UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

(Rule
14a-101)

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant  xFiled by a Party other than the Registrant  ¨

Filed by the Registrant 
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant 
Check the appropriate box:

¨
Preliminary Proxy Statement

¨
Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))

x
Definitive Proxy Statement

¨
Definitive Additional Materials

¨
Soliciting Material under §
240.14a-12

AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
No fee required.
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.


LOGO


 

xNo fee required.

¨Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

(1)Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

(2)Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

(3)Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

(4)Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

(5)Total fee paid:

¨Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

¨Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

(1)Amount previously paid:

(2)Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

(3)Filing Party:

(4)Date Filed:


LOGO

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

AND

PROXY STATEMENT


LOGO

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

AND

PROXY STATEMENT

April 29, 201625, 2024

To Our Stockholders:

On behalf of the Board of Directors of American Airlines Group Inc., we invite you to attend the 20162024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, located at 885 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022, on Wednesday, June 8, 20165, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. local time., Central Time. As with our recent meetings, this year’s Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting of stockholders, conducted via live audio webcast. The virtual format provides the opportunity for participation by a broader group of our stockholders and enables stockholders to participate fully, and equally, from any location around the world. You can attend the Annual Meeting via the Internet by registering at www.proxydocs.com/AAL using the control number which appears on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, your proxy card (printed in the gray box), and the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. You will have the ability to submit questions in advance of, and real-time during, the Annual Meeting via the meeting website.

The attached Notice of 20162024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement describes the formal business to be transacted and detailed procedures for attending, submitting questions, and voting at the virtual meeting. We have produced an interactive proxy

statement that will provide our stockholders with better capability to navigate through the document, making key information easier to find and evaluate. The interactive proxy statement is accessible at www.proxydocs.com/AAL prior to and during the Annual Meeting.

It is important that your shares be represented at the Annual Meeting and, regardless of whether or not you plan to attend, the Annual Meeting in person, we request that you vote in advance on the matters to be presented at the meeting. IfAnnual Meeting as described in these proxy materials.

Thank you are a stockholderfor your continued support.

LOGO

Sincerely,

LOGO

Greg Smith
Chairman of the Board

The accompanying Proxy Statement is dated April 25, 2024, and is first being released to stockholders of record, you can do this by telephoneAmerican Airlines Group Inc. on or over the Internet as directed byabout April 25, 2024.


NOTICE OF 2024 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

DATE AND TIME:

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

9:00 a.m. Central Time

VIRTUAL MEETING ACCESS:

Register at www.proxydocs.com/AAL

RECORD DATE:

April 9, 2024

MEETING AGENDA

1

A proposal to elect 11 directors to serve until the 2025 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders and until their respective successors
have been duly elected and qualified

2

A proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2024

3

A proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, executive
compensation as disclosed in the attached Proxy Statement

4

A proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to allow future
amendments to the Bylaws by our stockholders by simple majority
vote

5

A proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to allow all
other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation to be amended
in the future by simple majority vote

6

Such other business as properly may come before the 2024
Annual Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournments or
postponements of the Annual Meeting

For instructions provided in the proxy materials or, if you received our proxy materials by mail, by completing, dating, signing and returning the enclosed proxy card. If your shares are held in “street name” by a broker, banker or other nominee, we request that you direct your broker, bank or other nominee how to vote your shares by returning a voting instruction form in accordance with the instructions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee. Of course,on voting in advance does not prevent you from attendingof and during the virtual meeting, please see page i of the Proxy Statement, which is incorporated by reference into this notice.

Important notice of internet availability of proxy materials for the Annual MeetingMeeting:

Our Proxy Statement and voting your shares in person. If you choose2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at www.proxydocs.com/AAL prior to attendand during the Annual Meeting in person, you may revoke your proxy and cast your vote at the meeting. However, if you are a “street name” holder and want to vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you will need to obtain proof of ownership as of April 11, 2016 and a proxy to vote the shares from your broker, bank or other nominee.Meeting.

If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, are a stockholder of record and received our proxy materials electronically, you will need to bring evidence of your share ownership to the meeting. If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, are a stockholder of record and received our proxy materials by mail, please mark your proxy card in the space provided for that purpose. An admission ticket is included with the proxy card for each such stockholder of record. If you are a stockholder planning to attend the Annual Meeting and you hold your shares in a brokerage account or otherwise through a third party in “street name,” please ask the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares to provide you with evidence of your share ownership. Please be sure to bring evidence of your share ownership or the admission ticket to the meeting.

StockholdersYou can help us reduce costs and the impact on the environment by electing to receive and access future copies of our proxy statements, annual reports and other stockholder materials electronically.electronically by e-mail. If your shares are registered directly in your name with our stock registrar and transfer agent, American Stock Transfer &Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, you can make this election by going to its website (www.amstock.comequiniti.com/us) and (1) clicking Shareholders, then Account Access and General Information, then Account Access; (2) entering the information required to gain access to your account, and (3) clicking Receive Company Mailing via E-Mail, or by following the instructions provided when voting over the Internet. If you hold your shares in a brokerage account or otherwise through a third party in “street name,” please refer to the information provided by your broker, bank or other nominee for instructions on how to elect to receive and view future annual meeting materials electronically.

 

Sincerely,
LOGO
W. Douglas Parker
Chief Executive Officer

The accompanying Proxy Statement is dated April 29, 2016, and is first being released to stockholders of American Airlines Group Inc. on or about April 29, 2016.


AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC.

4333 AMON CARTER BLVD.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS 76155

NOTICE OF 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016

April 29, 2016

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of American Airlines Group Inc. (“AAG”), a Delaware corporation, will be held at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, located at 885 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022, on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at 9:00 a.m., local time, for the purposes of considering and acting upon:

1. a proposal to elect 13 directors to serve until the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified;

2. a proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016;

3. a proposal to consider and approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in the attached Proxy Statement;

4. three stockholder proposals, if properly presented; and

5. such other business as properly may come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting.

Our Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) is not aware of any other business to be presented to a vote of the stockholders at the Annual Meeting.

The attached Proxy Statement provides more information about the matters to be considered and acted upon at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on April 11, 2016 as the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. A list of the names of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for ten days prior to the Annual Meeting for any purpose germane to the Annual Meeting between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., local time, at our headquarters, 4333 Amon Carter Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. The stockholder list will also be available at the Annual Meeting for examination by any stockholder present at the Annual Meeting.

It is important that your shares be voted at the Annual Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, we request that you vote in advance by telephone or over the Internet as directed by the instructions provided in the proxy materials or, if you received the proxy materials by mail, by completing, dating, signing and returning the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form. If your shares are held in “street name” by a broker, bank or other nominee, we request that you direct your broker, bank or other nominee how to vote your shares by returning a voting instruction form in accordance with the instructions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee. In any case, voting in advance by phone, Internet or mail or through your broker, bank or other nominee will not prevent you from voting in person at the Annual Meeting. However, if you are a “street name” holder and want to vote in person at the Annual Meeting, you will need to obtain proof of ownership as of April 11, 2016 and a proxy to vote the shares from your broker, bank or other nominee.

By Order of the Board of Directors of

American
Airlines Group Inc.,

LOGO

Priya R. Aiyar
LOGO
Caroline B. Ray

Corporate Secretary

Fort Worth, Texas

April 29, 2016

Important notice regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials for the Annual Meeting to be held on June8, 2016:This Notice of Annual Meeting, the accompanying Proxy Statement, and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, are available at www.proxyvote.com.

PLEASE READ THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT CAREFULLY.

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING, YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT AND WE

ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE BY SUBMITTING A PROXY OR VOTING INSTRUCTIONS PROMPTLY.PROMPTLY.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Page      
PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY1
THE MEETING4

Purpose, Place, Date and Time

4

Record Date; Stockholders Entitled to Vote

4

Requirements to Attend Annual Meeting

4

Quorum

5

Vote Required for Proposal 1: Election of Directors

5

Vote Required for Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

5

Vote Required for Proposal 3: Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers

6

Vote Required for Proposals 4, 5 and 6: Stockholder Proposals

6

Voting of Proxies

6

Revocation of Proxies

7

Solicitation of Proxies

7

Inspector of Election

8

Electronic Delivery of Proxy Materials

8

Householding of Proxy Materials

8
PROPOSAL 1—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS9

Election of Directors

9

Directors and Director Nominees

10
PROPOSAL 2—RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM17

Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

17

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees

18

Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval

19
PROPOSAL 3—ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION20

Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation

20
PROPOSAL 4—STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL22

Stockholder Proposal to Provide Report on Lobbying Activities and Expenditures

22

The Board of Directors’ Statement in Opposition

23
PROPOSAL 5—STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL25

Stockholder Proposal to Adopt Policy to Require an Independent Board Chairman on a Prospective Basis

25

The Board of Directors’ Statement in Opposition

26
PROPOSAL 6—STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL29

Stockholder Proposal to Provide Report on Political Contributions and Expenditures

29

The Board of Directors’ Statement in Opposition

30
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT32
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE35

Corporate Governance Guidelines

35

Director Independence

35

Board Meetings

36

Committees

37

Board Leadership and Structure

42

Board Self-Evaluation

42

Codes of Ethics

42

Board Role in Risk Oversight

43

Risk Assessment with Respect to Compensation Practices

44
LOGO

 

i


      Page      

Annual Meeting Attendance

45

Director Continuing Education

45

Communications with the Board of Directors and Non-Management Directors

45
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION46

Director Compensation

47

Legacy Director Compensation Programs

48

Stock Ownership Guidelines

49
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS50

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

50

Policies and Procedures For Review and Approval of Related Person Transactions

50
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS51
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS52

Overview

52

Executive Summary

52

2015 Compensation Objectives and Programs

55

Stockholder Approval of 2015 Executive Compensation

56

Role of Compensation Committee in Compensation Decisions

56

Executive Compensation Mix with an Emphasis on Performance-Based Pay

57

Base Salary

57

Annual Cash Incentive Program

58

Long-Term Incentive Programs

59

Change in Control Benefits

62

Other Benefits and Perquisites

63

Continuing Focus on Leading Practices

64
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT66
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS67
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION69

Summary Compensation Table

69

Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2015

71

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2015 Fiscal Year-End

72

Options Exercised and Stock Vested

74

Pension Benefits and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

75

Employment and Other Executive Agreements

76

Employment Agreement with W. Douglas Parker

76

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

76
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION93

Equity Compensation Plan Information

93
SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE94
OTHER MATTERS95

Stockholder Proposals

95

Annual Report and Available Information

95

ANNEXES

Annex AReconciliation of Certain GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information

A-1

ii


AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC.

PROXY STATEMENT

2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD JUNE 8, 2016

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

This summary contains highlights about our Companycompany and the upcoming 20162024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”). This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider in advance of the meeting and we encourage you to read the entire proxy statementProxy Statement and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 that accompanies this proxy statementProxy Statement before voting.

20162024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

LOGO

Date and Time:

Wednesday,

June 5, 2024 at

9:00 a.m., Central Time

LOGO

Virtual Meeting Access:

Register at www.proxydocs.com/AAL

LOGO

Record Date:

April 9, 2024

LOGO

Proxy Mail Date:

On or about

April 25, 2024

Vote in Advance of the Meeting

Vote During the Meeting

LOGO

Over the Internet at

www.proxydocs.com/AAL; or

Over the Internet during the Annual Meeting. Please register atwww.proxydocs.com/AALto gain access to the meeting.

LOGO

By telephone at 1-866-570-3320; or

 

 

Date and Time:

 Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., local time

Location:

LOGO

 Latham & Watkins LLP, 885 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022

See page 1 — “Virtual Stockholder Meeting” for details on how to access the live audio webcast and vote during the Annual Meeting.

Record Date:

LOGO

 April 11, 2016

Mail Date:

By mail — sign, date and return the proxy card or voting instruction form mailed to you.

 We intend

LOGO

i

2024 Proxy Statement


Submitting Questions at the Virtual Annual Meeting

Stockholders may submit questions in writing during the Annual Meeting by registering to mailattend the virtual meeting at www.proxydocs.com/AAL. Stockholders will need their unique control number which appears on their Notice Regarding theof Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, or the proxy statementcard (printed in the gray box), and the instructions that accompanied the proxy card,materials.

As part of the Annual Meeting, and as applicable,time permits, we will hold a live Q&A session, during which we intend to ouranswer questions submitted during the meeting in accordance with the Annual Meeting’s Rules of Conduct which are pertinent to American Airlines Group Inc. (the “Company”) and the meeting matters. Answers to any such questions that are not addressed during the meeting will be published following the meeting on the Company’s website at www.aa.com under the links “Investor Relations”—“Annual Shareholders Meeting”—“2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders Q&A.” Questions and answers will be grouped by topic and substantially similar questions will be grouped and answered once. In order to promote fairness, efficient use of the Company’s resources and to ensure all stockholders are responded to, we will respond to up to three questions from a single stockholder. The Annual Meeting’s Rules of Conduct will be posted on or about April 29, 2016. www.proxydocs.com/AAL approximately two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting.

Stockholder Engagement and Governance Highlights

We welcome and value communication with our stockholders. We engage in proactive dialogue with our largest stockholders year-round to gain an understanding of their perspectives on a wide range of matters, which we regularly share with the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). In 2023, we contacted stockholders representing approximately 40% of outstanding shares, and held discussions with investors representing nearly 20% of our outstanding shares. We also held engagements with the leading proxy advisor firms. We utilized these engagement sessions to focus on our recent board refreshment plan and other governance-related matters, our climate strategy, and executive compensation, particularly in the context of our recent CEO and senior management succession planning process and our emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic. We also discussed the Company’s long-term strategy and recent operating and financial performance.

Stockholders may communicate directly with our Board as set forth under “Communications with the Board and Non-Management Directors” on page 37 and can find information about our 2023 stockholder engagement feedback under “Stockholder Engagement” and “Stockholder Engagement on Executive Compensation” on pages 37 and 57, respectively. The following corporate governance and Board practices ensure accountability and enhance effectiveness in the boardroom:

Our Governance Best Practices

   Independent Chairman and separate Chairman and CEO roles

   Annually elected directors

   Independent Board committees

   Regular Board and management succession planning

   Independent directors meet without management present

   Robust oversight of strategy and risk

   Regular Board and committee evaluations

   Majority voting in director elections

   Stockholder right to call special meetings of stockholders

   Stockholder right to proxy access

   Stockholder engagement policy and outreach program

   Commitment to sustainability and social responsibility

   Stock ownership guidelines for directors and executive officers

ii

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Board Refreshment and Board Leadership Structure

The Board believes that thoughtful refreshment of the members of the Board is important to ensure that the Board continues to meet the changing needs of the Company and that new perspectives are regularly considered. The Board and the Corporate Governance and Public Responsibility (“CGPR”) Committee regularly evaluate the composition of the Board and its committees in an effort to develop a long-term succession plan for the Board and its leadership. Over the past four years, the active work of our Board and CGPR Committee has resulted in the following actions:

The election of our Independent Chairman: The appointment of Greg Smith as the Company’s Independent Chairman effective April 30, 2023. By separating the roles of Chairman and CEO, our CEO is able to focus on executing on our strategy and operations, and our Chairman, who is an independent director, can devote his time and attention to matters of Board oversight and governance.

Successful CEO succession and the retirement of our former Chairman in 2023: Consistent with our long-term succession planning process for our CEO, Doug Parker, who had continued to serve as Chairman of the Board following Robert Isom’s appointment as CEO of the Company, retired from the Board on April 30, 2023.

The election of four new directors from 2020 to 2022: Doug Steenland (2020), Adriane Brown (2021), Greg Smith (2022) and Vicente Reynal (2022).

In addition, Jeffrey Benjamin will not stand for election at the Annual Meeting. Following this change, the average tenure of our director nominees is 6.1 years, with four of our ten independent director nominees having joined our Board in or following 2020, representing 40% of our independent director nominees. In addition, over 45% of our Board nominees are diverse based on gender or ethnicity.

Voting Matters and Board Recommendations

 

 Matter

Board

Recommendation

Page

1. Election of directors

FOR each
Director Nominee

6

2. Ratification of public accounting firm

FOR

19

3. A proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, executive compensation

FOR

21

4. A proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to allow future amendments to the Bylaws by our stockholders by simple majority vote

FOR

23

5. A proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to allow all other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation to be amended in the future by simple majority vote

FOR

24

LOGO

iii

2024 Proxy Statement


2024 Director Nominees (Proposal 1)

Our director nominees have demonstrated their commitment to diligently execute their fiduciary duties on behalf of our stockholders, and we recommend that our stockholders elect each of the nominees shown in the chart below at the Annual Meeting.

Name

 Age 

Director

Since

 Principal Occupation Independent AC CC CGPRC  FC  SC

Adriane M. Brown

 65 2021 Managing Partner at Flying Fish Partners; former President and Chief Operating Officer at Intellectual Ventures Management; former President and Chief Executive Officer of Honeywell Transportation Systems  M 

 

 

 

  

 

  C

John T. Cahill

 

66

 

2013

 Vice Chairman of The Kraft Heinz Company; former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Foods Group and of The Pepsi Bottling Group 

 

M

 

 

 

 

  

M

  

 

Michael J. Embler

 60 2013 Private investor; former Chief Investment Officer of Franklin Mutual Advisers  

 

 

 

 

 

  M  M

Matthew J. Hart

 

72

 

2013

 Former President and Chief Operating Officer of Hilton Hotels; former Chief Financial Officer of Hilton Hotels 

 

C

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

M

Robert D. Isom

CEO

 60 2022 Chief Executive Officer and President of American Airlines Group Inc. and American Airlines, Inc.  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

Susan D. Kronick

 

72

 

2015

 Former Operating Partner at Marvin Traub Associates; former Vice Chairman of Macy’s 

 

 

 

 

 

M

  

 

  

M

Martin H. Nesbitt

 61 2015 Co-Chief Executive Officer of The Vistria Group; former President and Chief Executive Officer of PRG Parking Management  M 

 

 C  

 

  

 

Denise M. O’Leary

 

66

 

2013

 Private venture capital investor; former General Partner at Menlo Ventures 

 

 

 

C

 

 

  

M

  

 

Vicente Reynal

 49 2022 Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ingersoll Rand  

 

 M M  

 

  

 

Gregory D. Smith

Independent Chairman

 

57

 

2022

 Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Boeing Company 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

Douglas M. Steenland

 72 2020 Senior Advisor to The Blackstone Group; Former President and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Airlines Corporation   

 

 M  

 

  C   

 

AC = Audit Committee

FC = Finance Committee

CC = Compensation Committee

M = Member

CGPRC = Corporate Governance and Public Responsibility Committee

SC = Safety Committee

C = Committee Chair

The Board unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote “FOR” each of the nominees shown in the chart above.

iv

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Ratification of Appointment of KPMG LLP (Proposal 2)

The Board has directed that KPMG’s appointment for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 be submitted to our stockholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting. KPMG is well qualified to act as our independent registered public accounting firm and has a deep understanding of our operations and accounting practices. The Audit Committee considered the qualifications, performance, and independence of KPMG, the quality of its discussions with KPMG, and the fees charged by KPMG for the level and quality of services provided during 2023, and determined that the reappointment of KPMG is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders.

 

Matter

The Board unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote “FOR” the proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG.

Approval of Executive Compensation (Proposal 3)

Our executive compensation program is heavily performance-based and directly linked with our established goals of delivering record operational results, continuing to close our margin gap with our largest competitors, and reducing total debt by $15 billion by the end of 2025. Our 2023 long-term incentive program (“LTIP”) incorporated both performance- and time-vesting components, with half of the target value consisting of the performance-vesting component. The performance-vesting component is tied to attainment of total debt reduction (50% weighting) and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus our industry peers (50% weighting). The performance-vesting component of the 2023 LTIP will be earned, if at all, following the completion of a three-year performance period. The 2023 performance-based short-term incentive program (“STIP”) was designed to align management with our goals to run a reliable operation and to return to profitability as we emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic while building on our momentum on diversity, equity and inclusion. As more fully described under the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section, in making 2023 compensation decisions, the Compensation Committee continued to consider concerns related to the need to retain and create appropriate incentives for our management team against the backdrop of significant reductions in compensation during the pandemic.

LOGO

 

Our Board Vote Recommendation

v

2024 Proxy Statement


We are committed to effective compensation governance, as demonstrated by the following compensation policies and practices:

What We Do

What We Do NOT Do

Election

  91% of 13 NomineesCEO’s Annual Target Compensation is At-Risk and 74% is in the form of Long-term Equity Incentives that foster alignment with stockholders.

Link Pay to Performance with performance goals tied to improving the Boardreliability, profitability and accountability of Directors (page 9)our operations to create long-term stockholder value.

Performance-Based Long-term Equity Incentives with a Three-year Performance Period to promote long-term focus.

  Independent Compensation Consultant that is directly engaged by the Compensation Committee to advise on executive and director compensation matters.

  Robust Stock Ownership Guidelines that align our executive officers’ long-term interests with those of our stockholders.

  Annual Compensation Risk Assessment to identify any elements of our compensation program design or oversight processes that carry elevated levels of adverse risk.

  Minimum Vesting Requirements. Subject to limited exceptions, no awards granted under our equity plan may vest until the first anniversary of the date of grant.

  Clawback Policy that mandates recoupment of erroneously awarded incentive compensation to executive officers on accounting restatement consistent with SEC and Nasdaq requirements and goes beyond by providing the Compensation Committee with discretion to recover additional compensation paid under the Company’s STIP, LTIP and other equity incentive awards based on circumstances.

  Extensive Stockholder Engagement to solicit investor feedback on our compensation program.

 FOR each Director Nominee

  No Guaranteed Bonuses. Our executive officers’ bonuses are 100% performance-based.

  No Active Executive Retirement Plans. We do not maintain any active executive-only or supplemental retirement plans.

No Hedging or Pledging of our Stock. We prohibit our executive officers from engaging in hedging transactions or using our stock as collateral for loans.

  No Excise Tax Gross-Ups. We do not provide gross ups on excise taxes in connection with a change in control.

  No Excessive Perquisites. Perquisites and other personal benefits are in line with industry standards.

No Payouts of Dividends on Unvested Awards. Unless and until an award’s vesting conditions are satisfied, no dividends or dividend equivalents accrued on the award are paid.

No Repricing of Awards Without Stockholder Approval. Under our equity plan, awards may not be repriced without stockholder approval if the effect would be to reduce the exercise price for the shares underlying the award.

The Board unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of executive compensation.

vi

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Approval of an Amendment to Our Certificate of Incorporation Regarding Future Bylaw Amendments (Proposal 4)

At our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders passed a stockholder-sponsored proposal requesting that the Board take the steps necessary to eliminate each stockholder voting requirement in our Certificate of Incorporation that calls for a greater than simple majority vote.

In response to this request, and after carefully considering the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the supermajority voting provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation, the Board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the supermajority voting requirement for amendments to the Bylaws by our stockholders (the “Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment”).

The Board unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to allow our Bylaws to be amended by our stockholders by simple majority vote.

Approval of an Amendment to Our Certificate of Incorporation Regarding Other Future Charter Amendments (Proposal 5)

In response to shareholder action at our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, and after carefully considering the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the supermajority voting provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation, the Board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the supermajority voting provisions (the “Supermajority Elimination Amendment”).

The Board unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to allow all other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation to be amended by simple majority vote.

LOGO

vii

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY             i
THE MEETING                      1

RatificationPurpose, Date and Time

1

Record Date; Stockholders Entitled to Vote

1

Virtual Stockholder Meeting

1

Quorum

2

Vote Required to Approve Each Proposal

2

How to Vote Your Shares

3

Revoking or Changing Your Vote

3

Authority of AppointmentProxies

4

Solicitation of Votes

4

Inspector of Election

4

Important Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting

4

Electronic Delivery of Proxy Materials

4

Householding of Proxy Materials

5
PROPOSAL 1—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS        6

Election of Directors

6

Director Nominees

7
BOARD COMPOSITION                  15

How We Build a Board that is Right for American Airlines

15

Board Refreshment and Succession Planning

15

Board Diversity and Tenure

16

Stockholder Recommendations or Nominations of Director Candidates

17
PROPOSAL 2—RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM                          19

Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (page 17)

 FOR
19

Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation (page 20)Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees

 FOR
19

Stockholder Proposal to Provide ReportPolicy on Lobbying Activities and Expenditures (page 22)Audit Committee Pre-Approval

 AGAINST20
PROPOSAL 3—ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION (SAY-ON-PAY)       21
PROPOSAL 4—APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO ALLOW OUR BYLAWS TO BE AMENDED BY SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE23
PROPOSAL 5—APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO ALLOW ALL OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO BE AMENDED BY SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE24
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT              25
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE               28

Stockholder Proposal to Adopt Policy to Require an Independent Board Chairman on a Prospective Basis (page 25)Governance Overview

 AGAINST
28

Stockholder Proposal to Provide Report on Political ContributionsBoard Leadership and Expenditures (page 29)Structure—Separate Chairman and CEO Roles

 AGAINST28

Board Meetings

28

Committees

28

Director Independence

28

Board Diversity and Tenure

29

Board Self-Evaluation

30

Audit Committee

31

Compensation Committee

31

Corporate Governance and Public Responsibility Committee

32

Finance Committee

32

Safety Committee

32

Board Role in Risk Oversight

33

2015 Performance Highlights

In 2014, the first year following the merger with US Airways Group, excluding net special charges, our net profit was a record $4.2 billion, or $5.70 per diluted share. In 2015, we exceeded that by 50% with a net profit, excluding special credits of a record $6.3 billion, or $9.12 per diluted share.*

For 2015, we realized GAAP net profit of $7.6 billion, compared to 2014 GAAP net profit of $2.9 billion, an increase of 164%.

We have made significant progress towards completing our integration, including adopting a single reservations system; opening our new

Risk Assessment with Respect to Compensation Practices

 34

operations center in Fort Worth; reaching ratified contracts for pilots, flight attendants, customer serviceOversight of Sustainability and reservation agents, and dispatchers and operations specialists; receiving a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing us to be regulated as one airline; expanding digital bag tracking technology; and bringing the number of airports with co-located operations to 140.Related Matters

In 2015, we continued our fleet renewal program by investing more than $5.3 billion in new aircraft, providing the Company with the youngest and most modern fleet of the four largest U.S. airlines.

* See Annex A for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial information.

In 2015, we paid total cash dividends of $278 million ($0.10 per share per quarter) and returned $3.6 billion to our stockholders through stock repurchases. We repurchased a total of 85.1 million shares in 2015 and since the program began in July 2014, we have returned $6.1 billion to our stockholders by
 34

repurchasing over 147.9 million shares (through March 31, 2016).Codes of Ethics

36

Public Policy Engagement and Political Participation

36

Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging

36

Annual Meeting Attendance

36

Director Continuing Education

37

Communications with the Board and Non-Management Directors

37

Stockholder Engagement

37
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION                39

Director Compensation

40

Legacy Director Compensation Programs

41

Stock Ownership Guidelines

41
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS                     42

Policies and Procedures for Review and Approval of Related Person Transactions

42
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS                 43
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS      44

Overview

44

2023 Compensation Objectives and Programs

46

Stockholder Approval of 2022 Executive Compensation

48

Determination of Executive Compensation

48

Executive Compensation with an Emphasis on Performance-Based Pay

49

Base Salary

49

Annual Cash Incentive Program

49

Long-Term Incentive Programs

52

Non-Recurring Compensation Elements Reported in 2023

54

Stockholder Engagement on Executive Compensation

57

Severance Benefits and Post Termination Restrictive Covenants

57

Other Benefits and Perquisites

58

Continuing Focus on Leading Practices

59
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS                 61
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS                  62
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION              64

Summary Compensation Table

64

Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2023

66

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2023 Fiscal Year-End

67

Options Exercised and Stock Vested

68

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

69

CEO Pay Ratio

70

Pay versus Performance

72
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION       76
OTHER MATTERS                     77

Stockholder Proposals

77

Annual Report and Available Information

77

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

77
APPENDIX A                      A-1

Bylaws Voting Threshold Amendment

A-1

Supermajority Elimination Amendment

A-1
APPENDIX B                      B-1

Reconciliation of Certain GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information

B-1

In March 2015, we were added to the S&P 500 Index. The last time AMR was included in the S&P 500 was 2003.
 

 

LOGO

Executive Compensation Highlights2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

 

THE MEETING

Our executives’ 2015 total compensation package was heavily weighted towards variable cash

Purpose, Date and long-term equity incentives.

Time

Effective May 1, 2015,We are furnishing this Proxy Statement to our stockholders in connection with the solicitation by the Board of proxies to be voted at the requestAnnual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements of Mr. Parker, our Chairmanthat meeting. When used in this Proxy Statement, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company” or “American” refer to American Airlines Group Inc. (“AAG”) and Chief Executive Officer,its consolidated subsidiaries.

The Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual format via live audio webcast on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., Central Time, for the Compensation Committee determined to provide 100% of his direct compensationpurposes described in the formaccompanying Notice of equity incentives, includingAnnual Meeting. Stockholders can register to attend the meeting via the Internet at www.proxydocs.com/AAL by using the control number which appears on the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, the proxy card (printed in lieuthe gray box), and the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

The approximate date we are first sending the Notice of base salaryAnnual Meeting and annual cash incentive compensation, underscoring our commitmentaccompanying proxy materials to paying for performancestockholders, or sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and further aligning his interests with thatposting the proxy materials at www.proxydocs.com/AAL, is April 25, 2024.

Record Date; Stockholders Entitled to Vote

Stockholders of our stockholders.

Mr. Parker’s 2015 total target direct compensation following these adjustments was approximately 37% below his peersrecord at Delta Air Lines, Inc. and United Continental Holdings, Inc. (using 2014 proxy compensation data reported in 2015 for Delta and United).

At Mr. Parker’s request, our Compensation Committee agreed inthe close of business on April 2016 to eliminate his employment agreement and our obligations under the agreement such that Mr. Parker is no longer contractually9, 2024 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to receive a set levelnotice of compensation and benefitsto vote at the Annual Meeting. On the Record Date, there were 656,045,635 shares of our Common Stock outstanding and is no longer protected byeligible to be voted at the change in control and severance provisionsAnnual Meeting. Each share of Common Stock entitles its owner to one vote on each matter submitted to the stockholders.

A list of the employment agreement.

Our annual cash incentive program is based on pre-established pre-tax income targets (excluding special items), subjectnames of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available to stockholders for ten days prior to the Compensation Committee’s discretionAnnual Meeting for any purpose germane to increasethe Annual Meeting. Please contact our Corporate Secretary at Corporate.Secretary@aa.com if you wish to examine the list prior to the Annual Meeting. The stockholder list will also be available during the virtual Annual Meeting for examination by any stockholder.

Your vote is very important. You are encouraged to vote as soon as possible.

Virtual Stockholder Meeting

The virtual meeting format enables stockholders to participate fully, and equally, from any location around the world, at little to no cost. We designed the format of our Annual Meeting to ensure that our stockholders who attend our Annual Meeting will be afforded the same rights and opportunities to participate as they would at an award by upin-person meeting and to 50% or downenhance stockholder access, participation and communication through online tools. Our directors will also attend the meeting.

Access to zero basedthe Audio Webcast of the Annual Meeting. The live audio webcast of the Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m., Central Time. Online access to the audio webcast will open approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of the Annual Meeting to allow time for you to log in and test the computer audio system. We encourage our stockholders to access the meeting prior to the start time.

Log in Instructions. Stockholders can register to attend the virtual meeting at www.proxydocs.com/AAL. Stockholders will need their control number which appears on individual performance. We believe that pre-tax income is an effective way to capture both cost management and revenue performance. For 2015, the short-term incentive target payment for participantsNotice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, the proxy card (printed in the annual cash incentive program was

gray box), and the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. In the event that you do not have a control number, please contact your broker, bank or other nominee as soon as possible and no later than Wednesday, May 29, 2024, so that you can be provided with a control number and gain access to the meeting. Once registered, stockholders will receive an e-mail with a unique link, and instructions on how to attend the meeting one hour prior to the start of the meeting.

Submitting questions at the virtual Annual Meeting. Our stockholders will be able to submit questions during the Annual Meeting by registering to attend the virtual meeting at www.proxydocs.com/AAL. Stockholders will need their unique control number which appears on their Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, the proxy card (printed in the gray box), and the instructions that accompanied the proxy materials.

LOGO

 

only payable if we earned at least $5.0 billion in pre-tax profit excluding special items in 2015—double the pre-tax profit target level under our 2014 program and further subject

1

2024 Proxy Statement


As part of the Annual Meeting, and as time permits, we will hold a live Q&A session, during which we intend to answer questions submitted during the meeting in accordance with the Annual Meeting’s Rules of Conduct which are pertinent to the Company and the meeting matters. Answers to any such questions that are not addressed during the meeting will be published following the meeting on the Company’s website at www.aa.com under the links “Investor Relations”—“Annual Shareholders Meeting”—“2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders Q&A.” Questions and answers will be grouped by topic and substantially similar questions will be grouped and answered once. In order to promote fairness, efficient use of the Company’s resources and to ensure all stockholders are responded to, we will respond to up to three questions from a single stockholder.

The Annual Meeting’s Rules of Conduct will be posted on www.proxydocs.com/AAL approximately two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting.

Access to the Compensation Committee’s discretionLive Webcast of the Annual Meeting

The live audio webcast of the virtual Annual Meeting will be available to adjust awards basednot only our stockholders, but also our team members and other constituents. In order to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, all stockholders and other guests will need to register at www.proxydocs.com/AAL.

A replay of the meeting will be made publicly available for two weeks after the meeting at the same website.

We will have technicians ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the virtual meeting. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual meeting during check-in or the meeting, please call the technical support number that will be posted on individual performance.the virtual meeting platform log-in page.

Quorum

Our 2015 equity incentive program for our named executive officers incorporated both performance- and time-vesting components, each weighted 50%

The presence, in person or by value, in order to further align management and stockholder interests. The performance-vesting component consisted of restricted stock units that will be earned, if at all, not earlier than the third anniversaryproxy, of the grant date based on our relative three-year pre-tax income margin excluding special items as compared to thatholders of a pre-defined group of airlines. Relative pre-tax income margin maintains a focus on profitability and operating efficiency while our integration work continues. We believe it is an effective measure of relative financial performancemajority in our industry.

We have adopted compensation policies that are consistent with good governance standards, including a clawback policy that applies to all executive officers and covers all compensation under the cash incentive programs and all equity awards, stock ownership guidelines that further align our executive officers’ long-term interests with those of our stockholders and policies that significantly limit perquisites and other personal benefits.

We prohibit our executive officers and directors from hedging the economic risk of security ownership and from pledging Company securities to secure margin or other loans.

Corporate Governance Highlights

12 of our 13 director nominees (all directors except our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”)), and all membersvoting power of the Audit, Compensation, Corporate GovernanceCommon stock issued and Nominatingoutstanding and Finance Committees meetentitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders, is necessary to constitute a quorum at the criteria for independence under The

NASDAQ Stock Market listing standards and the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

John T. Cahill has been appointed as our lead independent director. His duties as lead independent

Annual Meeting. Shares are considered present “in person” if voted by the holder of those shares or by proxy during the Annual Meeting.

director include: serving as Chairman for regular Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman; with the Chairman, establishing agendas for regular meetings of the Board; and establishing agendas for, and coordinating and chairing, meetings of the independent directors. We have active participationVote Required to Approve Each Proposal

With respect to Proposal 1 (Election of Directors), each director must be elected by all directors, including the 12 independent director nominees. We believe that the current structure of our Board best positions us to benefit from the respective strengths of all of our directors, including our CEO and lead independent director.

Our directors are elected annually. Each director who fails to receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast with respect to such director by the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote for the election of directors. A majority of the votes cast means that the number of votes cast “FOR” a nominee exceeds the number of votes cast “AGAINST” that nominee. We presently believe that brokers do not have discretionary authority to vote on this proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes (as defined below under “How to Vote Your Shares”) are not considered votes cast “FOR” or “AGAINST” a nominee’s election and will have no effect in determining whether a nominee has received a majority of the votes cast. In this election, an uncontested electionincumbent director nominee who does not receive the required number of votes for reelection is expected to tender his or her resignation for considerationto the Board in accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines (the “Governance Guidelines”). Within approximately 90 days after certification of the election results of the stockholder vote, our CGPR Committee (or such other committee as directed by the Board.

Our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee annually reviewsBoard) will make a recommendation to our Board and Committee composition, which helps ensurethe Board will make a determination as to whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation. Following such determination, we will publicly disclose the decision regarding any tendered resignation in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Approval of Proposal 2 (Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm) and Proposal 3 (Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation) will require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting, provided a quorum is present. Abstentions are considered in determining the number of votes required to obtain the necessary majority vote for the proposal and will have the right balance between continuity and fresh perspectives. We have added two new directorssame legal effect as voting against each proposal.

Approval of Proposal 4 (Amendment to our BoardCertificate of Incorporation to Allow Our Bylaws to be Amended by our Stockholders by Simple Majority Vote) will require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of all shares outstanding and entitled to vote for the election of directors as of the Record Date. Abstentions are considered in determining the last year.

number of votes required to obtain the necessary majority vote for the proposal and will have the same legal effect as voting against Proposal 4.

 

2

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Our Board is diverse

Approval of Proposal 5 (Amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to Allow all Other Provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation to be Amended by Simple Majority Vote) will require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of all shares outstanding and entitled to vote for the election of directors as of the Record Date. Abstentions are considered in many ways, with differing geographic, businessdetermining the number of votes required to obtain the necessary majority vote for the proposal and racial backgrounds. Ourwill have the same legal effect as voting against Proposal 5.

Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of Proposals 1 and 3, and will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” Proposals 4 and 5. We presently believe that brokers will have discretionary authority to vote on Proposal 2 and, as such, broker non-votes are not expected on Proposal 2.

How to Vote Your Shares

If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote your shares:

  

Board currently includes two African American, one Hispanic, and two female directors.

Our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee oversees an annual performance evaluation of the Board, each committee and the directors. We have and will continue to invite shareholders and analysts to engage with our Board.

We have adopted proxy access for director nominations allowing eligible stockholders to nominate directors and include those nominations in our proxy materials. As set forth in our Bylaws, stockholders with an ownership threshold of 3% who have held their shares for at least three years may submit nominees consisting of up to 20% of the total number of directors then serving (subject to a minimum of two). Up to 20 stockholders may group together to reach the 3% ownership threshold.

We have significant stock ownership requirements for our directors and for senior vice presidents and above.

