Should American Airlines change its name?

[Avman]

I feel very sorry for AAL in that by virtue of their name they are always going to be no. 1 on any anti American person's or groups' hit list. The latest incident will, I guess, do nothing to enhance passenger appeal to fly with the carrier. So, I ask this question in all seriousness, would it be in AAL's interest to change their corporate identity and remove all reference to "American"?

[TwinAisle]

Once upon a time, there was a flag-carrying airline that decided it was not so good for business to be too associated with the country it was based in. So, in came the image consultants, and with them came the grafitti artists who let rip over the fins, and everyone was happy, because it was more ethnic. Except the passengers, who got stroppy, demanded a return to traditional values, and who quite liked BA the way it was!

I think AA should learn the lesson, and stay as AA. I would bet there isn't an airline out there based in a country that everyone adores....

[Avman]

<img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> I think you're missing the point completely TwinAisle. As an obvious target for terrorists or anti American individuals (nutters), the public may stay away from flying AA and that would trigger the end of the airline. Perhaps, in this particular case, a name change may save the airline from going down. It's a totally different issue to the BA case.

[ 23 December 2001: Message edited by: Avman ]</p>

[TwinAisle]

My point was that by changing its name, AA might succomb to consumer power, as people stay away from it.... as BA noted consumer reaction to their image change, and rapidly reversed it, might not AA have to do the same if they called themselves something innocuous?

If airlines have to change names every time there is an incident, the only happy people will be those who sell aircraft paint and print business cards. Brands are very hard to build up, and I am sure that most people still recognise AA for the premium US brand it is.

[AA SLF]

avman -

As a loyal AA pax, my vote on this Board, and two other aviation boards today, is - NO NAME CHANGE.

I am betting my life on this vote as I have done over 80 legs on AA/AE this year with just over 100k true nautical miles flown.

I will NOT let those B A $ T A R D $ win!!

dAAvid -