A nice story ... Doug Parker was flying WN and was reading a book about racism, they had a nice conversation and he really uplifted her day.

https://onemileatatime.com/american-air ... 3vEtnan2iM

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Always good to see what the competition is doing.

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

I thought the same thing. I’m sure he’s not in the good graces of the mechanics after he stalled on giving them a contract for over 6 1/2 years.

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Airline execs fly on other airlines all the time, nothing unusual about this at all.

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Just like all other CEOs gotta be where you gotta be, when you gotta be, sometimes flights on our own metal don't fit the schedule so you fly with the other guy plus it's nice to see what they are up to as well.

That is how one of past CEOs put it to us when he flew into our station on a competitor carrier.

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

He said in an internal email that the AA flight was full.

One of the best stories I have ever read on A.net. Thank you for posting and sharing with us. Very interesting to think about senior leadership flying on a competing carrier. Add in the book Doug was reading and the raw emotion from the FA and you have quite the moment in time. Well done by all involved.

That's lovely. Now can he pay everyone the refunds they're owed?

He is a good man.

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Even Doug Parker doesn't want to fly the airline that AA has turned into

Unlike many executives who grew up out of touch with ordinary people because they attended private grade schools and Ivy League colleges, Doug Parker went to public grade schools and a small liberal arts college, Albion College. Albion is in rural Michigan, but the town of Albion, like many cities in Michigan, has struggled because many of the town's residents lost high paying jobs when local factories closed.

I think Doug's background has enabled him to relate to ordinary people better than someone who went to a private high school like Exeter, Spence, or Hotchkiss, then went on to Ivy League college.

At least he flew economy class!

WA707atMSP wrote:

Unlike many executives who grew up out of touch with ordinary people because they attended private grade schools and Ivy League colleges, Doug Parker went to public grade schools and a small liberal arts college, Albion College. Albion is in rural Michigan, but the town of Albion, like many cities in Michigan, has struggled because many of the town's residents lost high paying jobs when local factories closed.

I think Doug's background has enabled him to relate to ordinary people better than someone who went to a private high school like Exeter, Spence, or Hotchkiss, then went on to Ivy League college.

But that doesn't make any sense. Despite a relatively modest background, he's still an unpopular tone deaf leader and out of touch with his workforce (contrast Oscar who became a popular leader at an airline doing some pretty unpopular things). He's also done some pretty stupid things like his multiple DUIs... Endangering the lives of the ordinary folk on several occasions for your own selfishness needs doesn't seem like he relates to the ordinary people at all.

Ziyulu wrote:

At least he flew economy class!

As a Southwest flight attendant once announced, "Every seat on Southwest is a first class seat."

mrbonfire wrote:

WA707atMSP wrote:

Unlike many executives who grew up out of touch with ordinary people because they attended private grade schools and Ivy League colleges, Doug Parker went to public grade schools and a small liberal arts college, Albion College. Albion is in rural Michigan, but the town of Albion, like many cities in Michigan, has struggled because many of the town's residents lost high paying jobs when local factories closed.

I think Doug's background has enabled him to relate to ordinary people better than someone who went to a private high school like Exeter, Spence, or Hotchkiss, then went on to Ivy League college.

But that doesn't make any sense. Despite a relatively modest background, he's still an unpopular tone deaf leader and out of touch with his workforce (contrast Oscar who became a popular leader at an airline doing some pretty unpopular things). He's also done some pretty stupid things like his multiple DUIs... Endangering the lives of the ordinary folk on several occasions for your own selfishness needs doesn't seem like he relates to the ordinary people at all.

Seems like a pretty ordinary person right there with your last statement. How many Americans get involved in DUIs, caught or not. He got caught. There's a ton of them out there who just don't get caught, he is far from being alone.
First statement is pretty subjective. From the few videos I've seen of the guy, he visibly looks shocked about some of the stuff he's told. Maybe the problem are people working under him downplaying issues or "handling" them and it never gets to him. And then I can imagine the throngs of angry people coming at him slinging "tone deaf" or similar blanket statements not be taken seriously.

Anyways, very touching story. Especially the fact that he had a mask on and she wouldn't have known who it was. A very approachable guy and even if you didn't think he was decent, he's doing better than most by trying to learn.

I boarded an AA flight once and saw Herb Kelleher sitting up front, whisky in hand.

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

He wasn't able to get a seat on AA. Flights were full.

NYCAAer wrote:

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

I thought the same thing. I’m sure he’s not in the good graces of the mechanics after he stalled on giving them a contract for over 6 1/2 years.

I'm sure the mechanics aren't in his good graces after "The Association" failed at reasonable efforts to negotiate for 6 1/2 years.

It is very interesting to read the responses on here. As a very long term AA employee I can tell you that 1) No matter what you think of him as a businessman, he is extremely appreciative and very approachable on the airplane. If you want to question him about an issue, he will make time to spend some time with you. He is a very nice guy. 2) In my career I have had Herb Kelleher, Robert Six and Gordon Bethune ( both former CO leaders), and many other managers from the competition. They ride to compare and to just get where they need to be at a time when a flight on their own carrier did not meet their time requirements. 3) I would very assuredly say that Doug is NOT flying to avoid mechanics or any other employee group. Are you kidding? The mechanics just signed an extremely good contract, in a landslide yes vote. 6 years of negotiations isn’t abnormal anymore. I’m really somewhat surprised that some of you find it odd that an executive of one airline would travel on another. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

I think it's perfectly normal that executives fly other airlines, especially if many need to be somewhere at once. I'm just not buying the excuse that AA was full especially when flights are capped, people cancel and no show all the time right now. If he wanted to fly the AA flight (on Eagle btw) they could easily make it work. The lone DFW-ECP flight on AA right now is in the evening, while WN DAL-ECP is around noon. Just admit it was a better flight time this time...and not on a regional jet.