The Board oversees an enterprise-wide approach to risk management, designed to support the achievement of organizational objectives, including strategic objectives; to improve long-term organizational performance; and to enhance stockholder value.

THE MEETING

Purpose, Place, Date and Time

We are furnishing this Proxy Statementover the Internet at www.proxydocs.com/AAL prior to our stockholders in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of proxies to be voted at the 2016 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) and any adjournments or postponements of that meeting. Thevirtual Annual Meeting will be held(and during the virtual Annual Meeting by registering at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, located at 885 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022, on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., local time, for the purposes described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting.www.proxydocs.com/AAL); or

 

 The approximate date on which we are first sending the Notice of Annual Meeting and accompanying proxy materials to stockholders, or sending a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials and posting the proxy materials atwww.proxyvote.com, is April 29, 2016.

 When used in this Proxy Statement,

by telephone using the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to American Airlines Group Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. “AAG” refers to American Airlines Group Inc., “American” refers to AAG’s wholly-owned subsidiary American Airlines, Inc., “US Airways Group” refers to US Airways Group, Inc., a former wholly-owned subsidiary of AAG which merged with and into AAG on December 30, 2015, and “US Airways” refers to US Airways, Inc., a former wholly-owned subsidiary of US Airways Group which merged with and into American on December 30, 2015. The “Merger” refers to the merger of AMR Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation, with and into US Airways Group on December 9, 2013. AMR Corporation was renamed AAG upon the closing of the Merger; references to “AMR” in this Proxy Statement mean AAGtoll-free number 1-866-570-3320 prior to the closing of the Merger.virtual Annual Meeting; or

Record Date; Stockholders Entitled to Vote

Stockholders of record at the close of business on April 11, 2016 (the “record date”) are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. On the record date, there were 583,306,192 shares of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”), outstanding and eligible to be voted at the Annual Meeting. Each share of Common Stock entitles its owner to one vote on each matter submitted to the stockholders. As of the record date, approximately 25.2 million of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock were held in the Disputed Claims Reserve established in accordance with Section 7.3 of AMR’s fourth amended joint plan of reorganization (as amended, the “Bankruptcy Plan”). Pursuant to Section 7.3(c) of the Bankruptcy Plan, the shares held in the Disputed Claims Reserve will be deemed voted by the disbursing agent holding these shares proportionally in the same manner as the other outstanding shares of Common Stock are voted.

Your vote is very important. You are encouraged to vote as soon as possible.

Requirements to Attend Annual Meeting

Stockholders who attend the Annual Meeting must check in at the registration desk in the lobby of the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, located at 885 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022. At check-in, you must provide:

an admission ticket or other proof of ownership of our stock as of April 11, 2016 that is acceptable to us, and
valid government-issued picture identification.

You can find your admission ticket on your proxy card or with your voting instruction form. A copy of a statement from your broker showing your stock ownership is an acceptable form of proof of ownership. A driver’s license or passport is an acceptable form of government-issued picture identification. If you fail to provide the required admission ticket or proof of ownership and valid government-issued picture identification, you will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting.

Quorum

The presence, in person or by proxy, of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting.
If your shares are held by a broker, bank or other nominee in “street name” and you do not provide the broker, bank or other nominee with specific voting instructions, the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares generally may vote on “routine” proposals but cannot vote on “non-discretionary” (non-routine) proposals. We believe that Proposal 2 is routine and that Proposals 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are non-discretionary. If the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares in “street name” returns a proxy card without voting on a non-discretionary proposal because it did not receive voting instructions from you on that proposal, this is referred to as a “broker non-vote.” “Broker non-votes” are considered in determining whether a quorum exists at the Annual Meeting. The effect of broker non-votes on the outcome of each proposal to be voted on at the Annual Meeting is explained below.

Vote Required for Proposal 1: Election of Directors

Our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) provide for a majority voting standard for the election of directors in uncontested elections, which are generally defined as elections in which the number of nominees does not exceed the number of directors to be elected at the meeting. Under the majority voting standard, in uncontested elections of directors, such as this election, each director must be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast with respect to such director by the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote for the election of directors. A majority of the votes cast means that the number of votes cast “for” a nominee exceeds the number of votes cast “against” that nominee. Brokers do not have discretionary authority to vote on this proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast “for” or “against” a nominee’s election and will have no effect in determining whether a nominee has received a majority of the votes cast. In this election, an incumbent director nominee who does not receive the required number of votes for reelection is expected to tender his resignation to the Board of Directors in accordance with the policy adopted by the Board of Directors. Within approximately 90 days after certification of the election results of the stockholder vote, our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee (or other committee as directed by the Board of Directors) will make a determination as to whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation. Following such determination, we will publicly disclose the decision regarding any tendered resignation in a current report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

In the vote to elect 13 directors to serve until the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified, stockholders may, with respect to each nominee:

vote for the election of the nominee;
vote against the election of the nominee; or
abstain from voting on the election.

 

 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THE NOMINEES

Vote Required for Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016 will require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting, provided a quorum is present. Abstentions are considered in determining the number of votes required to obtain the necessary majority vote for the proposal and will have the same legal effect as voting against the proposal. Brokers have discretionary authority to vote on this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal.

 In the vote to ratify the appointment of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm, stockholders may:

vote for the ratification;
vote against the ratification; or
abstain from voting on the ratification.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.

Vote Required for Proposal 3: Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers

The proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC will require an affirmative vote from the holders of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting, provided a quorum is present. Abstentions are considered in determining the number of votes required to obtain the necessary majority vote for the proposal and will have the same legal effect as voting against the proposal. Brokers do not have discretionary authority to vote on this proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding on the Board of Directors or the Company. However, the Board of Directors will review the voting results and take them into consideration when making future decisions about executive compensation.

In the vote to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, stockholders may:

vote for the proposal;
vote against the proposal; or
abstain from voting on the proposal.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.

Vote Required for Proposals 4, 5 and 6: Stockholder Proposals

Each stockholder proposal will require an affirmative vote from the holders of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting, provided a quorum is present. Abstentions are considered in determining the number of votes required to obtain the necessary majority vote for the proposal and will have the same legal effect as voting against the proposal. Brokers do not have discretionary authority to vote on the proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the proposal.

In the vote for each stockholder proposal, stockholders may:

vote for the proposal;
vote against the proposal; or
abstain from voting on the proposal.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “AGAINST” EACH STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL.

Voting of Proxies

A proxy is a legal designation of another person to vote your shares on your behalf. If you are a stockholder of record, you may submit a proxy for your shares by using the toll-free number or the website provided on your proxy card. You also may submit a proxy in writing by simply filling out, signing and dating your proxy card and mailing it in the prepaid envelope included with the proxy materials. If you submit a proxy byenvelope.

You will need to follow the instructions when using any of these methods to make sure your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting. We encourage you to vote in advance by telephone, over the Internet or by mail by completing your proxy card, even if you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting.

If your shares are held in “street name” through a broker, bank or other nominee, you may instruct your broker, bank or other nominee to vote your shares by following the instructions that the broker, bank or other nominee provides to you with the proxy materials. If you do not provide the broker, bank or other nominee with specific voting instructions, the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares generally may vote on “routine” proposals but cannot vote on “non-discretionary” (non-routine) proposals. We presently believe that Proposal 2 is routine and that Proposals 1, 3, 4 and 5 are non-discretionary.

Most brokers offer the ability for stockholders to submit voting instructions over the Internet, by telephone or by mail by completing a voting instruction card after you have read these proxy materials. If you hold shares through a broker, bank or other nominee and wish to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting, you will need your unique control number which appears on the instructions that accompanied the proxy materials. In any case, voting in advance over the Internet, by telephone or by mail will not prevent you from voting at the virtual Annual Meeting.

If the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares in “street name” returns a proxy card without voting on a non-discretionary proposal because it did not receive voting instructions from you on that proposal, this is referred to as a “broker non-vote.” “Broker non-votes” are considered in determining whether a quorum exists at the Annual Meeting. As noted in “Vote Required to Approve Each Proposal” above, broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of Proposals 1 and 3, and will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” Proposals 4 and 5. We presently believe that brokers will have discretionary authority to vote on Proposal 2 and, as such, broker non-votes are not expected on Proposal 2.

Revoking or Changing Your Vote

Stockholders may revoke or change their votes at any time before exercise at the Annual Meeting by the following methods (your last instruction received by us will be counted):

 

telephonegiving notice of revocation to our Corporate Secretary, at American Airlines Group Inc., MD8B503, 1 Skyview Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76155 (by mail or over the Internet, please do not return your proxy card by mail. You will need to follow the instructions when you submit a proxy using any of these methods to make sure your shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting. You also may vote by submitting a ballot in person if you attend the Annual Meeting. However, we encourage you to submit a proxy by mail by completing your proxy card, by telephone, or over the Internet, even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting.overnight delivery);

 

 If you hold shares through a broker, bank, or other nominee, you may instruct your broker, bank, or other nominee

executing and delivering to vote your shares by following the instructions that the broker, bank, or other nominee provides to you with the proxy materials. Most brokers offer the ability for stockholders to submit voting instructions by mail by completing a voting instruction card, by telephone, and over the Internet. If you hold shares through a broker, bank, or other nominee and wish to vote your sharesour Corporate Secretary, at the Annual Meeting, you must obtainaddress noted above, a legal proxy from your broker, bank, or other nominee and present itcard relating to the inspector of election with your ballot when you vote at the Annual Meeting.same shares bearing a later date;

 

 All properly executed proxies received

voting over the Internet or by us by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, and not revoked will be voted attelephone prior to the Annual Meeting in accordance withtime the directions noted in each proxy. In the absence of such instructions, shares represented by a signed and dated proxy card will be voted “FOR” the election of all director nominees, “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm, “FOR” the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, and “AGAINST” each stockholder proposal.voting facilities close; or

 

 If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named as proxies will vote upon those matters according to their judgment. The Board of Directors knows of no other items of business that will be presented for consideration

logging onto and voting at the virtual Annual Meeting other than those described in this Proxy Statement.Meeting.

 

Revocation of Proxies

LOGO

Any stockholder delivering a proxy has the power to revoke it at any time before it is voted by:

3

2024 Proxy Statement


If your shares are held in “street name,” you must contact your broker, bank or other nominee to revoke or change your vote. The revocation or change must be made by the broker, bank or other nominee before the Annual Meeting.

Authority of Proxies

All proper votes received by us by 9:00 a.m., Central Time, on June 5, 2024, and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the directions noted. In the absence of instructions, shares represented by a signed and dated proxy card will be voted “FOR” the election of all director nominees, “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm, “FOR” the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of executive compensation as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, “FOR” the approval of an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to allow our Bylaws to be amended by our stockholders by simple majority vote and “FOR” the approval of an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to allow all other provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation to be amended by simple majority vote.

If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named as proxies on the proxy card will vote upon those matters according to their judgment. The Board knows of no other items of business that will be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting other than those described in this Proxy Statement.

Solicitation of Votes

In addition to soliciting votes through the mail, we may solicit votes through our directors, officers and employees in person and by e-mail, telephone or facsimile. We may also request brokerage firms, nominees, custodians and fiduciaries to forward proxy materials to the beneficial owners of shares held of record by them. We will pay all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies. In addition, we have retained Innisfree M&A Incorporated to assist in the solicitation for an anticipated fee of $25,000, plus expenses.

Inspector of Election

All votes at the Annual Meeting will be counted by Mediant, Inc., our inspector of election. The inspector of election will separately tabulate affirmative and negative votes, abstentions and broker non-votes.

Important Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting

The Notice of Annual Meeting, this Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 are available at www.proxydocs.com/AAL prior to and during the Annual Meeting.

Electronic Delivery of Proxy Materials

In order to eliminate the mailing of a paper notice and to speed your ability to access the proxy materials (including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023), we encourage you to sign up for electronic delivery of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials using the instructions described below. Stockholders can help us reduce costs and the impact on the environment by electing to receive and access future copies of our proxy statements, annual reports and other stockholder materials electronically by e-mail. If your shares are registered directly in your name with our stock registrar and transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, you can make this election by going to equiniti.com/us/ast-access, (1) clicking on “Login” under the heading “Individuals”, (2) clicking on Shareholder Central, (3) entering the information required to gain access to your account and (4) clicking e-Consent. You may also make this election by following the instructions provided when voting over the Internet. If you hold your shares in a brokerage account or otherwise through a third party in “street name,” please refer to the information provided by your broker, bank or other nominee for instructions on how to elect to receive and view future annual meeting materials electronically.

This year, we intend both to mail our proxy materials to certain stockholders and to use the “Notice and Access” method of providing proxy materials to certain stockholders. Under the Notice and Access method, if you have not opted to receive an e-mail notification, you will receive by mail a simple “Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials,” which will direct you to a website where you may access proxy materials online. You will also be told how to request proxy materials (at no charge) via mail or e-mail, as you prefer.

4

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


giving notice

Householding of revocationProxy Materials

The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy statements and annual reports, or Notices of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement and annual report, or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies. In accordance with these rules, only one proxy statement and annual report, or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless we have received contrary instructions from one or more of the stockholders. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the proxy statement and annual report, or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, at their address and would like to request “householding” of their communications should contact their broker if they are beneficial owners or direct their request to our Corporate Secretary at American Airlines Groupthe address provided on page 3 of this Proxy Statement if they are registered holders.

If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in “householding” and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statement and annual report, or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, please notify your broker, if you are a beneficial owner or, if you are a registered holder, direct your written request to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., 4333 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 5675, Fort Worth, Texas 76155 (by mailHouseholding Department, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717 or overnight delivery);

executingcall Broadridge at 1-866-540-7095.

If requested, we will also promptly deliver, upon oral or written request, a separate copy of the proxy statement and deliveringannual report, or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to our Corporate Secretaryany stockholder residing at an address to which only one copy was mailed.

LOGO

5

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

PROPOSAL 1—ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Election of Directors

Upon the recommendation of the CGPR Committee, the Board has nominated the 11 director candidates listed below under the section “Director Nominees.” Each nominee is currently a proxy card relating todirector of the same shares bearing a later date;

submitting a new proxy prior toCompany.

The authorized number of directors is currently set at 12 and the time at which the Internet and telephone voting facilities close; or

voting in personBoard currently consists of 12 members. Mr. Benjamin will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting.

If you revoke your proxy other than by voting in person at the Annual Meeting, we must receive the notice of revocation or new proxy by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, the date prior to the date of the Annual Meeting.

If your shares are held in “street name,” you must contact your broker, bank, or other nominee to revoke your vote. The revocation must be made by the broker, bank, or other nominee before your proxy is voted at the Annual Meeting. If you want to vote at the Annual Meeting, but your shares are held in street name by a broker, bank or other nominee, you will need to obtain proof of ownership as of April 11, 2016 and a proxy to vote the shares from such broker, bank or other nominee.

Solicitation of Proxies

In addition to soliciting proxies through the mail, we may solicit proxies through our directors, officers and employees in person and by e-mail, telephone or facsimile. We may also request brokerage firms, nominees, custodians and fiduciaries to forward

The Board has approved reducing the authorized number of directors to 11 effective as of the Annual Meeting. If elected as a director at the Annual Meeting, each of the nominees will serve a one-year term expiring at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified.

proxy materials to the beneficial owners of shares held of record by them. We will pay all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies. In addition, we have retained MacKenzie Partners, Inc. to assist in the solicitation for an anticipated fee of $25,000, plus expenses.

Inspector of Election

All votes at the Annual Meeting will be counted by Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., our inspector of election. The inspector of election will separately tabulate affirmative and negative votes, abstentions and broker non-votes.

Electronic Delivery of Proxy Materials

Stockholders can help us reduce costs and the impact on the environment by electing to receive and access future copies of our proxy statements, annual reports and other stockholder materials electronically. If your shares are registered directly in your name with our stock registrar and transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC (“AST”), you can make this election by going to AST’s website (www.amstock.com) and (1) clicking Shareholders, then Account Access and General Information, then Account Access; (2) entering the information required to gain access to your account, and (3) clicking Receive Company Mailing via E-Mail, or by following the instructions provided when voting over the Internet. If you hold your shares in a brokerage account or otherwise through a third party in “street name,” please refer to the information provided by your broker, bank or other nominee for instructions on how to elect to receive and view future annual meeting materials electronically.

This year, we intend both to mail our proxy materials to certain stockholders and to use the “Notice and Access” method of providing proxy materials to certain stockholders. Under the Notice and Access method, if you have not opted to receive an e-mail notification, you will receive by mail a simple “Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials” which will direct you to a website where you may access proxy materials online. You will also be told how to request proxy materials (at no charge) via mail or e-mail, as you prefer. In order to eliminate the mailing of a paper notice and to speed your ability to access the proxy materials (including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015), we encourage you to sign up for electronic delivery of the Notice Regarding Availability of Proxy Materials using the instructions described above.

Householding of Proxy Materials

The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy statements and annual reports, or Notices Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials, with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement and annual report, or Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials, addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies. In accordance with these rules, only one proxy statement and annual report, or Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials, will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless we have received contrary instructions from one or more of the stockholders.

If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in “householding” and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statement and annual report, or Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials, please notify your broker, direct your written request to Caroline B. Ray, Corporate Secretary, American Airlines Group Inc., 4333 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 5675, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the proxy statement and annual report, or Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials, at their address and would like to request “householding” of their communications should contact their broker.

PROPOSAL 1—ELECTION OF DIRECTORSEach of the nominees has consented to serve as a director, if elected.

 

Election of Directors

Our

The Board of Directors has 13 members. W. Douglas Parker serves as Chairmanunanimously recommends that the stockholders vote “FOR” the proposal to elect each director of the Board of Directors, and John T. Cahill serves as our Lead Independent Director.

Upon the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, the Board of Directors has nominated the 13 director candidatesCompany listed below under the section “Directors and Director Nominees.” Each nominee is currently“Director Nominees” for a director of the Company.

If elected as a director at the Annual Meeting, each of the nominees will serve a one-year term expiring at the 20172025 annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified.

 

 Each

6

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Director Nominees

Information regarding our director nominees, including their qualifications and principal occupations, as well as the key experience and qualifications that led the Board to conclude each nominee should serve as a director, is provided below. The categories of key skills are:

LOGO

There are no family relationships among the directors and our executive officers.

LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2021

Committees:

Audit, Safety (Chair)

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Adriane Brown

Select Business Experience:

  Managing Partner of Flying Fish Partners, a technology-based venture capital firm (2018-Present)

  President and Chief Operating Officer of Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC, a private equity firm (2010-2017)

  Various roles, including President and Chief Executive Officer of Honeywell Transportation Systems, at Honeywell International Inc., a manufacturing company (1999-2010)

  Various roles, most recently Vice President and General Manager of Environmental Products, at Corning Incorporated, a materials manufacturing company (1980-1999)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  KKR & Co. Inc., a global investment company (2021-Present)

  Axon Enterprise, Inc., a law-enforcement technology company (2020-Present)

  eBay Inc., an e-commerce marketplace company (2017-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  Allergan plc (2017-2020)

  Raytheon Company (2018-2020)

  Harman International (2013-2017)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Member of the nominees has consented to serveboard of directors of the International Women’s Forum; former member of the board of directors of the Washington Research Foundation/WRF Capital.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Financial expertise, risk management experience, extensive experience as a senior operating executive for segments of large global public companies, including industrial and manufacturing companies, investment experience in technologies and service as a public company director.

LOGO

7

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2013

Committees:

Audit; Finance

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

John Cahill

Select Business Experience:

  Vice Chairman of The Kraft Heinz Company (“Kraft Heinz”), a food and beverage company (2015-Present)

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (“Kraft Foods Group”), until its merger with H.J. Heinz Company (2014-2015)

  Non-Executive Chairman of Kraft Foods Group (March 2014-December 2014)

  Executive Chairman of Kraft Foods Group (2012-2014)

  Executive Chairman, North American Grocery of Kraft Foods, Inc., the former parent of Kraft Foods Group (January 2012-December 2012)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Kraft Heinz, a food and beverage company (2015-Present)

  Colgate-Palmolive Company, a consumer products company (2005-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  Kraft Foods Group (2012-2015)

  Legg Mason, Inc. (2009-2014)

  The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. (1999-2007)

  Frontier Holdings, Inc. (1984-1985)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Former Industrial Partner at Ripplewood Holdings LLC; spent nine years with The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc., culminating in the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; and worked at PepsiCo, Inc. for nine years in a variety of leadership positions.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Leadership and operations experience in executive leadership roles at global public companies, as well as airline experience, investment, accounting and financial expertise, experience in consumer products industries and public company board and corporate governance experience.

8

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2013

Committees:

Finance; Safety

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Mike Embler

Select Business Experience:

  Chief Investment Officer of Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (“Franklin Mutual Advisers”), an asset management company (2005-2009)

  Head of Franklin Mutual Advisers’ Distressed Investment Group (2001-2005)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  NMI Holdings, Inc., a mortgage insurance provider (2012-Present)

  Ventas, Inc., a healthcare REIT (2022- Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  Taubman Centers, Inc., a shopping mall REIT (2018-2020)

  CIT Group Inc. (2009-2016)

  Dynegy Inc. (2011-2012)

  AboveNet Inc. (2003-2012)

  Kindred Healthcare Inc. (2001-2008)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Worked at Nomura Holding America Inc. for almost a decade in positions of increasing responsibility culminating in the position of Managing Director; former member of the board of trustees of The Mohonk Preserve; and holds certificates in Cyber Risk Oversight (National Association of Corporate Directors) and Environmental Conservation and Sustainability (Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability).

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Experience in finance, asset management and restructurings, capital markets and capital management, experience as a senior executive, perspective as an institutional investor, success as an investor and service as a director if elected. If anyof global public and private companies.

LOGO

9

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2013

Committees:

Audit (Chair); Safety

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Matt Hart

Select Business Experience:

  President and Chief Operating Officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation (“Hilton”), a hotel developer and operator, until its acquisition by a private equity firm (2004-2007)

  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hilton (1996-2004)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  AMH (formerly American Homes 4 Rent), a REIT (2012-Present)

  Air Lease Corporation, an aircraft leasing company (2010-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  B. Riley Financial, Inc. (2009-2015)

  US Airways Group, Inc. (2006-2013)

  Kilroy Realty Corporation (1997-2008)

  America West Holdings Corporation (2004-2005)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Former Senior Vice President and Treasurer of The Walt Disney Company; former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Host Marriott Corp.; member of the nominees should be unavailable to serve for any reason (which is not anticipated), theAdvisory Board of Directors may designate a substitute nominee or nominees (in which event the persons named on the proxy card will vote the shares represented by all valid proxies for the electionINTELITY, Inc.; and member of the substitute nominee or nominees)board of directors of Heal the Bay and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Financial expertise, risk management experience, extensive experience as a senior operating and finance executive for large global public companies, including companies in the consumer travel industry, investment and mergers and acquisitions experience, service as a public company director and airline experience.

10

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Chief Executive Officer

Director Since:

2022

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Robert Isom

Select Business Experience:

  Chief Executive Officer of AAG and American (2022-Present)

  President of AAG and American (2016-Present)

  Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of AAG and American (2013-2016)

  Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of US Airways Group, Inc. and US Airways, Inc. (2007-2013)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  AAG (2022-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  Pinnacle Airlines Corporation (2003-2005)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Prior to joining US Airways, Mr. Isom held senior executive finance, commercial, operations, strategy and international roles at GMAC, LLC, Northwest Airlines and America West Airlines. He started his career at The Procter & Gamble Company. Mr. Isom serves as a board member of Airlines for America and as a member of the oneworld Governing Board, as well as a member of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership Board and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Financial, airline, marketing, human resources and labor relations experience, as well as nearly 30 years of experience in the airline industry; over 20 years of experience as an airline senior executive; and safety, sustainability and risk management experience.

LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2015

Committees:

CGPR; Safety

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Sue Kronick

Select Business Experience:

  Operating Partner at Marvin Traub Associates, a New York based retail consulting firm (2012-2022)

  Vice Chairman of Macy’s, Inc. (“Macy’s”), allow any vacancies to remain open untilowner of Macy’s and Bloomingdales retail department stores (2003-2010)

  Group President, Regional Department Stores of Macy’s (2001-2003)

  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burdines/Macy’s Florida (1997-2001)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Hyatt Hotels Corporation, a suitable candidate or candidates are located or reducehospitality company (2009-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. (1999-2010)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Member of the sizeboard of directors of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Miami City Ballet.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Financial, marketing and operational expertise, as well as experience serving as a global public company director and building industry leading brands as a result of the various executive management positions held with Macy’s.

LOGO

11

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2015

Committees:

Audit; CGPR (Chair)

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Marty Nesbitt

Select Business Experience:

  Co-Chief Executive Officer of The Vistria Group, LLC, a private-equity investment firm (2013-Present)

  President and Chief Executive Officer of PRG Parking Management (PRG), an owner and operator of off-airport parking facilities (1996-2012)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Chewy, Inc., an online retailer for pet needs (2020-Present)

  Center Point Energy, Inc., a public utility company (2018-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, a public commercial real estate company (2011-2021)

  Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (2009-2010)

  Norfolk Southern Corporation (2013-2018)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Former member of the board of directors of PRG; former officer of the Pritzker Realty Group, L.P.; former Vice President and Investment Manager at LaSalle Partners, one of the predecessor corporations of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated; Trustee of Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art; and Chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Executive leadership, operational, financial and investment experience, as well as global public company board experience.

LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2013

Committees:

Compensation (Chair); Finance

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Denise O’Leary

Select Business Experience:

  Private venture capital investor (1997-Present)

  Partner (1987-1996) and associate (1983-1987) at Menlo Ventures, a venture capital firm

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Medtronic plc, a medical technology company (2000-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  Calpine Corporation (2009-2018)

  US Airways Group, Inc. (2005-2013)

  Chiron Corporation (2002-2006)

  America West Holdings Corporation (1998-2005)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Chair Emerita of the board of trustees of the University of Denver; member of the Board of Directors.Regents of the Smithsonian Institution; and former member of the boards of directors of the following private entities: International Environmental Standards, Galvanize, Inc., the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Smithsonian National Board, the Denver Foundation, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, Connect for Health Colorado and the University of Colorado Hospital Authority.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Executive leadership experience in the investment industry, financial expertise, experience in the oversight of risk management, human resources expertise, extensive service as a global public company director, success as an investor and airline industry expertise.

 

 

12

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2022

Committees:

Compensation; CGPR

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Vicente Reynal

Select Business Experience:

  Chairman of the board of directors of Ingersoll Rand Inc. (“Ingersoll”) (2021-Present)

  Chief Executive Officer and President of Ingersoll (2020-Present)

  Chief Executive Officer and President of Gardner Denver Inc. (“Gardner Denver”) (2017-2020)

  President, Chief Executive Officer—Industrials Segment of Gardner Denver (2015-2016)

  Various roles, including Group President at Danaher Corporation, a design and manufacturing company (2004-2015)

  Vice President Global Operations and Supply Chain at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., a scientific instrumentation company (2002-2004)

  Business Unit Manager, Aerospace Aftermarket at Honeywell Transportation Systems, a manufacturing company (1998-2002)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Ingersoll Rand Inc., an industrial manufacturing company (2020-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  Gardner Denver Inc. (2017-2020)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Member of the board of directors of Ownership Works.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Executive leadership experience in the industrial, energy and medical industries, extensive strategic, operational and general management experience, as well as experience serving as a public company director.

LOGO

Independent Chairman of the Board

Director Since:

2022

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Greg Smith

Select Business Experience:

  Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Enterprise Operations of The BoardBoeing Company (“Boeing”) (2020-2021; 2012-2021); Interim Chief Executive Officer of Directors unanimously recommends thatBoeing (2019-2020); Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller of Boeing (2010-2012); and Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis of Boeing (2008-2010)

  Vice President of Investor Relations of Raytheon Company (2004-2008)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Intel Corporation, a technology company (2017-Present)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Member of the stockholders vote “FOR” the proposal to elect theboards of directors of the Company listed below under the section “DirectorsLurie Children’s Hospital Foundation, Northwestern Memorial Healthcare and Sierra Nevada Space.

Key Experience/Director Nominees”Qualifications:

Financial expertise and extensive experience as a senior executive for a one-year term expiring atlarge global public company, risk management experience, extensive industry experience as executive officer of airplane manufacturer, extensive experience as a global business leader, with experience in regulatory affairs, as well as experience serving as a public company director.

LOGO

13

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Independent

Director Since:

2020

Committees:

Compensation; Finance (Chair)

Key Skills and Experience:

LOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGOLOGO

Doug Steenland

Select Business Experience:

  Senior Advisor to The Blackstone Group L.P. (2009-Present)

  Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Airlines Corporation (2004-2008)

  President of Northwest Airlines Corporation (2001-2004)

  Senior Partner of law firm that is now DLA Piper LLP (1984-1991)

Current Public Company Directorships:

  Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc., a hotel management company (2010-Present)

Past Public Company Directorships:

  American International Group, Inc., an insurance company (2009-2023)

  London Stock Exchange Group (2021-2023)

  Performance Food Group (2012-2019)

  Travelport LLC (2012-2019)

Other Leadership Experience and Service:

Member of the 2017 annual meetingboard of stockholderstrustees of the Brookings Institute, board of directors of the Middle East Investment Initiative and until their successors have been duly electedboard of visitors of the Duke University Fuqua Business School; former Chairman of the Air Transport Association.

Key Experience/Director Qualifications:

Former airline president and qualified.CEO, extensive experience as a global business leader, with experience in finance, safety, restructuring and regulatory affairs, as well as experience serving as a public company director.

14

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Directors and Director NomineesLOGO

 

Name

 Age   Director
Since
  

Principal Occupation

 

Independent

 AC CC CGNC FC

James F. Albaugh

  65     2013   Senior Advisor to The Blackstone Group L.P.; former President and Chief Executive Officer of The Boeing Company’s Commercial Airplanes ü  M M 

Jeffrey D. Benjamin

  54     2013   Senior advisor to Cyrus Capital Partners, L.P. ü  M  M

John T. Cahill

Lead Independent Director

  58     2013   Vice Chairman of The Kraft Heinz Company; former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Foods Group, Inc. and of The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. ü M  M 

Michael J. Embler

  52     2013   Former Chief Investment Officer of Franklin Mutual Advisers LLC ü M   M

Matthew J. Hart

  64     2013   Former President and Chief Operating Officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation; former Chief Financial Officer of Hilton Hotels ü C   

Alberto Ibargüen

  72     2013   President and Chief Executive Officer of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; former Chairman of Miami Herald Publishing Co ü M M  

Richard C. Kraemer

  72     2013   President of Chartwell Capital, Inc. ü  C  

Susan D. Kronick

  64     2015   Operating Partner at Marvin Traub Associates; former Vice-Chairman of Macy’s, Inc. ü   M M

Martin H. Nesbitt

  53     2015   Co-Chief Executive Officer of The Vistria Group, LLC; former President and Chief Executive Officer of PRG Parking Management ü M   M

Denise M. O’Leary

  58     2013   Private Venture Capital Investor; former General Partner at Menlo Ventures ü  M M 

W. Douglas Parker

Chairman

  54     2013   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Airlines Group Inc. and American Airlines, Inc. No    

Ray M. Robinson

  68     2013   Non-Executive Chairman of Citizens Trust Bank; former President of the Southern Region at AT&T ü   C 

Richard P. Schifter

  63     2013   Senior Advisor at TPG Capital, L.P.; former Partner at TPG and Arnold & Porter LLP ü    C

AC = AuditBOARD COMPOSITION

How We Build a Board that is Right for American Airlines

Each of the 11 current nominees for director recommended for election at the Annual Meeting is a current member of the Board. The effectiveness of the Board and the recruitment of directors are overseen by the CGPR Committee. In evaluating candidates for director, the CGPR Committee CC = Compensationconsiders the qualifications described below. Based on its evaluation of each of the current nominees’ qualifications and his or her prior performance as a director, the CGPR Committee CGNC = Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee    FN = Finance Committee

M = Member    C = Chairman    

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee seeksdetermined to recommend individualseach nominee for election. The CGPR Committee received no nominations from stockholders for the Annual Meeting.

Consistent with its charter, the CGPR Committee proposes for nomination of existing directors and new candidates who have the highest personal and professional integrity, have demonstrated exceptional judgment, have proven leadership skills, as well as the requisite skills necessary to advance our long-term strategic plan, are committed to our success and have the ability to work effectively with the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and other members of the Board. Also, a nominee must possess skills, experience and expertise appropriate to best serve the long-term financial interests of our stockholders.

The Governance Guidelines specify that it is the objective of the Board that it be composed of Directors with,individuals who have, among other things, a diversity of skills, expertise and perspective, due to, among other things, age, gender, racial and ethnic diversity, appropriate for the business and operation of the Company. The Board currently includes a group of individuals who have demonstrated success and leadership in a variety of fields and endeavors, with a broad diversity of experience, opinions, perspectives, professions, skills, expertise, education, geographic representation and backgrounds. The CGPR Committee and the Board believe that the Board is, and should continue to be, comprised of persons who can contribute experience in public company board service and corporate governance and areas such as strategic planning, leadership of large, complex organizations, international and global operations, the airline, travel and transportation industry, finance, accounting, investment, risk management, customer service, marketing and consumer products, labor relations and human resources (including leadership assessment and diversity), safety, information technology, and sustainability. The CGPR Committee does not assign specific weight to particular criteria and no particular criterion is necessarily applicable to all prospective nominees.

The Governance Guidelines also require that any directors who also serve as chief executive officers of public companies should not serve on more than two boards of public companies other than the Company’s Board, and other directors should not serve on more than four boards of public companies, other than the Company’s Board.

In accordance with applicable listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”), the Board confirms that at least a majority of the Board is independent in accordance with the Nasdaq definition of independence and that the members of the Board, as a group, maintain the requisite qualifications under applicable Nasdaq listing standards for service on the Audit, Compensation and CGPR Committees.

Board Refreshment and Succession Planning

The Board believes that thoughtful refreshment of the members of the Board is important to ensure that the Board continues to meet the changing needs of the Company and that new viewpoints and perspectives are regularly considered. The Board and CGPR Committee regularly evaluate the composition of the Board and its committees in an effort to develop a long-term succession plan for the Board and its leadership. The Company’s Governance Guidelines do not provide for an absolute limit on the length of time that a director may serve, but the CGPR Committee and the Board consider the overall tenure of the Board during succession planning discussions and director nomination decisions. The Governance Guidelines also state that the retirement age for non-employee directors is 75. No individual is eligible for election to the Board after his or her 75th birthday. A special thank you to Jeffrey Benjamin, who will not be standing for re-election at the Annual Meeting, for his dedication to the Company and his extensive contributions during his service on our Board.

The active work of our CGPR Committee to add engaged and dynamic leaders to our Board has resulted in four of our ten independent director nominees having joined our Board in or following 2020, representing 40% of our independent director nominees. With these additions, and the retirement of Mr. Benjamin, the average tenure of our director nominees is 6.1 years. Additional biographical information on each nominee is set out above beginning on page 7.

LOGO

15

2024 Proxy Statement


In addition, as a culmination of the Board’s CEO succession planning over several years, in December 2021, we announced that Robert Isom would succeed Doug Parker as the CEO of the Company and be appointed as a member of our Board effective March 31, 2022. As part of this plan, the Board determined that it was important to retain Mr. Parker in the role of Chairman of the Board in order to ensure a successful transition in leadership. This allowed Mr. Isom to focus on executing on our strategy and operations, and Mr. Parker to devote his time and attention to matters of Board oversight and governance and providing continued advisory support to the management team throughout the transition.

In February 2023, following the successful transition of our CEO role, we announced that Mr. Parker would retire from our Board on April 30, 2023 and Greg Smith would serve as the Company’s Independent Chairman effective April 30, 2023. By separating the roles of Chairman and CEO, our CEO is able to continue to focus on executing on our strategy and operations, and our Independent Chairman can devote time and attention to matters of Board oversight and governance.

LOGO

Board Diversity and Tenure

The CGPR Committee recognizes the benefits of racial and gender diversity in the boardroom, including better reflecting our globaldiverse customer and employee base and the healthy debate that stems from different viewpoints that may result from diverse backgrounds. Accordingly, our Board is diverse in many ways, with differing geographic, business, gender and racial backgrounds. Our board currently includes two AfricanOver 45% of our Board nominees are diverse based on gender or ethnicity.

16

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


The demographic information presented below is as of the date of this Proxy Statement and is based on voluntary self-identification by each nominee. Additional biographical information on each nominee is set out above beginning on page 7.

   LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO LOGO

RACE/ETHNICITY

                      

African American or Black

           

Hispanic or Latinx

           

White

           

GENDER

                      

Male

           

Female

           

BOARD TENURE

                      

Years

 3 10 10 10 2 8 8 10 1 2 3

Age

 65 66 60 72 60 72 61 66 49 57 72

LOGO

Stockholder Recommendations or Nominations of Director Candidates

The Board welcomes recommendations from its stockholders for director candidates that they believe meet the standards described above under “How We Build a Board that is Right for American one Hispanic, and two female directors.Airlines.” We encourage stockholders with any such director candidate recommendations to contact us directly prior to going through the formal director nomination procedures described below. The CGPR Committee has a policy of considering candidates who are recommended by stockholders for membership to the Board in the same manner as candidates recommended by members of the Board.

AdditionalUnder our Bylaws, any stockholder wishing to nominate a director should submit in writing the candidate’s name, biographical information, regarding our director nominees, including their ages,business qualifications and principal occupations (which have continued forother information required by the Bylaws, to Martin H. Nesbitt, Chair of the Corporate Governance and Public Responsibility Committee, American Airlines Group Inc., MD8B503, 1 Skyview Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. All submissions must be accompanied by the written consent of the proposed nominee to be named as a nominee and to serve as a director, if elected, and must otherwise be in compliance with our Bylaws. The Bylaws require that written nominations be received by the Company no sooner than 120 days and no later than 90 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders. For the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, notice must be delivered no sooner than February 5, 2025 and no later than March 7, 2025. All qualified submissions will be reviewed by the CGPR Committee at least the past five years unless otherwise noted) is provided below. There are no family relationships among the directors and our executive officers.

next appropriate meeting.

Director Nominees
(Committee Service)

LOGO

 

Principal Occupation, Business Experience,
    Other Directorships Held and Age    

17

2024 Proxy Statement


In addition, our Bylaws permit certain of our stockholders who have beneficially owned 3% or more of our outstanding Common Stock continuously for at least three years to submit nominations to be included in the Company’s proxy materials for up to 20% of the total number of directors then serving. Notice of proxy access director nominations for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders must be delivered to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices no earlier than November 26, 2024 and no later than the close of business on December 26, 2024. The notice must set forth the information required by our Bylaws with respect to each proxy access director nomination that eligible stockholder or stockholders intend to present at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and must otherwise be in compliance with our Bylaws.

