April 16 - In honor of its 95th birthday, American Airlines is donating 10 million AAdvantage® miles to Make-A-Wish, the organization that creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, to help grant 95 wishes. With each wish granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, anxiety with hope and sadness with joy.

 

As the longest-standing airline partner of Make-A-Wish, American has helped thousands of wish families experience the hope and healing that comes with a wish. Since travel costs are typically the largest wish-granting expense, donated AAdvantage miles are used to help wish families get to their destinations.

 

Customers can support their own communities — including organizations like Make-A-Wish — through American’s Let Good Take Flight program. Through customer donations to Miles for Social Good, Miles for Global Health & Well-Being, or Miles for Heroes, American is able to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

 

American traces its roots back to April 15, 1926, when a Robertson Aircraft Corporation DH-4 biplane took off from St. Louis for Chicago carrying a bag of mail. Robertson Aircraft is one of many companies that later came together in 1930 to form American Airways, which was renamed as American Airlines in 1934.

 

American has revolutionized the industry throughout its 95-year history. The airline was instrumental in the development of the DC-3, which allowed American, and eventually other airlines, to carry enough passengers to make money without needing to rely on revenue from airmail contracts. In 1936, American became the first airline to fly the DC-3 in commercial service from New York to Chicago, forever transforming commercial aviation. American was the first airline to introduce nonstop transcontinental travel in 1953 and the first airline to hire an African American commercial pilot, Dave Harris, in 1964. AAdvantage was one of the airline industry’s first frequent flyer programs when it was launched in 1981.

 

 

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