American Airlines Invites Customers To Observe National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Earn Extra AAdvantage Miles Through Oct. 31

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- To recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month, American Airlines and American Eagle are inviting customers to BE PINK this October. American is continuing its commitment to raise funds to help find a cure for breast cancer in a number of ways this month.

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American has renewed its successful Miles for the Cure^® fundraising program, which will reward donors through the end of October with 15 American Airlines AAdvantage^® miles, instead of 10, for every dollar they contribute to Susan G. Komen^®, with a minimum $25 donation. Through Miles for the Cure, AAdvantage members may choose to make a contribution in honor of a friend or family member's survivorship or in memory of a loved one.

Customers can give the gift of travel and support breast cancer research at the same time, as American will donate $5 to Komen for every $50 of travel purchased via the American Airlines Gift Card. Simply enter "Komen" in the tracking code box when making a purchase; applicable to online purchases only. To make a donation or purchase a gift card, please visit aa.com/joinus.

American is also featuring special pink-themed menus at selected Admirals Club^® lounges across the country, where 10 percent of the sales of pink items will go toward American's $1 million annual fundraising goal.

American and American Eagle employees can observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month by participating in the second annual "Walk While You Work" campaign, being held systemwide throughout October. Wearing pink wristbands and pins, American's people will walk the equivalent of a 5K (3.1 miles) during the course of their normal work activities to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness for the fight against the disease. In addition to the walk, American's uniformed employees will show their support by wearing pink items, including special pink-ribbon scarves, ties, aprons and T-shirts throughout October. And, on Oct. 15, employees and customers are invited to wear pink to celebrate American's systemwide BE PINK Day.

"Breast cancer research and awareness are longstanding priorities for American, as the disease has touched so many lives," said Cindy Contreras, a breast cancer survivor and American's Lead Program Nurse. "This October, American's people and customers have a wonderful and rewarding opportunity to join the fight against breast cancer. Together, we can share hope with all those affected that one day, research will identify a cure."

Throughout Breast Cancer Awareness month, American will raise funds for the American Airlines Promise Grant, a study of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Morgan Welch Clinic in Houston. American pledged to raise $8 million over eight years to fund the grant, and its support this month is focused on that goal.

IBC is one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer. It can be difficult to diagnose, is extremely aggressive and typically spreads rapidly. The goal of the Promise Grant research is to lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of IBC and to provide the first therapies specifically designed to treat it, both of which are critically important to improve the overall survival of patients with this type of cancer.

In addition to this year's BE PINK festivities, this fall will mark the 19th year that American has presented the American Airlines Celebrity Golf and Tennis Weekend, a fundraiser now benefiting American's Promise Grant, supporting breast cancer research at MD Anderson. The event will be held Oct. 10-13 at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort and the Del Mar Country Club in San Diego, Calif. Since its inception in 1995, the event has raised more than $11.5 million for Komen.

For more information about American's Promise Grant and support of breast cancer research, please visit aa.com/joinus.

About American Airlines

American Airlines focuses on providing an exceptional travel experience across the globe, serving more than 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories. American's fleet of nearly 900 aircraft fly more than 3,500 daily flights worldwide from hubs in Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. American flies to nearly 100 international locations including important markets such as London, Madrid, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. With more than 500 new planes scheduled to join the fleet, including continued deliveries of the Boeing 737 family of aircraft and new additions such as the Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, American is building toward the youngest and most modern fleet among major U.S. carriers. American's website, aa.com^®, provides customers with easy access to check and book fares, and personalized news, information and travel offers. American's AAdvantage^® program, voted Airline Program of the Year at the 2013 Freddie Awards, lets members earn miles for travel and everyday purchases and redeem miles for flights to almost 950 destinations worldwide, as well as flight upgrades, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and other retail products. The airline also offers nearly 40 Admirals Club^® locations worldwide providing comfort, convenience, and an environment with a full range of services making it easy for customers to stay productive without interruption. American is a founding member of the oneworld^® alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest airlines in the world, including global brands like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia Airlines, Japan Airlines, LAN and Qantas. Together, its members serve more than 840 destinations served by some 9,000 daily flights to nearly 160 countries and territories. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir or Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AMR Corporation common stock trades under the symbol "AAMRQ" on the OTCQB marketplace, operated by OTC Markets Group.

About Susan G. Komen

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Suzy, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Today, Susan G. Komen^® works to end breast cancer in the U.S. and throughout the world by investing more than $790 million in breast cancer research and $1.5 billion in community outreach programs over the past 30 years; providing funding to help low-income and uninsured women get screened and get treatment; advocating for cancer research and outreach programs; and working globally in more than 30 countries. Visit komen.org. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE American Airlines