TUS VANGUARD NEWSLETTER Volume 12 Issue 3

FEBRUARY MEETING UPDATE INSIDE THIS ISSUE: President Horn welcomed social gathering and do TUS Vanguards or dissolve 17 members and guests the Chapter at the end of Important Phone Contacts 2 to our first 2020 meeting. not with to have speak- ers. 2020 with our Christmas 2020 Schedule 2 He reminded members luncheon. We are aware that it is renewal time, if At our February board that some members are Anniversaries and Birthdays 2 you have not yet renewed meeting we discussed a no longer driving and may see Bonnie. change in the Vanguard and would like to continue In Memory 2 At the Christmas lunch- format. attending meetings. AA & Industry News 3-4 eon, Tom Kaminski said Instead of a meeting Hy Reed and Ellie Pump he meets monthly with a with a speaker, a sug- have graciously offered to group of AA retirees and gestion was made to pick anyone up. shared information about have a game day.

Vanguards. Judy Hunter Those in attendance volunteered to go to the were interested and we PLEASE LET US next gathering to promote asked for a show of KNOW IF YOU NEED and encourage them to hands to continue with A RIDE AND WE join us and that we would our social event in May. WILL MAKE SURE consider changing our YOU WILL HAVE meeting day to Saturday. So Vanguards, we will have our GAME DAY in TRANSPORTATION. Since some of them are CONTACT JOHN still in the work force, MAY! even though retired from We will try Bingo and if HORN OR KAREN AA, they are not able to that goes well, we will SHUDY TO ARRANGE meet during the week. consider other games. THIS FOR YOU. They meet at Thirsty’s Suggestions are always Those in attendance voted which is not a good venue welcome. in favor of continuing TUS since they do not have a Membership was also Vanguards. private room. discussed. In view of John volunteered to put The consensus was, they our declining member- TUS Vanguards on Face- are only interested in a ship, we asked for your book. thoughts of continuing 50-50 Winner was Karen Shudy who donated it FEBRUARY GUEST SPEAKER back to the Chapter.

We were delighted to have Havala Schumacher, US Census Bureau, as our guest speaker. She provided an in-depth explanation of the workings of the 2020 Census and how every household responds. A letter invitation and paper questionnaire will be mailed to every household. You will have the option to respond online, by mail or by phone. The dates are on or between March 12-20, reminder letter March 16-24 reminder postcard March 26- April3, reminder letter and paper questionnaire April 8-16 and a final reminder postcard before they follow up in person, April 20-27. She explained that it is very important for this information as each state’s representatives are governed by the population. PAGE 2 TUS VANGUARD

~~2020 OFFICERS~~ 2020 SCHEDULE

John Horn, President February 19 869-1288 April 15 May 20 GAME DAY [email protected] October 21 Any address, phone number November 18 or email changes…..please advise Karen Shudy. We Ron Hackman, Vice President December 9* would like to keep all infor- 790-3740 *Christmas Luncheon mation up-to-date.

Bonnie Conway, Treasurer Team Member Service Center

299-6462 **Helpful AA Telephone Contacts** Phone: 1-844-543-5747 to speak with a member of the team. [email protected] *A-9 Death/ Emergency Passes

1-888-WE-FLY-AA (888-933-5922) You’ll first choose from a few prompts to Karen Shudy, Secretary/Editor *Flight listings & ZED fare PNRs make sure your question goes to the right 883-8030 1-800-433-7300 department. [email protected] NRSA Department Hours: Monday through Friday: 7am – 7pm CST, Saturday and Sunday: 8am to

Ellie Pump 4pm CST 480-693-8164 Consultant/Activities Director We handle questions related to: 579-9627 * Benefits Ser- • Travel [email protected] vice Center • General policy AON Hewitt 1-888-860-6178 • Retiree data management

Hours: Mon - Fri 7am - 7pm CST Please contact : Judy Hunter, Ambassador AA Team Member Service Center Email: [email protected] We’re on the web: or call 743-3717 (if you are unable 844-543-5747 www.aavanguardscities.com to reach Judy, please contact any officer if you have information you To access the new wish to share regarding sickness, RETIREE JETNET hospitalization or death of a Van- guard member or family member. Go To: retirees.aa.com 1-888-207-2607

MARCH

4 John & Karen Shudy 48 years

30 Mickey & Bonnie Conway 52 years

MARCH

10 Joe Quagliata

VOLUME 12 ISSSUE 3 PAGE 3

.A4A urges Congress to reject Delta celebrates profit sharing with "thank you" plane .American uses Google translate at tax hikes on passengers O'Hare airport lounges