Any notice of director nomination other than through proxy access must include the additional information required by Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act and otherwise comply with our Bylaws. In connection with the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, we intend to file a proxy statement and a WHITE proxy card with the SEC in connection with our solicitation of proxies for that meeting.

James F. Albaugh

(Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees)18

 

Mr. Albaugh has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He has been a senior advisor to The Blackstone Group L.P. since December 2012. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of The Boeing Company’s (“Boeing”) Commercial Airplanes business unit from September 2009 through October 2012. Prior to holding that position, Mr. Albaugh was President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems business unit from July 2002 to September 2009. He joined Boeing in 1975 and held various other executive positions prior to July 2002, including President and Chief Executive of Space and Communications and President of Space Transportation. Mr. Albaugh was a member of Boeing’s Executive Council from 1998 through 2012. Mr. Albaugh is a member of the board of directors of B/E Aerospace, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of aircraft interiors, fasteners and hardware. He is also Chairman of the National Aeronautic Association; President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and an elected member of the International Academy of Aeronautics and the National Academy of Engineering. Mr. Albaugh is also a member of the boards of directors of Aloft Aeroarchitects (formerly PATS Aerospace) and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; a member of the board of governors of the Wings Club; and a member of the board of trustees of Willamette University. Mr. Albaugh also served on the boards of directors of the Aerospace Industries Association from 2007 to 2012 and of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. from 2007 to 2015. Age 65.

Mr. Albaugh’s executive leadership experience in the airplane and airline industry, including his experience with complex systems, contracts and governmental oversight, as well as his accounting and financial literacy and public company board and corporate governance experience, make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Jeffrey D. Benjamin

(Compensation and Finance Committees)

Mr. Benjamin has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He has been a senior advisor to Cyrus Capital Partners, L.P., a registered investment advisor, since 2008. He also serves as a consultant to Apollo Management, L.P. (“Apollo Management”), a private investment fund, and from 2002 to 2008, served as senior advisor to Apollo Management. Mr. Benjamin serves on the boards of directors of Caesars Entertainment Corp., a casino-entertainment company, and Chemtura Corporation, a specialty chemical developer and manufacturer. He is also on the board of directors of Exco Resources, Inc., an oil and natural gas company, and Chairman of the Board of A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc., a full-service precious metals trading company and official distributor for many government mints throughout the world. Mr. Benjamin previously served on the board of directors of Spectrum Group International, Inc. from 2009 to 2014. Age 54.

Mr. Benjamin’s experience in the investment industry, accounting and financial literacy, corporate governance expertise and extensive experience serving on the boards of directors of public and private companies make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

John T. Cahill

(Lead Independent Director; Audit and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees)

Mr. Cahill has been a member and the Lead Independent Director of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He has served as Vice Chairman of The Kraft Heinz Company since its formation in July 2015. He previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (“Kraft Foods Group”), a food and beverage company, from December 2014 to July 2015, as Non-Executive Chairman of Kraft Foods Group from March 2014 to December 2014 and as Executive Chairman ofLOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Kraft Foods Group from October 2012 until March 2014. Mr. Cahill joined Kraft Foods, Inc., the former parent of Kraft Foods Group, in January 2012 as Executive Chairman, North American Grocery, and served in that capacity until October 2012. Prior to that, he served as an industrial partner at Ripplewood Holdings LLC, a private equity firm, from 2008 to 2011. Mr. Cahill spent nine years with The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc., a beverage manufacturing company, most recently as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2003 to 2006 and Executive Chairman until 2007. Mr. Cahill also served as Chief Financial Officer and head of International Operations of The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. Mr. Cahill previously spent nine years with PepsiCo, Inc., a food and beverage company, in a variety of leadership positions. In addition to serving on the board of The Kraft Heinz Company, Mr. Cahill also currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Colgate-Palmolive Company, a consumer products company, and he was a member of the board of directors of Legg Mason, Inc., an investment management firm, from 2009 to June 2014. Mr. Cahill has also served on the board of directors of Frontier Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Frontier Airlines, from 1984 to 1985. Age 58.

Mr. Cahill’s leadership and operations experience in executive leadership roles at global public companies, as well as his accounting and financial expertise and public company board and corporate governance experience, make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Michael J. Embler

(Audit and Finance Committees)

Mr. Embler has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He served as the Chief Investment Officer of Franklin Mutual Advisers LLC (“Franklin Mutual Advisers”), an asset management subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc., from 2005 to 2009. Mr. Embler joined Franklin Mutual Advisers in 2001 and, prior to becoming Chief Investment Officer, served as head of its Distressed Investment Group. From 1992 until 2001, he worked at Nomura Holding America Inc. (“Nomura”), an investment bank, in positions of increasing responsibility culminating in the position of Managing Director co-heading Nomura’s proprietary distressed debt/special situations group. Mr. Embler currently serves on the board of directors of NMI Holdings, Inc., a mortgage insurance provider. He will continue serving on the board of directors of CIT Group Inc., a regulated bank holding company and lessor, until the company’s 2016 annual stockholder’s meeting, at which time he will not seek reelection. He also serves on the board of trustees of The Mohonk Preserve, a non-profit institution. Mr. Embler previously served on the boards of directors of Abovenet Inc. from 2003 to 2012, Kindred Healthcare Inc. from 2001 to 2008 and Dynegy Inc. from 2011 to 2012. Age 52.

Mr. Embler’s experience in finance, asset management and restructurings, capital markets and capital management, experience as a senior executive, perspective as an institutional investor and service as a director make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Matthew J. Hart

(Chair of the Audit Committee)

Mr. Hart has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He was President and Chief Operating Officer of Hilton Hotels Corporation (“Hilton”), a hotel developer and operator, from 2004 until the acquisition of Hilton by a private equity firm in 2007. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hilton from 1996 to 2004. Before joining Hilton in 1996, Mr. Hart was Senior Vice President and Treasurer of The Walt Disney Company, a worldwide entertainment company, from 1995 to 1996, and was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Host Marriott Corp., a hotel owner, from 1993 to 1995. He serves on the boards of directors of Air Lease Corporation, an aircraft leasing company, American Homes 4 Rent, a real estate investment trust, and Checchi Capital Advisers, LLC, an

investment services company. He is also a member of the board of directors of Heal the Bay, a non-profit organization. Mr. Hart previously served on the board of directors of B. Riley Financial, Inc. (formerly called Great American Group, Inc.) from 2009 to 2015 and Kilroy Realty Corporation from 1997 to 2008. Mr. Hart also served on the boards of directors of America West Holdings Corporation (“America West”) and America West Airlines, Inc. (“AWA”) from 2004 to 2005, and the boards of directors of US Airways Group and US Airways from 2006 until the Merger in December 2013. Age 64.

Mr. Hart’s financial expertise, risk management experience, extensive experience as a senior operating and finance executive for large public companies, including companies in the travel industry, mergers and acquisitions experience, service as a public company director and airline experience make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Alberto Ibargüen

(Audit and Compensation Committees)

Mr. Ibargüen has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He served on the AMR board of directors from 2008 until the Merger in December 2013. He has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation since July 2005. Prior to that, Mr. Ibargüen served as Chairman of Miami Herald Publishing Co., a Knight Ridder subsidiary, from 1998 to 2005, and as publisher of The Miami Herald and of El Nuevo Herald. He will continue serving on the boards of directors of PepsiCo, Inc., a food and beverage company, until the company’s 2016 annual stockholder’s meeting, at which time he will not seek reelection. He previously served as a director of NCL Corporation Ltd. and AOL, Inc. and on the advisory committee of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. He is also a former Chairman of the board of directors of several major non-profit organizations, including the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Newseum in Washington, D.C., and the World Wide Web Foundation. Age 72.

Mr. Ibargüen’s media and financial expertise, food and beverage products and philanthropic experience, his executive leadership experience, and his extensive experience serving as a director and member of board committees make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Richard C. Kraemer

(Chair of the Compensation Committee)

Mr. Kraemer has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He has been President of Chartwell Capital, Inc., a private investment company, since 2006. Mr. Kraemer also serves as a member of the board of directors of Knight Transportation, Inc., a provider of full truckload transportation and logistics services. Mr. Kraemer served on the board of directors of US Airways Group and US Airways from 2005 until the Merger in December 2013. Mr. Kraemer served as a director of America West and AWA from 1992 to 2007. Age 72.

Mr. Kraemer’s financial expertise, corporate governance, human resources and labor relations expertise, experience in developing strategy for and managing a large public company, success as an investor and airline experience make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Susan D. Kronick

(Corporate Governance and Nominating and Finance Committees)

Susan D. Kronick has been a member of the Board of Directors since November 2015. From March 2003 until March 2010, Ms. Kronick served as a Vice-Chair of Macy’s, Inc., the operator of Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s department stores. Prior to that, Ms. Kronick served as Group President, Regional Department Stores of Macy’s, Inc. from April 2001 to March 2003 and as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burdines/Macy’s Florida from June 1997 to March 2001. Her retail career spanned 37 years at Federated/Macy’s, Inc. Since 2012, Ms. Kronick has served as an Operating Partner at Marvin Traub Associates, a New York based, retail business development consulting

firm. Ms. Kronick has served as a member of the board of directors of Hyatt Hotels Corporation since June 2009. She was previously a member of board of directors for The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. from March 1999 to February 2010. Age 64.

Ms. Kronick’s marketing and operational expertise, as well as her experience serving as a public company director and experience in building industry leading brands as a result of the various management positions she has held with Macy’s, Inc., make her qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Martin H. Nesbitt

(Audit and Finance Committees)

Martin H. Nesbitt has been a member of the Board of Directors since November 2015. Mr. Nesbitt has served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of The Vistria Group, LLC, a private-equity investment firm, since January 2013. From 1996 until December 2012, Mr. Nesbitt served as President and Chief Executive Officer of PRG Parking Management (known as The Parking Spot), a Chicago-based owner and operator of off-airport parking facilities. Mr. Nesbitt conceptualized and co-founded The Parking Spot and was responsible for all strategic and operating aspects of the business. Prior to that, he was an officer of the Pritzker Realty Group, L.P., the real estate group for Pritzker family interests and before that he was an Investment Manager at LaSalle Partners, one of the predecessor corporations of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, a commercial real estate company. Mr. Nesbitt currently serves on the board of directors of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated, a real estate services firm, and Norfolk Southern Corporation, a rail transportation company. He previously served on the board of directors of the Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, a real estate investment trust. Mr. Nesbitt is a Trustee of Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and serves as Chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation. Age 53.

Mr. Nesbitt’s executive leadership, operational and financial experience, as well as his public company board experience, make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Denise M. O’Leary

(Corporate Governance and Nominating, and Compensation Committees)

Ms. O’Leary has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. She has been a private investor in early stage companies since 1996. From 1983 until 1996, she was employed at Menlo Ventures, a venture capital firm, first as an associate and then as a general partner. She serves as a director of Medtronic plc, a medical technology company, and Calpine Corporation, a wholesale power producer. Additionally, she serves on the boards of directors of Connect for Health Colorado, the state health exchange, and is a member of the boards of trustees of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and the University of Denver. Ms. O’Leary served as a director of America West and AWA from 1998 to 2005, US Airways Group and US Airways from 2005 until the Merger in December 2013, the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital from 1997 to 2012, Stanford Hospital & Clinics from 1994 to 2012, the Denver Foundation from 2013 to 2015 and the University of Colorado Hospital Authority from 2014 to 2015. Age 58.

Ms. O’Leary’s financial expertise, her experience in the oversight of risk management, human resources expertise, extensive service as a public company director, success as an investor and airline industry expertise make her qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

W. Douglas Parker

(Chairman of the Board of Directors)

Mr. Parker has been Chairman of the Board of Directors since June 2014. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of AAG and American, and a member of the AAG and American boards of directors, since December 2013. Mr. Parker served as Chief Executive Officer of US Airways Group since September 2005 and remained in that role following the closing of the Merger. Mr. Parker also served as Chairman of the board of directors of US Airways Group and US Airways and Chief Executive Officer

of US Airways from September 2005 to December 2013. Mr. Parker served as

Chairman of the boards of directors and Chief Executive Officer of America West and AWA from 2001 to 2007 and served as a director of America West and AWA from 1999 to 2007. Mr. Parker joined AWA as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 1995. From 2007 to 2012, Mr. Parker served on the board of directors of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, a holding company that, through its subsidiary, provides wholesale and retail electric services primarily in Arizona. Age 54.

Mr. Parker’s financial, airline, marketing, human resources and labor relations experience, as well as his 30 years of experience in the airline industry, more than 14 years of experience as an airline Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, mergers and acquisitions experience and experience as a public company director make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Ray M. Robinson

(Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee)

Mr. Robinson has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He served on the AMR board of directors from 2005 until the Merger in December 2013. Mr. Robinson started his career at AT&T in 1968, and prior to his retirement in 2003, he held several executive positions, including President of the Southern Region, its largest region, President and Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Tridom, Vice President of Operations for AT&T Business Customer Care, Vice President of AT&T Outbound Services and Vice President of AT&T Public Relations. Mr. Robinson is nonexecutive Chairman of the board of directors of Aaron’s, Inc., a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, computers, residential furniture, household appliances and accessories, a member of the board of directors of Acuity Brands, Inc., a lighting solutions company, a member of the board of directors of Avnet, Inc., a distributor of electronic components, enterprise computer and storage products, information technology services and embedded subsystems, and a member of the board of directors of Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure, a company that invests in high quality infrastructure and equipment that is essential for the transportation of goods and people globally. Since 2003, Mr. Robinson has also served as a director and non-executive Chairman of Citizens Trust Bank of Atlanta, Georgia, the nation’s second largest African American-owned bank and the largest such bank in the Southeastern U.S. He previously served as a director of RailAmerica Inc. from 2009 to 2011. He has been Vice Chairman of the East Lake Community Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia since May 2003 and a member of the board of directors of the Georgia Aquarium since 2005. Age 68.

Mr. Robinson’s extensive technology, banking, communications, strategic and executive leadership experience, as well as his experience serving as a public company director make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

Richard P. Schifter

(Chair of the Finance Committee)

Mr. Schifter has been a member of the Board of Directors since December 2013. He has been a senior advisor at TPG, a private equity firm, since 2013. He was a partner at TPG from 1994 to 2013. Prior to joining TPG, Mr. Schifter was a partner at the law firm of Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in bankruptcy law and corporate restructuring and represented Air Partners in connection with the acquisition of Continental Airlines in 1993. Mr. Schifter joined Arnold & Porter LLP in 1979 and was a partner from 1986 through 1994. Mr. Schifter is a member of the boards of directors of EverBank Financial Corp., a bank holding company, Direct Genera Corporation, a non-standard auto insurance company, and LPL Financial Holdings, Inc., a broker-dealer, custodian for registered investment advisors and consultant to retirement plans. Mr. Schifter also served on the boards of directors of US Airways Group from 2005 to 2006, America West from 1994 to 2005, Ryanair, PLC, from 1996

to 2003, Midwest Airlines, Inc. from 2007 to 2009 and Republic Airways Holdings Inc. from 2009 to 2013. Mr. Schifter is also a member of the board of overseers of the

University of Pennsylvania Law School and a member of the board of directors of Youth, I.N.C. (Improving Non-Profits for Children). Age 63.

Mr. Schifter’s substantial experience with airline management, as well as his financial experience, legal experience and public company board of directors and corporate governance experience make him qualified to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.

PROPOSAL 2—RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Our Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of our independent registered public accounting firm. Our Audit Committee annually reviews the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications, performance, fees and independence. Following its review, our Audit Committee has selected KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, and our Board has directed that KPMG’s appointment be submitted to our stockholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting.

KPMG has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since 2014. The Audit Committee believes it is important for the independent registered public accounting firm to maintain its objectivity and independence. In accordance with SEC rules and KPMG policies, the firm’s lead engagement partner rotates every five years. The Audit Committee and its Chair are directly involved in the selection of KPMG’s new lead engagement partner. Furthermore, in order to assure continuing auditor independence, the Audit Committee periodically considers whether there should be a regular rotation of the independent registered public accounting firm.

The Board has directed that KPMG’s appointment for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 be submitted to our stockholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting. The Audit Committee and the Board believe that the continued retention of KPMG to serve as the Company’s independent external auditor is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. If the stockholders do not ratify the appointment of KPMG, the Audit Committee will reconsider the appointment.

A representative of KPMG is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. The representative will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so, and the representative is also expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.

 

Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Our Audit Committee has selected KPMG to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016, and our Board of Directors has directed that KPMG’s appointment be submitted to our stockholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting.

 Prior to the closing of the Merger and continuing through the completion of audit services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and the filing of the 2013 Annual Reports on Form 10-K for AAG, American, US Airways Group and US Airways on February 28, 2014, Ernst & Young LLP (“E&Y”) was engaged as the principal accountant to audit the financial statements of AMR and American, and KPMG was engaged as the principal accountant to audit the financial statements of US Airways Group and US Airways.

Subsequent to the closing of the Merger, our Audit Committee conducted a process to select a single registered accounting firm to conduct the audit of AAG and its subsidiaries, including US Airways Group and US Airways, commencing with the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. On February 25, 2014, the Audit Committee approved the dismissal of E&Y and the appointment of KPMG to act as the registered accounting firm of AAG and its subsidiaries commencing with the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. On February 28, 2014, we advised E&Y of our determination that E&Y would be dismissed effective as of the date of E&Y’s completion of audit services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and the filing of the 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K of AAG and American. Promptly after the Audit Committee made its determination, we engaged KPMG as our new independent registered public accounting firm to perform audit services beginning with the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

The reports of E&Y on AAG’s and American’s financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2013 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles, except for E&Y’s report on AAG’s financial statements stating that E&Y did not audit the financial statements of US Airways Group as of December 31, 2013 and for the period from December 9, 2013 through December 31, 2013.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, and the subsequent interim period through February 28, 2014, of AAG and its subsidiaries, there were no: (i) disagreements with E&Y on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of E&Y, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in connection with its report; or (ii) reportable events of the kind defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K (“Regulation S-K”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

We disclosed the matters above in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 3, 2014, as subsequently amended on March 7, 2014. We provided a copy of such reports to E&Y and requested that E&Y furnish a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether it agreed with the statements made by us in such reports, and if not, stating the respects in which it did not agree. We received the requested letters from E&Y and copies of such letters were filed as exhibits to the reports.

  

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, and the subsequent interim period through February 28, 2014, of AAG and its subsidiaries, AAG and its subsidiaries did not consult KPMG regarding either: (i) the application of accounting principles to a

specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on AAG and its subsidiaries’ financial statements, and neither a written report nor oral advice was provided that KPMG concluded was an important factor considered by AAG and its subsidiaries in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or (ii) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement (as defined in paragraph 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related instructions to Item 304 of Regulation S-K) or a reportable event (as described in paragraph 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K).

The Board of Directors has directed that KPMG’s appointment for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016 be submitted to our stockholders for ratification at the Annual Meeting. The Audit Committee considers KPMG to be well qualified. If the stockholders do not ratify the appointment of KPMG, the Audit Committee will reconsider the appointment.

A representative of KPMG is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting. The representative will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so, and the representative is also expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.

The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors unanimously recommend that the stockholders vote “FOR” the proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.2024.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees

The following table presents fees billed for professional services rendered by KPMG, AAG’s independent registered public accounting firm for the audit of the financial statements of AAG and its subsidiaries as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, as well as fees billed in this period for other services rendered by KPMG.

      

Fiscal Year 2023

($)

    

Fiscal Year 2022

($)

   

Audit Fees

     

 

4,525,000

     

 

4,300,000

  

Audit-Related Fees

     

 

1,605,000

     

 

1,220,000

  

Tax Fees

     

 

-

     

 

32,000

  

All Other Fees

     

 

-

     

 

23,000

     

Total

     

 

6,130,000

     

 

5,575,000

     

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees

LOGO

The following table presents fees billed for professional services rendered by KPMG, AAG’s principal accountant for the audit of the financial statements of AAG and its subsidiaries as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, as well as fees billed in this period for other services rendered by KPMG.

19

2024 Proxy Statement


 

   Fiscal Year
2015

($)
   Fiscal
Year 2014
($)
 

Audit Fees

   3,915,000     6,800,000  

Audit-Related Fees

   543,000     615,000  

Tax Fees

   712,000     2,121,000  

All Other Fees

          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $5,170,000    $9,536,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

“Audit Fees” are for professional services rendered for the audits of the annual financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (including fees for the audits of internal control over financial reporting as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended) and quarterly reviews of the financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

“Audit-Related Fees” are for professional services rendered in connection with securities offerings and other SEC filings, significant auditing work on transactions and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards and attestation services.

“Tax Fees” for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 primarily include fees for professional services rendered in connection with tax compliance services. There were no fees that fall into the classification of “Tax Fees” for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

“All Other Fees” for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 included conference registration fees. There were no fees that fall into the classification of “All Other Fees” for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval

The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing, setting compensation for and overseeing the work of the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee pre-approves all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm, including audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services. The Audit Committee has delegated pre-approval authority to its Chair. Under this delegation, the Chair must report any pre-approval decision he or she makes to the Audit Committee at its next meeting following such approval.

 

 “Audit Fees” are for professional services rendered for the audits of the annual financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (including fees for the audits of internal control over financial reporting as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“SOX”)), quarterly reviews of the financial statements included in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and services rendered in connection with SEC filings.

20

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement

“Audit-Related Fees” are for statutory audits, services rendered in connection with securities offerings and other SEC filings, significant auditing work on transactions and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.


LOGO

 

“Tax Fees” primarily include fees for professional services related to (i) expatriate tax services; (ii) federal, state and international tax compliance; (iii) assistance with tax audits and appeals; and (iv) bankruptcy-related tax services.

There were no fees that fall into the classification of “All Other Fees” for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.

Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval

The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing, setting compensation for, and overseeing the work of the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee pre-approves all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm, including audit services, audit-related services, tax services, and other services. The Audit Committee has delegated pre-approval authority to its Chair. Under this delegation, the Chair must report any pre-approval decision he makes to the Audit Committee at its next meeting following such approval.

PROPOSAL 3—ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION(SAY-ON-PAY)

Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation

Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), allows our stockholders to vote to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC.

Our Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors believe that our compensation practices align our executive compensation structure with stockholders’ interests and current market practices. Our compensation strategy is designed to provide a total compensation package that will attract and retain high-caliber executives and align their contributions with corporate objectives and stockholder interests. Our compensation programs are designed to be flexible and complementary and to collectively meet our compensation objectives. At the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders overwhelmingly approved the compensation of our named executive officers (with an approval representing over 97% of the shares represented in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote).

Highlights of our compensation program include:

a commitment to pay-for-performance with a substantial portion of each executive officer’s compensation being “at risk” and aligned with stockholder interests;
commencing in May 2015, at his request, 100% of Mr. Parker’s direct compensation is in the form of equity incentives, the majority of which vest based upon the achievement of performance objectives, underscoring our commitment to paying for performance and further aligning his interests with that of our stockholders. Mr. Parker no longer receives any base salary and no longer participates in the Company’s Short-term Incentive Program;
for 2015, on average, 87% of the total target compensation of our other named executive officers was variable,as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC, commonly known as a “say-on-pay” vote. The Board has adopted a policy providing for an annual say-on-pay advisory vote. Unless the Board modifies its policy on the frequency of future say-on-pay advisory votes, we will bring these proposals to our stockholders annually and the next say-on-pay advisory vote will be held at risk,the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.

Our Compensation Committee and tied directlythe Board believe that our compensation practices align our executive compensation structure with stockholders’ interests and current market practices. Our compensation strategy is designed to measurable performance. Consistentprovide a total compensation package that will attract and retain high-caliber executives and align their objectives, incentives and contributions with this focus,our corporate objectives and stockholder interests, as well as to be flexible and complementary to meet our compensation objectives. At the largest portion2023 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved the compensation of our 2015named executive officers with an approval representing approximately 96% of the shares represented in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal.

Our executive compensation program is heavily performance-based and directly linked with our established goals of delivering record operational results, continuing to close our margin gap with our largest competitors, and reducing total debt by $15 billion by the end of 2025. Our 2023 LTIP incorporated both performance- and time-vesting components, with half of the target value consisting of the performance-vesting component. The performance-vesting component is tied to attainment of total debt reduction (50% weighting) and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus our industry peers (50% weighting). The performance-vesting component of the 2023 LTIP will be earned, if at all, following the completion of a three-year performance period. The 2023 performance-based STIP was designed to align management with our goals to run a reliable operation and to return to profitability as we emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic while building on our momentum on diversity, equity and inclusion. As more fully described under the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section, in making 2023 compensation decisions, the Compensation Committee continued to consider concerns related to the need to retain and create appropriate incentives for our management team against the backdrop of significant reductions in compensation during the pandemic.

A Continued Commitment to Good Compensation Governance Practices. Compensation packages for our executive officers are (i) established by our Compensation Committee that consists solely of independent directors, (ii) consistent with market and industry practice, and (iii) reasonable in light of our corporate and each individual executive’s performance.

Clawback Provisions. The Company’s clawback policy requires the recoupment of incentive compensation determined to be erroneously awarded to executive officers in the formevent of performance-based annual cash incentives tiedan accounting restatement but also continues to pre-established pre-tax income targetsprovide the Compensation Committee with broad discretion as to what actions may be taken based on the circumstances, including recovery of compensation paid under the Company’s STIP, LTIP and other equity incentive awards.

Robust Stock Ownership Guidelines. We maintain stock ownership guidelines that further align our executives’ long-term equity incentives which reward stock performance and are tried tointerests with those of our relative three-year pre-tax income margins;

stockholders.

Mitigating Compensation Risk. We mitigate compensation risk by among other things, providing a compensation package that focuses on both shortshort- and long-term goals encouragingand requires a substantial stock ownership commitment, which encourages our executives to focus on the Company’s success both during the immediate fiscal year and for the future;

future.

For more information about our compensation practices and philosophy, see the target direct compensation providedsection entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” beginning on page 44.

We are asking our stockholders to indicate their support for our named executive officers being competitive with thatofficer compensation as described in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the other large network airlines, except for our Chief Executive Officer. At his request, Mr. Parker’s 2015 total target directSEC. This vote gives stockholders the opportunity to express their views on the named executive officers’ compensation. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, was set at a level significantly below his peers at Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”) and United Continental Holdings, Inc. (“United”). Mr. Parker’s 2016 total target directbut rather the overall compensation continues to remain at a level significantly below his peers at Delta and United (using 2014 proxy compensation data reported in 2015 for Delta and United);

a continued commitment to good compensation governance practices whereby compensation packages for our executive officers are established by our Compensation Committee that consists solely of

independent, outside directors, and are consistent with market practice and reasonable in light of our corporate and each individual executive’s performance; and

clawback provisions for all incentive compensation paid to our executive officers and stock ownership guidelinesour philosophy, policies and practices described in this Proxy Statement. Accordingly, we are asking our stockholders to vote “FOR” the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

LOGO

21

2024 Proxy Statement


“RESOLVED, that further align their long-term interests with thoseAAG’s stockholders approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of AAG’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, the compensation tables, narrative discussion and any related material disclosed in this Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting.”

The say-on-pay vote is advisory, and therefore not binding on us, our Compensation Committee or the Board. However, the Board and Compensation Committee value the opinions of our stockholders as well as good disclosure practices.

and will consider the outcome of this advisory vote when making future decisions about executive compensation.

 

 
For more information about our compensation practices and philosophy, see

The Board unanimously recommends that the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” beginning on page 52.stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of executive compensation.

 

 We are asking our stockholders to indicate their support for our named executive officer compensation as described in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC. This proposal, commonly known as a “say-on-pay” proposal, gives stockholders the opportunity to express their views on the named executive officers’ compensation. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our executive officers and our philosophy, policies, and practices described in this Proxy Statement. Accordingly, we are asking our stockholders to vote “FOR” the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

22

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

PROPOSAL 4—APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO ALLOW OUR BYLAWS TO BE AMENDED IN THE FUTURE BY SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE

At our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, the stockholders voted on a stockholder-sponsored proposal requesting that the Board take the steps necessary to eliminate each stockholder voting requirement in our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws that calls for a greater than simple majority vote. The proposal passed with the support of a majority of the votes cast at the meeting.

The Board has carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the supermajority voting provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation, including the provision requiring the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of the voting power of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote for the election of directors in order for our stockholders to amend our Bylaws. While this provision is designed to ensure that the interests of all stockholders are fully protected by requiring any amendments to our Bylaws to be supported by a significant portion of our stockholders, the Board recognizes that there are different perspectives on this matter and, after weighing these considerations, has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the supermajority voting requirement for amendments to the Bylaws by our stockholders (the “Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment”). The Board recommends that stockholders approve the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment.

This proposal is separate and independent from the Supermajority Elimination Amendment in Proposal 5 because the vote required to approve this proposal is different than that required to approve Proposal 5.

An affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of the voting power of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote for the election of directors as of the Record Date is required to adopt Proposal 4. If approved, this proposal would become effective upon the filing of a certificate of amendment setting forth the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment with the Secretary of State of Delaware, which we intend to do if, and promptly after, the required stockholder approval is obtained.

The Board has also approved an amendment to the Bylaws to remove the corresponding supermajority amendment threshold from the Bylaws, the effectiveness of which is subject to stockholder approval of the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the filing of the certificate of amendment setting forth the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment. If the foregoing events occur, such amendment to the Bylaws will be effective immediately following the filing of the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment with the Secretary of State of Delaware.

The description in this Proposal of the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment to eliminate the supermajority voting requirement in the Certificate of Incorporation with respect to amendments to the Bylaws by our stockholders is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment, which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A.

 

 
“RESOLVED, that AAG’s stockholders approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of AAG’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, the compensation tables, narrative discussion, and any related material disclosed in this Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting.”

  The say-on-pay vote is advisory, and therefore not binding on us, our Compensation Committee, or the Board of Directors. However, the Board of Directors and Compensation Committee value the opinions of our stockholders and will consider the outcome of this advisory vote when making future decisions about executive compensation.

 

The Board of Directors has adopted a policy providing for an annual say-on-pay advisory vote. Unless the Board of Directors modifies its policy on the frequency of future say-on-pay advisory votes, the next say-on-pay advisory vote will be held at the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that the stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the compensationproposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to allow our named executive officers.

We expect certain of our stockholders to present the following proposals (items 4, 5 and 6 on the proxy card and voting instruction form) at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors recommends a voteAGAINST each of these proposals for the reasons following each proposal.

PROPOSAL 4—STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALBylaws to be amended by simple majority vote.

 

Stockholder Proposal to Provide Report on Lobbying Activities and Expenditures

The Chief Investment Officer of The City of Philadelphia Public Employees Retirement System (the “CIO”), on behalf of The City of Philadelphia Public Employees Retirement System, Sixteenth Floor – Two Penn Center Plaza, Philadelphia, PA 19102, has advised the Company that The City of Philadelphia Public Employees Retirement System is the beneficial owner of 25,500 shares of our common stock and that the CIO intends to propose the following resolution from the floor. The proposed resolution and statements in support thereof are set forth below. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting is necessary for approval of the proposal.

Whereas, we believe in full disclosure of our company’s direct and indirect lobbying activities and expenditures to assess whether our company’s lobbying is consistent with American Airlines’ expressed goals and in the best interests of stockholders.

Resolved, the stockholders of American Airlines Group Inc. (“American Airlines”) request the preparation of a report, updated annually, disclosing:

1.Company policy and procedures governing lobbying, both direct and indirect, and grassroots lobbying communications.

2.Payments by American Airlines used for (a) direct or indirect lobbying or (b) grassroots lobbying communications, in each case including the amount of the payment and the recipient.

3.American Airlines’ membership in and payments to any tax-exempt organization that writes and endorses model legislation.

4.Description of management’s and the Board’s decision making process and oversight for making payments described in sections 2 and 3 above.

For purposes of this proposal, a “grassroots lobbying communication” is a communication directed to the general public that (a) refers to specific legislation or regulation, (b) reflects a view on the legislation or regulation and (c) encourages the recipient of the communication to take action with respect to the legislation or regulation. “Indirect lobbying” is lobbying engaged in by a trade association or other organization of which American Airlines is a member.

Both “direct and indirect lobbying” and “grassroots lobbying communications” include efforts at the local, state and federal levels. Neither “lobbying” nor “grassroots lobbying communications” include efforts to participate or intervene in any political campaign or to influence the general public or any segment thereof with respect to an election or referendum.

The report shall be presented to the Audit Committee or other relevant oversight committees and posted on American Airlines’ website.

Supporting Statement

As stockholders, we encourage transparency and accountability in American Airlines’ use of corporate funds to influence legislation and regulation. American Airlines spent

$17.8 million in 2013 and 2014 on federal lobbying (opensecrets.org). These figures do not include lobbying expenditures to influence legislation in states, where American Airlines also lobbies but disclosure is uneven or absent. For example, American Airlines had 23 contracts with lobbyists worth a total of from $85,000 to $225,000 in Texas for 2014. American Airlines’ lobbying on foreign competition and fare disclosure requirements has attracted press attention (“Big 3 Airlines Flexing Their Political Muscle in Washington,” Associated Press, Oct. 15, 2015).

 

LOGO

American Airlines serves on the board of Airlines for America and is a member of the Business Roundtable, which together spent $42 million lobbying in 2013 and 2014. American Airlines does not disclose its memberships in, or payments to, trade associations, or the portions of such amounts used for lobbying. Transparent reporting would reveal whether company assets are being used for objectives contrary to American Airlines’ long-term interests. And American Airlines does not disclose membership in or contributions to tax-exempt organizations that write and endorse model legislation, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

23

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

PROPOSAL 5—APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO ALLOW ALL OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION TO BE AMENDED BY SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE

At our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, the stockholders voted on a stockholder-sponsored proposal requesting that the Board take the steps necessary to eliminate each stockholder voting requirement in our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws that calls for a greater than simple majority vote. The proposal passed with the support of a majority of the votes cast at the meeting.

The Board has carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the supermajority voting provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation, including the provisions requiring the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote for the election of directors in order for our stockholders to amend certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation (including, among other things, provisions related to the size and terms of our Board, vacancies on the Board, stockholder consents, special meetings of stockholders and the requirements to amend the Certificate of Incorporation). While the supermajority voting provisions are designed to ensure that the interests of all stockholders are fully protected by requiring any amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation to be supported by a significant portion of our stockholders, the Board recognizes that there are different perspectives on this matter and, after weighing these considerations, has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the supermajority voting provisions (the “Supermajority Elimination Amendment”). The Board recommends that stockholders approve the Supermajority Elimination Amendment.

This proposal is separate and independent from the Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment in Proposal 4 because the vote required to approve this proposal is different than that required to approve Proposal 4.

An affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote for the election of directors as of the Record Date is required to adopt Proposal 5. If approved, this proposal would become effective upon the filing of a certificate of amendment setting forth the Supermajority Elimination Amendment with the Secretary of State of Delaware, which we intend to do if, and promptly, after the required stockholder approval is obtained.

The description in this Proposal of the Supermajority Elimination Amendment to eliminate the supermajority provisions in the Certificate of Incorporation is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Supermajority Elimination Amendment, which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix A.

 

We urge support for this proposal.

The Board of Directors’ Statement in Opposition

The Board of Directors has considered this proposal and concluded that its adoption is unnecessary in light of the Company’s existing disclosure regarding lobbying activities and expenditures and not in the best interests of our stockholders. Accordingly, the Board of Directors unanimously recommends a voteAGAINST this proposal for the following reasons.

 AAG is committed to complying with our values, our internal policies and all applicable laws when engaging in any type of lobbying or political activity. While AAG supports and practices transparency and accountability in political spending, the Board of Directors believes that the disclosures recommended by the proposal are unnecessary in light of our internal policies regarding lobbying activities and expenditures, the existing disclosure on our website regarding participation in the U.S. political process and the current public availability of much of the information requested by the proposal. The Board of Directors is also concerned that further disclosure above and beyond its existing disclosure could place AAG at a competitive disadvantage by revealing strategies and priorities designed to protect the economic future of the Company, its stockholders and employees.

AAG has policies in place to effectively oversee decisions regarding lobbying activities and expenditures.

AAG’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs oversees AAG’s participation in the U.S. political process and its compliance with federal, state and local laws governing AAG’s lobbying activities and contributions (including dues and other payments to trade associations and other nonprofits engaged in public advocacy). In addition, our Board of Directors receives regular updates concerning AAG’s policy positions and trade association memberships.

AAG participates in the U.S. political process and discloses such participation on its website.

  

The Board of Directors believes it is in the best interests of our stockholders for AAG to participate in the political process. As a global airline, we are affected by numerous laws, regulations and policies which govern various aspects of our business. As a result, we actively review and discuss existing and upcoming policy changes and regulatory initiatives. We also take part in industry dialogue and lobbying efforts related to those issues of high importance to our Company’s success and the concerns of our

stakeholders. We strive to adhere to our Global Corporate Responsibility Statement and we constructively promote legislative and regulatory actions that further the business objectives of AAG and the economic future of our stockholders and employees. While the proponent claims that lobbying exposes our Company to risks, we believeunanimously recommends that the failurestockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the proposal to engage in critical public policy developments that impactamend our business would represent a far greater riskCertificate of Incorporation to allow all other provisions of the interestsCertificate of our stockholders, employees, customers and other stakeholders.Incorporation to be amended by simple majority vote.

 

Like many major corporations, AAG belongs to a number of industry associations. This involvement allows us to gain insight into core issues for the airline industry as a whole and to advocate jointly for regulations that support an efficient, healthy and competitive industry. Such membership also allows us to benefit from the opportunity to share technical expertise and operational knowledge that leads to better safety, customer service and overall efficiency. We publicly disclose a list of the industry associations with which we have a substantial relationship for public policy purposes on our website, aa.com.

 AAG already provides substantial disclosure regarding its lobbying expenditures.