But still an amazing moment and glad it was shared. We are all people first. And the message they give us is important always, but especially now.

Couple years ago BNA was host to one of the Southwest Rally’s we have every year. Several of our execs flew AA instead of us simply because they lived closer to DFW and AA had a later nonstop to BNA than we did. It’s really no big deal

I think he's a decent human being that gets an absurdly bad rap from a lot of folks on the internet. He's generally pretty forthright in his comments to employees at town halls and doesn't usually hide behind a lot of corporate double speak to hide his intentions. That said, I disagree with a lot of his decisions and the philosophy behind them.

This is 100% publicity stunt. No flight attendant would know what you're reading unless you have the book closed on your tray table or your literally putting it in their face. No one would know what you're reading if your actually reading the book. It was only matter of time before a flight attending took the bite and shared the story which blew up because its a CEO. This would've all backfired if he was on AA metal or if he let anyone know who he was before the encounter. The only thing genuine here is the FA's reaction.

Ziyulu wrote:

At least he flew economy class!

Doesn't he always fly economy unless it's full?

Being an executive in the aviation business is hard. Satisfy customers, Wall Street, employees, airports, FAA, the public - we want it all, and actually need all of them to keep things working. But not averse to criticizing.

AA747123 wrote:

A nice story ... Doug Parker was flying WN and was reading a book about racism, they had a nice conversation and he really uplifted her day.

https://onemileatatime.com/american-air ... 3vEtnan2iM

I was on a United flight years ago and the CEO of WN ad his wife were in 1st class on the opposite aisle on a DC10.
The flight attendants stuffed them like "Christmas Geese" with food and Drink... So they KNEW who was on Board!

Did she serve him any alcohol?

AA Oasis Config compared to Southwest.......Southwest is way more comfortable every time.

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Seriously??? He addressed the reason he was on SWA, AA flight seats were sold out.

Anyone that works in the airline business knows that employees flying on another carrier's metal is a very routine, everyday occurrence - especially amongst pilots and flight attendants that commute to and from their base. .

https://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2020/ ... l-orig.cnn

Doug Parker was reading a book entitled "White Fragility" and a flight attendant struck up a conversation about the book.

But Doug Parker was on a Southwest flight!?!?!?!

AA CEO needs WN to get back to Dallas????

Did he buy Early-Bird Check-In? Suffer a C-group boarding position?

I don't know how he selects his reading material - this seems very timely - but every Fortune 500 CEO really should have the social skills to have a two-minute conversation with anybody. His note is a nice touch.

jagraham wrote:

https://www.cnn.com/videos/travel/2020/06/02/southwest-flight-attendant-american-ceo-travel-orig.cnn

Doug Parker was reading a book entitled "White Fragility" and a flight attendant struck up a conversation about the book.

But Doug Parker was on a Southwest flight!?!?!?!

AA CEO needs WN to get back to Dallas????

Seriously? Read the thread before you post on the thread. The AA flight was full.

Doug is an avid reader, years ago at the HP town halls which books was he reading now, was a common question.

Only part I thought was a little kreepy was the last sentence .. "If you'd like to continue the converdation.. here;s my email .. .. . . " .. Mmm-HMM!

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

The flight on AA was full. And, unlike Bill Franke, he didn't want to bump any paying pax off the flight.

If you read the article......

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Sometimes, the airline you're CEO of just isn't the most convenient option. I'm thinking (but don't know) that AA didn't have to pay a dime for Doug's flight...Professional Courtesy.

Back in the 80s, Frank Borman wanted to fly from MIA to ABQ. Eastern was out of the question so he flew on AA. I flew him on the DFW-ABQ leg.

deebee278 wrote:

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Sometimes, the airline you're CEO of just isn't the most convenient option. I'm thinking (but don't know) that AA didn't have to pay a dime for Doug's flight...Professional Courtesy.

Back in the 80s, Frank Borman wanted to fly from MIA to ABQ. Eastern was out of the question so he flew on AA. I flew him on the DFW-ABQ leg.

I'm pretty sure they pay, even on AA. Parker once said in an interview(I apologize I don't have the link) that when he's booked on both AA and others, his staff books it with a company credit card that has his name on it. He said it was funny because the card has his real name William, as does his bookings, so sometimes people don't notice or make the connection.

Very common indeed. I am sure Gary Kelly flies AA often. Wasn't Herb Kelleher AA Platinum ?

KLMatSJC wrote:

jetawayusa wrote:

the bigger question is ...What is Doug Parker doing flying on WN ....and not on AA!!!!???? Afraid to fly on his own airline?

Even Doug Parker doesn't want to fly the airline that AA has turned into

Actually if you look into why he did it, it makes him look even better than you want him, or his airline, to look. He didn't use his weight to bump a passenger from his own airline. Any exec can be critiqued for any number of things, but this is one instance where an exec cannot be called out. Good for him.