AA asks US gvt to refrain using AA to transport separated border kids
Jun 20, 2018, 11:16 am
#1
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AA asks US gvt to refrain using AA to transport separated border kids
Last edited by JDiver; Jun 20, 2018 at 2:24 pm Reason: Add AA statement
Jun 20, 2018, 12:00 pm
#6
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I think the title of this post is inaccurate. AA is not going to "stop transporting border kids". They've asked the federal government to "immediately refrain" from using the airline for transport. I suspect their contract obligations with the federal government don't allow them to pick and choose which federal government passengers they provide transportation to. Maybe the best course of action is to get a side letter to their current federal government contract if they want to disallow a certain class of travel.
Jun 20, 2018, 12:05 pm
#7
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Interesting technical issue. Does their contract covering government employees, contractors etc. explicitly or implicitly include children removed from their parents?
Jun 20, 2018, 12:14 pm
#10
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The incremental revenue for this certainly isn't worth the bad publicity. Ditto for what Delta did with the sparsely used NRA discount. Maybe the bad publicity associated with the IDB of the United Express passenger in Chicago has done some good?
Jun 20, 2018, 12:18 pm
#11
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AA is expecting a long hard summer. My guess is they felt they had to make a statement to maintain relations with FAs going into july.
I think with 66%+ opposition to what's happening, it ain't a bad business move, either.
I think with 66%+ opposition to what's happening, it ain't a bad business move, either.
Jun 20, 2018, 12:25 pm
#12
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AA is expecting a long hard summer. My guess is they felt they had to make a statement to maintain relations with FAs going into july.
I think with 66%+ opposition to what's happening, it ain't a bad business move, either.
I think with 66%+ opposition to what's happening, it ain't a bad business move, either.
in the end this is PR stuff. AA will still have to comply with contractual requirement.
Jun 20, 2018, 12:32 pm
#13
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Jun 20, 2018, 12:33 pm
#14
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I looked at the GSA site and AA holds the contract for DFW-ORD, as an example for travel originating in Texas, at $109 or $193 one way, and that's in place until the end of September, 2018. Southwest holds a similar city pair from Love Field to Midway at a higher price. I don't see anything in AA's press release about not honoring the contract, just the "immediately refrain" wording. I'd expect them to honor the contract if the passenger(s) qualify for the fare, no matter who the passenger is.
Jun 20, 2018, 12:48 pm
#15
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But then they might face civil disobedience from some ground staff and FAs, to say nothing of passenger photos and video. This would be bad publicity all around, far worse than the UA involuntary removal thing. So I would guess further 'shipments' will not happen.