American Airlines Group is set to lay off a total of 656 employees who work for the carrier’s customer relations department, central baggage resolution and AAdvantage loyalty program service groups.
On January 29, 2024, the airline announced plans to restructure its customer service division, claiming that the changes will “provide an even higher level of support in the future” to travelers.
“Today, we announced updates to our contact center organization that will help us better serve our customers. 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.
Of the 656 workers to be laid off, 335 are based in Phoenix and 321 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to Bloomberg, the 656 employees represent 8.2% of the carrier’s 8,000 customer service-related positions.
American Airlines said that the employees whose positions were eliminated were not represented by a union and they are able to apply for more than 800 current job openings with the company.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier said that it plans to consolidate its customer service operations. Currently, passengers have to reach out to separate customer service teams for different issues. The new model will have one point of contact for a more streamlined process.