 

Lobbying activities of all types are subject to extensive governmental regulation and public disclosure requirements, and AAG is fully committed to complying with all applicable U.S. state and federal laws. Pursuant to the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act, AAG files regular, publicly-available reports with the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that disclose the details of our lobbying activities. These reports are readily available on websites hosted by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Among other things, these reports disclose AAG’s overall lobbying expenses, including grassroots expenses, the specific legislative and regulatory issues that were the subject of AAG’s lobbying efforts, the houses of Congress and federal agencies lobbied by AAG and the names of the lobbyists AAG employs. Outside consultants who lobby on AAG’s behalf are also required to file comparable public reports describing their lobbying efforts in similar detail. At the state level, AAG or its consultants file similar regular and publicly-available reports with state agencies which disclose AAG’s state lobbying activities according to the pertinent state’s laws. We believe that these disclosure requirements provide transparency of our lobbying activities to the general public, including our stockholders.

24

Providing additional disclosure of AAG’s lobbying expenditures would not be in the best interests of the Company or its stockholders.

The expanded disclosure requested by this proposal could place AAG at a competitive disadvantage by revealing strategies and priorities designed to protect the economic future of the Company, its stockholders and employees. Because parties with interests adverse to AAG also participate in the political process to their business advantage, any unilateral expanded disclosure could benefit these adverse parties, while harming the interests of AAG and its stockholders.

For these reasons, the Board of Directors unanimously urges stockholders to voteAGAINST the proposal regarding the provision of a report detailing the Company’s lobbying activities and expenditures.

PROPOSAL 5—STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL

Stockholder Proposal to Adopt Policy to Require an Independent Board Chairman on a Prospective Basis

John Chevedden, 2215 Nelson Avenue, No. 205, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, who owns 100 shares of our common stock, has advised the Company that he intends to propose the following resolution from the floor. The proposed resolution and statements in support thereof are set forth below. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting is necessary for approval of the proposal.

Shareholders request our Board of Directors to adopt as policy, and amend our governing documents as necessary, to require the Chair of the Board of Directors, whenever possible, to be an independent member of the Board. The Board would have the discretion to phase in this policy for the next CEO transition, implemented so it does not violate any existing agreement. If the Board determines that a Chair who was independent when selected is no longer independent, the Board shall select a new Chair who satisfies the requirements of the policy within a reasonable amount of time. Compliance with this policy is waived if no independent director is available and willing to serve as Chair. This proposal requests that all the necessary steps be taken to accomplish the above.

According to Institutional Shareholder Services 53% of the Standard & Poors 1,500 firms separate these 2 positions – “2015 Board Practices,” April 12, 2015. This proposal topic won 50%-plus support at 5 major U.S. companies in 2013 including 73%-support at Netflix.

It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to protect shareholders’ long-term interests by providing independent oversight of management. By setting agendas, priorities and procedures, the Chairman is critical in shaping the work of the Board.

A board of directors is less likely to provide rigorous independent oversight of management if the Chairman is also the CEO, as is the case with our Company. Having a board chairman who is independent of management is a practice that will promote greater management accountability to shareholders and lead to a more objective evaluation of management.

According to the Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance (Yale School of Management), “The independent chair curbs conflicts of interest, promotes oversight of risk, manages the relationship between the board and CEO, serves as a conduit for regular communication with shareowners, and is a logical next step in the development of an independent board.”

An NACD Blue Ribbon Commission on Directors’ Professionalism recommended that an independent director should be charged with “organizing the board’s evaluation of the CEO and provide ongoing feedback; chairing executive sessions of the board; setting the agenda and leading the board in anticipating and responding to crises.” A blue-ribbon report from The Conference Board also supported this position.

A number of institutional investors said that a strong, objective board leader can best provide the necessary oversight of management. Thus, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s Global Principles of Accountable Corporate Governance recommends that a company’s board should be chaired by an independent director, as does the Council of Institutional Investors.

An independent director serving as chairman can help ensure the functioning of an effective board. Please vote to enhance shareholder value:

Independent Board Chairman – Proposal 5

 

The Board of Directors’ Statement in Opposition

The Board of Directors has considered this proposal and concluded that its adoption is unnecessary and not in the best interests of our stockholders. Accordingly, the Board of Directors unanimously recommends a voteAGAINST this proposal for the following reasons.LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement

The Company’s current leadership structure is in the best interests of its stockholders

AAG has always strived to maintain high corporate governance standards. The Board of Directors is currently led by W. Douglas Parker, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and John T. Cahill, our Lead Independent Director. We have carefully considered and approved our current leadership structure, and we firmly believe that this structure is appropriate and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

We believe that our current leadership structure strikes an appropriate balance between effective and efficient Company leadership and oversight by non-management directors. In particular, the combination of the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman roles allows consistent communication and coordination throughout the Company, effective and efficient implementation of corporate strategy, and is important in unifying our employees behind a single vision.

The combination of the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman roles is balanced by our strong Lead Independent Director position, by the independence of all of our other directors, each of whom has significant experience in leadership roles at public companies and other large, complex organizations, and by the four principal committees of the Board of Directors, each of which consists solely of independent directors.

Pursuant to our Bylaws, the Board of Directors is responsible for filling the positions of Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Independent Director with the persons the Board of Directors deems qualified, and for removing and replacing such persons as and when the Board of Directors deems necessary or appropriate. The Board of Directors periodically reviews AAG’s leadership structure and may modify the structure as it deems appropriate, given the specific circumstances then facing the Company.

Currently, the Board of Directors believes that having Mr. Parker serve as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is the most effective leadership structure for the Company. Mr. Parker has 30 years of experience in the airline industry, including more than 14 years of experience as the chairman and chief executive officer of publicly held airlines, including the Company, US Airways Group and AmericaWest. This experience makes him uniquely well positioned to lead AAG’s business, operations and strategy.

We believe that adopting a policy thatrequires an independent Chairman would unduly restrict the Board of Directors in determining the leadership structure that is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders at any particular time. The Board of Directors has deep knowledge of the strategic goals of the Company, the unique opportunities and challenges facing the Company, and the various capabilities of the Company’s directors and senior management. Rather than imposing a “one-size fits all” approach to Board leadership, we believe that the Board of Directors is well positioned to determine in the future, as it has done in the past, the most effective leadership structure for the Company and its stockholders.

The Company’s current leadership structure was created with significant input from the Company’s stockholders.

Our current leadership structure was put in place in connection with the merger of AMR Corporation and US Airways Group in December 2013. The merger was consummated at the same time the Company confirmed its Plan of Reorganization and emerged from

Chapter 11. It was with the input of our stockholders during the Chapter 11 process that the Company decided to appoint Mr. Parker as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, after a transition period during which these roles were separated. This decision was the result of a thoughtful and deliberative process.

The proposal is not necessary to ensure effective oversight of management and accountability to stockholders

We believe that the composition of the Board of Directors, the role of independent committees of the Board of Directors and our corporate governance practices maintain effective oversight of management and ensure accountability to stockholders. For instance, we have a number of key corporate governance measures in place to ensure that our Board of Directors acts independently and to maintain accountability to our stockholders, including the following:

Majority independent Board of Directors.Currently 12 of the 13 members of our Board of Directors are independent, as defined by the NASDAQ listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Only our Chairman, as Chief Executive Officer, is not independent under these standards and rules.
Lead Independent Director. Mr. Cahill has served as Lead Independent Director since 2013, and regularly presides over executive sessions of the Board of Directors without AAG’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer or any other members of management present.
Fully independent Board of Directors committees. All members of our Audit, Compensation, Finance and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees are independent. This structure ensures that the oversight of key matters, such as the integrity of financial statements, Chief Executive Officer performance, executive compensation, the nomination of directors and the evaluation of the Board of Directors, is entrusted exclusively to independent directors.
Annual director elections. Our entire Board of Directors is elected annually.
Annual Board of Directors and Board of Directors committee assessments.Our Board of Directors, with the assistance of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, evaluates the organization and performance of the Board of Directors, including the committees, each year to ensure that the Board of Directors and its committees are functioning effectively.
Majority director voting. In uncontested elections, our directors must be elected by a majority of the votes cast by our stockholders, and an incumbent director who fails to receive such a majority is required to tender his or her resignation to the Board of Directors.
Proxy access. The Board of Directors recently amended our Bylaws to allow any stockholder or group of up to 20 stockholders that beneficially owns at least three percent of our outstanding common stock continuously for three years to nominate candidates for election to the Board of Directors.

We believe that adopting a policy to restrict the Board of Directors’ discretion in selecting the Chairman would deprive the Board of Directors of the valuable flexibility to exercise its business judgment in selecting the most qualified and appropriate individual to lead the Board of Directors. We further believe that adopting such a policy would not provide any benefit to the Company or its stockholders, particularly given the

strong Lead Independent Director position held by Mr. Cahill and the fact that all members of our Board of Directors, except for our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, are independent.

For these reasons, the Board of Directors unanimously urges stockholders to voteAGAINST the proposal regarding the establishment of an independent board chairman.

PROPOSAL 6—STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALLOGO

 

Stockholder Proposal to Provide Report on Political Contributions and Expenditures

Representatives of the New York State Comptroller (the “Comptroller”), on behalf of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, 59 Maiden Lane-30th Floor, New York, NY 10038, have advised the Company that the New York State Common Retirement Fund is the beneficial owner of 1,807,925 shares of our common stock and that the Comptroller intends to propose the following resolution from the floor. The proposed resolution and statements in support thereof are set forth below. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting is necessary for approval of the proposal.

Resolved, that the shareholders of American Airlines (“Company”) hereby request that the Company provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s:

1.Policies and procedures for making, with corporate funds or assets, contributions and expenditures (direct or indirect) to (a) participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, or (b) influence the general public, or any segment thereof, with respect to an election or referendum.

2.Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including:

a.The identity of the recipient as well as the amount paid to each; and

b.The title(s) of the person(s) in the Company responsible for decision making.

The report shall be presented to the board of directors or relevant board committee and posted on the Company’s website within 12 months from the date of the annual meeting.

Supporting Statement

As long-term shareholders of American Airlines, we support transparency and accountability in corporate spending on political activities. These include any activities considered intervention in any political campaign under the Internal Revenue Code, such as direct and indirect contributions to political candidates, parties, or organizations; independent expenditures; or electioneering communications on behalf of federal, state or local candidates.

Disclosure is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders and critical for compliance with federal ethics laws. Moreover, the Supreme Court’sCitizens United decision recognized the importance of political spending disclosure for shareholders when it said, “[D]isclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way. This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages.” Gaps in transparency and accountability may expose the company to reputational and business risks that could threaten long-term shareholder value.

American Airlines contributed at least $1,777,487 in corporate funds since the 2004 election cycle. (CQ: http://moneyline.cq.com and National Institute on Money in State Politics: http//www.followthemoney.org).

Relying on publicly available data does not provide a complete picture of the Company’s political spending. For example, the Company’s payments to trade associations used for political activities are undisclosed and unknown. In some cases, even management does not know how trade associations use their company’s money

politically. The proposal asks the Company to disclose all of its political spending, including payments to trade associations and other tax exempt organizations used for political purposes. This would bring our Company in line with a growing number of leading companies, including CSX, UPS and Norfolk Southern that support political disclosure and accountability and present this information on their websites.

The Company’s Board and its shareholders need comprehensive disclosure to be able to fully evaluate the political use of corporate assets. We urge your support for this critical governance reform.

The Board of Directors’ Statement in Opposition

The Board of Directors has considered this proposal and concluded that its adoption is unnecessary in light of the Company’s existing disclosure regarding political contributions and not in the best interests of our stockholders. Accordingly, the Board of Directors unanimously recommends a voteAGAINST this proposal for the following reasons.

AAG is committed to complying with our values, our internal policies and all applicable laws when engaging in any type of lobbying or political activity. While AAG supports and practices transparency and accountability in political spending, the Board of Directors believes that the disclosures recommended by the proposal are unnecessary in light of our internal policies regarding political contributions, the existing disclosure on our website regarding participation in the U.S. political process and the current public availability of much of the information requested by the proposal, and the potential concerns relating to enhanced disclosures. The Board of Directors is also concerned that further disclosure above and beyond its existing disclosure could place AAG at a competitive disadvantage by revealing strategies and priorities designed to protect the economic future of the Company, its stockholders and employees.

AAG has policies in place to effectively oversee decisions regarding political contributions.

AAG’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs oversees AAG’s participation in the U.S. political process and its compliance with federal, state and local laws governing AAG’s political activities and contributions (including dues and other payments to trade associations and other nonprofits engaged in public advocacy). In addition, our Board of Directors receives regular updates concerning AAG’s policy positions and trade association memberships.

AAG participates in the U.S. political process and discloses such participation on its website.

The Board of Directors believes it is in the best interests of our stockholders for AAG to participate in the political process. As a global airline, we are affected by numerous laws, regulations and policies which govern various aspects of our business. As a result, we actively review and discuss existing and upcoming policy changes and regulatory initiatives. We also take part in industry dialogue and lobbying efforts related to those issues of high importance to our Company’s success and the concerns of our stakeholders. We strive to adhere to our Global Corporate Responsibility Statement and we constructively promote legislative and regulatory actions that further the business objectives of AAG and the economic future of our stockholders and employees.

In 1985, AAG formed a Political Action Committee (“PAC”) to make political contributions on a bipartisan basis to qualified candidates for political office who reflect our views on issues, such as air traffic modernization, energy, the environment, and tax and regulatory reform. In accordance with law, the political contributions made by the PAC are funded entirely with voluntary contributions from our employees, and no corporate funds are used.

Like many major corporations, AAG belongs to a number of industry associations. This involvement allows us to gain insight into core issues for the airline industry as a whole and to advocate jointly for regulations that support an efficient, healthy and competitive industry. Such membership also allows us to benefit from the opportunity to share technical expertise and operational knowledge that leads to better safety, customer service and overall efficiency. We publicly disclose a list of the industry associations with which we have a substantial relationship for public policy purposes on our website, aa.com.

AAG already provides substantial disclosure regarding its political contributions.

Political contributions of all types are subject to extensive governmental regulation and public disclosure requirements, and AAG is fully committed to complying with all applicable campaign finance laws. AAG files regular reports with the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that disclose the details of our lobbying activities as well as any political contributions to federal candidates, leadership PACs and political party committees. These reports are publicly available on websites hosted by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

The activities of the PAC are also subject to comprehensive regulation by the federal government, including detailed disclosure requirements. The PAC files monthly reports of receipts and disbursements with the Federal Election Commission, and these reports are publicly available at http://fec.gov. In addition, the PAC is subject to public reporting requirements in those states where it makes contributions. Accordingly, we believe that ample public information exists regarding AAG’s political contributions to alleviate the concerns cited in the proposal.

Providing additional disclosure of AAG’s political contributions wouldnot be in the best interests of the Company or its stockholders.

The expanded disclosure requested by this proposal could place AAG at a competitive disadvantage by revealing strategies and priorities designed to protect the economic future of the Company, its stockholders and employees. Because parties with interests adverse to AAG also participate in the political process to their business advantage, any unilateral expanded disclosure could benefit these adverse parties, while harming the interests of AAG and its stockholders.

For these reasons, the Board of Directors unanimously urges stockholders to voteAGAINST the proposal regarding the provision of a report detailing the Company’s political contributions and expenditures.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table provides information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of April 11, 2016,9, 2024, by (1) each of our directors and nominees for director, (2) each of the individuals named in the section entitled “Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table” beginning on page 6964 and (3) all of our directors and executive officers as a group, based in each case on information furnished to us by these persons. We believe that each of the named individuals and each director and executive officer included in the group has sole voting and investment power with regard to the shares shown, except that certain individuals may share voting and investment power with their spouses and except as otherwise noted.

 

   AAG Common Stock
Beneficially Owned(1)

Name of Beneficial Owner and
Relationship to Company

  

Amount and Nature

of Beneficial Ownership

    

Percent

of Class     

W. Douglas ParkerRobert Isom

Chief Executive Officer and Director

   1,055,513(2)912,782(2)    * 
*

ChairmanSteve Johnson

Vice Chair and Chief ExecutiveStrategy Officer

J. Scott Kirby

   466,523(3)754,777(3)    * 
*

PresidentPriya Aiyar

Robert D. Isom, Jr.Chief Legal Officer

   378,703(4)264,039(4)    * 
*

Executive Vice President and Devon May

Chief OperatingFinancial Officer

Stephen L. Johnson

   325,062(5)151,153(5)    * 
*

Executive Vice President—Corporate AffairsVasu Raja

Derek J. KerrChief Commercial Officer

   323,299(6)83,510(6)    * 
*

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerJeff Benjamin

James F. AlbaughDirector

   7,124 111,818(7)    * 
*

Adriane Brown

Director

Jeffrey D. Benjamin

   11,002 28,411(8)    * 
*

Director

John T. Cahill

Director

   36,002(9)186,818(9)    * 
*

Mike Embler

Director

Michael J. Embler

   11,002(10)69,818(10)    * 
*

Matt Hart

Director

Matthew J. Hart

   69,951(11)76,424(11)    * 
*

Sue Kronick

Director

Alberto Ibargüen

   37,416(12)52,583(12)    * 
*

Marty Nesbitt

Director

Richard C. Kraemer

   74,360(13)52,583(13)    * 
*

Denise O’Leary

Director

Susan D. Kronick

   1,767(14)127,872(14)    * 
*

Vicente Reynal

Director

Martin H. Nesbitt

   1,767(15)19,008(15)    * 
*

DirectorGreg Smith

Denise M. O’LearyIndependent Chairman

   84,063(16)37,094(16)    * 
*

Doug Steenland

Director

Ray M. Robinson

   30,664(17)29,736(17)    * 
*

Director

Richard P. Schifter

11,043(18)*

Director

All directors and executive officers as a group (21(17 persons)

   3,718,010(19)3,214,569(18)    * *

 

*

Represents less than 1% of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock.

 

(1)

LOGO

25

2024 Proxy Statement


(1)

Beneficial ownership as reported in the table has been determined in accordance with SEC rules and regulations and includes shares of our Common Stock that may be issued upon the exercise of stock options that are exercisable within

60 days of April 11, 2016 and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024. Pursuant to SEC rules and regulations, all shares not currently outstanding that are subject to stock options exercisable within 60 days of April 11, 2016 and RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 20169, 2024, are deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing “Percent of Class” held by the holder of the class but are not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the “Percent of Class” held by any other stockholder. Beneficial ownership as reported in the table excludes

(2)

Includes 912,782 shares of Common Stockheld directly. Excludes 2,324,740 unvested RSUs that may be issued upon the exercise of stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), whether orwill not they are exercisablevest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. The number of shares that will be received upon exercise of such SARs is not currently determinable, and therefore is not included in the table above, because each SAR gives the holder the right to receive an amount in excess of the market price of one share of stock at the date of exercise over the exercise price and such amount is not determinable until the date of exercise.9, 2024.

 

(2)(3)

Includes 927,299754,777 shares held directly. Excludes 813,910 unvested RSUs that will not vest within 60 days of April 9, 2024.

(4)

Includes 207,482 shares held directly and 128,21456,557 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024. Excludes 273,042421,737 unvested RSUs that will not vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. Excludes the following vested SARs: (a) 231,060 SARs at an exercise price of $7.42; (b) 294,748 SARs at an exercise price of $7.62; (c) 240,536 SARs at an exercise price of $8.14; (d) 196,820 SARs at an exercise price of $8.84; and (e) 90,000 SARs at an exercise price of $45.01.9, 2024.

 

(3)(5)

Includes 388,39094,596 shares held directly and 78,13356,557 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024. Excludes 156,262396,215 unvested RSUs that will not vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. Excludes the following vested SARs: (a) 31,500 SARs at an exercise price of $45.01; and (b) 37,500 SARs at an exercise price of $46.11.9, 2024.

 

(4)(6)

Includes 326,61514,971 shares held directly and 52,08868,539 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024. Excludes 104,175439,798 unvested RSUs that will not vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. Excludes the following vested SARs: (a) 117,287 SARs at an exercise price of $7.62; (b) 70,000 SARs at an exercise price of $31.14.9, 2024.

 

(5)(7)

Includes 281,65551,358 shares held directly, 50,000 shares held indirectly for the benefit of the Jeffrey Benjamin 2009 Family Trust and 43,40710,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. Excludes 86,812 unvested RSUs that will not vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. Excludes the following vested SARs: 117,287 SARs at an exercise price of $7.62.9, 2024.

 

(6)(8)

Includes 279,89217,951 shares held directly and 43,40710,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. Excludes 86,812 unvested RSUs that will not vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016. Excludes the following vested SARs: (a) 117,287 SARs at an exercise price of $7.62; and (b) 95,714 SARs at an exercise price of $8.14.9, 2024.

 

(7)(9)

Includes 3,878 shares held directly and 3,246 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.

(8)Includes 7,756 shares held directly and 3,246 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.

(9)Includes 7,756 shares held directly, 25,000150,806 shares held indirectly for the benefit of the John Tobin Cahill Revocable Trust, 25,552 shares held indirectly for the benefit of the Ladson Court Trust V and 3,24610,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(10)

Includes 7,75659,358 shares held directly and 3,24610,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(11)

Includes 56,24965,964 shares held directly 2,550 shares held indirectly for the benefit of Mr. Hart’s children, 7,906 shares underlying stock options and 3,24610,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(12)

Includes 34,17042,123 shares held directly and 3,24610,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(13)

Includes 56,86442,123 shares held directly 6,000 shares held indirectly for the benefit of Chartwell Capital Investments, 8,250 shares underlying stock options and 3,24610,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(14)

Includes 1,767117,412 shares held directly and 10,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(15)

Includes 1,7678,548 shares held directly and 10,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(16)

Includes 72,56712,547 shares held directly, 8,250140 shares underlying stock optionsheld indirectly for the benefit of Mr. Smith’s Family Trusts and 3,24624,407 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.9, 2024.

 

(17)

Includes 27,41819,276 shares held directly and 3,24610,460 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.

9, 2024.

(18)Includes 7,797 shares held directly and 3,246 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016.

 

(19)(18)

Includes 3,132,5152,608,872 shares held directly, 1,03850,000 shares held indirectly for the benefit of an officer’s spouse, 25,000the Jeffrey Benjamin 2009 Family Trust, 150,806 shares held indirectly for the benefit of the John Tobin Cahill Revocable Trust, 2,55025,552 shares held indirectly for the benefit of a director’s children, 6,000the Ladson Court Trust V, 140 shares held indirectly for the benefit of Chartwell Capital Investments, 24,406 shares underlying stock optionsMr. Smith’s Family Trusts and 526,501379,199 shares underlying unvested RSUs that vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016,9, 2024, held by our executive officers and directors as a group. Excludes 1,009,4314,913,295 shares underlying unvested RSUs held by our executive officers and directors as a group that will not vest within 60 days of April 11, 2016, and excludes 1,740,517 vested SARs.9, 2024.

26

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of April 11, 20169, 2024 for each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding Common Stock.

   Common Stock Beneficially Owned

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner

  

 

Amount and Nature

of Beneficial Ownership

    

Percent   

of Class   

The Vanguard Group

100 Vanguard Blvd.

Malvern, PA 19355

 

    75,371,075(a)       11.49%    

Blackrock, Inc.

55 East 52nd Street

New York, NY 10055

 

    38,064,291(b)       5.80%    

PRIMECAP Management Company

177 E. Colorado Blvd., 11th Floor

Pasadena, CA 91105

 

    37,047,931(c)       5.65%    

 

(a)
Common Stock
Beneficially Owned

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner

Amount and Nature
    of Beneficial Ownership    
    Percent of Class    
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
100 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
82,356,937(a)14.1%

The Vanguard Group
100 Vanguard Blvd.

Malvern, PA 19355

35,475,813(b)6.1%

(a)The amount shown and the following information are derived solely from the Schedule 13G13G/A filed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.The Vanguard Group on February 12, 2016. T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.13, 2024. The Vanguard Group has shared voting power with respect to 549,305 of such shares, sole voting power with respect to no shares, sole dispositive power with respect to all73,451,867 of such shares and sole votingshared dispositive power with respect to 27,648,2161,919,208 of such shares.

 

(b)

The amount shown and the following information are derived solely from the Schedule 13G13G/A filed by The Vanguard GroupBlackRock, Inc. on February 10, 2016. The Vanguard GroupJanuary 29, 2024. BlackRock, Inc. has sole dispositive power with respect to all of such shares, sole voting power with respect to 1,038,32036,578,885 of such shares and shared voting power with respect to 16,600 of such shares,no shares.

(c)

The amount shown and the following information are derived solely from the Schedule 13G/A filed by PRIMECAP Management Company on February 12, 2024. PRIMECAP Management Company has sole dispositive power with respect to 34,411,693all of such shares, sole voting power with respect to 36,350,486 of such shares and shared dispositivevoting power with respect to 1,064,120 of suchno shares.

LOGO

27

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Governance Overview

Corporate Governance Guidelines

Our Board of Directors has adopted the Corporate Governance Guidelines (the “Governance Guidelines”) to facilitate our mission and to establish general principles and policies by which the Board of Directors will manage its affairs. The Governance Guidelines are reviewed periodically by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and are posted on our website atwww.aa.comunder the links “Investor Relations”— “Corporate Governance.”

Director Independence

The Governance Guidelines contain standards for determining director independence that meet or exceed the applicable rules of the SEC and listing standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”). The Governance Guidelines define an “independent” director as one who:

Maintaining leading governance practices is not an executive officerand has been a long-standing priority, and we regularly assess and refine our corporate governance policies and procedures to take into account evolving best practices.

Our Board has adopted the Governance Guidelines to facilitate our mission and to establish general principles and policies by which the Board manages its affairs. The Governance Guidelines are reviewed periodically by the CGPR Committee and are posted on our website at www.aa.com under the links “Investor Relations”—“Corporate Governance.”

Board Leadership and Structure—Separate Chairman and CEO Roles

Pursuant to our Bylaws, the Board is responsible for filling the positions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, with the persons they deem qualified, as well as for removing and replacing such persons as and when the Board may deem necessary or employeeappropriate. The Board periodically reviews AAG’s leadership structure and may modify the structure as it deems appropriate, given the specific circumstances then facing the Company.

As a culmination of the Board’s CEO succession planning, in December 2021, we announced that Robert Isom would succeed Doug Parker as the CEO of the Company or any other individual havingand be appointed as a relationship which,director of AAG effective March 31, 2022. The Board determined that it was important to retain Mr. Parker in the opinionrole of Chairman of the Board of Directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities oforder to ensure a director;

is not, and has not at any time during the past three years been, employed by the Company;
has not accepted, and does not have any spouse, parent, child or sibling, whether by blood, marriage or adoption, any person residingsuccessful transition in such individual’s home, or any relative supported financially (each, a “Family Member”) who has accepted, any compensationleadership. Mr. Parker retired from the CompanyBoard on April 30, 2023. Also in excessFebruary 2023, we announced the appointment of $120,000 during any periodGreg Smith as the Company’s Independent Chairman effective April 30, 2023. By separating the roles of 12 consecutive months within the three years preceding the determination of independence, other than (A) compensation forChairman and CEO, our CEO is able to focus on executing on our strategy and operations, and our Board of Directors or committee service, (B) compensation paid to a Family MemberChairman, who is an employee (other than an executive officer)independent director, can devote his time and attention to matters of Board oversight and governance. John Cahill served as the Lead Independent Director through the effective date of the Company, or (C) benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan or non-discretionary compensation;
election of Mr. Smith as our Independent Chairman.

Board Meetings

The Board conducts its business through meetings of the full Board and committees of the Board. The Board regularly meets in executive session with only independent directors of the Board present. Each Director is not a Family Memberexpected to attend all meetings of an individual who is, or at any time during the past three years was, employed byBoard and of each committee of which the Company as an executive officer;

is not, and does not have a Family Member whoDirector is a partner in, or a controlling shareholder or anmember and the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders, except where unusual circumstances arise. During 2023, the Board held eight meetings, five of which included executive officersessions comprised of any organization to which the Company made, or from which the Company received, payments for property or services in the current or anyonly independent directors. In 2023, each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the past three fiscal years that exceed 5%aggregate number of meetings of the recipient’s consolidated gross revenues for that year, or $200,000, whichever is more, other than (A) payments arising solely from investments in the Company’s securities,Board and (B) payments under non-discretionary charitable contribution matching programs;
is not, and does not have a Family Member who is, employed as an executive officer of another entity where at any time during the past three years any of the executive officerscommittees on which he or she served.

Committees

The Board has five standing, principal committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the CGPR Committee, the Finance Committee and the Safety Committee. The primary responsibilities, membership and meeting information for the committees of our Board during 2023 are summarized below. Copies of the Company served on the compensation committee of such other entity;

is not, and does not have a Family Member who is, a current partnercharters of the Company’s outside auditor,Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, CGPR Committee and was not a partnerSafety Committee are available on our website at www.aa.com under the links “Investor Relations”—“Corporate Governance.”

Director Independence

The Governance Guidelines contain standards for determining director independence that meet or employeeexceed the applicable rules of the Company’s outside auditor who worked on the Company’s audit at any time during any of the past three years;SEC and

Nasdaq listing standards. The Governance Guidelines define an “independent” director as one who:

satisfies any additional requirements for independence promulgated from time to time by NASDAQ.

 

 The Governance Guidelines also provide that

is not an executive officer or employee of the Company or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of Directors will consider all other relevant facts and circumstances, including issues that may arise asindependent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a result of any director compensation (whether direct or indirect), any charitable contributions we make to organizations with which a director is affiliated, and any consulting arrangement between the Company and a director. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee reports annually to the full Board of Directors on these matters.director;

 

 Pursuant

is not, and has not at any time during the past three years been, employed by the Company;

28

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


has not accepted, and does not have any spouse, parent, child or sibling, whether by blood, marriage or adoption, any person residing in such individual’s home, or any relative supported financially (each, a “Family Member”) who has accepted, any compensation from the Company in excess of $120,000 during any period of 12 consecutive months within the three years preceding the determination of independence, other than (A) compensation for Board or committee service, (B) compensation paid to the Governance Guidelines, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors undertake an annual review of director independence. Based on the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s review in April 2016, the Board of Directors affirmatively determined that all of our directors are independent under the standards provided in the Governance Guidelines and under applicable NASDAQ listing standards, except for Mr. Parker, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,a Family Member who is an employee.employee (other than an executive officer) of the Company, or (C) benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan or non-discretionary compensation;

 

 The following types and categories

is not a Family Member of transactions, relationships and arrangements were consideredan individual who is, or at any time during the past three years was, employed by our Board of Directors in making its independence determinations:the Company as an executive officer;

 

Each

is not, and does not have a Family Member who is, a partner in, or a controlling stockholder or an executive officer of, any organization to which the Company made, or from which the Company received, payments for property or services in the current or any of the past three fiscal years that exceed 5% of the recipient’s consolidated gross revenues for that year, or $200,000, whichever is more, other than (A) payments arising solely from investments in the Company’s securities and (B) payments under non-discretionary charitable contribution matching programs;

is not, and does not have a Family Member who is, employed as an executive officer of another entity where at any time during the past three years any of the executive officers of the Company served on the compensation committee of such other entity;

is not, and does not have a Family Member who is, a current partner of the Company’s outside auditor, and was not, and does not have a Family Member who was, a partner or employee of the Company’s outside auditor who worked on the Company’s audit at any time during any of the past three years; and

satisfies any additional requirements for independence promulgated from time to time by Nasdaq.

The Governance Guidelines also provide that the Board will consider all other relevant facts and circumstances, including issues that may arise as a result of any director compensation (whether direct or indirect), any charitable contributions we make to organizations with which a director is affiliated and any consulting arrangement between the Company and a director. The CGPR Committee reports annually to the full Board on these matters.

Pursuant to the Governance Guidelines, the CGPR Committee and the Board undertake an annual review of director independence. Based on the CGPR Committee’s review in March 2024, the Board affirmatively determined that all of our directors are independent under the standards provided in the Governance Guidelines and under applicable Nasdaq listing standards, except for Mr. Isom, who serves as our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Parker, who served as Chairman until April 30, 2023, was determined by the Board in 2023 as not an independent director, due to his prior service as our Chief Executive Officer.

The following types and categories of transactions, relationships and arrangements were considered by our Board in making its independence determinations in 2024. Excluded were ordinary course air transportation by corporations or other organizations where the director’s interest solely arises from such person’s position as a director or advisor to such other corporation or organization. All of the reviewed transactions and arrangements were entered into in the ordinary course of business and none of the business transactions, donations or grants involved an amount that exceeded the greater of 5% of the recipient entity’s revenues or $200,000.

Both of Ms. Kronick and Mr. Albaugh servesSteenland served during 2023 or continues to serve as a member on the board of directors or an advisory board of companies or entities that engage, or whose affiliates engage, in ordinary course commercial transactions with AAG involving goodgoods or services other than air transportation.

Messrs. Albaugh, Benjamin Additionally, Mr. Reynal’s brother is an executive of a company that engages in ordinary course commercial transactions with AAG involving goods or services other than air transportation. The Board has concluded that these transactions and Schifter servearrangements do not impair the directors’ exercise of independent judgment in carrying out their responsibilities as senior advisors to directors.

The Blackstone Group, Cyrus Capital Partners and TPG, respectively. These funds may have investments in us and/or companies withBoard also considered Mr. Smith’s prior role as Chief Financial Officer of Boeing, which we do business inis one of our significant commercial partners. In light of the ordinary course. Messrs. Albaugh, Benjamin and Schifter are not partners in or executive officers of such companies, nor are they deemed to beneficially own the securities held by such companies.

fact Mr. Cahill is the Vice Chairman of The Kraft Heinz Company since its formationSmith retired from Boeing in July 20152021, before his appointment as a director, and previously servedhas no continuing role with Boeing, our Board determined that this past relationship does not impair his exercise of independent judgment in carrying out his responsibilities as Chairmana director.

Board Diversity and Chief Executive OfficerTenure

Our Board believes that diversity is an important aspect of Kraft Foods Group, Inc. from December 2014an effective board. The CGPR Committee seeks to July 2015,recommend individuals to the Board with, among other things, a fooddiversity of skills, experience, expertise and beverage company that purchases air carrier services from usperspective appropriate for the business and operation of the Company. We recognize the benefits of racial and gender diversity in the ordinary course of business. The payments from Kraft to AAG were significantly below 1% of AAG’s revenues during the applicable years.

 

LOGO

The Board of Directors has concluded that these transactions and arrangements do not impair the directors’ exercise of independent judgment in carrying out their responsibilities as directors.

29

2024 Proxy Statement


boardroom, including better reflecting our diverse customer and employee base and the healthy debate that stems from different viewpoints that may result from diverse backgrounds. Accordingly, our Board is diverse in many ways, with differing geographic, business and racial backgrounds. Over 45% of our Board nominees are diverse based on gender or ethnicity.

We believe that fresh perspectives and new ideas are critical to a forward-looking and strategic Board. At the same time, given the extremely complex nature of our business, it is equally important to benefit from the valuable experience and institutional knowledge that longer-serving directors bring to the boardroom. In September 2022, Mr. Reynal joined our Board. Mr. Reynal was identified to the Company by a third-party search firm. Previously, in January and March 2022, respectively, Mr. Smith and Mr. Isom joined our Board, and prior to that in October 2020 and February 2021, respectively, Mr. Steenland and Ms. Brown joined our Board and in November 2015, Ms. Kronick and Mr. Nesbitt joined our Board. Our remaining directors joined our Board in December 2013 at the effective date of the merger with US Airways. The Board strongly believes that the current mix of directors provides the Company with an appropriate balance of knowledge, experience and capability, allowing us to leverage deep company experience and knowledge in addition to new viewpoints and innovative ideas among newer directors. Out of our 11 Board nominees, six have served on our Board for ten or fewer years and another five have been on our Board for less than five years.

LOGO

Board Self-Evaluation

Our Governance Guidelines and CGPR Committee charter provide that the CGPR Committee must conduct a periodic assessment of the performance of the Board, including the committees, and provide the results to the full Board for discussion. The purpose of the review is to increase the effectiveness of the Board as a whole and of each of the committees. The assessment includes an evaluation of the Board and each committee’s contribution as a whole, of specific areas in which the Board, the applicable committee and/or management believe better contributions could be made and of the overall make-up and composition of the Board and its committees.

 

Board Meetings

30

The Board of Directors conducts its business through meetings of the full Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors regularly meets with only independent directors of the Board of Directors present. During 2015, the Board of Directors held six (6) meetings, five (5) of which were in-person meetings that included executive sessions comprised of only independent directors. In 2015, each incumbent director attended at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board of Directors and of the committees on which he or she served.LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement

Committees

The Board of Directors currently has four standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Finance Committee.


 

Audit Committee

 The
 Audit Committee

Members in 2023:

Matt Hart (Chair)

Adriane Brown

John Cahill

Marty Nesbitt

Meetings in 2023: 6

The Board has determined that each member is currently comprised of Messrs. Hart (Chair), Cahill, Embler, Ibargüenindependent under SEC and Nesbitt. In 2015,Nasdaq rules and the Audit Committee met six (6) times. The Audit Committee oversees ourGovernance Guidelines. Each member is a “financial expert” under applicable SEC rules and has the financial management expertise required by Nasdaq listing standards.

Primary Responsibilities

  Oversee the Company’s internal accounting function and oversees and reportsfunction; report to the Board of Directors with respect to other auditing and accounting matters

  Appoint or replace the independent auditor; oversee the work of the independent auditor for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work, including the selection of our independent auditors,determining the scope of annual audits and fees to be paid to our independent auditors and

  Oversee the performance of our independent auditors. The Audit Committee is also responsible for reviewing and approving all significant conflicts of interest and related party transactions in accordance with our Company policies. A copy of the charter of the Audit Committee is available on our website atwww.aa.comunder the links “Investor Relations”— “Corporate Governance.”

The Audit Committee meets applicable NASDAQ composition requirements, including the requirements dealing with financial literacy and financial sophistication. Each Audit Committee member is considered independent under the rules and regulations of the SEC and NASDAQ, and the Governance Guidelines, and has been determined to be financially literate. The Board of Directors has concluded that Messrs. Hart, Cahill, Embler, Ibargüen and Nesbitt qualify as audit committee “financial experts” under SEC rules and regulations and have the financial management expertise required by NASDAQ listing standards.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee is currently comprised of Ms. O’Leary and Messrs. Kraemer (Chair), Albaugh, Benjamin and Ibargüen. The Compensation Committee met eight (8) times in 2015. The Compensation Committee evaluates the performance of our Chief Executive Officer and approves his compensation and other terms of employment. The Compensation Committee also evaluates the compensation and other terms of employment of the other executive officers and other members of senior management, as appropriate. The Compensation Committee also administers the American Airlines Group Inc. 2013 Incentive Award Plan (the “AAG 2013 IAP”) and other employee benefit plans and may delegate this authority under certain circumstances described below. The Compensation Committee is also responsible for, among other things, oversight of the Company’s compensation risk management, succession planning and workforce diversity, and may review compensation-related stockholder proposals. A copy of the charter of the Compensation Committee is available on our website atwww.aa.comunder the links “Investor Relations”— “Corporate Governance.”

