), in general, because the planes make good collateral. If the money isn't repaid, the planes can be repossessed and re-leased or sold. In all of the recent airline bankruptcies, the plane financiers, as secured creditors, made out just fine.

Expense items like fuel, or like uniforms, can't be financed so easily. They have to be paid for up front.

JDiver

In the case of uniforms, I suspect by the employees. I do remember the halcyon and optimistic days when employees even purchased some aircraft for their airlines.

AA's 737-823s are very nice commodities - and as you say, are probably pretty good collateral, not to mention GECAS can sell or lease them out quite easily if they must.