American Airlines To Provide Global Entry Membership For Crew Members

FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines, in close coordination with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), today announced it is the first carrier to offer its nearly 40,000 pilots and flight attendants complimentary membership in CBP's Global Entry program. Membership in Global Entry allows expedited CBP clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States.

"American is proud to be the first airline to offer Global Entry membership free of charge to all of our eligible pilots and flight attendants," said Tim Campbell, American Airlines senior vice president of Air Operations. "Global Entry is another tool that will make travel easier for our crew members, who work and travel throughout American's extensive international network. We applaud DHS Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and CBP Deputy Commissioner Kevin McAleenan for their partnership in this effort."

"This is a great benefit for our members, and once again demonstrates what we can accomplish when we work together," said Association of Professional Flight Attendants National President Laura Glading. "As an international flight attendant, I know that crews returning from long-haul overnight flights are especially going to appreciate the faster processing at customs, but it's really a benefit for all of our members who travel internationally as flight attendants or as leisure travelers."

"We applaud and welcome this company initiative to provide complimentary Global Entry to our pilots," said Capt. Keith Wilson, President of the Allied Pilots Association. "This program can be utilized for both work and personal travel and also allows entry into the TSAPreCheck™ program.  Hundreds of our pilots return to the United States from lengthy international flights every day. Global Entry dramatically cuts down on the time spent in customs waiting to get out of the airport."

Started as a pilot program in 2008, Global Entry is now operational at 42 U.S. airports and 11 pre-clearance locations. As an added benefit, Global Entry members are also eligible to participate in the TSAPreCheck™ expedited screening program. As part of the process, all participants must be pre-approved for the Global Entry program and undergo a rigorous background check and interview before enrollment. Eligible American flight crew members may begin enrolling in the program this month.

Envoy Air Inc., an American Airlines Group wholly owned regional carrier, will also offer complimentary Global Entry membership to its more than 2,700 crew members starting today.

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) is the holding company for American Airlines and US Airways. Together with wholly owned and third-party regional carriers operating as American Eagle and US Airways Express, the airlines operate an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to 339 destinations in 54 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The American Airlines AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs allow members to earn miles for travel, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and everyday purchases. Members of both programs can redeem miles for tickets as well as upgrades to First Class and Business Class. In addition, AAdvantage members can redeem miles for vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and retail products. American is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to 150 countries. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines and follow US Airways on Twitter @USAirways.

About the Association of Professional Flight Attendants
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, founded in 1977, represents the more than 24,000 flight attendants at American Airlines. In November 2011, American's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Throughout the bankruptcy trial, APFA President Laura Glading served on the Unsecured Creditors' Committee where she advocated for the American Airlines Flight Attendants. In February 2013, American and US Airways announced their intention to combine the carriers and on December 9, 2013, AA exited bankruptcy and the merger was final. Achieving a merger inside bankruptcy is unprecedented in the industry and would not have occurred without the efforts of American's labor unions, particularly APFA.

About the Allied Pilots Association
Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association — the largest independent pilots union in the United States — is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines and US Airways, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union's website is www.alliedpilots.org. American Airlines is the world's largest passenger airline.

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SOURCE American Airlines

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