Technology and Innovation Overview
American Airlines continues to be at the
forefront of technology in the travel industry. In the last few years, the airline has made a significant investment and commitment to technology and innovation with the
goal of enhancing the customer experience. From an enhanced AA.com to Self-Service Check-In across the country, American is evolving its technology to meet the changing
needs of its customers and the changing demands of the airline industry. Below are examples of technological advances American is making to adapt to the changing face
of travel. At the forefront of technology is AA.com, named in the past by Forrester Research as the U.S. Airline "Best Overall Site." Considered by many to be the
established leader in domestic airline Web sites, AA.com offers more convenience, more options and more tools to empower customers and bring them back time and again
to purchase air travel and more.
AA.com – The Online Face of American
AA.com began operating in 1995 and has undergone major growth since then. As one of the largest distribution channels for American, AA.com has approximately 1.6 million
visitors per day. Driving the tremendous growth have been the many added features and conveniences that American travelers value. For example, in 2005, when AA.com
celebrated its 10th anniversary, American launched the Lowest Fare Guarantee, assuring customers they will find the lowest online fares for American's flights on AA.com.
The site continues to set new records each month for both visits and booked revenue, demonstrating the ever-growing popularity of AA.com.
In addition to low fares, passengers on AA.com can book AAdvantage award travel, select seats and make hotel, rental car and cruise reservations. AA.com also enables
customers to sign up for flight status notifications, print boarding passes, request upgrades, purchase Admirals Club day passes and manage AAdvantage accounts.
AA.com is currently in a period of rapid growth and development, regularly adding new features and capabilities to better serve customers. For example, a Spanish-language
booking option has been added to meet a growing demand from Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market. Secondly, a new calendar tool was added for customers booking
flights using their AAdvantage miles, receiving highly positive reviews from customers and frequent flyer experts. Travelers can also use DealFinder, a downloadable
tool that pushes travel deals – catered to your preferences – right to your computer desktop. Even when they're on the move, travelers with Web-enabled handheld
devices can access a streamlined mobile version of AA.com to get faster, easier access to all of AA.com's most popular features.
No matter where travelers are located, AA.com gives access to a variety of multilingual worldwide Web sites. From Costa Rica and France to China and Germany, AA.com
is able to serve customers across the world regardless of their language needs.
New Features Now Available on AA.com
The changes that have been implemented to AA.com in the past few years have made it the most comprehensive online destination for booking travel on American. A
combination of features makes reserving travel on AA.com efficient, intuitive and easier than ever before.
- Reward booking simplified – The redesigned AAdvantage award booking calendar on AA.com displays a range of award availability and simplifies the overall user experience. Customers can now search more effectively for a desired itinerary through the new calendar-driven functionality, which provides a more transparent window into the booking process and makes it simple and easy for customers to use AA.com to book award travel.
- Expanded search options – Travelers have the option to search by schedule or a combination of price and schedule. Site visitors will also see departure and return flights as separate fares, allowing travelers to choose the best combination of price and schedule to suit their needs. Departure and return dates can also be modified independently to streamline access to prices and schedules.
- Lowest fare flagged – For a given day, the lowest available fare is highlighted, increasing customer confidence in fare purchases. For those interested in the bottom line, American created a one-click way to see flight options sorted by price on a single page for easy comparison.
- Enhanced results – Up to 40 flights for departure and return ensure that AA.com visitors have the most options available when booking travel. The new results display allows travelers to sort results by expanded criteria, including price, number of stops, and departure and arrival times. Additional details including travel time, AAdvantage miles, aircraft type, seat maps and meal availability are also available.
- Seven-day search window – When using the combined price and schedule booking tool, results show flights matching the search criteria for seven days – the selected departure date plus three days before and after, giving flexible flyers even more options to view and make informed decisions.
Self-Service Check-In
With more than 800 machines at airports around the world, American Airlines customers prefer the ease of use and quick transaction times these devices provide. By
using the self-service check-in machines, American's domestic passengers can now check in and have their boarding pass in hand in as little as 72 seconds! Nearly half
of American's domestic customers now use self-service machines and approximately 80 percent of all domestic customers use either curb-side or self-service, or check in
from home at AA.com.