Airlines for America urged Con- paid out a record gress to reject the proposed tax $1.6 billion in profit sharing to its em- American Airlines is using Google transla- hikes on air travel that are includ- ployees Feb. 14, and unveiled a tion technology at passenger lounges at ed in President Donald Trump's "thank you" plane. The aircraft, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. fiscal year 2021 budget request. whose livery features the names The device can translate languages and The suggested tax hikes would of Delta's 90,000 employees. will assist passengers when multilingual cost passengers an additional "Delta would be nothing without agents are not immediately available. $2.7 billion per year on top of the our 90,000 people worldwide. $26 billion they paid in 2019. They deserve all the credit for our American renews partnership with These are unnecessary tax in- success," Delta CEO Ed Bastian Qatar Airways creases that would jeopardize the said. TravelPulse (2/14), unprecedented choice, access American Airlines is reviving its codeshar- 5747 to speak with a and affordability that consumers ing agreement with Qatar Airways, link- enjoy today. US aviation and its American celebrates expan- sion at N.C. hub ing its Doha hub with American's US net- customers are already subject to work. "Our goal is to continue to expand ll first choose from a few prompts to 17 federal aviation taxes and and deepen our global partnerships to make sure your question goes to the right fees. American Airlines executives gath- complement American's network and American Airlines celebrates ered Feb. 18 to celebrate the air- create more choice for our customers," Black History Month line opening four new gates at American's Chairman and CEO Doug Par- Charlotte Douglas International ker said. Reuters (2/25) 8am to Pamela Camarena had a desire to Airport. American now operates follow her father's footsteps and more than 700 daily flights from work in aviation from a young 93 gates, some 90% of the air- American employee serves as edu- age. When she was hired in July port's flights. The airport's ongo- cation advocate 1974, Camarena became the ing expansion plans could add youngest person hired by PSA even more flights for American, Calvin Hightower, American Airlines' Airlines and has now worked in which serves 149 destinations in manager of airport vendor operations at aviation for the last 45 years. 25 countries from the Charlotte O'Hare International Airport serves in his Camarena says her work has led hub. community through coaching and advo- to unique experiences, including cating for improvements to the education an advertising campaign. "It has system. Hightower, who's had a 48-year been my pleasure to make our career with American, says his upbring- customers feel welcome and at ing motivates him to make a difference in home no matter their age, race, his community and share the importance gender, ethnicity or sexual orien- The 777X Takes to of education. tation. At American, I'm living out The Skies my dream job every day as I get American named official airline of to care for our customers on their The world's largest and most effi- English soccer team journeys," she says. cient twin-engine jet took its first flight, a major milestone for Boeing's 777X built on years of American Airlines will be the official air- A4A unveils Real ID resources line of the English soccer team Watford ahead of Oct. 1 deadline development, testing and rigor. The 777X will safely fly passen- for the rest of the season. The partner- gers more comfortably and effi- ship will feature match highlights in the With less than eight months until ciently with less fuel. Together, airline's inflight entertainment systems the Real ID deadline, Airlines for we're building the future of flight. and arena brandingSportsPro Me- America has unveiled a new, 30- dia/Memphis, Tenn. (2/26) second video and a new web- Determination leads to suc- site, RealIDFacts.com, to help cess for American Airlines pi- Retired MD-80 planes make a differ- raise awareness and educate lot ence for students travelers. Passengers who do not have approved identification will not be allowed through Transpor- When American Airlines First Of- When American Airlines retired its re- tation Security Administration ficer Charlene Shortte was young, maining McDonnell Douglas MD-80 air- checkpoints starting Oct. 1. "US she worried that the lack of black craft, the planes found new purpose as airlines are advising all travelers female pilots might present an training tools at Illinois' Lewis University to plan ahead. Do not wait until obstacle to her career of choice, and CareerTech in Oklahoma City. The the last minute to get a Real ID. but she didn't let that stop her. aircraft provide students with the opportunity to ... We want to ensure you have a Along her journey from the US Air receive hands-on training. American Airlines Force Academy to the Air Force to smooth and enjoyable journey," American Stories (3/5) A4A's Lauren Beyer says. American Airlines first officer, she built a support system and found mentors and now is able to pay it forward. PAGE 4

