American Airlines unions are angry. A memo released by the Allied Pilots Association (APA) this week highlights a joint union summit in which multiple labor groups pledged closer cooperation to push back against management. But while the rhetoric is fiery, the unions may be missing the core problem at American Airlines.

Unions At American Airlines Are Angry, But They Miss The Core Problem

The APA characterized the summit as a historic moment in cross-union collaboration:

“This landmark union leadership summit reflects our unified commitment to protecting our members, improving working conditions, and securing a more prosperous future for us and for American Airlines while demanding increased management accountability. We are committed to maintaining a cohesive, coordinated labor coalition to address the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Topics discussed include:

• The impact of management’s peer-trailing financial performance on employees and other stakeholders and on American Airlines’ operational performance.
• Cross-union solidarity and coordinated advocacy.
• Increased labor inclusion and increased management transparency and accountability.
• Joint proposals for operational and service improvements that include greater employee empowerment and enhanced employee protections.

This collaboration marks a significant step toward a more unified, impactful labor movement at American Airlines.”

The union is right to be concerned that American continues to trail Delta and United in financial performance, with both pulling further ahead each year. And yet One Mile At A Time raises an excellent point in wondering, “It’s understandable that union members want to look out for their own interests. But if the goal is to actually look at American’s trailing financial performance, some of the focuses the unions have are a bit questionable. For example, ‘joint proposals for operational and service improvements that include greater employee empowerment and enhanced employee protections.’ Okay, the first part of that sounds great, but how exactly do “enhanced employee protections” play into service improvements?”

That issue in particular calls into question the practicality and motives of this entire discussion. Employee empowerment? Sure. But employee protections? What does that mean? Eliminating the pre-arrival beverage service (again)?

What Is The Root Of The Problem At American Airlines?

The unions are right to call out American’s peer-trailing financial performance and management inconsistency. But the deeper problem is not lower revenue or profit; that’s a symptom of the root problem, namely American’s lack of a coherent product and brand strategy. While Delta and United have differentiated themselves (Delta through operational reliability and service consistency, United through global network and premium positioning) American has muddled along without a clear identity. It tries to be all things to all people, and ends up being none of them particularly well…this is hardly rocket science.

It also made strategic blunders like retiring widebody aircraft during the pandemic premarutrey, something it is still recovering from, and Vasu Raja’s tenure was marked by not just indecision, but incredibly poor discernment when it came to AA’s route network.

That lack of clarity filters down to employees. When flight attendants, pilots, and mechanics feel they are simply running out the clock rather than part of a larger mission, morale suffers. The frustration is real, but even if every labor demand was met tomorrow, the underlying problem would remain: a company without a vision inspires neither employees nor customers.

American Airlines’ management needs to be held accountable, yes, but not just for wages, work rules, or profit margins. The airline’s leadership has to articulate what American is supposed to stand for in 2025 and beyond and then deliver. Without that, the cycle of labor malaise and customer disappointment will continue, no matter how many summits the unions hold.

And as I’ve said before, the little things matter.

Let me put it another way. Three of my last four AA flights have been delayed. Two mechanical delays, one crew scheduling delay. During those delays, the app was worthless in helping to reaccommodate me on other flights and get me on my way. Onboard, internet cost $28 while it is free on Delta and $8 (and soon to be free) on United. Over and over again, I’ve written about AA aricraft in a state of disrepair, with broken seats, screens, and power outlets (plus dirt and grime). It cannot be that I’m just experiencing “bad luck” flight after flight.

On the other hand, there is great potential at American Airlines. The new 787-9 is beautiful and A321XLRs are coming. The food is excellent and the crews can be great…my last few certainly have been nice. In AA’s defense, the repeated aircraft delivery delays from both Airbus and Boeing are beyond its control and have hampered growth. And, AA currently has the best loyalty program in the business among the “Big Three” network carriers with excellent value both domestically and internationally.

I don’t believe the battle between United and American is a zero-sum game; the pie is big enough for both AA and UA to grow.

As for the workers, the path to more profits is not through “enhanced employee protections” but by getting employees to buy into the strategic vision of the airline, which, of course, requires a clearly articulated strategic vision.

CONCLUSION

The unions are not wrong to demand accountability from management, but they are aiming at the symptoms rather than the disease. “Solidarity” and “employee empowerment” may ease frustration in the short term, but they do not solve American Airlines’ deeper problem: a lack of vision and consistency that leaves both employees and customers disillusioned. The airline has the network, the fleet, and even flashes of excellence that could make it a true global leader. What it lacks is leadership that can clearly define what American Airlines should stand for and then rally the workforce around that mission (and stick to it). Until that happens, union summits will come and go, grievances will pile up, and passengers will continue to ask themselves why flying American so often feels like a gamble.

image: American Airlines // hat tip: PYOK