I suspect the stockholders are a tad irked, because AMR stock is taking a nose dive, having lost about 20% of its value. If they think they're losing money now, wait until some of the traveling public look for alternative transportation. On 5/21/08, Bill Hough <psa188@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > American should be really, really ashamed of this. I know the employees > are upset with management and their bonuses, this is just insulting. > > . > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. > The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/n/a/2008/05/21/financial/= > f065907D39.DTL > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Wednesday, May 21, 2008 (AP) > American to charge for 1st checked bag, cut flights > By DAVID KOENIG, Associated Press Writer > > > (05-21) 09:40 PDT Fort Worth, Texas (AP) -- > American Airlines will start charging $15 for the first checked bag, cut > domestic flights and lay off possibly thousands of workers as it grapples > with record-high fuel prices. > Rival Delta has no current plans to match American's fee for the first > checked bag, a spokeswoman said. > American, the nation's largest carrier, said Wednesday the fee for the > first checked bag starts June 15 and that it would raise other fees for > services ranging from reservation help to oversized bags. The other fees > will mostly range from $5 to $50 per service, the airline said. > Last month American announced it would join other carriers in charging $= > 25 > for second bags checked for some passengers, but it wasn't immediately > clear how Wednesday's announcement would affect that. > Its proposed fee for a first checked bag would exempt people who belong = > to > elite levels of its frequent flyer programs, those who bought full-fare > tickets and those traveling overseas. > Delta Air Lines Inc. spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the Atlanta-based > airline is considering all of its options in light of $130-a-barrel oil, > but has no plans "at this time" to match the $15 fee American announced. > Chairman and Chief Executive Gerard J. Arpey said he expects the new or > raised fees will raise several hundred million dollars, but that was the > best estimate he would give. > The changes were being made to adapt to "the current reality of slow > economic growth and high oil prices," Arpey said. He said the fees are an > effort to get customers to pay for services they want. > Arpey didn't put a figure on the layoffs, but when asked whether he > expected the figure to be in the thousands he said yes. > American plans to cut domestic flight capacity by 11 percent to 12 perce= > nt > in the fourth quarter. American had previously expected fourth-quarter > capacity to fall 4.6 percent from the same period in 2007. > Parent AMR Corp. said reduced flying will lead to an undisclosed number = > of > job cuts at both American and its American Eagle subsidiary. > AMR expects to retire 45 to 50 planes from its fleet, most of them > gas-guzzling MD-80 aircraft. Those were the plane grounded for faulty > wiring last month. > American said rising oil prices have increased its expected annual fuel > costs by nearly $3 billion since the start of the year. > AMR shares tumbled $1.42, or 17.2 percent, to $6.78 after the announceme= > nt > which came as its shareholders gathered for their annual meeting. They > sank to a 52-week low of $6.72 earlier in the session. --------------------= > -------------------------------------------------- > Copyright 2008 AP > > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: > "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the > following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE". > -- Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com Regards, Richard Whitenight Arlington, Texas "God Bless America" <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".