Our Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Compensation Committee are independent within the meaning of applicable NASDAQ listing standards and the Governance Guidelines, are “non-employee directors” as defined by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, and are “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and related regulations (the “Code”).

Compensation Committee Process for Executive Compensation.The Compensation Committee charter gives the Compensation Committee the authority and responsibility to review and approve our overall compensation strategy and policies, including performance goals for executive officers. The Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving the compensation and other terms of employment of the

Chief Executive Officer and for evaluating his performance. The Compensation Committee also evaluates, after receiving input from the Chief Executive Officer, the compensation and other terms of employment of the other executive officers. The Compensation Committee administers our incentive compensation, stock, bonus and other similar plans and programs; approves awards under those plans; reviews and, based upon the recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer, approves the adoption of, amendment to, or termination of executive compensation and benefit plans; and determines the general design and terms of, and may delegate authority to executive officers to administer, significant non-executive compensation and benefits plans. The Compensation Committee may delegate all or a portion of its authority to administer our compensation and benefits plans to a subcommittee, to another committee of the Board of Directors or to one or more executive officers, provided that any such delegation does not include the authority to make stock incentive grants to any executive officer. The Compensation Committee has delegated to an Equity Incentive Committee, consisting of the Chief Executive Officer, the authority to make equity grants to employees who are not executive officers within guidelines established by the Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee.

Each year, the Compensation Committee reviews the annual incentive program results from the prior year, establishes the performance goals for the current year, evaluates our executive officers’ individual performance and approves the Compensation Committee’s report for our proxy statement. The Compensation Committee has adopted an equity grant policy to standardize the timing, practices and procedures in granting equity awards. The policy provides that equity grants, other than new hire, promotion, or special purpose grants, will be granted once per year at the second regularly scheduled meeting of the Compensation Committee, at a meeting of a subcommittee to which certain authority to grant equity awards has been delegated, or at a special meeting held for this purpose as close in time to the regularly scheduled meeting as possible. Throughout the year, as needed or appropriate, the Compensation Committee considers merit increases in base salaries for executive officers and approves compensation for internal promotions and new hires of executive officers. The Compensation Committee also monitors and evaluates our benefit plans and agreements with executive officers and management employees throughout the year and recommends adjustments as needed.

The Compensation Committee generally receives information from the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Vice President—People and Communications and compensation consultants engaged by the Compensation Committee in connection with its determinations regarding executive compensation. The Compensation Committee has sole authority to retain and terminate any outside advisors, such as compensation consultants and legal counsel, and to determine executive compensation.

In January 2016, Towers Watson & Co. (“Towers Watson”) merged with Willis Group Holdings plc (“Willis”) to form Willis Towers Watson. During 2015, its predecessor entity Towers Watson assisted the Compensation Committee in determining our executive compensation and reviewing and analyzing proposed compensation programs for our executive officers. The total annual expense for the executive compensation advising services provided to us by Willis Towers Watson, including its predecessor entities, Willis and Towers Watson, during 2015 was approximately $139,250.

Also during 2015, specialized teams at Willis Towers Watson, including its predecessor entities, Willis and Towers Watson, assisted us with general industry compensation benchmarking and provided actuarial valuation and consulting services relating to health, welfare and retirement benefit plans and workers compensation plans as well as

retirement-related services for Canada, for aggregate fees of approximately US $3.7 million and CAD $392,000. The Willis Towers Watson personnel who performed actuarial valuation and consulting services for us operated separately and independently of the Willis Towers Watson personnel who performed executive compensation-related services for us. While the decision to engage Willis Towers Watson for such other services was made by management, the Compensation Committee assessed whether the services provided by Willis Towers Watson raised any conflicts of interest pursuant to applicable SEC and NASDAQ rules and concluded that no such conflicts of interest existed.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation.None of our executive officers or directors serves as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is currently comprised of Messrs. Robinson (Chair), Albaugh and Cahill, and Mses. Kronick and O’Leary. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee met five (5) times in 2015. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee oversees all aspects of our corporate governance functions on behalf of the Board of Directors, including (i) identifying individuals qualified to become members of the Board of Directors; (ii) recommending to the Board of Directors the selection of director nominees; (iii) reviewing and assessing the Governance Guidelines; (iv) taking actions with respect to incumbent directors who fail to receive the required vote for reelection in uncontested elections, including accepting or not accepting previously tendered resignations or requesting that such directors submit resignations; and (v) periodically reviewing and assessing the adequacy and application of the Governance Guidelines, and recommending any changes deemed appropriate to the Board of Directors for its consideration; and (vi) periodically reviewing and evaluating, with the Company’s management, the Company’s governance-related risks and risk management practices. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s role includes oversight of the procedures for compliance with significant applicable legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements that impact corporate governance. A copy of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee charter is available on our website atwww.aa.comunder the links “Investor Relations”— “Corporate Governance.”

The Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are independent within the meaning of applicable NASDAQ listing standards and our Governance Guidelines.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee Process for Director Compensation. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s charter gives the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee the authority and responsibility for reviewing the compensation of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors and making recommendations regarding changes to the full Board of Directors. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee also periodically reviews the compensation paid to non-employee directors for their service on the Board of Directors and its committees, and recommends any changes to the full Board of Directors for its approval.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee generally receives proposals and information from outside consultants and publications in connection with its review of director compensation. In January 2016, Willis Towers Watson assisted the

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee in reviewing director compensation. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee has authority to retain and terminate any outside advisors, such as compensation consultants and legal counsel, and to determine their compensation.

Director Nominees.Each of the 13 current nominees for director recommended for election by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting is a current member of the Board of Directors. The effectiveness of the Board of Directors and the recruitment of directors are overseen by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. In evaluating candidates for director, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considers the qualifications described below. Based on the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s evaluation of each of the current nominees’ qualifications and his or her prior performance as a director, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee determined to recommend the 13 directors for election. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee received no nominations from stockholders for the Annual Meeting.

Consistent with its charter, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee proposes for nomination existing directors and new candidates who have the highest personal and professional integrity, have demonstrated exceptional intelligence and judgment, have proven leadership skills, are committed to our success, and have the ability to work effectively with the Chief Executive Officer and other members of the Board of Directors. Also, a nominee must possess skills, experience, and expertise appropriate to best serve the long-term financial interests of our stockholders.

The Governance Guidelines specify that it is the Board of Directors’ objective that it be composed of individuals who have, among other things, a diversity of skills, expertise, and perspective appropriate for the business and operation of the Company. The Board of Directors currently includes a group of individuals who have demonstrated success and leadership in a variety of fields and endeavors, with a broad diversity of experience, opinions, perspectives, professions, skills, expertise, education, geographic representation and backgrounds. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors believe that the Board of Directors is, and should continue to be, comprised of persons who can contribute experience in public company board service and corporate governance and areas such as strategic planning, leadership of large, complex organizations, operations, mergers and acquisitions, the airplane and airline industry, accounting, financial literacy, finance, banking, investment, asset management and restructuring, capital markets, capital management, risk management, legal analysis, customer service, consumer marketing, communications, labor relations, human resources, leadership assessment and diversity, safety, investing, information technology and community service. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee does not assign specific weight to particular criteria and no particular criterion is necessarily applicable to all prospective nominees.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee also recognizes the benefits of racial and gender diversity in the boardroom, including better reflecting our global customer base and the healthy debate that stems from different viewpoints that may result from diverse backgrounds. Accordingly, our Board is diverse in many ways, with differing geographic, business and racial backgrounds.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee periodically evaluates the performance of the Board of Directors, its committees and the directors in an effort to facilitate the continuous improvement of the Board of Directors, as well as to assess the specific qualifications, experiences and perspectives of future director candidates that would be most valuable and have the most impact on our success.

In accordance with applicable NASDAQ listing standards, the Board of Directors confirms that at least a majority of the Board of Directors is independent in accordance with the NASDAQ definition of independence and that the members of the Board of Directors, as a group, maintain the requisite qualifications under applicable NASDAQ listing standards for service on the Audit, Compensation, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees.

Stockholder Nominations or Recommendations of Director Candidates.Any stockholder wishing to nominate or recommend a director candidate for nomination should submit in writing the candidate’s name, biographical information, business qualifications, and other information required by the Bylaws, to Ray M. Robinson, Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, American Airlines Group Inc., 4333 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 5675, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. All submissions must be accompanied by the written consent of the proposed nominee to be named as a nominee and to serve as a director, if elected. The Bylaws require that written nominations be received by the Company no sooner than 120 days and no later than 90 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders. For the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, notice must be delivered no sooner than February 8, 2017 and no later than March 10, 2017. All qualified submissions will be reviewed by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee at the next appropriate meeting. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee has a policy of considering candidates who are nominated by stockholders for membership to the Board of Directors in the same manner as candidates recommended by members of the Board of Directors.

In addition, our Bylaws permit certain of our stockholders who have beneficially owned 3% or more of our outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years to submit nominations to be included in the Company’s proxy materials for up to 20% of the total number of directors then serving. Notice of proxy access director nominations for the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders must be delivered to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices no earlier than November 30, 2016 and no later than the close of business on December 30, 2016. The notice must be set forth the information required by our Bylaws with respect to each proxy access director nomination that eligible stockholder or stockholders intend to present at the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders and must otherwise be in compliance with our Bylaws.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is currently comprised of five directors, Messrs. Schifter (Chair), Benjamin, Embler and Nesbitt and Ms. Kronick. The Finance Committee met eleven (11) times in 2015. The Finance Committee assists the Board of Directors with oversight of our financial affairs and capital allocation and recommends to the Board of Directors financial policies and courses of action, including those relating to operating and capital budgets, that will effectively accommodate our goals and operating strategies while maintaining a sound financial condition. The Finance Committee is also responsible for supervising our share repurchase program and reviewing, approving and/or recommending to the Board of Directors our annual budget and financing plans, financial transactions and commitments, financial risk management policies proposed by senior management, the engagement of financial advisors in connection with material transactions and other matters related to our financial and strategic planning. In performing its function, the Finance Committee may seek the advice of senior management or outside advisors, as deemed appropriate by its Chair.

Board Leadership and Structure

Pursuant to our Bylaws, the Board of Directors is responsible for filling the positions of Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Lead Independent Director with the persons the Board of Directors deems qualified, and for removing and replacing such persons as and when the Board of Directors deems necessary or appropriate. The Board of Directors periodically reviews AAG’s leadership structure and may modify the structure as it deems appropriate, given the specific circumstances then facing the Company.

The Board of Directors is currently led by Mr. Parker, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Cahill, our Lead Independent Director. We believe that our current leadership structure strikes an appropriate balance between effective and efficient Company leadership and oversight by non-management directors.

The Board of Directors believes that having Mr. Parker serve as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is the most effective leadership structure for the Company. Mr. Parker has 30 years of experience in the airline industry, over 14 years of experience as an airline Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, mergers and acquisitions experience, and prior service as a director of other large public companies. This experience makes him uniquely well positioned to lead AAG’s business, operations and strategy.

Mr. Cahill’s duties as Lead Independent Director include the following significant responsibilities, in addition to performing such other duties as may be established or delegated to him by the Board of Directors: serving as Chairman for regular Board of Directors meetings in the absence of the Chairman; with the Chairman, establishing agendas for regular meetings of the Board of Directors; establishing agendas for, and coordinating and chairing, meetings of the independent directors; and communicating with the Chief Executive Officer following such meetings as he deems appropriate.

The combination of the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman roles allows consistent communication and coordination throughout the Company, effective and efficient implementation of corporate strategy, and is important in unifying our employees behind a single vision. The combination of the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman roles is balanced by our strong Lead Independent Director position, by the independence of all of our other directors, each of whom has significant experience in leadership roles at public companies and other large, complex organizations, and by the four principal committees of the Board of Directors, each of which consists solely of independent directors.

Board Self-Evaluation

Our Governance Guidelines and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee charter provide that the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee must conduct an annual assessment of the performance of the Board of Directors, including the committees, and provide the results to the full Board of Directors for discussion. The purpose of the review is to increase the effectiveness of the Board of Directors as a whole and of each of the committees. The assessment includes an evaluation of the Board of Directors and each committee’s contribution as a whole, of specific areas in which the Board of Directors, the applicable committee, and/or management believe better contributions could be made and of the overall make-up and composition of the Board of Directors and its committees.

Codes of Ethics

Our employees, including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer, and our directors are governed by one of two codes of ethics of the Company (collectively, the “Codes of Ethics”). The Codes of Ethics require our employees and directors to conduct Company business in the highest legal and ethical manner. The Codes of Ethics meet the requirements of a “code of ethics” as defined by Item 406 of Regulation S-K and the requirements of a code of business conduct and

ethics under applicable NASDAQ listing standards. The full texts of the Codes of Ethics and further details regarding the scope of each of the Codes of Ethics are available on our website atwww.aa.com under the links “Investor Relations”— “Corporate Governance.” We will also provide a copy of the Codes of Ethics to stockholders, free of charge, upon request to our Corporate Secretary. We intend to post amendments to or waivers from the Codes of Ethics as required by applicable SEC and NASDAQ rules at this location on our website.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors oversees an enterprise-wide approach to risk management, designed to support the achievement of organizational objectives, including strategic objectives; to improve long-term organizational performance; and to enhance stockholder value. A fundamental part of risk management is not only understanding the risks we face and what steps management is taking to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate. Management is responsible for establishing our business strategy, identifying and assessing the related risks, and establishing appropriate risk management practices. The Board of Directors, either directly or through one or more of its committees, reviews our business strategy and management’s assessment of the related risk and discusses with management the appropriate level of risk. The Board of Directors has not established a separate risk committee because the Board of Directors believes that the most significant risks we face are most properly directly overseen by the full Board of Directors or, in certain cases, the appropriate standing committee which consider the risks within their area of responsibility.

For example, our most significant strategic, financial and operations risks are frequently reviewed by the full Board of Directors. The Board of Directors oversees the management of important risks we face, including risks associated with safety, theday-to-day operation of the airline and the interruption of airline service, revenue production, our information technology systems and labor issues and costs.

The Audit Committee oversees our risk management policies that relate to the financial control environment, financial reporting and disclosure controls

  Establish and ourmaintain procedures for compliance with significant applicable legal, ethical and regulatory requirements that impact our financial statements. The Audit Committee meets regularly with our internal auditors, independent auditors, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President – Corporate Affairs, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Vice President and Controller, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary and external advisors. The Audit Committee receives regular risk and internal controls assessment reports from the independent auditors and internal auditors. The Audit Committee also establishes and maintains procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters

  Review and approve all significant conflicts of interest and related party transactions in accordance with Company policies

  Review cybersecurity, data privacy and other risks relevant to the Company’s computerized information system controls and security

  Pre-approve audit and permitted non-audit services provided by the independent auditor

 Compensation Committee

Members in 2023:

Denise O’Leary (Chair)

Jeff Benjamin

Vicente Reynal

Doug Steenland

Meetings in 2023: 9

The Board has determined that each member is independent under Nasdaq rules and the Governance Guidelines and is a “non-employee director” as defined by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

Primary Responsibilities

  Review and approve the Company’s overall compensation strategy and policies, including performance goals for executive officers

  Review the relationship between the Company’s compensation strategy and risk management policies

  Together with the Board, oversee leadership succession planning

  Evaluate the performance of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and approve his compensation and other terms of employment

  Evaluate the performance of and determine the compensation and other terms of employment of the other executive officers and other members of senior management

  Administer the Company’s incentive and stock plans, including establishing guidelines, interpreting plan documents, selecting participants, approving grants and awards and making other decisions regarding the operation of such plans

  Review the Company’s workforce diversity and inclusion

  Review the compensation of the non-employee members of the Board and make recommendations regarding changes to the full Board

  Retain outside advisors; directly retain and oversee its independent compensation consultant

LOGO

31

2024 Proxy Statement


 Corporate Governance and Public Responsibility Committee

Members in 2023:

Marty Nesbitt (Chair)

Jeff Benjamin

Sue Kronick

Vicente Reynal

Meetings in 2023: 4

The Board has determined that each member is independent under Nasdaq rules and the Governance Guidelines.

Primary Responsibilities

  Oversee all aspects of the Company’s corporate governance functions, including the procedures for compliance with significant applicable legal, ethical and regulatory requirements that impact corporate governance

  Conduct an annual review of director independence and the performance of the Board, including the committees

  Identify individuals qualified to become members of the Board and recommend director nominees

  Periodically review and evaluate, with the Company’s management, the Company’s governance-related risks and risk management practices

  Review and assess the Governance Guidelines and recommend any changes deemed appropriate to the Board

  Oversee the stockholder engagement process and significant stockholder relations issues, including consideration of stockholder proposals

  Oversee the Company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) and sustainability efforts, including the risks and opportunities of climate change

  Oversee the Company’s lobbying activities, major advocacy priorities, principal trade association memberships and political contributions, if any, and periodically review reports on the Company’s corporate political contributions and the processes and guidelines of the American Airlines Political Action Committee

 Finance Committee

Members in 2023:

Doug Steenland (Chair)

John Cahill

Mike Embler

Denise O’Leary

Meetings in 2023: 6

The Board has determined that each member is independent under Nasdaq rules and the Governance Guidelines.

Primary Responsibilities

  Oversee the Company’s financial affairs and capital spending

  Recommend to the Board financial policies and courses of action that will effectively accommodate the Company’s goals and operating strategies

  Review, approve and/or recommend to the Board, the Company’s annual budget and financing plans and other matters related to the Company’s financial and strategic planning

  Oversee the Company’s financial risk management practices

 Safety Committee

Members in 2023:

Adriane Brown (Chair)

Mike Embler

Matt Hart

Sue Kronick

Meetings in 2023: 2 (inaugural meeting in July 2023)

The Board has determined that each member is independent under Nasdaq rules and the Governance Guidelines.

Primary Responsibilities

  Oversee the Company’s policies, programs and practices with respect to operational safety and compliance, and matters affecting the safety of the Company’s customers and employees including security and public health

  Oversee the Company’s procedures for compliance with significant applicable legal, ethical and regulatory requirements related to safety

32

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Compensation Committee Process for Executive Compensation

The Compensation Committee charter gives the Compensation Committee the authority and responsibility to review and approve our overall compensation strategy and policies, including performance goals for executive officers. The Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving the compensation and other terms of employment of the Chief Executive Officer and for evaluating his performance. The Compensation Committee also evaluates, after receiving input from the Chief Executive Officer, the compensation and other terms of employment of the other executive officers, including in the case of internal promotions and new hires of executive officers. The Compensation Committee administers our incentive compensation, stock, bonus and other similar plans and programs; approves awards under those plans; reviews and, based upon the recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer, approves the adoption of, amendment to, or termination of executive compensation and benefit plans; and determines the general design and terms of, and may delegate authority to executive officers to administer, significant non-executive compensation and benefits plans. The Compensation Committee has delegated to an Equity Incentive Committee, consisting of the Chief Executive Officer, the authority to make equity grants to employees who are not executive officers within guidelines established by the Board or the Compensation Committee.

The Compensation Committee generally receives information from the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief People Officer, the Managing Director—Global Compensation and compensation consultants engaged by the Compensation Committee in connection with its determinations regarding executive compensation. The Compensation Committee has sole authority to retain and terminate any outside advisors, such as compensation consultants and legal counsel.

Since July 2019, the Compensation Committee has engaged Korn Ferry as its compensation consultant to assist in determining our executive compensation and reviewing and analyzing proposed compensation programs for our executive officers. After review and consultation with Korn Ferry, the Compensation Committee determined that Korn Ferry is independent and there is no conflict of interest resulting from retaining Korn Ferry pursuant to applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

The Board is responsible for the oversight of the Company’s ongoing assessment and management of material risks impacting our business. The Board oversees the Company’s enterprise-wide approach to risk management, which is designed to support the achievement of organizational objectives, including strategic objectives, to improve long-term organizational performance and to enhance stockholder value. A fundamental part of risk management is not only understanding the risks we face and what steps management is taking to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate. Management is responsible for establishing our business strategy, identifying and assessing the related risks and establishing appropriate risk management practices. The Board, either directly or through one or more of its committees, reviews our business strategy and management’s assessment of the related risks and discusses with management the appropriate level of risk. The Board relies on each Board committee to oversee management of specific risks related to that committee’s function. The CGPR Committee and the Audit Committee, with management’s assistance, have developed and coordinated the Board’s current risk oversight program. The Board has not established a separate risk committee because the Board believes that the most significant risks we face are most properly directly overseen by the full Board or, in certain cases, the appropriate standing committee.

The Board oversees and reviews the management of our most significant strategic, financial and operational risks: the day-to-day operation of the airline and the interruption of airline service, revenue production, our information technology systems, and business risks related to labor issues and costs.

The Audit Committee oversees our risk management policies that relate to the financial control environment, financial reporting and disclosure controls, data privacy, cybersecurity risks and other information technology risks, and our procedures for compliance with significant applicable legal, ethical and regulatory requirements that impact our financial statements. The Audit Committee meets regularly with our internal auditors, independent auditors, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Controller, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Chief Privacy Officer and the Company’s external advisors. The Audit Committee receives regular risk and internal controls assessment reports from the independent auditors and internal auditors. The Audit Committee also establishes and maintains procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls

LOGO

33

2024 Proxy Statement


or auditing matters and the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

The CGPR Committee oversees our governance-related risks and risk management policies, programs and practices with respect to the Company’s sustainability strategy, including environmental and climate change risks and other public and corporate social responsibility issues that reflect the Company’s values and character and impact the Company’s reputation among its stakeholders.

The Compensation Committee oversees compensation risk management by participating in the creation of, and approving, compensation structures that create incentives that encourage an appropriate level of risk-taking behavior consistent with our business strategy, as is further described in the section entitled “Risk Assessment with Respect to Compensation Practices” below. The Compensation Committee also works with the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief People Officer to oversee risks associated with the retention of our most senior executives.

The Finance Committee oversees financial risk by working with senior management to evaluate elements of credit risk, advising on financial strategy, capital structure and liquidity needs and reviewing our financial risk management policies and practices. Our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and other senior financial executives meet periodically with the Finance Committee to discuss and advise on elements of these risks.

The Safety Committee oversees our risk management policies, programs and practices with respect to operational safety and compliance, matters affecting the safety of our customers and employees, including security and public health and the Company’s safety culture. The Safety Committee meets regularly with the Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President of Safety Systems, Efficiency and Compliance, and other responsible officers to discuss and advise on developing safety risks and standards.

Risk Assessment with Respect to Compensation Practices

Management and the Compensation Committee, with the support of the Committee’s compensation consultant, have reviewed the compensation policies and practices for our employees as they relate to our risk management and, based upon these reviews, we believe that any risks arising from such policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us in the future.

Our basis for this conclusion includes that our compensation programs are designed to include the following features:

Formulaic annual and long-term incentive plan awards with maximum pay-out caps or guidelines instead of discretionary pay-out decisions.

 

 The Compensation Committee oversees risk management by participating in the creation of, and approving, compensation structures which create incentives that encourage an appropriate level of risk-taking behavior consistent with our business strategy, as is further described in the section entitled “Risk Assessment with Respect to Compensation Practices” below. The Compensation Committee also works with the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President—People and Communications to oversee risks associated with the retention of our most senior executives.

 The Finance Committee oversees financial risk by working with senior management

Equity incentive awards are subject to evaluate elements of credit risk, advising on financial strategy, capital structure and liquidity needs and reviewing our financial risk management policies and practices. Our Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Financial Officer meet periodically with the Finance Committeeperformance- or time-based vesting periods that are intended to discuss and advise on elements of these risks.

incentivize long-term rather than short-term results.

Risk Assessment with Respect to Compensation Practices

Management and the Compensation Committee have reviewed the compensation policies and practices for our employees as they relate to our risk management and, based upon these reviews, we believe that any risks arising from such policies and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us in the future.

 

 

Our basisincentive compensation plans include a set of pre-established goals and metrics that focus on areas of priority for this conclusion includes that our compensation programs,the Company and especiallymay include financial, operational, ESG, total stockholder return (“TSR”) and/or the achievement of individual goals. The 2023 STIP included financial goals (adjusted pre-tax income—60% weighting), customer operational goals (on-time departure and controllable completion factor—30% weighting) and ESG goals (diversity, equity and inclusion –10% weighting). The 2023 LTIP included total debt reduction and relative adjusted pre-tax income margin improvement goals. In addition, the goals established in our executive compensation programs are designednot subject to include the following features:adjustment without Compensation Committee approval.

Formulaic pay-out calculations with maximum pay-out caps or guidelines instead of discretionary pay-out decisions. The AAGShort-term Incentive Program includes an individual modifier component that is subject to the Compensation Committee’s discretion and can only be implemented by a resolution of the Compensation Committee or within limited bounds approved by the Compensation Committee.
Cash incentive and equity compensation plans contain defined, overlapping and concurrent performance or time based vesting periods which are intended to extend the measurement of pre-defined goals or time periods to incentivize long-term rather than short-term results.
Our incentive compensation plans include a diverse and blended set of pre-established goals and metrics that focus on a variety of areas across the Company and may include financial, stock performance, total shareholder return and/or the achievement of individual goals. In addition, the goals established in our executive compensation programs are not subject to adjustment without Compensation Committee approval.
Mr. Parker’s direct compensation, beginning May 2015, is solely in the form of equity incentives. All of Mr. Parker’s equity incentives are subject to staggered service-vesting conditions that incentivize sustained long-term appreciation of our stock price and, in the case of more than half of the equity incentives, are also subject to performance-vesting conditions tied to financial metrics that incentivize long-term financial performance.
We maintain stock ownership guidelines and a clawback policy for executive officers that further reduce undue risk-taking incentives. Senior executives have actual stock ownership that is well in excess of the required minimum.
Actual performance results for director and above incentive programs are reviewed and verified by a variety of departments (including finance, human resources, operations and legal) and are also reviewed by our internal auditor. These results are reported to the Compensation Committee, the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors.
Our Insider Trading Policy and Authorization to Trade process monitors employee transactions in Company stock, including transactions from recently separated employees.

Our Company and our compensation profile do not include any of the following risk characteristics: a business unit which carries a significant portion of our risk profile; a business unit with compensation structured differently than other units within the Company; a business unit that is significantly more profitable than other units within the Company; a business unit where compensation expense is a significant percentage of the business unit’s revenue; or compensation programs that vary significantly from our overall risk and reward structure of the Company, such as when bonuses are awarded upon accomplishment of a task, while the income and risk to the Company from that completed task extend over a significantly longer period of time. We also do not have any compensation programs for director and above employees that benefit any individual or group of individuals based on the performance of that individual or group.
The Company maintains separate bonus programs for three organizations that are based on that organization’s performance; however, the number of participants and the payments under these programs are small and capped and no executives participate in the programs.

 

 

All of our performance-based compensation programs are based on overall corporate performance, rather than the performance of any business unit or group.

For a discussion of the principles underlying our compensation policies for our executive officers who are named in the “Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table,” see the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” beginning on page 52.44.

Oversight of Sustainability and Related Matters

We strive to operate a sustainable business that has the ability to serve our stakeholders over the long-term. We have long recognized the importance of environmental and social issues and have developed an integrated and transparent approach to oversight, management, measurement, assurance and reporting of these issues.

 

Annual Meeting Attendance

34

Our Governance Guidelines provide that each of our directors is expected to attend our annual meeting of stockholders, except where unusual circumstances arise. All of the directors who were then serving in office attended our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders.LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement

Director Continuing Education

Non-employee directors are encouraged to attend seminars, conferences and other director education programs periodically. We reimburse the directors for the costs associated with these seminars and conferences, including related travel expenses. Management also conducts a comprehensive orientation process for new directors. In addition, directors receive continuing education through educational sessions at meetings and mailings between meetings.


 

Communications with the Board of Directors and Non-Management Directors

The Board of Directors has approved procedures to facilitate communications between the directors and employees, stockholders and other interested third parties. Pursuant to these procedures, a person who desires to contact the Board of Directors, a standing committee of the Board of Directors or a director may do so in writing to the following address:

American Airlines Group Inc.We periodically conduct sustainability-focused materiality assessment processes, most recently in early 2023, that serve as the foundation of our analysis of areas of risk and opportunity. And, through ongoing engagement across our Company and with a broad range of external stakeholders, we validate and, as needed, refine our assessment based on the input we receive and changes in our operating environment. We also continually monitor trends, standards and practices relevant to our industry, and look to widely-adopted external reporting frameworks, including the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, as key indicators of stakeholder perspectives on the most significant environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities for our company.

The Board of Directors

P.O. Box 619616, MD 5675

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas 75261-9616In 2023, these activities affirmed our focus on the following priority issues:

 

 Our Vice President

Safety

Human capital

Customer satisfaction and Deputy General Counsel, or someone acting on his behalf, will review the communications with the directors, a standing committee of the Board of Directors or an officer, in each case depending on the factsoperational performance

Climate change and circumstances outlined in the communication. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee also reviews with senior management the nature of the communications and our responses to them. Any communication relating to a stockholder nominee for a position on the Board of Directors or a stockholder proposal for business to be considered at any annual meeting of stockholders or included in any proxy statement will be sent to the Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.fuel efficiency

Driving progress across all these issues is a key objective for American. Many of these issues are not new for our Company—indeed, a key reason American has thrived for nearly a century is because we have long recognized the importance of these issues. At the same time, we recognize that the business landscape is evolving rapidly and that we must be ready to address new areas if and when they emerge. Over time we have worked to develop a more integrated approach to our management of key risks and opportunities. We will continue to seek stakeholder input while also closely monitoring emerging practices and trends.

Safety. Our commitment to safety, security and continuous improvement is at the foundation of our operations. Our Chief Executive Officer retains ultimate responsibility and authority for American’s safety culture and performance, while the Board’s Safety Committee has formal oversight responsibilities for safety. The Board receives regular updates on key safety performance metrics and programs throughout the year.

Human capital. Our Compensation Committee has oversight responsibility for our human capital issues, including team member compensation, benefits, engagement, talent development and diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”). Our Board receives updates on these topics quarterly, and our full Board reviews union relations regularly in its meetings.

Customer satisfaction and operational performance. We fly to more than 300 destinations in the United States and internationally, and we are committed to providing our customers with a world-class travel experience and running a reliable operation. We continued to rigorously measure and track our operational performance and customer satisfaction in 2023, efforts that led to further improvements in our operations and the services we provide. Our full Board reviews customer satisfaction and operational performance regularly in its meetings.

Climate change and fuel efficiency. The CGPR Committee has primary responsibility for oversight of the Company’s sustainability strategy (including climate change risks and opportunities), objectives, efforts, progress and achievements. In 2022, we formally assigned responsibility for oversight of our climate change strategy at the management level to our Chief Executive Officer.

As we reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have established ambitious goals to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions by 2050. We have also set an intermediate science-based target to drive progress toward that goal. Our strategy for reaching net zero emissions by 2050 is focused on running a more fuel-efficient operation, with more fuel-efficient aircraft, increasingly powered by lower-carbon fuel. Achieving our ambitious climate goals will require significant action and investments by governments, manufacturers and other stakeholders. We are committed to engaging with our stakeholders to seek to advance these initiatives, and we have dedicated resources to advance our progress.

We are committed to providing regular and transparent information about our strategies and performance on the sustainability issues that are most important to our company and our stakeholders. We have produced an annual report on these topics since 2007, and we intend to continue providing our stakeholders with information on our sustainability performance annually. We align our reporting with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, and we monitor evolving disclosure standards for best practices. Our most recent such report is available at www.aa.com/esgreport but is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

LOGO

35

2024 Proxy Statement


In 2023, the Company was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the first time, one of only two passenger airlines included in the index. The Company was also named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the third year in a row. The recognition is a testament to the Company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, including our efforts to transition to a low-carbon airline over time, invest in our team members, and provide regular and transparent ESG disclosures.

Codes of Ethics

Our employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, and our directors are governed by one of two codes of ethics of the Company (collectively, the “Codes of Ethics”). The Codes of Ethics have been approved by our Board and require our employees and directors to conduct Company business in the highest legal and ethical manner. The Codes of Ethics meet the requirements of a “code of ethics” as defined by Item 406 of Regulation S-K and the requirements of a code of business conduct and ethics under applicable Nasdaq listing standards. The full texts of the Codes of Ethics and further details regarding the scope of each of the Codes of Ethics are available on our website at www.aa.com under the links “Investor Relations”—“Corporate Governance.” We will also provide a copy of the Codes of Ethics to stockholders, free of charge, upon request to our Corporate Secretary. Any amendments to or waivers from the Codes of Ethics will be posted at this location on our website as required by applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules.

Public Policy Engagement and Political Participation

Engagement in the political, legislative and regulatory process is important to the success of the Company. Compliance and oversight of our public policy and political engagement is provided by our Executive Vice President and Chief Government Affairs Officer, who reports to the Chief Executive Officer. At the Board level, the CGPR Committee is responsible for reviewing and assessing the Company’s public policy and political activities. The Company’s Statement on Public Policy Engagement and Political Participation is available at www.aa.com/esg, but is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

We do not use corporate funds to contribute to candidates, political party committees or political action committees, including Super PACs and political committees organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code to promote the election or defeat of candidates for office. We do not use corporate funds to make independent political expenditures or electioneering communications. If the Company makes payments to other tax-exempt organizations, such as 501(c)(4)s, that the recipient may use for political purposes, we will publicly disclose those payments on our corporate website. On rare occasions, we may use corporate funds to support or oppose state and local ballot initiatives if we believe an initiative would materially affect our business or the transportation infrastructure in the communities we serve. If we make any such contribution, we will disclose the amount and recipient on our corporate website.

As part of our public policy engagement, we are members of several trade and industry associations, and we disclose on our corporate website a full list of the Company’s trade association memberships for which our fees exceed $25,000. We also disclose the non-deductible portion of the dues we pay our major trade associations.

For further information, please see our Statement on Public Policy Engagement and Political Participation, available on our website at www.aa.com under the links “About us”—“Corporate Governance.”

Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging

Our insider trading policy prohibits the members of our Board, our executive officers, managing directors and director-level employees and our other employees with any regular access to material non-public information, from hedging the economic risk of security ownership. This prohibition includes options trading on any of the stock exchanges or futures exchanges, as well as customized derivative or hedging transactions with third parties, such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts with respect to Company securities. In addition, the members of our Board and such employees are prohibited from pledging Company securities to secure margin or other loans.

Annual Meeting Attendance

Our Governance Guidelines provide that each of our directors is expected to attend our Annual Meeting of stockholders, except where unusual circumstances arise. All of the directors who were on our Board at the time attended our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.

36

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Director Continuing Education

Non-employee directors are encouraged to attend seminars, conferences and other director education programs periodically. We reimburse the directors for the costs associated with these seminars and conferences, including related travel expenses. Management also conducts a comprehensive orientation process for new directors. In addition, directors receive continuing education through educational sessions at meetings and mailings between meetings.

Communications with the Board and Non-Management Directors

The Board has approved procedures to facilitate communications between the directors and employees, stockholders and other interested third parties. Pursuant to these procedures, a person who desires to contact the Board, a standing committee of the Board or a director may do so in writing to the following address:

American Airlines Group Inc.

The Board of Directors

MD8B503

1 Skyview Drive,

Fort Worth, Texas 76155

We will review the communications with the directors, a standing committee of the Board or an officer, in each case depending on the facts and circumstances outlined in the communication. The CGPR Committee also reviews with senior management the nature of the communications and our responses to them. Any communication relating to a stockholder nominee for a position on the Board or a stockholder proposal for business to be considered at any annual meeting of stockholders or included in any proxy statement will be sent to the Chair of the CGPR Committee. Our Independent Chair has been designated as the primary director representative for consultation and direct communication with our stockholders.

Stockholder Engagement

Our stockholder engagement program is designed to share relevant updates with our investors and to better understand their perspectives on key challenges at the Company and in the broader airline industry and capital markets. These conversations play a critical role in informing our corporate governance practices, executive compensation program, and sustainability initiatives and reporting, among other topics. In 2023, we contacted stockholders representing approximately 40% of outstanding shares, and held discussions with investors representing nearly 20% of our outstanding shares. We also held engagements with the leading proxy advisor firms. Our Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary led the majority of our off-season engagements with involvement from our Vice President, Investor Relations, Vice President, Sustainability and other members of management as appropriate. Greg Smith, our Independent Chairman, and Denise O’Leary, our Compensation Committee Chair, also participated in select engagements.

Detailed stockholder feedback received during our 2023 engagement program was shared directly with the Board’s CGPR and Compensation Committees , which helped inform American’s decision-making processes and disclosures. Additionally, we shared the most impactful takeaways from these engagements with the full Board to supplement the reports from those Committee Chairs. We plan to continue discussions with stockholders during the 2024 proxy season.

2023 Engagement Feedback

During our engagements with stockholders, we received feedback on American’s corporate governance and leadership practices, sustainability initiatives and investments and executive compensation program and actions. Please see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Stockholder Engagement on Executive Compensation” on page 57, for a discussion of engagements related to our executive compensation program.

Governance and Leadership Feedback: Stockholders recognized that American implemented a comprehensive leadership team transition during the pandemic amidst an extremely challenging operating environment. Investors were interested to learn about our approach to Board and executive succession planning, including the processes that led to appointing Robert Isom as CEO and electing Greg Smith as our first Independent Chair. We also discussed how we use Board refreshment to ensure that we have the right combination of diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences to effectively oversee American’s strategy and drive long-term stockholder value creation. Specifically, we highlighted the

LOGO

37

2024 Proxy Statement


addition of four new independent directors since 2020 – Vicente Reynal (2022), Greg Smith (2022), Adriane Brown (2021), and Doug Steenland (2020) – and the retirement of three longer-tenured directors in 2023 – Doug Parker, James Albaugh, and Ray Robinson. We also discussed our Board’s ongoing work to continue to identify potential director candidates with the appropriate skills for our Company.

In addition, we shared recent changes to the structure and leadership of our Board committees. In 2023, American separated the oversight of compliance with safety policies and the management of the associated risks (formerly addressed by the now CGPR Committee) to a new, standalone Safety Committee, chaired by Adriane Brown. We also refreshed the leadership of two committees – Doug Steenland was appointed Finance Committee Chair and Martin Nesbitt was appointed CGPR Committee Chair. Several of our discussions focused on the Board’s oversight of risk management against the backdrop of this committee structure.

