While I prefer Boeing planes to Airbus, I am going to say something that speaks to this situation that takes some of the blame off of Airbus. Granted, if it is true what they did, they are morons and should pay the passengers, pay AA and fix every A300-600 and whatever other plane has these problems. In case you are forgetting, however, Boeing has had problems too. One applies to my favorite airplane, the 747, with its fuel pump problems that aided in blowing up TWA 800. This could have been quite well known and never we were told. Corporations lie, and should be held accountable, not rewarded. AA