Last night, American Airlines honored more than 330 team members celebrating at least 45 years of service and 35 or more years for pilots due to the mandatory retirement age. These special team members’ tenure with the airline combines to total 14,767 years of experience.

“We will work hard to be good shepherds of everything you’ve built and we will never forget what you’ve done for American,” said American’s CEO Doug Parker, during remarks at the evening event.

This year’s honorees began their careers with 11 different heritage carriers including Air Cal, Allegheny, American, Eastern, Lake Central, Mohawk, Ozark, Piedmont, PSA, TWA and USAir. More than 200 team members, and their guests, attended the special event, with a 40s Cabaret theme, dinner and dancing.

Team members shared some of their favorite memories during the event:

“We’re an airline family. I’ll never forget flying the DC-9 as co-pilot for my Dad on his retirement trip on Thanksgiving day 1979 and to top it off my wife, Chesta, was the lead flight attendant on our three day trip.”
– STL based Captain Mark Ameel

“During a takeoff delay, due to weather, Liza Minnelli, her assistant and I huddled together and brought out our most stupid and embarrassing moments. Each one had to top the other. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.”
– DCA based Flight Attendant Denice Puesan

“I’ve had an incredible career. I can still remember taxiing an aircraft for the first time, it was a DC-9 in Boston, and its serial number was N979VJ.”
– PIT based Aviation Maintenance Technician Ronald Miller

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Last night, American Airlines honored more than 330 team members celebrating at least 45 years of service and 35 or more years for pilots due to the mandatory retirement age. These special team members’ tenure with the airline combines to total 14,767 years of experience.

“We will work hard to be good shepherds of everything you’ve built and we will never forget what you’ve done for American,” said American’s CEO Doug Parker, during remarks at the evening event.

This year’s honorees began their careers with 11 different heritage carriers including Air Cal, Allegheny, American, Eastern, Lake Central, Mohawk, Ozark, Piedmont, PSA, TWA and USAir. More than 200 team members, and their guests, attended the special event, with a 40s Cabaret theme, dinner and dancing.

Team members shared some of their favorite memories during the event:

“We’re an airline family. I’ll never forget flying the DC-9 as co-pilot for my Dad on his retirement trip on Thanksgiving day 1979 and to top it off my wife, Chesta, was the lead flight attendant on our three day trip.”
– STL based Captain Mark Ameel

“During a takeoff delay, due to weather, Liza Minnelli, her assistant and I huddled together and brought out our most stupid and embarrassing moments. Each one had to top the other. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.”
– DCA based Flight Attendant Denice Puesan

“I’ve had an incredible career. I can still remember taxiing an aircraft for the first time, it was a DC-9 in Boston, and its serial number was N979VJ.”
– PIT based Aviation Maintenance Technician Ronald Miller

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