Sustainability Feedback: Stockholders were interested in discussing aspects of our strategy that relate to climate change and our team members. An area of particular interest was our support of, and investments in, the technological and industry potential for scaling the production of sustainable aviation fuel. Stockholders also expressed an interest in understanding more about how we consider, align, and measure progress towards climate and DEI goals in our compensation program. We also received positive feedback from stockholders regarding the quality and transparency of our Sustainability Report.

38

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The table below provides information regarding compensation we paid to our non-employee directors in 2015.2023. The compensation elements are described in the narrative following the table. W. Douglas Parker,Robert Isom, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and a director, is not included in the table because he is an employeea “named executive officer” for 2023 and receives nohis compensation for his service as Chairman or as a memberis disclosed in the “Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table” beginning on page 64 of the Board of Directors.this Proxy Statement.

 

Name

  Fees Earned
or Paid
in Cash
($) (a)
   Stock
Awards
    ($) (b) (c)    
   Option
Awards
    ($) (c)    
   Change in
Pension Value
and Non-
Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings ($)
   All Other
Compensation
($) (d)
       Total 
    ($)
 

James F. Albaugh

   115,000     140,000     0     0     17,405     272,405  

Jeffrey D. Benjamin

   115,000     140,000     0     0     32,021     287,021  

John T. Cahill

   147,500     140,000     0     0     40,579     328,079  

Michael J. Embler

   117,500     140,000     0     0     28,676     286,176  

Matthew J. Hart

   125,000     140,000     0     0     31,685     296,685  

Alberto Ibargüen

   117,500     140,000     0     0     11,168     268,668  

Richard C. Kraemer

   117,500     140,000     0     0     41,980     299,480  

Susan D. Kronick(e)

   12,600     0     0     0     3,145     15,745  

Martin H. Nesbitt(e)

   12,600     0     0     0     9,317     21,917  

Denise M. O’Leary

   115,000     140,000     0     0     18,368     273,368  

Ray M. Robinson

   117,500     140,000     0     0     19,201     276,701  

Richard P. Schifter

   117,500     140,000     0     0     29,338     286,838  
  Name    

Fees Earned

or Paid

in Cash

($)(a)

    

Stock

Awards

($)(b)

    

All Other

Compensation

($)(c)

    

Total

($)

    

Jim Albaugh(d)

     65,000          -    217,293    282,293 

Jeff Benjamin

    130,000    150,000     40,748    320,748 

Adriane Brown

    140,000    150,000     11,184    301,184 

John Cahill

    139,890    150,000     32,568    322,458 

Mike Embler

    140,000    150,000     26,482    316,482 

Matt Hart

    147,500    150,000     23,180    320,680 

Sue Kronick

    140,000    150,000     20,414    310,414 

Marty Nesbitt

    140,000    150,000     46,592    336,592 

Denise O’Leary

    150,000    150,000     13,350    313,350 

Doug Parker(d)

    500,000          -    291,021    791,021 

Vicente Reynal

    115,000    150,000     31,652    296,652 

Ray Robinson(d)

     65,000          -    433,103    498,103 

Greg Smith

    109,890    350,000     46,808    506,698 

Doug Steenland

    140,000    150,000     17,630    307,630    

 

(a)

The amounts represent the aggregate dollar amount of all fees the directors earned or were paid in 20152023 for service as a director, including annual retainer, committee, chair meeting and lead independent director fees.

 

(b)

The amounts represent the aggregate grant date fair value, as calculated in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718, of 3,246(i) 10,460 RSUs granted to each non-employeedirector, (otherother than Ms. KronickMessrs. Albaugh, Parker and Mr. Nesbitt)Robinson, on June 3, 2015,May 10, 2023, with a grant date fair value of $150,000, which will vest fully on June 3, 2016,May 10, 2024, subject to the continued service of the director through the vesting date and (ii) 13,947 additional RSUs granted to Mr. Smith on May 10, 2023, with a grant date fair value of $200,000, for his service as Independent Chairman, which will vest on May 10, 2024, subject to the continued service of the director through the vesting date. The grant date fair value, as calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718, of time-based RSUs is equal to the number of shares underlying the RSUs, multiplied by the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of grant. As of December 31, 2023, each of our non-employee directors, other than Messrs. Smith and Parker, held 10,460 RSUs. As of December 31, 2023, Mr. Smith held 24,407 RSUs (which includes the additional RSUs granted to him on May 10, 2023) and Mr. Parker held 88,443 performance-vesting RSUs (based on target attainment level), which were granted in his role as Chief Executive Officer and continue to be subject to performance-vesting conditions. No non-employee directors held any other outstanding equity awards.

 

(c)The table below shows the aggregate number of outstanding options and stock awards held by each of our directors at December 31, 2015.

Name

  Options   RSUs 

James F. Albaugh

   0     3,246  

Jeffrey D. Benjamin

   0     3,246  

John T. Cahill

   0     3,246  

Michael J. Embler

   0     3,246  

Matthew J. Hart

   7,906     3,246  

Alberto Ibargüen

   0     3,246  

Richard C. Kraemer

   8,250     3,246  

Susan D. Kronick

   0     0  

Martin H. Nesbitt

   0     0  

Denise M. O’Leary

   8,250     3,246  

Ray M. Robinson

   0     3,246  

Richard P. Schifter

   0     3,246  

(d)The amounts include (i) the value of flight privileges received in 2015,2023, (ii) for Messrs. Albaugh, Parker and Robinson, the value of lifetime flight privileges available to them, respectively, upon their retirement from board service, and (iii) tax reimbursements that we paid to our directors in 20162023 for flight privileges provided to them in 2015 and dividends accrued and paid on RSUs upon vesting in 2015.2023. Amounts also include the portion of the premiums paid by us on behalf of Messrs.Mr. Hart Kraemer and Schifter and Ms. O’Leary for a life insurance policy under the America West Directors’ Charitable Contribution Program, which is described more fully below in the section entitled “Legacy Director Compensation Programs.Programs,

Name

      Flight
    Privileges
($)
   Tax
  Gross-Up ($)  
   Dividends ($)   Insurance
Premiums ($)
 

James F. Albaugh

   8,686     6,514     2,205     0  

Jeffrey D. Benjamin

   17,038     12,778     2,205     0  

John T. Cahill

   21,928     16,446     2,205     0  

Michael J. Embler

   15,126     11,345     2,205     0  

Matthew J. Hart

   9,953     7,465     2,205     12,062  

Alberto Ibargüen

   5,122     3,841     2,205     0  

Richard C. Kraemer

   15,862     11,897     2,205     12,016  

Susan D. Kronick

   1,797     1,348     0     0  

Martin H. Nesbitt

   5,324     3,993     0     0  

Denise M. O’Leary

   6,970     5,227     2,205     3,966  

Ray M. Robinson

   9,712     7,284     2,205     0  

Richard P. Schifter

   8,638     6,479     2,205     12,016  

(e)Ms. Kronick and Mr. Nesbitt were appointeda contribution made to the Board on November 11, 2015. They received a partial cash retainercharities of their choice for each of Messrs. Albaugh and Robinson in connection with their retirement from the partial quarterBoard. Each of these amounts are set forth in which they served during the fourth quarter 2015 and a prorated grant of 1,767 RSUs on January 27, 2016 that veststable below. Flight privileges are valued based on the date ofimputed taxable income to the Annual Meeting.director, which valuation is greater than the incremental cost to the Company.

 

Director Compensation

LOGO

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee periodically reviews the overall compensation of our directors in consultation with

39

2024 Proxy Statement


Name

  

Flight

Privileges

($)

 

Tax

Gross-Up

on Flight

Privileges

($)

 

Insurance

Premiums

($)

  

Charitable
Awards

($)

Jim Albaugh(d)

    178,765(e)    13,528(e)       25,000

Jeff Benjamin

    20,374   20,374     

Adriane Brown

    5,592   5,592     

John Cahill

    16,284   16,284     

Mike Embler

    13,241   13,241     

Matt Hart

    5,559   5,559   12,062   

Sue Kronick

    10,207   10,207     

Marty Nesbitt

    23,296   23,296     

Denise O’Leary

    4,692   4,692   3,966   

Doug Parker(d)

    265,746(e)    19,035(e)    6,240   

Vicente Reynal

    15,826   15,826     

Ray Robinson(d)

    384,929(e)    23,174(e)       25,000

Greg Smith

    23,404   23,404     

Doug Steenland

    8,815   8,815           

(d)

Mr. Parker retired from the Board on April 30, 2023, and Messrs. Albaugh and Robinson did not stand for re-election at the 2023 annual meeting of Directorsstockholders.

(e)

For Messrs. Albaugh, Parker and Robinson, includes $13,528, $19,035 and $23,174, respectively, for the value of flight privileges received in 2023, and $165,237, $246,711 and $361,755, respectively, for the value of lifetime flight privileges available to them upon their retirement from Board service. The service of Messrs. Albaugh, Parker and Robinson on our Board exceeded seven years as of the date of their retirement from our Board. As a result, they were entitled to lifetime flight privileges. The value of the lifetime flight privileges reflects the present value of future travel calculated using a discount rate of 5.3% and Pri-2012 Employee Table, with white collar adjustments, increased by 3.0% at all ages, and then projected generationally from 2012 with Scale MP-2021, and assumes the assistanceannual level of our managementusage is the same as the director’s actual usage for 2023 with a valuation based on imputed income and from time to time,a 1% annual increase in the committee’s compensation consultant, Willis Towers Watson. The Boardcost of Directors determines any changes to directortravel.

Director Compensation

The Compensation Committee will periodically review the overall compensation of our directors in consultation with the Board and, from time to time, the assistance of the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee has authority to retain and terminate any outside advisors, such as compensation consultants and legal counsel, and to determine their compensation.

Annual Retainers and Grants of RSUs. For 2023, the compensation for our non-employee directors included the following cash-based annual retainers:

an annual retainer of $100,000 for service on the Board;

 

 Annual Retainers

an annual retainer of $15,000 for service on each of the Audit, Compensation, CGPR, Finance or Safety Committees; and

 

 For 2015,

an annual retainer of $25,000 for service as the compensationChair of the Audit Committee and an annual retainer of $20,000 for our non-employee directors includedservice as the following cash-based annual retainers:Chair of each of the Compensation, CGPR, Finance or Safety Committees.

On the date of the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, each continuing non-employee director received a number of RSUs equal to $150,000 divided by the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of the annual meeting. Each of the RSU awards granted to our non-employee directors will vest fully on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of grant or the date of the next annual meeting of stockholders, subject to the continued service of the non-employee director through the vesting date.

an annual

In connection with the Board’s CEO succession planning, on June 8, 2022, the Board approved the retainer payable to Mr. Parker for his service as non-employee Chairman of the Board, consisting of a quarterly cash retainer of $90,000 for$250,000, payable in arrears, and a grant of 185,758 RSUs vesting in full upon the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the date of grant or (ii) the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders in 2023, subject to Mr. Parker’s continued service onto the

40

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Company through the vesting date or acceleration by the Board of Directors;

an annual retainer of $15,000 for service onin accordance with the Audit Committee, and an annual retainer of $12,500 for service on eachterms of the Compensation, Corporate Governance2013 Plan. The Board determined that this grant was necessary to retain Mr. Parker in the role of Chairman of the Board in order to ensure a successful transition in leadership following the most challenging time in our industry’s history.

In February 2023, we announced the retirement of Mr. Parker from the Board on April 30, 2023 and Nominating, or Finance Committees;

an annual retainerelection of $20,000Greg Smith as the Company’s Independent Chairman effective April 30, 2023. The Board has approved for Mr. Smith’s service as the ChairIndependent Chairman an additional annual RSU grant with a grant date fair value of the Audit Committee, and an annual retainer of $15,000 for service as the Chair of each of the Compensation, Corporate Governance and Nominating, or Finance Committees; and
$200,000. Mr. Cahill also received an additional annual retainer of $30,000 for his service as our Lead Independent Director.
Director through April 30, 2023.

Other Compensation. As is customary in the airline industry, we provide our directors with flight benefits. During the period of time they serve on the Board, non-employee directors are entitled to complimentary personal air travel for the non-employee director and his or her immediate family members on American and American Eagle, 12 round-trip or 24 one-way passes for complimentary air travel for the non-employee director’s family and friends each year, as well as American Airlines Admirals Club® membership, and AAdvantage® ConciergeKeySM program status. Non-employee directors receive a tax gross-up for imputed taxable income related to these flight benefits. In addition, these travel benefits (except for the tax gross-up) will be provided (i) for a non-employee director’s lifetime if he or she has served as a director for seven or more years or (ii) for five years if he or she has served for less than seven but more than two years. Non-employee directors will also be reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings upon submission of receipts.

In addition, the company purchases tickets to certain sporting and other events in advance for business purposes. On occasion, unused tickets purchased are made available for personal use by our directors or other employees. These tickets typically result in no incremental cost to the company.

Legacy Director Compensation Programs

Following the closing of the merger with US Airways, the America West Directors’ Charitable Contribution Program (the “Charitable Contribution Program”), a legacy director compensation program, continues to be in effect. America West established the Charitable Contribution Program under which all directors of America West were invited to participate. This program was discontinued for new directors following the merger between America West and US Airways in 2005. During 2023, the directors who were participants in the Charitable Contribution Program were Messrs. Hart and Parker and Ms. O’Leary. The charitable contributions will be substantially funded by life insurance proceeds from policies maintained by us on the lives of the participants. Under the terms of the Charitable Contribution Program, America West was allowed to place joint life insurance on two directors. The life insurance policies currently in place under the Charitable Contribution Program are structured as joint policies on the lives of two directors and the insurance benefits are payable at the death of the last survivor. Individual directors derive no direct financial benefit from the Charitable Contribution Program because all insurance proceeds are to be paid by us, and all tax deductions for the charitable contributions accrue solely to us.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

We adopted stock ownership guidelines for our non-employee directors in January 2014. Non-employee directors are required to hold a number of shares of stock equal to the lesser of either (i) five times the director’s annual cash retainer or (ii) 15,000 shares of our Common Stock. Ownership is determined based on the combined value of the following director holdings: (a) shares owned outright or by immediate family members residing in the same household or in a trust for the benefit of the director or an immediate family member; (b) Common Stock, stock units or other stock equivalents obtained through the exercise of stock appreciation rights (“SARs”)/stock options or vesting of equity awards; (c) unvested equity awards granted under any equity and deferral plans; and (d) other stock or stock equivalent awards determined by the CGPR Committee. Non-employee directors have five years from the later of: (i) the date the guidelines were adopted and (ii) the date the individual became a director to comply with the stock ownership guidelines. Under the stock ownership guidelines, until a non-employee director has reached the minimum ownership guideline, such director may not sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of any equity awards except to the extent such sales do not cumulatively exceed 50% of such shares. Each of our directors with a compliance date before the date of this Proxy Statement owns shares that exceed the minimum stock ownership guidelines.

 

Effective January 27, 2016, at the recommendation of Willis Towers Watson and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, the Board of Directors approved increasing the annual retainer for service on the Board of Directors by $10,000, the annual retainer for service on the Compensation, Corporate Governance and Nominating, or Finance Committees by $2,500 and the annual retainer for service as Chair of the Compensation, Corporate Governance and Nominating, or Finance Committees by $5,000.

LOGO

 Annual Grants of RSUs

41

 On the date of the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, each continuing non-employee director received a number of RSUs equal to $140,000 divided by the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of the annual meeting. The RSUs will vest fully on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of grant or the date of the next annual meeting of stockholders, subject to the continued service of the non-employee director through the vesting date. Effective January 27, 2016, at the recommendation of Willis Towers Watson and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, the Board of Directors approved increasing the annual grant value by $10,000.

2024 Proxy Statement

The cash retainers payable to new directors and RSU awards granted to any directors first appointed on dates other than an annual meeting are prorated.


LOGO

 

Other Compensation

Non-employee directors are entitled to complimentary personal air travel for thenon-employee director and his or her immediate family members on American; 12 round-trip or 24 one-way passes for complimentary air travel each year, as well as American Airlines Admirals Club® membership, and AAdvantage® Executive Platinum and ConciergeKeySM program status. Non-employee directors will receive a tax gross-up for imputed taxable income related to these flight privileges. These benefits (except for the tax gross-up) will be provided (i) for a non-employee director’s lifetime if he or she has served for seven or more years or has otherwise vested in such benefits by virtue of the Merger or service with a predecessor airline or (ii) for five years if he or she has served for less than seven but more than two years. Non-employee directors will also be reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings upon submission of receipts.

Some of our current directors are eligible to continue participation under certain legacy programs related to service for predecessor companies, as described below.

Legacy Director Compensation Programs

Following the closing of the Merger, certain legacy director compensation programs continue to be in effect, including the America West Directors’ Charitable Contribution Program (the “Charitable Contribution Program”).

In 1994, America West established the Charitable Contribution Program under which all directors of America West were invited to participate. This program was discontinued for new directors following the merger between America West and US Airways in 2005. Under the Charitable Contribution Program, upon the death of a participant, America West (or its successor) is required to donate $1 million to one or more qualifying charitable organizations chosen by the participant. All participants serving as directors of America West at the time of the merger became vested in the Charitable Contribution Program, and the Charitable Contribution Program may not be terminated with respect to these individuals. The current directors who are participants in the Charitable Contribution Program are: Ms. O’Leary and Messrs. Hart, Kraemer, Parker and Schifter. The charitable contributions will be substantially funded by life insurance proceeds from policies maintained by us on the lives of the participants. Under the terms of the Charitable Contribution Program, America West was allowed to place joint life insurance on two directors. The life insurance policies currently in place under the Charitable Contribution Program are structured as joint policies on the lives of two directors and the insurance benefits are payable at the death of the last survivor. Individual directors derive no direct financial benefit from the Charitable Contribution Program because all insurance proceeds are to be paid by us, and all tax deductions for the charitable contributions accrue solely to us.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

We adopted stock ownership guidelines for our non-employee directors in January 2014. Non-employee directors are required to hold a number of shares of stock equal to the lesser of either (i) five times the director’s annual cash retainer or (ii) 15,000 shares of our Common Stock. Ownership is determined based on the combined value of the following director holdings: (a) shares owned outright or by immediate family members residing in the same household or in a trust for the benefit of the director or an immediate family member; (b) Common Stock, stock units or other stock equivalents obtained through the exercise of SARs/stock options or vesting of equity awards; (c) unvested equity awards granted under any equity and deferral plans; and (d) other stock or stock equivalent awards determined by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Non-employee directors have five years from the later of: (i) the date the guidelines were adopted and (ii) the date the individual became a director to comply with the stock ownership guidelines. Under the stock ownership guidelines, until a non-employee director has reached the minimum ownership guideline, such director may not sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of any equity awards except to the extent such sales do not cumulatively exceed 50% of such shares.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Since January 1, 2023, the Company has not participated in, nor is there currently planned, any transaction or series of similar transactions with any of the Company’s directors, nominees, executive officers, holders of more than 5% of Common Stock or any member of such person’s immediate family that is required to be reported under Regulation S-K Item 404(a) of the rules of the SEC, other than the following: in October 2023, the Company committed to a donation of $2,500,000, to be paid over a five-year period, to a non-profit organization founded by our former Chairman, Doug Parker, called Breaking Down Barriers, whose mission is to remove the barriers that exist for underrepresented young adults to have rewarding careers in aviation, particularly as pilots. This donation was approved by the Audit Committee in accordance with the Company’s policies.

We have entered into indemnity agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide, among other things, that we will indemnify each such officer or director, under the circumstances and to the extent provided for in the indemnity agreements, for expenses, damages, judgments, fines and settlements he or she may be required to pay in actions or proceedings in which he or she is or may be made a party by reason of his or her position as a director, officer or other agent of the Company.

Policies and Procedures for Review and Approval of Related Person Transactions

We believe that business decisions and actions taken by our officers, directors and employees should be based on the best interests of the Company and must not be motivated by personal considerations or relationships. We attempt to analyze all transactions in which we participate and in which a related person may have a direct or indirect material interest, both due to the potential for a conflict of interest and to determine whether disclosure of the transaction is required under applicable SEC rules and regulations. Related persons include any of our directors or executive officers, certain of our stockholders and immediate family members of any of the above persons. The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving all significant conflicts of interest and related party transactions in accordance with our company policies.

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s private interest interferes, or appears to interfere, in any way with the interests of the Company. Our Codes of Ethics require our employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Controller, who is our principal accounting officer, and our directors who may have a potential or apparent conflict of interest to fully disclose all the relevant facts to either the Chair of the Audit Committee or the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, as applicable. Once the Chair of the Audit Committee or the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer receives notice of a conflict of interest, they will report the relevant facts to our internal auditors. The internal auditors will then consult with the Audit Committee and a determination will be made as to whether the activity is permissible. The full texts of our Codes of Ethics are available on our website at www.aa.com under the links “About Us”—“Corporate Governance.”

 

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

42

Since January 1, 2015, the Company has not participated in, nor is there currently planned, any transaction or series of similar transactions with any of the Company’s directors, nominees, executive officers, holders of more than 5% of Common Stock or any member of such person’s immediate family that is required to be reported under Regulation S-K Item 404(a) of the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement

We have entered into indemnity agreements with our officers and directors that provide, among other things, that we will indemnify each such officer or director, under the circumstances and to the extent provided for in the indemnity agreements, for expenses, damages, judgments, fines and settlements he or she may be required to pay in actions or proceedings in which he or she is or may be made a party by reason of his or her position as a director, officer or other agent of the Company.


LOGO

 

Policies and Procedures For Review and Approval of Related Person Transactions

We believe that business decisions and actions taken by our officers, directors and employees should be based on the best interests of the Company, and must not be motivated by personal considerations or relationships. We attempt to analyze all transactions in which we participate and in which a related person may have a direct or indirect material interest, both due to the potential for a conflict of interest and to determine whether disclosure of the transaction is required under applicable SEC rules and regulations. Related persons include any of our directors or executive officers, certain of our stockholders and immediate family members of any of the above persons. The Audit Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving all significant conflicts of interest and related party transactions in accordance with our Company policies.

A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s private interest interferes, or appears to interfere, in any way with the interests of the Company. Our Codes of Ethics require our employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, and our directors who may have a potential or apparent conflict of interest to fully disclose all the relevant facts to either the Chair of the Audit Committee or the Chief Compliance Officer, as applicable. Once the Chair of the Audit Committee or the Chief Compliance Officer receives notice of a conflict of interest, they will report the relevant facts to our internal auditors. The internal auditors will then consult with the Audit Committee and a determination will be made as to whether the activity is permissible. The full texts of our Codes of Ethics are available on our website atwww.aa.com under the links “Investor Relations”—“Corporate Governance.”

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with our management our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20152023 (the “Audited Financial Statements”).

The Audit Committee has discussed with KPMG, our independent registered public accounting firm, the matters required to be discussed with the Audit Committee under the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Auditing Standard No. 16.and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from KPMG regarding its independence as required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding KPMG’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, has discussed with KPMG its independence and has considered the compatibility of the non-audit services provided by KPMG with respect to maintenance of that independence.

In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board, of Directors, and the Board of Directors has approved, that the Audited Financial Statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015,2023, for filing with the SEC.

Respectfully submitted,

Audit Committee

Matthew J.Matt Hart (Chair)

Adriane Brown

John T. Cahill

Michael J. EmblerMarty Nesbitt

Alberto Ibargüen

Martin H. Nesbitt

This report of the Audit Committee is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to the SEC’s proxy rules or the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, and the report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any prior or subsequent filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the Exchange Act.

LOGO

43

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Overview

Overview

This section discusses the principles underlying our compensation policies for our “named executive officers” who for 2015 are:

W. Douglas Parker, our Chairmanperformance and Chief Executive Officer;
J. Scott Kirby,the principles underlying our President;
Derek J. Kerr,compensation policies for our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;
Robert D. Isom, Jr., our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; and
Stephen L. Johnson, our Executive Vice President—Corporate Affairs.
“named executive officers,” who for 2023 were:

 

 As described more fully below, our compensation strategy is designed to provide a total compensation package that will not only attract and retain high-caliber executive officers and employees, but one that will also align employee contributions with our corporate objectives and stockholders’ interests.

Executive Summary

Strong 2015 Results

Fiscal year 2015 was a strong year strategically and financially for us, and for our stockholders, customers and employees. In just two years following AMR’s emergence from bankruptcy and the Merger, we have achieved record financial results and made significant progress towards completing the integration of American. These results would not have been possible without the efforts of our more than 115,000 employees. Highlights of our 2015 results include:

In 2014, the first year following the Merger, excluding net special charges, our net profit was a record $4.2 billion, or $5.70 per diluted share. In 2015, we exceeded that by 50% with a net profit, excluding special credits of a record $6.3 billion, or $9.12 per diluted share. See Annex A for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial information.
For 2015, we realized GAAP net profit of $7.6 billion, compared to 2014 GAAP net profit of $2.9 billion, an increase of 164%.
 We have made significant progress towards completing our integration and assuring that customers reap the benefits of the combination of the American and US Airways networks. In March 2015, we integrated the American Airlines AAdvantage® and US Airways Dividend Miles® frequent flyer programs, re-banked our Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago O’Hare hubs, and in April 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted us a single operating certificate (SOC). In October 2015, we completed the migration of our reservation system, which resulted in no operational or customer disruption.

We have made great strides on the labor front since the Merger closed by reaching twelve new collective bargaining agreements, including a new five-year joint collective bargaining agreement (“JCBA”) with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants for the airline’s combined 24,000 flight attendants, a new five-year JCBA with the Allied Pilots Association representing the carrier’s 15,000 pilots, three 10-year agreements with the Air Line Pilots Association representing the 3,300 pilots at our wholly-owned subsidiaries PSA Airlines, Inc., Piedmont Airlines, Inc. and Envoy Aviation Group Inc., a new JCBA with the Communications Workers of America and International

Brotherhood of Teamsters applicable to 14,500 passenger service employees and a new collective bargaining agreement applicable to over 400 dispatchers and operations specialists.

In 2015, we continued our fleet renewal program by investing more than $5.3 billion in new aircraft, providing the Company with the youngest and most modern fleet of the four largest U.S. airlines. In 2015, we took delivery of 75 new mainline aircraft while retiring 112 aircraft. We also added 52 regional aircraft to our fleet while we removed 31 regional aircraft from the fleet. This program will continue, and in 2016 we plan to take delivery of 55 new mainline aircraft while adding 49 regional aircraft. We expect to remove 92 mainline aircraft and 29 regional aircraft from our fleet in 2016. With these new deliveries our mainline average age will drop below ten years, further widening the age gap between American and our peers. The Company also introduced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the fleet, taking delivery of 13 aircraft of the 42 on order.
In 2015, we paid total cash dividends of $278 million and returned $3.6 billion to our stockholders through stock repurchases. We repurchased a total of 85.1 million shares in 2015 and since the program began in July 2014, we have returned $6.1 billion to stockholders by repurchasing over 147.9 million shares (through March 31, 2016).
We expanded the airline’s global footprint by adding 38 new routes, including 18 domestic and 20 international. Notable new routes include Dallas/Fort Worth to Beijing, Los Angeles to Sydney and Los Angeles to Mexico City. Los Angeles to Auckland is scheduled to begin in June 2016, Los Angeles to Hong Kong in September 2016, and we applied for the route authority to fly from Los Angeles to Beijing.
In March 2015, we were added to the S&P 500 Index. The last time AMR was included in the S&P 500 was 2003.
American received, for the 14th consecutive year, the highest possible ranking by the Human Rights Campaign in the 2016 Corporate Equality Index, a nationally recognized benchmark of America’s top workplaces for inclusion of LGBT employees.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced American is now ranked 43rd on their Fortune 500 list of the largest green power users.
For the fourth consecutive year, the American Airlines AAdvantage® program was named Program of the Year at the 2015 Freddie Awards, one of the most prestigious honors for loyalty programs in the travel industry. American also took home honors for Best Elite Program.
Recognized by Air Cargo News as the Cargo Airline of the Year for 2015. This is the first time an airline in the Americas has won the award in its 32-year history. The Company was also named the Best Cargo Airline of the Americas for the eighth consecutive year.
In 2015, American Airlines employees participated in more than 11,600 volunteer events in their communities, contributing more than 77,000 hours of volunteer time in the communities where they live and where American provides service. In addition, as part of the Company’s Flights for 50 awards program, American employees donated more than 6.4 million frequent flier miles to nonprofit organizations in their communities.

Commitment to Pay-for-Performance; Competitive Compensation

Effective May 1, 2015, at Mr. Parker’s request, our Compensation Committee determined to provide 100% of his direct compensation in the form of equity incentives in lieu of base salary and annual cash incentive compensation, underscoring our commitment to paying for performance and further aligning his interests with that of our stockholders. Mr. Parker’s 2015 target equity incentive compensation captures the value of his base salary, target cash incentive opportunity and 401(k) Company match and has been adjusted to account for the fact that the performance-based component of his equity compensation will be earned, if at all, not earlier than three-years following the grant date.

The target direct compensation provided to our named executive officers is competitive with that of the other large network airlines, except forRobert Isom, our Chief Executive Officer. At his request, because in 2014 many of our represented employees were not yet paid at the same rates as their peers at DeltaOfficer and United, Mr. Parker’s 2014 total target direct compensation was set significantly below the average for his peers at Delta and United. For 2015, we did not approve any increases in Mr. Parker’s compensation levels other than a standard 2.5% increase to his base salary level and an adjustment to account for the fact that the performance-based component of his equity compensation will be earned, if at all, not earlier than three-years following the grant date. Mr. Parker’s 2015 total target direct compensation was approximately 37% below his peers at Delta and United (using 2014 proxy compensation data reported in 2015 for Delta and United).

In addition, at Mr. Parker’s request, our Compensation Committee agreed in April 2016 to eliminate his employment agreement and our obligations under the agreement such that Mr. Parker is no longer contractually entitled to receive a set level of compensation and benefits and is no longer protected by the change in control and severance provisions of the employment agreement. However, notwithstanding the elimination of Mr. Parker’s employment agreement, he has agreed to remain obligated with respect to the employment agreement covenants that required post termination confidentiality and non-solicitation of employees.

For the other named executive officers, between 86% and 91% of their 2015 total target compensation was comprised of variable pay. As a result, the compensation ultimately realized by our named executive officers will be significantly determined by our financial performance and the performance of our stock, and is therefore very closely aligned with the interests of our stockholders.

Key Performance Objectives

We design our annual and long-term incentives to include performance metrics that focus on profitability and operating efficiency while attaining our strategic and operational goals that will lead to stockholder value creation.

For 2015, we implemented an annual cash incentive program that is based onpre-established adjusted pre-tax income targets and subject to the Compensation Committee’s discretion to increase an award by up to 50% or down to zero based on individual performance. We believe that pre-tax income is an effective way to capture cost management and revenue performance. Under the program, the short-term incentive target payment was only payable if we earned at least $5.0 billion in pre-tax profit in 2015—double the pre-tax profit target level under our 2014 program. For 2015, the Compensation Committee also adopted an equity incentive program for our named executive officers that incorporated both performance- and time-vesting components, each weighted 50% by value (other than with respect to Mr. Parker whose

annual grant was weighted approximately 54% performance-vesting by value), in order to further align management and stockholder interests.Director;

 

 Because they are delivered in shares of our Company’s stock, the value of RSUs that comprise our executives’ equity incentives is directly aligned with shareholder returns. Moreover, the performance-vesting component consisted of RSUs that will be earned, if at all, not earlier than the third anniversary of the grant date based on our relative three-year pre-tax income margin as compared to that of a pre-defined group of airlines, with the amount of RSUs that vest varying between 50% and 200% of the shares depending on our relative performance. No shares will vest if threshold performance is not achieved. Relative pre-tax income margin maintains a focus on profitability and operating efficiency while our integration work continues. We believe it is an effective measure of relative financial performance in our industry.

Commitment to Good Compensation Governance

We have adopted compensation policies that are consistent with good governance standards. These include:

providing that executive officers are not entitled to guaranteed,non-performance-based bonuses;
providing that perquisites and other personal benefits are not a significant portion of an executive officer’s compensation and are consistent with customary senior executive benefits within the airline industry;
prohibiting our executive officers from hedging or pledging our stock;
implementing clawback provisions for all incentive compensation paid to our executive officers, including payouts under the cash incentive programs and all equity awards;
adopting meaningful stock ownership guidelines that further align our executive officers’ long-term interests with those of our stockholders; and
committing to not entering into new, or modifying existing, agreements with any executive officer that contain tax gross-up provisions with respect to payments triggered by Section 280G of the Code (“Section 280G”) upon a change in control.

Consistent with leading practices and our policy to do so annually, in 2016 we conducted a compensation risk assessment, discussed the process and results with the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant, and reported to the Compensation Committee that, in management’s opinion, our compensation programs do not create excessive risk-taking incentives that could have a material adverse effect on us.

2015 Compensation Objectives and Programs

The philosophy underlying our overall executive compensation program is to provide an attractive, flexible and market-based total compensation program tied to performance and aligned with the interests of our stockholders. We intend for our compensation programs to motivate the management team to maximize stockholder value over time without creating unnecessary or excessive risk-taking that would have an adverse effect on stockholder value.

To continue to attract and retain high-caliber executive officers, we set total 2015 compensation levels for our named executive officers following review of compensation levels paid at companies with a comparable global presence, complexity, operations, revenue and market capitalization to us, including Delta and United.

Commitment to Pay-for-Performance

To tie our executive compensation programs to our measurable performance, we designed the 2015 total compensation package to be heavily weighted towards variable cash and long-term equity incentives. The pie charts below show the target mix of each element of the 2015 total compensation package for (i) our Chief Executive Officer and (ii) our other named executive officers.

LOGO

The CEO Target Direct Compensation chart above reflects Mr. Parker’s compensation mix following May 2015. As noted above, commencing May 2015, at his request, Mr. Parker’s direct compensation was provided 100% in the form of equity incentives, with the majority of his 2015 target equity compensation tied to the achievement of relative three-year pre-tax income margin goals.

Stockholder Approval of 2015 Executive Compensation

At our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders voted, in a non-binding advisory vote, to approve the compensation of our named executive officers (with an approval representing over 97% of the shares represented in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote). Our Compensation Committee reviewed the result of the stockholders’ advisory vote on executive compensation and, in light of the approval by a substantial majority of stockholders, did not implement changes to the executive compensation programs as a result of the vote.

Role of the Compensation Committee in Compensation Decisions

The Compensation Committee administers the compensation program for all officers, including the named executive officers. The Compensation Committee is comprised of five independent directors, each of whom is a “non-employee director” underRule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act and an “outside director” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Compensation Committee’s overarching goal is to create executive compensation programs that align management and stockholder interests over the long-term and that allow us to recruit and retain a highly capable management team. The Compensation Committee considers management input on executive compensation programs but relies on its outside consultant, Willis Towers Watson, formerly Towers Watson, for perspective and leading practice guidance. Willis Towers Watson also provides leading practice data for the airline industry and Fortune 500 companies generally.

Some of the elements we consider when designing compensation policies include attrition, diversity, and executive development needs. Management also will from time to time bring matters to the attention of the Compensation Committee that might require alterations to compensation policies, especially when they have identified specific areas that require additional executive talent or unique executive skills that we may not currently have in place.

Use of Compensation Consultants

The Compensation Committee retained Willis Towers Watson as its independent compensation consultant beginning in 2014. The Compensation Committee has sole authority with regard to the decision to retain Willis Towers Watson and, while Willis Towers Watson interacts with management from time to time in order to best coordinate with and deliver services to the Compensation Committee, it ultimately reports directly to the Compensation Committee with respect to its executive compensation consulting advice. Management also in 2015 engaged Willis Towers Watson, including its predecessor entities, Willis and Towers Watson, to perform other services for the Company that are not part of the executive compensation services provided to the Compensation Committee or the director compensation services provided to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. For a description of these services and fee information, see the section entitled “Information About the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance—Committees” beginning on page 37. The Compensation Committee has assessed whether the services provided by Willis Towers Watson raised any conflicts of interest pursuant to SEC and NASDAQ rules, and has concluded that no such conflicts of interest exist.

Executive Compensation Mix with an Emphasis on Performance-Based Pay

As described above, following the Merger, the Compensation Committee implemented an executive compensation structure that includes both fixed and performance-based pay. Specifically, our executive compensation structure consists of three core components which align management and shareholder interests:

a base salary paid in cash;
an annual incentive program paid in cash based on annual performance; and
a long-term equity incentive program in the form of RSUs that incorporate both performance- and time-vesting components.

The overarching goal is to align executive and stockholder interests, so the executive compensation programs emphasize pay for performance (such that compensation is paid only if we meet pre-determined performance targets) and equity-based compensation tied to our stock performance. For 2015, our named executive officers’ fixed compensation was in the 0-15% range, reflecting a heavy weighting on variable or performance-based compensation. As noted above, commencing May 2015, at his request, Mr. Parker’s direct compensation was provided 100% in the form of equity incentives, with the majority of his 2015 target equity compensation tied to the achievement of relative three-year pre-tax income margin goals.

Base Salary

Base salaries provide a secure, consistent amount of fixed compensation that focuses on rewarding an executive’s scope of responsibility, competence and performance. For 2014, we used the salary structure at each of AMR and US Airways Group prior to the Merger as a starting point and considered the following:

the executive’s level of responsibility and experience;
the range of salaries for the particular level of the executive;
levels of market salaries among the general industry and the aviation industry; and
the evaluation of the executive’s performance over time.

 

For 2015, the base salaries for the named executive officers were subject only to a 2.5% increase over 2014 levels. The new base salary levels for Messrs. Parker, Kirby, Isom, KerrSteve Johnson, our Vice Chair and Johnson were set at $717,500, $666,250, $615,000, $589,375 and $589,375, respectively. Importantly, and recognizing the broader frontline employee compensation relative to the other larger network carriers, Mr. Parker’s 2015 base

salary was initially set at approximately 16% below the average for the other large network airlines and as described above, commencing May 2015, Mr. Parker no longer received any base salary.Chief Strategy Officer;

 

 While we aim to establish competitive compensation, our greater focus is on establishing a culture where creating value for our stockholders is always at the forefront of our leadership team’s decision-making. We believe that our reduced emphasis on fixed compensation, achieved through below-median base salaries combined with above-median target cash incentives and equity compensation, allows us to retain our management team and recruit from other network airlines and general industry, but also to establish a heavier weighting towards pay-for-performance components.

