American Airlines is cutting 335 jobs in Phoenix. Here's what we know

Michael Salerno, Arizona Republic
Updated ·2 min read
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More than 300 American Airlines jobs in Phoenix will be cut as part of a reorganization of its customer service staffing, the airline announced Monday afternoon.

American Airlines announced a new Customer Success Team that will provide "convenient, elevated support" to passengers who have complex travel needs.

The airline will transition its less complex customer questions to international teams that offer 24/7 support.

The restructuring means a total of 335 American Airlines positions at its Phoenix offices, mostly customer resolution jobs, will be eliminated. American operates the largest flight capacity and carries the most passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

How many jobs is American Airlines cutting in Phoenix?

American Airlines will cut 335 employees, who will remain in their jobs until March 30. They will be able to apply for jobs on the new Customer Success Team before it's open to a wider selection of candidates.

Here's what else American said about the restructuring:

  • "In addition, these team members will be made aware of more than 800 roles for which they may be eligible at American.

  • "Those who do not find employment elsewhere in the company or are eligible to retire will be offered severance payment.

  • "We will also be providing them outplacement support should they want to seek opportunities outside of American.

  • "Team members will remain working and be paid through March 30."

Why is American Airlines changing its customer service?

Airline staff said that creating the Customer Success Team of "upskilled team members" and relying on its international team for simpler inquiries is designed to provide a higher level of support to all customers.

Members of the new team will be trained to handle highly sensitive travel issues or multiple service issues at once, American Airlines spokesman Derek Walls said.

The airline's international customer service teams already support simpler queries and they're seeing positive results, he said.

"Our international teams have been helping with some of this work since 2021, and we’ve seen improved customer satisfaction and lower time to customer resolution for the quick-turn needs with the international support," Walls said.

It was not immediately clear how many Customer Success Team positions would be based in Phoenix.

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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: American Airlines is cutting 335 jobs in Phoenix