The newest versions of self-service machines feature passport scanners, credit card readers and barcode scanners, all of which enable customers to check in more quickly
– both for domestic and international flights. American is also installing self-service machines in all domestic American Eagle and American stations that currently do
not have them, giving American 100 percent coverage in the U.S. In addition to expediting the check-in process, the machines provide customers with a variety of value-added
options such as the ability to purchase upgrades and Admirals Club day passes, change a seat or confirm a flight change.
Customers traveling to international destinations also have the convenience of using self-service check-in machines at most airports across the world. With one easy swipe
of a passport or credit card through the machine's reader, travelers are able to quickly select their itinerary and check in for their flights. Customers who do not have
a machine-readable passport can simply follow the prompts on the screen to enter the information manually.
AAdvance Bag Check Program
This convenient service allows passengers to enjoy the ease of checking in and dropping off their luggage for American flights at remote locations, including onboard
cruise ships and at hotels and convention centers. Travelers can check in and drop off their luggage for domestic flights up to 24 hours in advance at the AAdvance
Bag Check station. Baggage is then transported directly to the departure airport and passengers do not have to deal with their luggage until they land at their final
destination. Besides checking in their luggage, passengers also receive their boarding passes, allowing them to go directly to security screening when they arrive at
the airport. For a complete list of locations, visit aa.com/advancebagcheck.
Flight Status Notification
The Web-based technology enables travelers to receive automated flight status information – such as arrival time or gate information – on a variety of mobile devices
via email or voice mail.
In-flight Connectivity
As part of a continuing effort to enhance the travel experience, American Airlines was the first U.S. airline to launch Aircell's Internet Broadband Service, Gogo, as
a trial on Boeing 767-200 aircraft, which fly primarily transcontinental flights. Specifically, routes included are New York to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami.
Gogo, which is available in all classes for a
fee, provides full Internet access to customers with Wi-Fi-enabled personal devices such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs. This includes access to the Web, personal
IM and email accounts, and VPN access to corporate email and networks. Gogo connection speeds are similar to wireless mobile broadband services on the ground. Gogo is
designed to provide data service only, which inhibits the use of cell phone and Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol) services that are against American Airlines policy.
Additionally, Gogo service provides:
- Complimentary access to AA.com including services such as gates & times, fares and AAdvantage information
- Compatibility with the most common VPNs used to access corporate intranets and email
- Seamless coverage within the continental U.S. from above 10,000 feet
Powerports
Travelers will find that some seats are equipped with a DC power "cigarette lighter" style outlet delivering 15 volts of direct current. On most American aircrafts,
a power outlet is available at each seat in First and Business class, as well as selected rows in the Coach cabin. Outlets may be used to operate laptop computers,
CD/DVD players, and charge cell phones and other devices with a maximum 75-watt capacity. Outlets are located on the seat console or mounted to the seat frame below
the seat cushion. Passengers can look for the "lightning bolt" symbol on the overhead bin rows containing powerport-equipped seats. For detailed powerport locations
by aircraft type, visit the Our Planes section on AA.com. This information can also be found in the AA Timetable.
Cell Phone Policy
American knows how important it is to keep in touch with family, friends and business associates while traveling. To maximize the traveler's schedule, American became
the first airline to offer increased "talk time" on the ground, allowing more minutes to connect with friends and family. On all departing flights worldwide, cell
phones, laptop computers, two-way pagers and PDAs can be used until the aircraft door is closed and as soon as the flight lands. Use of cell phones is not allowed
during flight per Federal Communication Commission rules.
In-flight Satellite Phones
Customers can turn flight time into quality time by arranging meetings, checking voice mail or calling home. Worldwide satellite communications are available on
American Airlines' Boeing 777 and Boeing 767 aircraft almost anytime while flying over North America and worldwide.
On-Board Purchases
American Airlines was the first major U.S. airline to offer passengers the option to use credit when paying for food, alcoholic beverages and headsets. Credit
and debit cards are now accepted using state-of-the-art wireless handheld devices that quickly swipe the card and provide a receipt for the transaction.
Remember Me
American's "Remember Me" feature makes it easier and faster for AAdvantage members to access their travel information. Upcoming itineraries are available within a
few seconds at the beginning of the call to AA Reservations, so travelers can receive their personal flight information and be on their way, bypassing navigation
through the automated menu. With Remember Me, registered AAdvantage members who call from a pre-registered phone number will be recognized every time they call AA
Reservations from that phone number. Up to three phone numbers can be "remembered" for each AAdvantage member, so whether travelers are calling from work, home or
their cell, the information they need is provided quickly and conveniently.
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