Moved by the story of U.S. soldiers with no available USO facilities at
airports, American Airlines today invited U.S. military men and women to
spend time between flights at American`s elegant Admirals Club facilities
worldwide.
“It`s the least we can do for our soldiers on R&R from active duty,” said
Cathy Berg, managing director - Premium Services for American. “These men
and woman have traveled halfway around the world to get to loved ones, and
we`re happy to say `thank you` by making that trip a little easier for
them.”
Berg said the idea was sparked by a story in The Dallas Morning News,
which told of soldiers stranded for hours and sometimes days at DFW
International Airport when military charters arrived too late to make the
soldiers` connections. “DFW has no USO facility for soldiers, so we
thought, why not open our DFW Admirals Clubs? And then we thought, why not
open all of our Admirals Clubs where there`s no USO facility for them?”

Under terms of the Iraqi Freedom Rest and Relaxation (R&R) Program,
military charter flights transport soldiers on emergency or R&R leave from
Kuwait to Baltimore/Washington, Atlanta and Dallas/Fort Worth airports.
Baltimore and Atlanta have USO facilities for soldiers to relax. DFW does
not.
At DFW, and other airports where there is no USO, Berg said returning
servicemen and women in uniform or with military ID can enter the clubs
free of charge to wait for their flights, enjoy complimentary snacks and
soft drinks, watch TV, use the Internet or just stretch out and relax. The
program starts today and runs for the duration of the R&R program.

“We`d like to be the first to welcome them home,” Berg said.

American already participates in Operation Hero Miles through its
AAdvantage(R) loyalty program. American donated 10 million AAdvantage
miles for troops to use for connecting flights to their homes, with
AAdvantage members donating millions more.

About American Airlines` Admirals Clubs
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In 1939, American Airlines opened the industry`s first VIP lounge at
LaGuardia Airport in New York, forever changing travel at airports. The
Admirals Club has become synonymous with comfort and elegance at major
airports throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia
and Latin America. Admirals Club allows members to relax or work before,
after or between flights and enjoy personalized, professional service from
club staff.
Besides spacious First-and Coach-Class cabins and an extensive route
network, customers on American will also find great low fares, the
opportunity to earn and redeem AAdvantage frequent flier miles, and
exceptional service both on the ground and in the air, all of which
combine to make travel on American a great value.

American Airlines is the world`s largest carrier. American, American Eagle
and the AmericanConnection regional carriers serve more than 250 cities in
over 40 countries with more than 3,900 daily flights. The combined network
fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American`s award-winning Web site,
AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus
personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a
founding member of the oneworld Alliance. American Airlines editorial, based on news release distributed by PR Newswire

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