American Airlines Offers Best Wine in North American Skies, Says Global Traveler Magazine

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines is once again taking home the top prize for its wine selection. Global Traveler magazine awarded three honors to American in the magazine's annual survey of airline wine selections in international First and Business Class and North American premium class cabins.

Global Traveler's panel of wine judges awarded American Airlines with Best North American Wines on the Wing, Best North American Sparkling for the Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut and Best North American Red Wine for the Pellegrini Family Blend. The August 2011 issue of Global Traveler magazine showcases the "Wines on the Wing" survey results as the month's cover story.

"We constantly look for ways to improve the experience our customers have onboard our aircraft and our award-winning wine selection is an integral part of that," said Rob Friedman, American's Vice President – Marketing. "It's an honor to have the prestigious judges at Global Traveler recognize our wine program and the efforts of our wine consultant, Ken Chase, to select those premium wines that appeal to our customers' tastes."

According to Global Traveler, 28 airlines submitted 136 white, red and champagne or sparkling wines currently offered on their international First and Business Class and North American premium class wine lists for a blind taste test. The tasting was organized by Global Traveler's wine columnist and noted wine expert, Eunice Fried, using 31 independent judges who are noted wine-industry experts.

"American Airlines consistently outperforms the other North American airlines in our annual wine survey, which is a clear sign of its unrivaled dedication to its passengers," said Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and CEO, Global Traveler. "Congratulations once again on a wonderful showing in our survey."

American's wine consultant, Ken Chase, a classically trained winemaker and viticulturist, updates American's wine list regularly to ensure that only the finest red, white, sparkling and dessert wines are served onboard. Chase has designed over 25 unique wine lists for international and domestic flights to ensure that each selection complements the ethnic, cultural, seasonal and stylistic differences of each destination.

In August 2010, American won first place for Best North American Wines on the Wing for its overall wine selection in North American premium class, Best North American Red Wine for the Murphy Goode Cabernet Sauvignon, and Best North American Sparkling Wine for the Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Carneros Brut.  In addition, oneworld® won the Best Alliance Wines on the Wing award.

For more information and to view the current list of American's award-winning wines, please visit www.aa.com/wine.

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 50 countries with, on average, more than 3,600 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines fares are also available through Kayak.com and Priceline.com, as well as thousands of travel agencies worldwide. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve approximately 900 destinations with more than 9,000 daily flights to 145 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

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The address is http://www.aa.com

SOURCE American Airlines