American Airlines CEO reveals why Read More: American Airlines CEO "(Liquidation) just made them he engineered 2 of the biggest air- reveals why a small Italian airline even stronger and made us even line mergers in the last 20 years is the focus of the nastiest feud in weaker," he told us. "We thought That's why we merged with Ameri- the airline industry instead, let's merge with them. So can Airlines, we were worried US that was really just out of strate- Airways as a stand-alone was no As for the loan guarantee, Parker re- gic necessity, this is a big oppor- longer in a safe harbor." applied days later and was eventually tunity for us to get some scale granted the lifeline America West and we did." A 40-year-old Doug Parker found him- needed. The merger worked. In 2005, a self dejected on a flight home to Phoe- However, Parker's airline was far from new US Airways with America nix, Arizona from Washington D.C. safe waters. The days following 9/11 West in the fold emerged from He had just been turned down for the were bleak for the entire airline indus- bankruptcy. government loan guarantee needed to try. Airlines slashed costs while their Over the years that followed, US keep his airline from folding. employees took major pay cuts. When Airways fought through some op- Parker had become the CEO of America that wasn't enough, there were layoffs erational woes to find success. Its West Airlines only three months earlier and bankruptcies. hub in Philadelphia would prove on September 1, 2001. At the time, he was a medium- to be more successful than Unit- was just 39-years old, one of the young- sized network carrier based in Tempe, ed's much bigger hub in Newark, est CEOs in the industry. It was the be- Arizona with a single hub at Phoenix New Jersey. Something former US ginning of a career ascendancy that Sky Harbor International Airport. Airways President and Current would culminate with him running the America West couldn't challenge the President Scott largest airline in the world. likes of American, United, and Delta in Kirby would begrudgingly admit. For Parker, the good times at the begin- terms of revenue, but survived by hav- At the same time, US Airways' ning of his America West tenure would ing lower operating costs. hub in Charlotte would go on to last only 10 days as the tragic events of According to Parker, the airline's only become one of the most profita- 9/11 plunged the nation and its airline competitive advantage at the time was ble operations in the airline indus- industry into a period of darkness. that it paid its employees less. Howev- try. "I sat in my seat on the way home from er, as rival airlines emerged from In fact, the merger worked so D.C., kind of this woe is me, what am I bankruptcy, they did so with pared- well that US Airways would soon going to do here?" Parker told Business down labor costs comparable to that be strong enough to merge again. Insider. "I'm this brand new CEO, I'm of America West. It tried and failed to merge with going to have a resume that says I got "All of a sudden we had a model that both Delta Air Lines and United to be CEO and then three months later was not long-term viable," Parker said. Airlines. the airline liquidated. What am I going "So as they got their cost near ours Delta would merge with North- to do?" and we have a revenue disadvantage, west in 2008 while United went A conversation with one of his flight at- we knew we had to do something in on to merge with Continental in tendants during the trip home put order to keep that company viable." 2010. things into perspective. US Airways would finally find the "I went to the back and talked to a Read More: American Airlines CEO right partner in American Airlines, flight attendant because I always do, reveals the most important lesson the company where Parker's air- even though I didn't really want to be- he learned from the legendary line career began in 1986 under cause I wasn't sure what I was going to founder of Southwest Airlines the tutelage of former CEO Bob say," he said. "She asked of course Crandall. about how this is going and she just Parker added, "So we at least had the In 2013, US Airways and Ameri- looked at me and said, 'You can't let foresight to recognize this wasn't long- can Airlines came together in a that happen. I'm a single mom and I've term sustainable, we needed to figure merger valued at $11 billion. been doing this job for 13 years,' is my out a way to expand our network to Parker's reasoning for this merger recollection. 'This is what I'm trained to get more scale." was the same as the first one. do, this is what I do and I'm really good For America West, the answer to its "It was all about what moves are at it,' which she was. 'And you can't let problems would be to merge with US we making to make sure we get that happen.'" Airways. these people into safe harbor," he The short conversation stuck with Par- said. "That's why we merged with ker and effectively changed the way he By 2004, Virginia-based US Airways US Airways because we were wor- views what it means to be a company's had filed for bankruptcy twice in two ried that America West standalone chief executive. years. Parker pushed for a merger wasn't in a safe harbor. That's with US Airways even as many in the why we merged with American “From that point forward I stopped wor- industry felt it was time to let the air- Airlines, we were worried US Air- rying about my own career and realized line liquidate its assets and disappear ways as a stand-alone was no that those people that are in our care, from the market. However, Parker not- longer in a safe harbor." are dependent upon us to go fight for ed a US Airways liquidation would In 2018, American Airlines with 57 them," Parker said. "It's not their fault have simply resulted in American, -year-old Doug Parker at the helm that their company isn't as strong as United, and Delta picking up most of reported a $2.8 billion profit and another one, they're out there doing the defunct carrier's assets. on $44 billion in revenue. amazing things. We needed to get our company strong enough." It's this mindset that guides Parker's decision making to this day.