On 29 January 2024, American Airlines shared that it is making changes in its workforce by letting go of hundreds of employees. According to the airline, it’s part of a plan to make things better, especially for its customer-service team.
Around 656 employees, that is, 8.2 per cent of the total 8,000 positions will be affected. These employees, not part of a union, include 335 in Phoenix and 321 in Dallas-Fort Worth. They currently handle tasks such as assisting passengers with lost luggage and the AAdvantage loyalty programme.
In the media reports, the company mentioned that it is creating a new team called the customer-success team. This team aims to give better and more helpful support to American Airlines customers, especially in complicated travel situations.
The new plan involves consolidating customer assistance into one team, making it simpler for passengers to deal with issues such as flight disruptions due to weather. Smaller problems will be outsourced to international contact centres operating 24/7, aiming to decrease call volume by 20 per cent.
However, this decision means that some current employees will lose their jobs. The laid-off employees will continue working until 30 March. They have the opportunity to apply for the 135 positions available in the new Customer Success team or any of the 800 other open positions within American Airlines. Alternatively, they will receive severance packages and assistance in finding new jobs.