FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines employees in Colorado Springs celebrated their second customer service victory this year as American announced the top five airports to be honored for improved customer experience and innovative problem solving for the third quarter of 2010. The program is called the Customer Cup, and the winners are announced each quarter.

"We created the 'Customer Cup' to build competition between airport station teams who are focused on bettering processes, products and interactions to deliver an improved customer experience," said Mark Mitchell, American's Managing Director – Customer Experience.  "A good customer experience is the foundation for building customer loyalty, and we recognize five stations each quarter that are making measured improvements in enhancing the travel experience for our customers."

Customer Cups are categorized and awarded by market size from largest to smallest stations according to flight activity. The award recognizes stations for their performance in serving customers at the airport across six primary customer touch points, including gate interactions, the boarding experience, delays and delay management, onboard interactions, baggage handling and baggage resolution. Colorado Springs was awarded the Customer Cup this quarter for significantly improving internal customer satisfaction ratings in several categories, including an 8 point increase in boarding efficiency and 3 point increase in delivering relevant information to customers at the gate. Other winners this quarter include Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Ohio, Liberia, Costa Rica and San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico.

This second victory marks consistent improvement and continued dedication from employees in Colorado Springs. Employees at the station focus on details that matter to customers at the airport, while taking time for personal customer interactions. The team works to provide frequent updates at the gate that keep travelers well informed of their flight's status and their options in case of delays.

"Winning the Customer Cup for a second time this year is a great honor because it comes right from the customer," said Lothar von Wolfseck, American's General Manager – Colorado Springs. "Our employees recognize the importance of providing exceptional service and we are working very hard every day to deliver on our standard of customer service. Our win this quarter gives us additional motivation to keep raising the bar for our customers."             

The Customer Cup is part of a broader focus the airline has put toward improving the experience for its customers.  With more than 250 employee teams across the network, the airline encourages all employees to bring forward ideas and solutions to improve the travel experience.  With stations competing for the Customer Cup honor quarterly, employees who contribute earn network bragging rights and a party in their honor for working hard to improve the airlines' customer service rankings.

"Given the challenges the industry faces, the Cup is a great way to recognize the accomplishments of our employees," Mitchell added.  "It's through their dedication and ingenuity we can deliver exceptional travel experiences of our customers."  

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, 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, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in more than 130 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

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SOURCE American Airlines