American Airlines Files Lawsuit To Stop Vacation Club Postcard Scam

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines today filed a lawsuit in Tarrant County, Texas, District Court against several individuals and entities operating a nationwide scam that uses American's trademarks and likeness of its livery on mass-mailed postcards and letters to lure people into sales presentations for vacation club memberships. The lawsuit seeks to stop these individuals and entities from illegally misappropriating American's well-known and valuable trademarks, liveries and logos.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130208/DA56847LOGO)

American's lawsuit alleges that the mailers created and used by defendants are intentionally and deceptively designed to appear that American is involved in the promotion. Some mailers refer to a promotion called "American Airlines Fly Away Promotion," while other mailers feature American's brand images or name.

The deceptive mailers promise the recipient two free round-trip airfares. When the recipient calls the phone number listed on the mailer, they are told they must attend a seminar to receive the airline tickets. The purpose of the seminar is to sell vacation club memberships, which are high priced and offer little more than discounts readily available online. The promised airline tickets are either not distributed at all or are very difficult to redeem because of the many fees and restrictions they carry.   

"The well-being of American's customers is our top priority, and this is such an unfortunate violation of an iconic brand that our customers, employees and communities around the globe have come to trust," said Rob Friedman, American's Vice President of Marketing. "This lawsuit seeks to protect the brand so many rely upon, and cease these deceptive practices."

In an attempt to track the ongoing activities of the defendants, American encourages consumers affected by the scam to scan the back and front of the mailers and email them, along with their full name, address and phone number, to the company at webmaster@aa.com to be used as evidence in the case. 

The full legal filing is available to media upon request.

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.

SOURCE American Airlines