The Broken Power of American

Over spring break, my family and I went to California for a vacation and a few college visits. On the way back we sat in the airport from 7 PM to 12:30 AM because we had nothing to do and our flight didn't leave until after midnight. This wait was not all that painful, I had things to read and we playd cards for awhile, but it was a long time to sit in those not-so-comfortable chairs. My five-hour wait was slightly long but recently many American Airlines customers have had a much mor lengthy stay.

Beginning Tuesday and still continuing today, 2400, or nearly one third, of American flights were cancelled. The cause of this dilemma is faulty wire bundles that could cause fires (which don't work out so well on airplanes). FAA inspectors found that of seventeen planes inspected, 13 failed, although no incidents have been linked to this problem. (FAA is the Federal Aviation Administration and when they speak, airlines have to listen.) So 300 American jets were grounded, with only 60 cleared to fly so far. Inspectors and mechanics are working overtime trying to get the cancellations to stop, which have stranded a quarter of a million people so far.

Meanwhile on the ever-popular stock market, AMR corp took a huge plunge -- their stock dropped 11%, compounded their losses this year from rising fuel prices and other stuff. Our economy is not in good shape folks.

Added to these losses for American Airlines, they have had to provide countless hotel rooms and travel vouchers for all of those stranded people that can't get home after their vacation to Florida.

Supposedly the cancellations will cease on Saturday or so, but the damage has already been done, the power of American has been broken. And meanwhile, people are sitting idle in terminals across the country, twiddling their thumbs and attempted to call everyone they ever knew on their cell phone or whatever high technology gadget they might have at the time.