Annual Cash Incentive Program

The second core component of our overall compensation program is a short-term cash incentive program. Following the Merger, we implemented an annual cash incentive program based on pre-established adjusted pre-tax income targets. We believe thatpre-tax income is an effective way to capture cost management and revenue performance. Annual incentives also serve as a retention tool as employees generally must remain employed through the payment date in order to receive payment of any potential annual incentive program awards.

For 2015, the named executive officers participated in the American Airlines Group Inc. 2015 Short-term Incentive Program (the “AAG 2015 STIP”). Payouts under the AAG 2015 STIP were tied to the achievement of pre-established adjusted pre-tax income goals (excluding special items, profit sharing and annual incentive programs and related payroll taxes and 401(k) company contributions). The threshold, target, and maximum performance levels for the financial metrics, as well as the corresponding annual incentive funding level were as follows:

   2015 Adjusted Pre-tax
Income (in billions)
   Funding Level (% of Target) 

<Threshold

  $<$3.5                 0%              

Threshold

  $3.5                 50%              

Target

  $5.0                 100%              

Maximum

  $8.0                 200%              

For 2015, each of the threshold, target and maximum performance levels were at least double the corresponding 2014 levels, and the target level set for 2015 was significantly higher than the level we achieved in 2014. Any performance falling between threshold, target and maximum levels would result in an adjustment of funding level based on straight-line interpolation. The 2015 target bonus opportunities for the named executive officers were set at the same levels as in 2014 as shown in the table below.

Named Executive Officer

 2015 Target Payout Level
as a Percentage of Base Salary

J. Scott Kirby

175%

Robert D. Isom, Jr.

125%

Derek J. Kerr

125%

Stephen L. Johnson

125%

Mr. Parker’s target bonus opportunity was initially set at 200% of his base salary, the same level as in 2014. However, as noted above, in May 2015 Mr. Parker’s participation in the cash incentive program was discontinued.

Under the program, the Compensation Committee could, in its discretion, increase the amount of an award based on individual performance by up to 50% or decrease it to zero. The aggregate effect of the individual performance modifier for all participants,

however, could not result in an increase to the aggregate program incentive amount. In addition, in no event could an individual payout exceed 200% of the applicable target opportunity.Priya Aiyar, our Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer;

 

 In 2015, as a result of our significant increase in profitability as compared to 2014 and prior years, we achieved an adjusted pre-tax income of approximately $6.5 billion, significantly higher than the level we attained in 2014 or the level AMR and US Airways Group, combined, had ever earned in their history. This corresponded to achievement between the target and maximum levels under the AAG 2015 STIP. The following table shows the 2015 target goal, actual performance and funding level for the AAG 2015 STIP.

Performance Goal

  2015 Target
Performance
Goal (in billion)
   Actual
Performance
(in billions)
   Funding
Level
(% of target)
 

2015 Adjusted Pre-tax Income(a)

  $5.0    $6.5     149

(a)Represents income before income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2015, excluding special items (as detailed in the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by AAG on January 29, 2016) and profit sharing and annual incentive programs and related payroll taxes and 401(k) company contributions.

Based on the funding level as described above, and subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee, each named executive officer other than Mr. Parker received a bonus at 149% of target under the AAG 2015 STIP.

The 2016 Short-term Incentive Program is substantially similar to the design used in 2015.

Long-Term Incentive Programs

The third core component of our overall compensation program is a long-term equity incentive program that focuses our executives on our performance over time and further links the interests of recipients and stockholders. Stock-based awards, coupled with performance- and time-vesting requirements, provide an appropriate incentive to our executives to remain with the Company and meet the long-term goal of maximizing stockholder value.

The Compensation Committee determines the number of awards to be granted to an executive officer based upon the executive’s level of responsibility and job classification level and the results of compensation market analyses.

For 2015, the Compensation Committee approved grants of RSUs to each named executive officer that incorporate both performance- and time-vesting components, each weighted 50% by value (other than with respect to Mr. Parker whose annual grant was weighted approximately 54% performance-vesting by value), in order to further align management and stockholder interests.

Commencing May 2015, at his request, Mr. Parker’s direct compensation was provided 100% in the form of equity incentives, with his base salary, target short-term incentive compensation and the Company’s 401(k) match replaced with additional equity awards of equal value. Specifically, as part of Mr. Parker’s annual equity grant, the Compensation Committee determined to award Mr. Parker time-vesting RSUs with a grant date fair value approximately equal to his base salary as in effect prior to May 2015 and performance-vesting RSUs with a grant date fair value approximately equal to his annual target cash incentive as in effect prior to May 2015. As a result, Mr. Parker’s annual grant was weighted approximately 46% time-vesting and 54%performance-vesting by value.

Two-thirds of the time-vesting RSUs vest in April 2016 and the remaining one-third vest in April 2017, subject to each executive’s continued employment with the Company.

The performance-vesting RSUs vest no earlier than April 2018 and are earned subject to the Company’s achievement of pre-tax income margin, excluding special charges, over a three-year period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017 relative to the weighted average of a peer group comprised of Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska, Spirit and Virgin America. Based on this performance metric, the number of shares of our Common Stock issuable in respect of each RSU upon vesting may range from 0 to 2 as follows:

Performance Relative to Peer Group

  Number of Shares to be Issued per
Vested RSU
 

150% or higher

   2.0          

100%

   1.0          

50%

   0.5          

Less than 50%

   0.0          

Negative Pre-Tax Income Margin that  is Better than Peer Group Average

   Capped at 1.0  

Linear interpolation will be used to determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued for performance attained between 50% and 100% and between 100% and 150%.

In determining the size of the 2015 RSU grants to the named executive officers, the Compensation Committee reviewed, among other things, the long-term incentive compensation levels at other large network airlines. The target grant values were set at the same levels as in 2014, although a one-time 16.67% upward adjustment was made to account for the fact that the performance-based RSUs will be earned, if at all, not earlier than three years following the grant date, creating a gap in realized compensation in years 1 and 2. As described above, the 2015 total target direct compensation for Mr. Parker was approximately 37% below the average for the other large network airlines (using 2014 proxy compensation data reported in 2015 for Delta and United). The 2015 total target direct compensation for the other named executives officers in the aggregate were approximately 5% below the average for the other large network airlines (using 2014 proxy compensation data reported in 2015 for Delta and United).

Please see the Grants of Plan-Based Awards table below for a description of the grants awarded to our named executive officers during 2015.

The Compensation Committee has adopted an equity grant policy to standardize the timing, practices and procedures in granting equity awards. The policy provides that equity awards, other than new hire, promotion or special purpose grants, will be granted once per year at the second regularly scheduled meeting of the Compensation Committee or at an Equity Incentive Committee meeting (with respect to awards to non-executive employees) or at a special meeting held for this purpose as close in time to the regularly scheduled meeting as possible.

Merger Awards

In connection with the Merger, in December 2013, the Compensation Committee approved RSU grants made to the new management team, including our named executive officers, as part of a one-time retention program and in exchange for each executive’s waiver of certain legacy termination benefits (the “Merger Awards”). The Merger Awards were comprised 50% of time-vesting RSUs, which vested on December 16, 2015, subject to continued employment, and 50% of performance-vesting RSUs. The performance-vesting RSUs vested based on the issuance of a single operating certificate by the FAA and our achievement of at least $1 billion in net synergies with respect to fiscal years 2015 or 2016, both of which were significant milestones to the integration of American and US Airways and to our continuing success. In December 2015, the Compensation Committee determined that we had achieved the single operating certificate goal in April 2015 and the net synergies goal, and therefore, the Merger Awards for each of our named executive officers vested in full in December 2015.

2014 Annual Awards

Each of our named executive officer’s 2014 annual equity grants were comprised 50% of time-vesting and 50% of performance-vesting RSUs. The performance-vesting RSUs could vest between April 2016 and April 2017 based on the achievement and timing of the same performance goals as applied to the Merger Awards. As a result of the Compensation Committee’s assessment of our achievement of such performance goals in December 2015, these performance-vesting RSUs vested with respect to one-third in April 2016 and will vest with respect to the remaining two-thirds in April 2017, subject to the executive’s continued employment through each vesting date.

Legacy Long-Term Cash Incentive Program

The named executive officers also participated in the legacy US Airways Groupcash-based long-term incentive performance program (the “LTIPP”). The LTIPP provided a cash incentive if US Airways Group (and for continuing cycles, AAG) achieved a minimum threshold ranking for relative TSR, over rolling three-year performance cycles. The relative performance was ranked over each three-year period against a pre-defined group of airlines. At the end of each performance cycle, the TSR, as calculated based on the price appreciation of the common stock of US Airways Group (and for continuing cycles, AAG) and the amount of any dividends paid during the performance cycle, was compared against the TSR of these airlines.

As of the effective time of the Merger, there were three open cycles under the LTIPP (ending in 2013, 2014 and 2015). In the Merger, each share of US Airways Group common stock was converted on a one-for-one basis into a share of AAG Common Stock. Therefore, the performance of AAG Common Stock was used to measure the US Airways Group TSR from December 9, 2013 and going forward until the final LTIPP cycle was completed in 2015.

 

For the cycle commencing on January 1, 2013Devon May, our Executive Vice President and ending on December 31, 2015 (the last open cycle), the compensationChief Financial Officer; and human resources committee of US Airways Group had established TSR rankings in comparison to the following publicly traded airlines: Alaska, AMR, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Republic, Spirit, Southwest and United. These companies were chosen because at that time they reflected reasonable choices for potential investor capital. The compensation and human resources committee of US Airways Group also set target payout levels, as a percentage of base salary, for the 2013-2015 performance cycle, as shown in the chart below. Under the

program, the average price of a peer group company’s stock that is canceled during the LTIPP cycle is typically reduced to zero, reflecting the stock’s total loss of value. However, in the case of AMR, the average AMR share price was adjusted for the cycle ending December 31, 2015 by applying conversion ratios to the average AAG Common Stock share price that reflect AMR shareholders’ receipt of certain distributions of AAG Common Stock in connection with the Merger.

TSR Relative Rank

          CEO                   President                   EVP         

1-2 of 10 (Maximum)

   200%     200%     175%  

3 of 10

   175%     172%     150%  

4 of 10

   150%     143%     125%  

5 of 10 (Target)

   125%     115%     100%  

6 of 10

   90%     82%     72%  

7 of 10 (Threshold)

   54%     49%     43%  

8-10 of 10

   0%     0%     0%  

US Airways Group’s TSR (and following the Merger, AAG’s TSR) for the cycle ended December 31, 2015 ranked seventh among the peer airlines, resulting in the threshold payment under the program, as shown above. As a result, payouts under the LTIPP for this final cycle for each of our NEOs were as follows: Mr. Parker: $387,450; Mr. Kirby: $326,463; Mr. Kerr: $253,431; Mr. Isom: $264,450; and Mr. Johnson: $253,431.

Change in Control Benefits

Change in control and severance benefits help to fulfill our objective of attracting and retaining key managerial talent. As required by the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger with US Airways Group, we assumed the employment agreement Mr. Parker had entered into with US Airways Group and the executive change in control agreements of the other named executive officers, each of which was entered into with US Airways Group prior to 2010 and provides for severance payments upon qualifying terminations. These agreements reinforce and encourage our named executive officers’ continued attention and dedication to their assigned duties without the distraction arising from the possibility of a change in control, and allow and encourage them to focus their attention on obtaining the best possible outcome for stockholders without being influenced by their personal concerns regarding the possible impact of various transactions on the security of their jobs and benefits. Under the agreements, in the event of a change in control or a qualifying termination, the named executive officers may be entitled to receive a multiple of their salary, equity award acceleration, lifetime flight privileges and certain other benefits. In addition to providing severance benefits to any participant who incurs a termination of employment following a change in control, Mr. Parker’s agreement provided for severance benefits in the event of termination other than for misconduct or termination by Mr. Parker for good reason under circumstances not involving a change in control.

In April 2016, at Mr. Parker’s request, our Compensation Committee agreed to eliminate Mr. Parker’s employment agreement, and Mr. Parker is no longer contractually entitled to the change in control and severance protections provided by the employment agreement. The severance benefits pursuant to the individual agreements with our named executive officers are more fully described in the section entitled “Executive Compensation—Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control” beginning on page 76.

Under our named executive officers’ pre-existing severance and equity award agreements, as a result of the Merger, each named executive officer would have been entitled to the full vesting of each outstanding equity award held by the executive. However, in order to facilitate the Merger and obtain the support of the Official

Committee of Unsecured Creditors of the Debtors for the Bankruptcy Plan, each executive waived his or her right to accelerate vesting at the closing of the Merger. In addition, under the severance agreements, each executive would have been entitled to severance and the full vesting of equity awards if he or she resigned based upon changes to his or her position made as a result of the Merger during a specified period of time following the Merger. In exchange for eligibility to receive a Merger Award, each named executive officer waived his or her right to resign and receive those termination benefits based on the changes to his or her position made as a result of the Merger.

 

 

Vasu Raja, our Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.

American has executed significant Board and senior leadership team succession since 2021:

In December 2021, American announced that Mr. Isom would succeed Doug Parker as CEO, effective March 2022

Mr. Parker remained Chairman to ensure a successful transition before retiring from the Board in April 2023

Effective April 2023, Greg Smith was elected as American’s Independent Chairman, succeeding Mr. Parker

In tandem with the CEO transition, American made additional updates to rebuild and retain our broader senior leadership team to lead our next chapter and drive stockholder value:

Mr. Raja was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer in June 2020 and to Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer in April 2022

Mr. May was promoted to Senior Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations in February 2022 and to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in January 2023

Ms. Aiyar was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer in April 2022

Mr. Johnson was promoted to Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer in May 2023

To successfully lead American through the critical post-pandemic chapter, our leadership team established a targeted list of primary goals to improve the reliability, profitability and accountability of our operations to create long-term stockholder value. We produced exceptionally strong performance in 2023, including:

Reliability

Operated nearly two million flights with an average load factor of 83.5%

Delivered on-time performance that was record-setting for American and best among the major network airlines, including during the summer peak travel period

Produced a full-year completion factor that was record-setting for American and best among the major network airlines, with the lowest number of cancellations since the merger with US Airways

Achieved our best-ever completion factor and on-time departures as well as our lowest mishandled baggage rate over the November and December holidays

Reached new, long-term collective bargaining agreements with three of our workgroups, providing those team members with significantly improved wages and other benefits

44

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Profitability

Achieved record 2023 revenue of approximately $53 billion, an increase of more than $22 billion compared to 2021

On a GAAP basis, reversed our pre-tax loss in 2021 of over $2.5 billion and produced pre-tax income of $186 million in 2022 and pre-tax income of more than $1.1 billion in 2023

Excluding pre-tax net special items,(1) reversed our pre-tax loss in 2021 of nearly $7 billion and produced pre-tax income of $458 million in 2022 and nearly $2.5 billion in 2023

LOGO

LOGO

See Appendix B for a Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Pre-Tax Income (Loss) Excluding Net
Special Items

Accountability

Enhanced liquidity:

Generated GAAP operating cash flow of $3.8 billion and the airline’s highest full-year free cash flow(2) of $1.8 billion in 2023

Ended 2023 with approximately $10.4 billion of total available liquidity(3)

Strengthened the balance sheet:

Reduced total debt(4) by $3.2 billion in 2023

Achieved more than 75% of the way towards our 2025 total debt reduction goal of $15 billion

Improved credit ratings. Fitch and S&P provided double-notch upgrades, and Moody’s provided a single-notch upgrade

(1)

See Appendix B for details on the components of pre-tax net special items and for a reconciliation of pre-tax income (loss) excluding net special items, a non-GAAP measure.

(2)

See Appendix B for a reconciliation of free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure.

(3)

Total available liquidity includes unrestricted cash and short-term investments, and undrawn capacity under our credit facilities.

(4)

Total debt includes debt, finance and operating lease liabilities and pension obligations.

Our 2023 executive compensation program is designed to implement our strategy

Our executive compensation program is heavily performance-based and directly linked with our established goals of delivering record operational results, continuing to close our margin gap with our largest competitors and reducing total debt by $15 billion by the end of 2025.

Our 2023 LTIP for our named executive officers incorporated both performance- and time-vesting components, with half of the target value consisting of the performance-vesting component. The performance-vesting component is tied to attainment of total debt reduction (50% weighting) and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus our industry peers (50% weighting). The performance-vesting component of the 2023 LTIP will be earned, if at all, following the completion of a three-year performance period. The 2023 performance-based STIP was designed to align management with our goals to run a reliable operation and to return to profitability as we emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic while building on our momentum on diversity, equity and inclusion. Set forth below is each component of the Company’s annual target direct compensation:

LOGO

45

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

2023 Compensation Objectives and Programs

Pay-for-Performance Philosophy

The philosophy underlying our overall executive compensation program is to provide an attractive, flexible and market-based compensation program that is both tied to our performance and aligned with the interests of our stockholders. We intend for our compensation programs to motivate the management team to enhance stockholder value over time without creating unnecessary or excessive risk-taking that would have an adverse effect on stockholder value and potentially detract from our ability to reach long-term sustainable levels of income and profitability.

Our 2023 executive compensation programs emphasized variable compensation in the form of short-term cash incentives and long-term equity incentives. The following table provides our 2023 annual target direct compensation for each named executive officer. Mr. Isom’s target annual direct compensation is significantly below the last reported value for the CEO of United (2023) and for the CEO of Delta (2022), our two closest peers.

Named Executive Officer

 Base Salary ($) STIP Target (%) STIP Target ($) LTIP Target ($) Total Target
Direct
Compensation ($)

Robert Isom

   1,300,000   200%   2,600,000   11,250,000   15,150,000

Steve Johnson

   850,000   150%   1,275,000   3,875,000   6,000,000

Priya Aiyar

   730,000   125%   912,500   2,360,000   4,002,500

Devon May

   775,000   125%   968,750   2,360,000   4,103,750

Vasu Raja

   775,000   125%   968,750   2,860,000   4,603,750

46

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


The graphics below show the mix of each element of the 2023 annual target direct compensation package for Mr. Isom and the average for our other named executive officers.

LOGO

Commitment to Effective Compensation Governance

We are committed to good compensation governance and have adopted compensation policies and practices in furtherance of our commitment, including the following:

What We DoWhat We Do NOT Do

  91% of CEO’s Annual Target Compensation is At-Risk and 74% is in the form of Long-term Equity Incentives that foster alignment with stockholders.

Link Pay to Performance with performance goals tied to improving the reliability, profitability and accountability of our operations to create long-term stockholder value.

  Performance-Based Long-term Equity Incentives with a Three-year Performance Period to promote long-term focus.

  Independent Compensation Consultant that is directly engaged by the Compensation Committee to advise on executive and director compensation matters.

  Robust Stock Ownership Guidelines that align our executive officers’ long-term interests with those of our stockholders.

  Annual Compensation Risk Assessment to identify any elements of our compensation program design or oversight processes that carry elevated levels of adverse risk.

  Minimum Vesting Requirements. Subject to limited exceptions, no awards granted under our equity plan may vest until the first anniversary of the date of grant.

  Clawback Policy that mandates recoupment of erroneously awarded incentive compensation to executive officers on accounting restatement consistent with SEC and Nasdaq requirements and goes beyond by providing the Compensation Committee with discretion to recover additional compensation paid under the Company’s STIP, LTIP and other equity incentive awards based on circumstances.

Extensive Stockholder Engagement to solicit investor feedback on our compensation program.

  No Guaranteed Bonuses. Our executive officers’ bonuses are 100% performance-based.

  No Active Executive Retirement Plans. We do not maintain any active executive-only or supplemental retirement plans.

  No Hedging or Pledging of our Stock. We prohibit our executive officers from engaging in hedging transactions or using our stock as collateral for loans.

  No Excise Tax Gross-Ups. We do not provide gross ups on excise taxes in connection with a change in control.

  No Excessive Perquisites. Perquisites and other personal benefits are in line with industry standards.

  No Payouts of Dividends on Unvested Awards. Unless and until an award’s vesting conditions are satisfied, no dividends or dividend equivalents accrued on the replacementaward are paid.

  No Repricing of Awards Without Stockholder Approval. Under our equity plan, awards may not be repriced without stockholder approval if the effect would be to reduce the exercise price for the shares underlying the award.

LOGO

47

2024 Proxy Statement


Stockholder Approval of 2022 Executive Compensation

At our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders voted, in a non-binding advisory vote, to approve the compensation of our named executive officers (with an approval representing approximately 96% of the shares represented in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal). Our Compensation Committee reviewed the result of the stockholders’ advisory vote on executive compensation and used it as a guide in establishing our executive compensation program.

Determination of Executive Compensation

Role of the Compensation Committee and Management in Compensation Decisions

The Compensation Committee administers the compensation program for all officers, including the named executive officers, and is comprised of four independent directors. The Compensation Committee’s overarching goal is to create executive compensation programs that align management and stockholder interests over the long-term and to compensate our executives fairly and appropriately, commensurate with their peers at our competitors. This allows us to recruit and retain a highly capable management team. In creating such programs, the Compensation Committee considers stockholder input, management input and the perspective and guidance of its outside consultant. The independent compensation consultant also provides leading practice data for the airline industry and companies of similar size and revenue to us.

Some of the elements we consider when designing our compensation programs include establishing fair and appropriate compensation consistent with market and industry norms, retention, linking compensation to performance, and aligning our programs with the interests of our stockholders. In addition to providing input on our regular compensation programs, management also will from time to time bring matters to the attention of the Compensation Committee that might require alterations to compensation policies, especially when they have identified specific circumstances that require additional executive talent or unique executive skills that we may not currently have in place. Our Chief Executive Officer and Cole Brown, our Chief People Officer, also provide input and recommendations based on his or her direct knowledge of the other named executive officers’ individual performance and contributions considering the scope of their responsibilities.

Use of Compensation Consultant

For 2023, the Compensation Committee retained Korn Ferry as its independent compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee has sole authority with regard to the decision to retain and the terms of engagement of the compensation consultant. The compensation consultant reports directly to the Compensation Committee with respect to its executive compensation consulting advice. The Compensation Committee has assessed whether the services provided by Korn Ferry or any other relationships created any conflicts of interest pursuant to SEC and Nasdaq rules, and has concluded that no such conflicts of interest exist.

During 2023, Korn Ferry provided the following services for or at the request of the Compensation Committee:

reviewed management’s materials prepared for the Compensation Committee;

assisted the Compensation Committee in the design of the executive compensation program, including structure, metric selection, payout opportunities, and establishment of performance targets;

benchmarked compensation levels for senior executives and non-executive directors;

conducted an annual review of the compensation peer group;

attended Compensation Committee meetings; and

responded to various other requests from the Compensation Committee.

In 2023, in addition to the executive compensation services Korn Ferry performed for or at the request of the Compensation Committee, Korn Ferry provided limited executive search services and broad-based compensation products to the Company.

Use of Market Data

In order to ensure a competitive design for our executive compensation program, in 2023, our Compensation Committee, with advice and analysis from its compensation consultant, reviewed our program against those of our largest competitors,

48

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Delta, United, and Southwest Airlines, with an emphasis on Delta and United, our closest peers. The Compensation Committee also reviewed a broader spectrum of compensation pay data, including survey data consisting of Korn Ferry and Equilar Top 25 including 79 organizations with revenue greater than $15 billion with data for 1,972 incumbents.

Executive Compensation with an Emphasis on Performance-Based Pay

For 2023, the Compensation Committee continued the performance-based STIP and the performance-based components of our LTIP programs for the named executive officers, as described more fully below. As a result, in 2023, our executive compensation structure included both fixed and performance-based pay. Specifically, our 2023 executive compensation structure consisted of three core components which aligned management and stockholder interests:

a base salary paid in cash;

an annual incentive program paid in cash based on achievement of profitability, operational and diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”) targets; and

a long-term equity incentive program in the form of RSUs that incorporate both performance- and time-vesting components.

The overarching goal was to emphasize pay for performance (such that compensation is paid only if we meet pre-determined performance targets) and align executive and stockholder interests through cash and equity-based compensation tied to our operational (including DEI) and financial performance.

Base Salary

Base salaries provide a secure, consistent amount of fixed pay that compensates executives for their scope of responsibility, competence and performance. Mr. Isom’s 2023 base salary remained at the same level as in 2022. Mr. Johnson’s base salary was increased by 9.7% to the level set forth in the table below in connection with his appointment as the Company’s Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer in May 2023. The base salaries for Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. May and Raja were increased by 16.8%, 15.8% and 19.2%, respectively, in connection with their promotions to Executive Vice President and to levels that are more competitive with their peers at our competitor airlines, as set forth in the table below.

  Named Executive Officer2023 Base Salary ($)

Robert Isom

1,300,000

Steve Johnson

850,000

Priya Aiyar

730,000

Devon May

775,000

Vasu Raja

775,000

Annual Cash Incentive Program

The second core component of our overall compensation program has been a short-term cash incentive program. The STIP is designed to align management with our goals to run a reliable operation, to return to profitability and to continue to build on our momentum on DEI goals, as summarized further below.

The target cash incentive opportunities for each named executive officer are set forth below. Mr. Johnson’s target payout level was increased from 125% to 150% of base salary in connection with his promotion to the Company’s Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer. Our other named executive officers’ target cash incentive opportunities remained unchanged from the prior year.

  Named Executive Officer

Target Payout Level

as a Percentage of Base Salary

Robert Isom

200

Steve Johnson

150

Priya Aiyar

125

Devon May

125

Vasu Raja

125

LOGO

49

2024 Proxy Statement


2023 STIP

Under the 2023 STIP, adjusted pre-tax income (which, under the terms of the STIP, is calculated by excluding net special items, expenses associated with profit sharing and STIP and related payroll taxes and 401(k) company contributions) accounted for 60% of the plan’s weighting, while operational reliability accounted for 30% of the plan’s weighting and DEI accounted for 10% of the plan’s weighting, as set forth below.

The Company remains intently focused on profitability and reliability, and the footprint of these two areas continue to comprise 90% of the STIP. To further the Company’s commitment to increasing stockholder value, the Compensation Committee increased focus on profitability, by adjusting the weighting upward from 50% to 60%. The operational component, making up 30% of the STIP, focused on controllable completion factor and on-time departures, the foundational operational metrics that determine reliability. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) engagement and education was implemented as part of the STIP in order to ensure our workplace culture is a competitive advantage that provides team members access to continuous learning, awareness and knowledge.

  Performance MetricMetric Weighting

PROFITABILITY

Adjusted Pre-tax Income

60%

RELIABILITY

Mainline Controllable Completion Factor (“CCF”)

15%

Mainline On-time Departure (“D-0”)

5%

Regional CCF

7.5%

Regional D-0

2.5%

DEI

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

10%

Threshold, target and maximum goals for adjusted pre-tax income are shown below, along with the associated payouts as a percentage of target. The adjusted pre-tax income goal of $2.5 billion was set in January 2023 following a pre-tax loss excluding net special items of nearly $7 billion in 2021 and our 2022 pre-tax income excluding net special items of $458 million (See Appendix B for a reconciliation of pre-tax income (loss) excluding net special items, a non-GAAP measure).

    

Below-
Threshold

Performance

 Threshold
Performance
 Target
Performance
 Maximum
Performance

Adjusted Pre-tax Income

  <$1.0 billion $1.0 billion $2.5 billion $4.0 billion

Payout as a Percentage of Target

  0% 50% 100% 200%

Any performance falling between threshold, target and maximum levels would result in an adjustment of funding level based on straight-line interpolation. In addition, for any payout under the STIP, the threshold adjusted pre-tax income goal of $1.0 billion would need to be attained. Payouts for the named executive officers were tied solely to our corporate performance.

For fiscal year 2023, we attained adjusted pre-tax income of $2.9 billion, an achievement level of 125.1% of target. Adjusted pre-tax income represents pre-tax income for the year ended December 31, 2023, excluding net special items (See Appendix B for a reconciliation of pre-tax income excluding net special items, a non-GAAP measure), expenses associated with profit sharing and the STIP and related payroll taxes and 401(k) company contributions. The Company excludes expenses associated with profit sharing and the STIP from the calculation of adjusted pre-tax income as these items are themselves calculated based on the measure. The STIP goals are established at the beginning of the performance period and account for these adjustments.

50

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


The following table shows actual performance in respect of our operational goals (as a percentage of target levels).

  Operational Performance Goal  Threshold
Performance
  

Target

Performance

  Maximum
Performance
  

Actual

Performance

  Achievement
Level (as a
% of Target)
 

Mainline CCF

   99.3  99.5  99.7  99.9  200.0

Mainline D-0

   61.0  63.0  65.0  63.3  115.8

Regional CCF

   99.3  99.5  99.7  99.9  200.0

Regional D-0

   69.0  71.0  73.0  75.9  200.0

We also achieved our DEI goals (weighted 10%) at an achievement level of 200%. Based on these weightings and the actual attainment levels, which were reviewed by a third party internal audit consulting firm, each named executive officer received an STIP award equal to 150.86% of target under the 2023 STIP, resulting in the dollar amounts set forth in the table below.

  Named Executive Officer2023 STIP Payout ($)

Robert Isom

3,922,360

Steve Johnson

1,787,085

Priya Aiyar

1,376,634

Devon May

1,461,495

Vasu Raja

1,461,495

Reporting of STIP Program Payouts

As we disclosed in our proxy statement last year, for 2022 the Compensation Committee re-established the performance-based STIP. In light of the unprecedented business challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 STIP had been terminated and our named executive officers did not participate in the 2021 STIP. Accordingly, no payouts were made under the STIP to our named executive officers for 2020 or 2021. While the Compensation Committee re-established the STIP program for 2022, it reset both the STIP program and the Company’s 2022 profit sharing programs for front-line employees to a 12-month cycle commencing at the end of the first quarter of 2022 and running through the first quarter of 2023. This change was made to incentivize performance beginning at the point in time when the most significant impacts of the pandemic had finally concluded.

For 2023, the Compensation Committee resumed our standard calendar year performance-based STIP, reflecting the stabilization of our business following our emergence from the pandemic.

In compliance with SEC reporting requirements, payments under both programs, one of which was almost entirely attributable to performance in 2022, are included in the Summary Compensation Table total compensation for 2023. No portion of the payout under either program was included in the Summary Compensation Table total compensation for 2022. As a result, the 2023 Summary Compensation Table includes two STIP payments due to how they fell on the adjusted calendar applied to the programs.

LOGO

LOGO

51

2024 Proxy Statement


2022 STIP

For the period from April 1, 2022 through April 1, 2023, the target adjusted pre-tax income goal (weighted 50%) was set at $400 million, at a time when we were just emerging from the pandemic. The goal for this period was set on the heels of very challenging financial results in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 – a pre-tax loss excluding net special items of nearly $7 billion for fiscal year 2021, and a pre-tax loss excluding net special items of nearly $2 billion for the first fiscal quarter of 2022 (See Appendix B for a reconciliation of pre-tax income (loss) excluding net special items, a non-GAAP measure).

For the period from April 1, 2022 through April 1, 2023, we attained adjusted pre-tax income of $2.8 billion, an achievement level of 200% of target. Adjusted pre-tax income represents pre-tax income, excluding net special items, expenses associated with profit sharing and the STIP and related payroll taxes and 401(k) company contributions.

The following table shows actual performance in respect of our operational goals (as a percentage of target levels).

  Operational Performance Goal

  (weighting %)

  Threshold
Performance
  

Target

Performance

  Maximum
Performance
  

Actual

Performance

  Achievement
Level (as a
% of Target)
 

Mainline CCF (15%)

   99.1  99.4  99.7  99.3  92.2

Mainline D-0 (15%)

   63.0  64.5  66.0  61.3  0.0

Regional CCF (5%)

   99.1  99.4  99.7  99.9  200.0

Regional D-0 (5%)

   69.0  70.0  71.0  74.2  200.0

We also achieved our DEI goals (weighted 10%) at an achievement level of 144% of target. Based on these weightings and the actual attainment levels, which were reviewed by a third party internal audit consulting firm, each named executive officer received an STIP award equal to 148.3% of target under the 2022 STIP, resulting in the dollar amounts set forth in the table below.

  Named Executive Officer2022 STIP Payout ($)

Robert Isom

3,855,800

Steve Johnson

1,483,040

Priya Aiyar

1,353,274

Devon May

879,417

Vasu Raja

1,436,695

Long-Term Incentive Programs

The third core component of our overall compensation program is a long-term equity incentive program that focuses our executives on our performance over time and further links their interests with stockholders. Stock-based awards, coupled with performance- and time-vesting requirements, provide an appropriate incentive to our executives to remain with the Company and meet the long-term goal of significantly increasing stockholder value. Consistent with our emphasis on pay-for-performance and our commitment to long-term value creation for our stockholders, our named executive officers’ total target direct compensation is weighted heavily toward long-term equity awards.

The Compensation Committee determines the value of long-term equity awards to be granted to an executive officer based upon the executive’s level of responsibility and job classification level and the results of compensation market analyses. Historically, including for 2023, our LTIP included both performance- and time-vesting RSUs, each weighted 50% by target value.

Our 2023 LTIP for our named executive officers continued to include both performance-and time-vesting components, with the performance-vesting component weighted 50% by target value tied to attainment of total debt reduction (50% weighting) and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus our industry peers (50% weighting), as summarized

52

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


below. The performance goals align to our long-term strategy to improve profitability and reduce total debt by $15 billion by the end of 2025.

LOGO

2023 Performance Metrics

The total debt reduction metric under our 2023 LTIP reflects the Company’s commitment to stockholders to improve our balance sheet and reduce leverage levels. In 2021, we announced a five-year plan to pay down $15 billion of total debt. The 2023 total debt reduction metric concludes the remaining years (three, four and five) of the five-year plan and requires a reduction of $7 billion. The relative pre-tax income margin improvement metric measures American’s competitive financial performance relative to its peers and requires the Company to continue to narrow the margin gap.

LOGO

Mr. Isom’s 2023 annual target grant value is significantly below the last reported values for the CEOs at Delta (2022) and United (2023), our two closest peers. The values for the other named executive officers were set in connection with their promotions to be competitive with their peers at our competitor airlines.

  Named Executive Officer2023 Annual
Target
Grant Value ($)

Robert Isom

11,250,000

Steve Johnson

3,875,000

Priya Aiyar

2,360,000

Devon May

2,360,000

Vasu Raja

2,860,000

LOGO

53

2024 Proxy Statement


In September 2023, the Compensation Committee also granted to Mr. Johnson a one-time promotion grant of 181,554 RSUs valued at $2.4 million in connection with his appointment as the Company’s Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer in May 2023. This grant, which vests ratably over three years, was awarded to reflect Mr. Johnson’s leadership during and the Company’s success in enduring and emerging from the pandemic and the significant increase in responsibility associated with his new position. It was intended to create incentives for Mr. Johnson to remain with the Company and to assist with the successful design, implementation and execution of its post-pandemic strategies and the implementation of the management succession plan. In connection with that award, Mr. Johnson entered into an agreement to not compete for 18 months following termination of employment for any reason and irrespective of whether Mr. Johnson would be entitled to severance. In July 2023, the Compensation Committee approved a grant of 39,905 RSUs and 65,323 RSUs to Ms. Aiyar and Mr. Raja, respectively, in connection with the expansion of their roles to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, respectively. These grants include both performance-and time-vesting components, with the performance-vesting component weighted 50% by target value tied to attainment of total debt reduction (50% weighting) and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus our industry peers (50% weighting).

See below for a full discussion of Mr. Isom’s 2023 target annual compensation and non-recurring awards and the Compensation Committee’s process.

Equity Grant Policy

The Compensation Committee has adopted an equity grant policy to standardize the timing, practices and procedures in granting equity awards. The policy provides that equity awards, other than new hire and promotion grants, will be granted once per year at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Compensation Committee. We have made exceptions to our equity grant policy in unique circumstances, such as during the restriction period imposed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) and the payroll support agreement under Subtitle A of Title IV of Division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“PSP2”) and the payroll support agreement under section 7301 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“PSP3,” and collectively, the “CARES Act and related legislation”).

Non-Recurring Compensation Elements Reported in 2023

Our 2023 Summary Compensation Table reflects multiple key executive leadership transitions during, and our response, to severe industry disruptions caused by the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the most challenging time in our industry’s history. It resulted in drastic disruptions in global demand for air travel and a severe decline in our business. Despite these challenges, we remained consistent in our approach and philosophy that our executive compensation programs provide fair pay and pay for performance, support retention, and align with the interests of stockholders. Those circumstances required a thoughtful approach to ensure the fairness of our compensation programs, especially with respect to promotions.

The CARES Act and related legislation required that, beginning in March 2020, we implement significant reductions and caps on the total compensation of many of our most senior and most impactful team members. Over the three years that it was in effect (the “CARES restriction period”), the CARES Act and related legislation presented extraordinary incentive and retention challenges, including:

The legislation did not include anyexceptions to provide for compensation increases that we and our competitors have customarily offered in connection with officer-level promotions.

The compensation limitations applied only to airline employees and did not apply to newly hired employees, hence any of our named executive officers could have left the Company for a position at another employer, even another airline, without being subject to any compensation restrictions.

Against this backdrop, the Compensation Committee and the Board executed a comprehensive succession plan that resulted in the appointment of a new senior management team, completing an initiative that had begun before the onset of the pandemic. In furtherance of that plan, the Compensation Committee undertook multiple key executive transitions and promotions to significantly expanded roles which would be effected, but could not be compensated for, during the pandemic. The execution of this succession plan included the promotion of Mr. Isom as our new CEO, Mr. May as our CFO, Ms. Aiyar as our Chief Legal Officer, and Mr. Raja as our Chief Commercial Officer.

54

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


The amounts reported in the Summary Compensation table reflect several non-recurring items that are unrelated to 2023 annual compensation. They include non-recurring compensation elements associated with those executive promotions which occurred over the prior three years during the CARES restriction period and cash incentive program payouts that are almost entirely attributed to 2022 but were paid in 2023, significantly increasing the reported compensation in this year’s Summary Compensation Table. These amounts reflect the Compensation Committee’s judgments as to the best way to achieve its strategic, retention and incentive objectives.

Compensation Reported for Mr. Isom in the 2023 Summary Compensation Table

The Board’s CEO succession planning process began in 2016 when Mr. Isom was promoted to President and was completed when he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in March 2022, one year before the expiry of the CARES legislation compensation limits. Despite this, because Mr. Isom’s promotion occurred one year before the expiry of the CARES legislation compensation limits, in compliance with those regulations, his total annual compensation remained capped at $5.0 million. Mr. Isom’s total compensation in 2022 (as reported in the Summary Compensation Table) was $4.9 million, considerably below what his CEO peers at Delta and United earned in 2022 ($9.6 million and $9.8 million, respectively), and even at a level materially below what he earned in 2019 for his service as President ($7.1 million). The Compensation Committee recognized the critical need to retain Mr. Isom as the Board’s long-standing choice for CEO and the most important element of the broad senior leadership succession plan. The Compensation Committee and the Board also recognized the acute retention challenges created by Mr. Isom’s performance and significantly increased profile as an executive leader of a large, complex enterprise.

