American Airlines to lay off 656 employees

AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 777-223 N785AN (MSN 30005)

Just two days after the exciting announcement of the new daily direct flights from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW/KDFW) to Brisbane (BNE/YBBN) in October, American Airlines has announced the layoff of hundreds of employees as the carrier seeks to reorganise and improve its customer service team, according to the airline.

As part of these updates, we are creating a new Customer Success team that will be dedicated to providing more convenient, elevated support to American Airlines customers with some of their most complex travel needs," the airline said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, this means some current positions will be eliminated. We’re working closely with impacted team members to support them through this transition including providing exclusive access to job openings throughout American Airlines, outplacement services and severance."

The layoffs will eliminate 8.2% of its 8,000-customer service-related positions for a total of 656 employees, who are not represented by a union, according to Bloomberg. The impacted includes 335 who work in Phoenix and 321 in Dallas-Fort Worth. These workers currently assist passengers with their lost luggage and AAdvantage loyalty program service groups.

"We are laser-focused on improving your customer experience," Carolyne Truelove, American Airlines Vice President of Reservations and Service Recovery, told reporters. "With that focus is digging deep into where we have customer pain points."