American Airlines’ bankruptcy communication did ‘a good job’

American Airlines’ parent, AMR Corp., filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 29. No doubt, its communication team busted its hump all weekend to produce public and other statements that now we will put under the microscope.

There are three things to remember about crises such as this one.

1. This isn’t really a crisis. A plane crash is a crisis. A hijacking is a crisis. This is a financial/legal action that doesn’t mean anything to current operations.

2. The lawyers and courts are in charge 100 percent. That’s why in at least two of the FAQ documents listed at www.aa.com/restructuring, we get answers like:

“We remain deeply committed to meeting your travel needs with the same standards of safe, secure and reliable service, and intend to maintain a strong presence in domestic and international markets. As we and all airlines routinely do, we will continue to evaluate our operations and service, assuring that our network is as efficient and productive as possible.”