Prompt Cast
The Rise and Fall of American Airlines' AAirpass Program
TLDR American Airlines sold lifetime tickets for unlimited first-class travel, called the AAirpass, to boost revenue during a financial struggle, but had to revoke the passes when some customers, like Jacques Froome and Steven Rothstein, used them excessively, costing the airline millions of dollars.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
American Airlines sold lifetime tickets for unlimited first-class travel, called the AAirpass, which also included frequent flyer miles and a lifetime membership to the Admiral's Club, but it was a very expensive purchase.
02:34
American Airlines sold lifetime tickets for unlimited first-class travel, called the AAirpass, to wealthy individuals and companies in order to boost revenue during a period of financial struggle for the airline.
05:09
American Airlines only sold 28 AAirpass tickets, and some customers got so much value out of it that the airline had to revoke the lifetime pass.
07:40
Jacques Froome and Steven Rothstein were two individuals who purchased AAirpass tickets and traveled an incredible amount, accumulating millions of miles and using the tickets for various purposes such as flying a babysitter in for the evening.
10:12
American Airlines realized that Jacques Froome and Steven Rothstein were costing them about a million dollars a year in travel with their AAirpass tickets, so they formed a task force to find a way to cancel their passes, as well as the passes of others who were exploiting the program's rules.
12:35
Jacques Vroom and Steven Rothstein made money by selling their AAirpass tickets, but American Airlines terminated their passes and they are now in legal limbo.
14:52
Jacques Vroom and Steven Rothstein feel that they were targeted by American Airlines because they were among the least wealthy air pass holders, but the legal resolution is unclear.
Categories:
Society & Culture