In September 2023, following a year-long process in close consultation with its independent compensation consultant, the Compensation Committee took action to address Mr. Isom’s compensation as CEO. In setting his compensation, the Compensation Committee considered:

That Mr. Isom had been promoted to CEO in 2022 but had not been compensated as such for over 18 months.

Compensating Mr. Isom fairly and appropriately for his service as CEO, including relative to his peers at Delta and United, and addressing the concern that Mr. Isom’s equity holdings were significantly below those peers.

Aligning Mr. Isom’s compensation and incentives with Company performance and the interests of our stockholders, recognizing that his long-term incentive compensation had not increased since 2020, notwithstanding his subsequent promotion from President to CEO.

Creating appropriate incentives for Mr. Isom to continue to lead our positive business momentum following the Company’s successful post-pandemic transformation, which has driven profitability, strong operational reliability and a strengthened financial position.

Acknowledging Mr. Isom’s outstanding leadership during and as we emerged from the pandemic, his qualifications and capability for the CEO role, and his successful execution of the comprehensive management succession plan.

To address the foregoing considerations and ensure Mr. Isom’s retention, the Compensation Committee:

Established Mr. Isom’s 2023 total target annual compensation at $15.2 million to reflect his promotion to CEO, including an annual target LTIP grant of $11.3 million. Approximately 91% of Mr. Parker’s cashIsom’s annual target compensation with equity compensation commencing May 1, 2015,is at risk and half of his 2023 LTIP grant is subject to performance-vesting conditions tied to attaining the Company’s total debt reduction goal and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus the Company’s industry peers over a three-year performance period. The Compensation Committee determined that these compensation arrangements were appropriate given the significant increase in lightresponsibility associated with his new position, to increase incentives for Mr. Isom to remain with the Company and successfully design, implement and execute our post-pandemic strategies. Mr. Isom’s annual compensation was set at a level $1.7 million below the last-reported annual target compensation of the fact the equity awards grantedCEO of Delta (2022).

Granted to Mr. ParkerIsom $11.0 million in lieuawards which reflects the difference between Mr. Isom’s new CEO target compensation and the amount of compensation he actually received following his promotion to CEO on March 31, 2022. This amount includes a one-timecash compensationpayment of $2.75 million and a one-time grant of 631,699 RSUs valued at $8.25 million, subject to the same terms and conditions and vesting as the 2023 LTIP grant, except that two-thirds of the RSUs are subject to extended vesting periods,attaining the Company’s total debt reduction goal and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus the Company’s industry peers. In practical effect, Mr. Isom was paid for service as the Company’s CEO for both 2022 and 2023 during 2023 but in a form that has a significant

LOGO

55

2024 Proxy Statement


performance-based equity component and will incentivize Mr. Isom to continue to build on the eventCompany’s momentum and strong operating and financial performance for the next three years. Further, the equity-based component provides Mr. Isom an opportunity to increase his ownership of Company stock and further his alignment with stockholders.

Requested and Mr. Parker’sIsom agreed to enter into an agreement that included a covenant to not compete with the Company for 24 months following termination of employment for any reason, other than misconduct, certain of Mr. Parker’s equity incentives will vestto further incentivize his commitment to the extent necessaryCompany and ensure his retention. The non-compete restriction applies irrespective of whether Mr. Isom would be entitled to keep Mr. Parker wholeseverance, adding new protections for the value ofCompany and its investors. Given Mr. Isom’s performance at the base salary or annual target cash incentiveCompany and his profile in the airline industry, the Compensation Committee and Mr. Parker otherwise would have received through his termination date. If Mr. Parker’s employment had been terminated as of December 31, 2015, the value of the accelerated portion of his 2015 RSU award would have been $492,908.Isom considered that a meaningful and material commitment.

The following table presents the components of Mr. Isom’s total compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for 2023 consisting of: (i) his 2023 annual compensation, (ii) his 2022 STIP payout that was almost entirely attributed to 2022 but was paid in and reported as 2023 compensation, and (iii) the non-recurring incentives awarded to Mr. Isom in connection with his promotion to CEO in March 2022.

Other Benefits and Perquisites

LOGO

Compensation Reported for Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. May and Raja

During the CARES restriction period:

We maintain broad-based employee benefit plans in which all employees, including the named executive officers, participate, such as group life and health insurance plans and a 401(k) plan. These benefits are provided as part of the basic conditions of employment that we offer to other U.S.-based employees.

 

 Continuing Enhanced Benefits

We continue to provide certain enhanced benefits to our named executive officers. These benefits and perquisites provide convenience and support services that allow our executives to more fully focus attention on carrying out their responsibilities to our stockholders. These benefits and perquisites are common in the airline industry and consequently are necessary for us to be competitive in recruiting and retaining talented executives. The incremental cost to us of providing these benefits is not material.

In connection with the Merger, under our relocation policy we provide relocation benefits to US Airways Group employees who are relocating to our headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, including the named executive officers. The relocation benefits provided to the named executive officers include payment of home sale closing costs, home purchase closing costs, temporary housing or housing allowance, the transportation of household goods and automobiles and payment of the income tax liabilities related to these benefits. Any employee who resigns within 12 months is required to repay us for such expenses, with pro-rated repayment for any resignation between 13 and 24 months.

 

Following standard airline industry practice, we provide certain flight privilegesMr. Raja was promoted to our employees. Free flights on our airline are availableSenior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer in June 2020 and to all employees,Executive Vice President and “positive space” flight privileges are provided to the named executive officers. We believe that providing such flight privileges for the named executive officers is consistent with airline industry practice and that competitive flight privileges are needed for the recruitment and retention of the most senior employees. By providing positive space flight privileges to our executives, we are able to offer a unique and highly-valued benefit at a low cost. This benefit also encourages executives to travel on the airline frequently, and while doing so, meet and listen to employees, solicit feedback from employees and customers, audit aircraft and facility appearance and quality, and

monitor operational performance throughout the domestic and international route system. In addition, asChief Commercial Officer in prior years, we cover the income tax liabilities of our named executive officers related to those flight privileges, which is consistent with industry practice.April 2022.

 

 The positive space flight privileges provided

Mr. May was promoted to the named executive officers include unlimited reserved travelSenior Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations in any class of service for the executiveFebruary 2022 and his or her immediate family, including eligible dependent children, for personal purposes. The executive officerto Executive Vice President and his or her immediate family, including eligible dependent children, also have access to our Admirals Club® travel lounges at various airports. The executives are also eligible for 12 free round-trip passes or 24 free one-way passes each year for reserved travel for non-eligible family members and friends, and we cover the income tax liability related to these flight privileges. The named executive officers are required to pay any international fees and taxes, if applicable.Chief Financial Officer in January 2023.

 

 We also offer our named executive officers perquisites

Ms. Aiyar was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer in the form of financial advisory services and executive physicals. We will reimburse up to $4,500 annually for their personal tax planning, estate planning and retirement planning services from a certified financial planner, certified public accountant, or attorney. We will also pay the full cost of their annual physicals and additional diagnostic tests recommended by the provider.April 2022.

Mr. Parker is a participant in the Charitable Contribution Program, under which US Airways Group paid annual premiums on a joint life insurance policy. Under the program established by America West in 1994, a $1 million death benefit will be donated to one or more qualifying charitable organizations chosen by Mr. Parker. For a more detailed description of the charitable contribution program, see the narrative above under the Director Compensation table. Our named executive officers also received certain enhanced life insurance and long-term disability benefits and, with respect to three of our named executive officers with grandfathered benefits, cash payments to cover their income tax liabilities associated with taxable life insurance benefits.

For additional information on any individual benefits provided to the named executive officers on an individual basis, see the section entitled “Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table” beginning on page 69 and the section entitled “Executive Compensation—Employment and Other Executive Agreements” beginning on page 76.

Continuing Focus on Leading Practices

Stock Ownership Guidelines

We have implemented stock ownership guidelines for our executive officers. Executives are required to hold a number of shares of stock equal to the lesser of either (i) a fixed number of shares or (ii) a number of shares with a total value equal to a designated multiple of their base salary, as provided in the table below. Ownership is determined based on the combined value of the following executive holdings: (a) shares owned outright or by immediate family members residing in the same household or in a trust for the benefit of the executive or an immediate family member; (b) Common Stock, stock units or other stock equivalents obtained through the exercise of SARs/stock options or vesting of equity awards; (c) unvested equity awards granted under any equity and deferral plans; and (d) other stock or stock equivalent awards determined by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Executives have five years from the later of the effective time of the Merger or the time of hire to comply with the ownership guidelines. Under the guidelines, until an executive has reached the minimum ownership guideline, such executive may not sell or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of any equity awards granted by us except to the extent such sales do not cumulatively exceed 50% of such shares. Each of our executive officers are currently in compliance with the minimum ownership guidelines.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

Position/Levels

  Multiple of
Base Salary
  Fixed Shares 

Chief Executive Officer

  $4,305,000(a)   116,667  

President

   3x    54,167  

Chief Operating Officer

   3x    50,000  

Executive Vice President

   3x    47,917  

These executives had been identified as key members of our next generation leadership team and each of these promotions was an important element of the Company’s comprehensive senior leadership succession plan. However, we were unable to provide immediate compensation increases or equity awards in connection with their promotions, despite each executive’s total compensation being significantly below their predecessors at American and their peers at Delta and United.

 

 (a)

56

With respect to Mr. Parker, the multiple of base salary was set at a level equal to six times his base salary in effect immediately prior to May 1, 2015, because effective as of such time, Mr. Parker no longer received any base salary.LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


At the time of those promotions, in recognition of the acute retention challenge and the need for each executive to be compensated fairly and appropriately for their new responsibilities, we granted retention awards to Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. May and Raja. Those awards reflected amounts customarily established by the Company for similar promotions and were payable in April 2023 subject to each executive’s continued employment through that date. The amounts paid under those retention awards were consistent with the CARES Act and related legislation limitations and our compensation philosophy. The payments to Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. May and Raja were $1.2 million, $2.4 million and $4.5 million, respectively.

Stockholder Engagement on Executive Compensation

As more fully described under “Information About the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance—Stockholder Engagement” starting on page 37, in 2023, we contacted stockholders representing approximately 40% of our outstanding shares, and held discussions with investors representing nearly 20% of our outstanding shares. We also held engagement sessions with leading proxy advisory firms. Greg Smith, our Independent Chairman, and Denise O’Leary, our Compensation Committee Chair, participated in select engagements.

We discussed our executive compensation program in all off-season engagements. We engaged in productive dialogue with investors who wanted to better understand our CEO compensation program, and in particular, the context for the non-recurring compensation that we awarded to Mr. Isom in 2023 and its relationship to the timing of his appointment as CEO in March 2022. We highlighted that our CEO’s compensation level had been considerably below-market as compared to his peers at Delta and United during the COVID-19 pandemic and the acute retention challenges we faced during that period.

Stockholders expressed no major concerns with respect to the Committee’s determination of Mr. Isom’s go-forward target annual compensation quantum and program structure. A few stockholders inquired about how we expect to evolve the measures in our STI and LTI programs as we continue to make progress on our strategic priorities and debt reduction goals.

Stockholders acknowledged the unique circumstances facing American and its Board of Directors in executing a long-term CEO and senior management succession plan during the COVID-19 pandemic and against the backdrop of the retention challenges imposed by the CARES Act legislation restrictions. They also acknowledged that the context of Mr. Isom’s promotion to CEO during this unique time period would serve as an important part of their analysis. Stockholders understood the Board’s concern that Mr. Isom had served as CEO from March 2022 until September 2023 without an increase in compensation. They also understood the Committee’s determination to structure Mr. Isom’s compensation largely as time- and performance-vested equity awards to increase his incentive awards and further his alignment with stockholders. They also recognized the value in Mr. Isom’s agreement to a 24-month non-competition and non-solicitation period following departure from American, regardless of whether he is entitled to severance.

Lastly, stockholders encouraged us to provide detailed, transparent disclosure regarding the considerations in establishing the quantum, mix and performance conditions of Mr. Isom’s non-recurring award, which we have provided in this proxy statement. Please see “–Non-Recurring Compensation Elements Reported in 2023” on page 54.

Severance Benefits and Post Termination Restrictive Covenants

Change in control and severance benefits are a customary component of executive compensation, which are generally used to reinforce and encourage executives’ continued attention and dedication to their assigned duties without the distraction arising from the possibility of a change in control. Beginning in 2023, following consultation with its independent compensation consultant and in line with market practices, the Compensation Committee approved entering into severance agreements with our executive officers that are triggered on certain involuntary terminations of their employment. These agreements were only entered into with those executives who also agreed to post-termination restrictive covenants to protect the Company and its investors.

Messrs. Isom, Johnson and May and Ms. Aiyar have agreed to these post-employment restrictive covenants, including non-competition for a period of 24 months in the case of Mr. Isom and 18 months in the case of the other executives, and non-solicitation for a period of 24 months following the date the executive terminates employment with the Company. These restrictive covenants are in place irrespective of whether these executives receive severance in connection with their termination of employment.

Mr. Isom’s severance agreement provides that in the event his employment is terminated by the Company without “cause” or he resigns for “good reason” (each as defined in the severance agreements, and collectively, an “Involuntary

 

LOGO

Clawback Policy

57

2024 Proxy Statement


Termination”), he will be entitled to: (i) a cash severance payment equal to 24 months of his base salary plus two times his annual target cash incentive (payable in substantially equal installments over 24 months), (ii) a payment equal to 24 months’ COBRA premiums and (iii) continued vesting of outstanding equity awards for 24 months following the termination date, except as set forth in Mr. Isom’s grant agreements described below. In addition, Messrs. Johnson and May and Ms. Aiyar have entered into severance agreements that provide that in the event of an Involuntary Termination, the executive will be entitled to: (i) a cash severance payment equal to 18 months of the executive’s base salary plus 1.5 times the executive’s annual target cash incentive (payable in substantially equal installments over 18 months), (ii) a payment equal to 18 months’ COBRA premiums and (iii) continued vesting of outstanding equity awards for 18 months following the termination date, except, in the case of Mr. Johnson, which is subject to acceleration as set forth in his grant agreements described below. The agreements also provide for travel privileges for the executive and eligible family members, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s travel policy for officers during the 18-month period following the termination date. If the executive has become eligible for retiree travel, the executive will continue to be eligible to receive retiree travel privileges in accordance with the terms of our retiree travel policy. Messrs. Isom, Johnson, and May previously vested into lifetime travel benefits. Each severance agreement also provides for acceleration of equity awards in the event of an Involuntary Termination within the 24 month period following a change in control, with equity awards subject to performance-vesting conditions vesting at the greater of target or the expected attainment level based on performance as of the termination date. The severance agreements require entering into an effective release of claims.

Pursuant to the grant agreements under our equity incentive plans, our employees, including our named executive officers, are entitled to full acceleration of their RSUs in the event of (i) a termination due to death or “disability” or (ii) a “change in control” (each, as defined in the applicable plan and award agreements). In addition, subject to compliance with the post-employment restrictive covenants and delivery of an effective release of claims, because Mr. Johnson is retirement eligible (age of 55 and has ten or more years of service), under his grant agreements the vesting of each time-vesting RSU award granted to Mr. Johnson will accelerate in full in the event of his separation from service from the Company (other than a termination by the Company for “cause”), with performance-vesting RSUs remaining outstanding and eligible to vest based on actual performance through the end of the performance period. Subject to compliance with the post-employment restrictive covenants and delivery of an effective release of claims, Mr. Isom’s grant agreements provide that RSUs granted to Mr. Isom will remain outstanding and will continue to vest upon termination (not including termination by the Company for “cause”), provided that equity awards granted within 12 months prior to the termination will only remain eligible to vest on a pro-rated basis and performance-vesting RSUs remain subject to the performance conditions.

Under the STIP, if an employee separates from service with us and our affiliates while actively employed due to death or disability prior to the payment of the award, but is otherwise eligible for the award, the employee will be treated as having been actively employed on the date of payment of the award.

Information on the estimated payments and benefits that our named executive officers would have been eligible to receive in the event of a termination or change in control as of December 31, 2023 pursuant to their equity awards, the STIP and other arrangements are set forth in “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” on page 69.

Other Benefits and Perquisites

We maintain broad-based employee benefit plans in which all employees, including the named executive officers, participate, such as group life and health insurance plans and a 401(k) plan. These benefits are provided as part of the basic conditions of employment that we offer to other U.S.-based team members.

Other Benefits

We continue to provide certain benefits to our named executive officers that are common in the airline industry. The incremental cost to us of providing these benefits is not material. Following standard airline industry practice, we provide certain flight privileges to our employees. Free flights on our airline are available to all employees, and “positive space” flight privileges are provided to our senior executives, including the named executive officers. We believe that providing such flight privileges is consistent with airline industry practice and that competitive flight privileges are needed for the recruitment and retention of the most senior employees. By providing positive space flight privileges to our executives, we are able to offer a unique and highly-valued benefit at a low cost. This benefit also encourages executives to travel on the airline frequently, and while doing so, meet and listen to employees, solicit feedback from employees and customers,

 

 We have adopted a clawback policy that applies to all executive officers and covers all compensation under the cash incentive programs and all equity awards. The policy applies in the event our financial statements are restated as a result of materialnon-compliance with financial reporting rules and provides the Board of Directors with broad discretion as to what actions may be taken based on circumstances leading to the restatement, including recovery of incentive-based compensation received by an executive officer during the three-year period preceding the restatement in excess of what the executive officer would have been paid under the restatement. The Compensation Committee is monitoring regulatory developments with respect to compensation recoupment policies and will recommend to the Board of Directors any changes to the current policy that are necessary or appropriate in light of guidance issued by the SEC.

58

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


audit aircraft and facility appearance and quality, and monitor operational performance throughout the domestic and international route system. In addition, as in prior years, we cover the income tax liabilities of our senior executives, including the named executive officers, related to those flight privileges, which is consistent with industry practice.

The positive space flight privileges provided to our officers, including the named executive officers, include unlimited reserved travel in any class of service for the officer and his or her immediate family, including eligible dependent children, for personal purposes. Officers and their immediate families, including eligible dependent children, also have access to our Admirals Club® travel lounges at various airports and have AAdvantage Executive Platinum status. Officers are also eligible for 12 free round-trip passes or 24 free one-way passes each year for reserved travel for non-eligible family members and friends, and we cover the income tax liability related to these flight privileges. Officers are required to pay any international fees and taxes, if applicable. In addition, each of Messrs. Isom, Johnson and May are vested into the foregoing lifetime travel benefits and are entitled to continued receipt of these benefits upon their termination of employment, other than coverage of income tax liability. Mr. Raja is eligible for lifetime space available travel benefits.

We also offer our named executive officers perquisites in the form of financial advisory services and executive physicals. We will reimburse up to $4,500 annually for their personal tax planning, estate planning and retirement planning services from a certified financial planner, certified public accountant, or attorney. We will pay the full cost of their annual physicals and additional diagnostic tests recommended by the provider. In 2023, we also reimbursed legal expenses incurred by Mr. Isom in connection with the negotiation of his CEO compensation.

For additional information on any benefits provided to the named executive officers on an individual basis, see the section entitled “Executive Compensation—Summary Compensation Table” beginning on page 64.

Continuing Focus on Leading Practices

Stock Ownership Guidelines

We have implemented stock ownership guidelines for our executive officers. Executives are required to hold a number of shares of stock equal to the lesser of either (i) a fixed number of shares or (ii) a number of shares with a total value equal to a designated multiple of their base salary, as provided in the table below. Ownership is determined based on the combined value of the following executive holdings: (a) shares owned outright or by immediate family members residing in the same household or in a trust for the benefit of the executive or an immediate family member; (b) Common Stock, stock units or other stock equivalents obtained through the exercise of SARs/stock options or vesting of equity awards; (c) unvested equity awards granted under any equity and deferral plans; and (d) other stock or stock equivalent awards determined by the CGPR Committee. Executives have five years from the time of hire to comply with the ownership guidelines. Under the guidelines, until an executive has reached the minimum ownership guideline, such executive may not sell or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of any equity awards granted by us except to the extent such sales do not cumulatively exceed 50% of such shares. Each of our executive officers currently owns shares that exceed the minimum ownership guidelines. The stock ownership guidelines are set forth below.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

 

Position/Levels

Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging

Multiple of

Base Salary

Fixed

Shares

Chief Executive Officer

6x116,667

Vice Chair; Executive Vice President

3x47,917

Clawback Policy

Effective October 2023, our Board adopted a Policy for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation (the “Clawback Policy”) to implement final clawback rules issued by the SEC. The Clawback Policy applies to our current and former executive officers and subjects their incentive-based compensation received on or after October 2, 2023 to clawback in the event our company is required to prepare an accounting restatement to correct its material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under U.S. securities laws. In these circumstances, the Clawback Policy requires the Company to recover, reasonably promptly, the portion of incentive-based compensation that is deemed to have been

 

LOGO

Our insider trading policy prohibits our executive officers and directors from hedging the economic risk of security ownership. In addition, our executive officers and directors are prohibited from pledging Company securities to secure margin or other loans.

59

2024 Proxy Statement


erroneously awarded, unless the Compensation Committee (which administers the policy) determines that recovery would be impracticable and that one or more of the allowable impracticability conditions under SEC rules has been met. Recovery is required whether or not the applicable officer engaged in misconduct or otherwise caused or contributed to the requirement for the restatement. In addition to these requirements, the Clawback Policy continues to provide the Compensation Committee with broad discretion as to what actions may be taken based on circumstances leading to the restatement, including recovery of compensation paid under the Company’s STIP or LTIP and other equity incentive awards.

Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging

As described more fully under the section “Information About the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance—Prohibition on Hedging and Pledging,” we prohibit our executive officers from engaging in hedging transactions or using our stock as collateral for loans.

Section 280G/Section 4999 Policy

We do not provide any tax gross-ups to cover excise taxes under Section 4999 in connection with a change in control.

 

 Section 280G Policy

60

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement

Consistent with prior policies at AMR and US Airways Group, we have committed to not enter into new, or modify existing, agreements with any executive officer that contain tax gross-up provisions with respect to payments triggered by Section 280G upon a change in control.


LOGO

 

Tax Considerations

Section 162(m) of the Code generally disallows a tax deduction to public companies for compensation in excess of $1 million paid to the Chief Executive Officer or the next three most highly compensated executive officers (other than the Chief Financial Officer). Performance-based compensation arrangements may qualify for an exemption from the deduction limit if they satisfy various requirements under Section 162(m) of the Code. The Compensation Committee considers the impact of this rule when developing and implementing executive compensation programs and may attempt to structure the programs to comply with these requirements. However, the Compensation Committee believes that it is important to preserve flexibility in designing compensation programs and has adopted, and may continue to adopt, compensation components that do not meet the requirements for an exemption from Section 162(m) of the Code. The Compensation Committee also considers the manner in which compensation is treated for accounting purposes when developing and implementing executive compensation programs.

REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORTOF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis included in this Proxy Statement. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement and incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.2023.

Respectfully submitted,

Compensation Committee

Richard C. Kraemer (Chair)

James F. Albaugh

Jeffrey D. Benjamin

Alberto Ibargüen

Denise O’Leary (Chair)

This report of the Compensation Committee is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to the SEC’s proxy rules or the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, and the report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any prior or subsequent filing by us under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Jeff Benjamin

Vicente Reynal

Doug Steenland

This report of the Compensation Committee is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to the SEC’s proxy rules or the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, and the report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any prior or subsequent filing by us under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

LOGO

61

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table lists AAG’s executive officers as of April 29, 2016,25, 2024, including their ages and principal occupations.

 

NameAgeTitle

W. Douglas ParkerName

  54Age Chief Executive OfficerTitle

J. Scott KirbyRobert D. Isom, Jr

  4860  PresidentChief Executive Officer and Director

Elise R. EberweinStephen L. Johnson

  5067  Executive Vice President—PeopleChair and CommunicationsChief Strategy Officer

Robert D. Isom, Jr.Priya R. Aiyar

  5249  Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

Devon E. May

49Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Vasu S. Raja

47Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer

David G. Seymour

59Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Stephen L. Johnson

59Executive Vice President—Corporate Affairs

Derek J. Kerr

51Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Beverly Goulet

61Executive Vice President and Chief Integration Officer

Maya Leibman

50Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Andrew Nocella

46Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer

Below is certain information as of April 29, 2016,25, 2024, regarding our executive officers other(other than W. Douglas Parker.Robert Isom). For similar information regarding Mr. ParkerIsom as of April 29, 2016,25, 2024, see the section entitled “Proposal 1: 1—Election of Directors” beginning on page 9.6.

 

J. Scott KirbyLOGO

Scott Kirby

Stephen L. Johnson

Stephen L. Johnson is President of AAGVice Chair and American, positionsChief Strategy Officer, a position he has held since May 2023. He was most recently Executive Vice President, a position he held since January 2022 and prior to that he served as Executive Vice President—Corporate Affairs, a position he held since December 2013. He also serves on the board of directors of American, a position he has held since June 2014. Previously, Mr. Kirby servedand as President of US Airways. Prior to being named President of US Airways in 2006, Mr. Kirby was US Airways’ Executive Vice President—Sales and Marketing, a position he held at America West prior to the two carriers’ 2005 merger. He joined America West in 1995 as Senior Director, Scheduling and Planning, and was promoted to Vice President, Planning, in 1997. Mr. Kirby was named Vice President, Revenue Management, in 1998 and Senior Vice President,e-business, in early 2000. Prior to joining America West, Mr. Kirby worked for American Airlines Decision Technologies (“AADT”), a subsidiary of AMR, and worked at the Pentagon prior to AADT.

Elise R. Eberwein

Elise Eberwein is Executive Vice President—People and Communications for AAG and American, positions she has held since December 2013. Previously, Ms. Eberwein served as Executive Vice President—People, Communications and Public Affairs for US Airways, her role since 2009. Ms. Eberwein has 28 years of industry experience and joined America West in 2003 as Vice President, Corporate Communications, from Denver-based Frontier Airlines. She began her career as a flight attendant for TWA and held a variety of positions at TWA in operations, marketing and communications.

Robert D. Isom, Jr.

Robert Isom is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for AAG and American, positions he has held since December 2013. Previously, Mr. Isom served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at US Airways, his role since 2007. Prior to joining US Airways, Mr. Isom served as Chief Restructuring Officer for GMAC, LLC. Before that, he was Senior Vice President, Ground Operations and Airport Customer Service, for Northwest Airlines. Mr. Isom also served as Vice President, International, and Vice President, Finance, for Northwest Airlines. Between 1995 and 2000, he was with America West and held executive roles in revenue management, operations and finance. Mr. Isom started his career at The Procter & Gamble Company.

Stephen L. Johnson

Stephen Johnson is Executive Vice President—Corporate Affairs for AAG and American, positions he has held since December 2013. He also serves on the board of directors of American, a position he has held since December 2013 and on the board of directorsdeputy chair of WIZZ Air Holdings PLC, a European airline company that trades on the

London Stock Exchange. Previously, Mr. Johnson served as Executive Vice President—Corporate and Government Affairs for US Airways, hisa role sincehe began in 2009. From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Johnson was a partner at Indigo Partners LLC, a private equity firm specializing in acquisitions and strategic investments in the airline, air finance and aerospace industries. Between 1995 and 2003, Mr. Johnson held a variety of positions with America West Airlines prior to its merger with US Airways, Group, including Executive Vice President—Corporate. Prior to joining America West Airlines, Mr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at GPA Group plc. He was also an attorney at Seattle-based law firm Bogle & Gates, where he specialized in corporate and aircraft finance and taxation.

LOGO

Priya R. Aiyar

Priya R. Aiyar is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. She was most recently Senior Vice President and General Counsel, positions she held since September 2019, when she joined AAG. Previously, she was a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, a role she began in September 2017. From 2015 to 2017, Ms. Aiyar was Acting General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Treasury, after having served as the Deputy General Counsel from 2013 to 2015. From 2009 to 2013, Ms. Aiyar held a variety of positions with the U.S. Federal government, including as Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Energy and Legal Advisor to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Earlier she was a partner at Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel PLLC. She began her legal career as a clerk to Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and to Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

Derek J. Kerr

62

Derek J. KerrLOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Devon E. May

Devon E. May is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, for AAG and American, positionsa position he has held since December 2013. Previously, Mr. Kerr served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for US Airways, a role that he began in 2009. Prior to that, heJanuary 2023. He was most recently Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial OfficerInvestor Relations, a position he held since 2022. Mr. May has held various roles of America West, a role he began in 2002. He joined America West in 1996increasing responsibility at AAG, including as senior director, planning, and was promoted to Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis, in 1998. In 2002, Mr. Kerr was promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance adding responsibility for purchasing and fuel administration.American Eagle (2020 to 2022), Senior Vice President, American Eagle & Operations Planning (2019 to 2020), Senior Vice President, Network Strategy (2017 to 2019) and Senior Vice President, Finance (2016 to 2017). Mr. May joined AAG in 2013, upon its merger with US Airways, where he held a variety of positions in financial planning and analysis. Between 2002 and 2005, Mr. May held a variety of positions with America West Airlines prior to its merger with US Airways, including as Director, Alliances and Partnerships. Prior to joining America West Airlines, Mr. KerrMay served in various financial planning and analysis positions with Northwestas a Senior Analyst, International Route Planning at Continental Airlines. Previously, Mr. Kerr was a flight test coordinator/control engineer with Northrop Corporation’s B-2 Division.

 

Beverly GouletLOGO

Beverly Goulet

Vasu S. Raja

Vasu S. Raja is Executive Vice President and Chief IntegrationCommercial Officer. He was most recently Chief Revenue Officer, for AAG and American, positions shea position he held since 2020. Mr. Raja has held since November 2015. Previously from February 2013 to November 2015, she served asvarious roles of increasing responsibility at AAG, including Senior Vice President, Strategy (2019 to 2020), Vice President, Planning (2016 to 2019) and Chief Integration Officer. From November 2011Vice President, Pricing and Yield Management (2015 to December 2013, she served2016). Mr. Raja joined AAG’s predecessor airline in 2004 as Chief Restructuring Officer of AMR Corporation. Ms. Goulet joined American in 1993 as Associate General Counsel – Corporate Finance. She was appointed Managing Director – Corporate Developmentan Analyst, Sales Planning and Analysis. Mr. Raja began his career with Teach for America in 1999 and Vice President – Corporate Development and Treasurertaught for three years in 2002, a position she held until February 2013.

Baltimore City Public Schools.

 

Maya LeibmanLOGO

Maya Leibman

David G. Seymour

David G. Seymour is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for AAG and American, positions she has held since November 2015. Previously, she served asOperating Officer. He was most recently Senior Vice President, and Chief Information Officer from January 2012 to November 2015. Prior to her role as Chief Information Officer, Ms. Leibman was President of the AAdvantage loyalty program from 2010 to 2012. From 2001 to 2010, Ms. Leibman held several positions in the Information Technology department, culminating in the position of Vice President, Business Operations, Systems from 2006 to 2010. Ms. Leibman joined American in 1994 in the Revenue Management department.

Andrew Nocella

Andrew Nocella is Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for AAG and American, positions he has held since January 2016 and December 2013, respectively. Previously, Mr. Nocella was Senior Vice President – Marketing and Planning at US Airways, a position he held since August 2007, and prior2019. From 2016 to that2019, he served as Senior Vice President, of Revenue Management and Planning atIntegrated Operations. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President, Technical Operations from 2013 to 2016. Mr. Seymour joined AAG upon its merger with US Airways, where, from 20052002 to 2007.2013, he held a variety of positions in operations and planning, including as Senior Vice President, Operations. Between 1999 and 2002, Mr. Nocella joinedSeymour held a variety of positions with America West Airlines prior to its merger with US Airways, including as Vice President, Operations Planning and Performance. Mr. Seymour began his career serving as an airborne infantry officer in April 2002. He also previously worked as a route planner for Continental Airlines.the U.S. Army.

LOGO

63

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table

The following table provides compensation earned by our named executive officers in the years ended December 31, 2015, 20142023, 2022 and 2013. Each2021. See the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Non-Recurring Compensation Elements Reported in 2023” section on page 54 for a discussion of the named executive officers commenced employment with AAGnon-recurring compensation elements reported in December 2013, effective upon the closing of the Merger.Summary Compensation Table for 2023.

Name and Principal

Position during Fiscal 2023

 Year 

Salary

($)

 

Bonus

($)

 

Stock

Awards

($)(a)

 

Non-Equity

Incentive Plan

Compensation

($)(b)

 

All Other

Compensation

($)(c)

 

Total*

($)

Robert Isom

   2023   1,300,000   2,750,000(d)    19,500,000   7,778,160   110,002   31,438,162

Chief Executive Officer

   2022   1,162,083   -   3,653,000   -   71,566   4,886,649

and Director

   2021   766,146   -   4,180,000   -   55,214   5,001,360

Steve Johnson

   2023   826,346   -   6,046,000   3,270,125   64,613   10,207,084

Vice Chair and

   2022   735,616   -   2,695,000   -   63,492   3,494,108

Chief Strategy Officer

   2021   643,624   -   2,825,000   -   54,701   3,523,325

Priya Aiyar

   2023   693,250   1,185,069(e)    3,101,000   2,729,908   47,838   7,757,065

Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

              

Devon May

   2023   738,075   2,445,527(e)    2,360,000   2,340,912   53,788   7,938,302

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

              

Vasu Raja

   2023   731,250   4,468,169(e)    4,073,000   2,898,190   47,425   12,218,034

Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer

                                   

 

*

NameAs discussed in the “Compensation Discussion and Principal

Position

YearSalary
($) (a)
Bonus
($)
Stock
Awards
($) (c)
Option
Awards
($) (d)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Analysis—Non-RecurringCompensation
($) (e)
Change Elements Reported in
Pension Value
2023,” the total compensation for 2023 set forth above includes for Ms. Aiyar and Non-
Qualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings ($)
All Other
Compensation
($) (f)
Total
($)

W. Douglas Parker(b)


2015

2014

2013



231,538

687,884

42,308



-

-

-



10,330,000

7,000,000

15,415,270



-

-

-



387,450(g)

4,200,000

2,200,000



-

-

-



469,559

414,092

3,552



11,418,547

12,301,976

17,661,130


ChairmanMessrs. Isom, Johnson and Chief Executive Officer

Derek J. Kerr


2015

2014

2013



584,178

563,860

33,622



-

-

-



2,920,000

2,500,000

6,606,551



-

-

-



1,350,317

2,443,750

1,639,091



-

-

-



366,448

122,156

564



5,220,943

5,629,766

8,279,828


Executive Vice

PresidentRaja one-time and Chief Financial Officer

J. Scott Kirby


2015

2014

2013



660,375

642,512

42,868



-

-

-



5,250,000

4,500,000

11,010,911



-

-

-



2,062,444

3,575,000

2,229,164



-

-

-



328,964

62,273

620



8,301,783

8,779,785

13,283,563


President

Robert D. Isom, Jr.


2015

2014

2013



609,577

591,254

37,826



-

-

-



3,500,000

3,000,000

7,707,623



-

-

-



1,409,027

2,550,000

1,843,976



-

-

-



650,014

130,332

1,504



6,168,618

6,271,586

9,590,929


Executive Vice

Presidentpromotion awards and Chief Operating Officer

Stephen L. Johnson


2015

2014

2013



584,178

566,067

35,724



-

-

-



2,920,000

2,500,000

6,606,551



-

-

-



1,350,317

2,443,750

1,741,534



-

-

-



236,537

174,655

200



5,091,032

5,684,472

8,384,009


Executive Vice President Corporate Affairs

(a)Amounts represent base salaryfor Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. May and Raja, non-recurring payments paid by us to each named executive officer. For 2013, amounts represent base salary payments paid by us toin April 2023 for services performed in prior years. Furthermore, for each named executive officer, following the closing ofSTIP payout for the Merger on December 9, 2013.2022 program is reflected as compensation for 2023. The table below is identical to the Summary Compensation Table above except that the reported amounts exclude these non-recurring payments. While the table below is not a substitute for, and should be read together with, the Summary Compensation Table above, we believe this presentation better reflects each named executive officers’ regular compensation attributable to their services in 2023.

 

(b)On April 20, 2015, at the request of Mr. Parker, the Compensation Committee adjusted the compensation program for Mr. Parker to provide 100% of his direct compensation in the form of equity incentives in lieu of cash compensation. Effective as of May 1, 2015, the Company no longer paid Mr. Parker a cash base salary, and he ceased participating in the Company’s annual cash incentive program. Mr. Parker’s April 2016 equity grant was set at a level intended to, among other things, capture the value of his base salary, target cash incentive opportunity under the 2015 Short-term Incentive Program and the value of his 401(k) match.

Name

 Year  Salary
($)
  Bonus
($)
  Stock
Awards
($)
  Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
  All Other
Compensation
($)
  Total
Regular
Compensation
($)
 

Robert Isom

  2023   1,300,000   -   11,250,000   3,922,360   110,002   16,582,362 

Steve Johnson

  2023   826,346   -   3,675,000   1,787,085   64,613   6,353,044 

Priya Aiyar

  2023   693,250   -   2,360,000   1,376,634   47,838   4,477,722 

Devon May

  2023   738,075   -   2,360,000   1,461,495   53,788   4,613,358 

Vasu Raja

  2023   731,250   -   2,860,000   1,461,495   47,425   5,100,170 

 

(c)(a)

Amounts in this column represent the aggregate grant date fair value, as calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718, of RSUs granted by usthe Company during each of the fiscal years ending December 31, 2015, 20142023, 2022 and 2013,2021, respectively, to the named executive officers. The grant date fair value, as calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718, of time-based RSUs is equal to the number of shares underlying the RSUs, multiplied by the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of grant. See also Note 18 to our consolidated financial statements in our 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K. With respect to the performance-based portion of the RSUs, which were granted during fiscal year 2015,in 2023, the grant date fair value is calculateddetermined based on the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of grant multiplied by a factor reflecting achievement of the probable outcome of the performance condition.total debt reduction and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus a pre-defined group of airlines (which was 100%). The aggregate maximum fair value of the 20152023 annual performance-based portion of the RSUsRSU grants assuming the highest level of achievement of the performance conditions is as follows: Mr. Parker $11,160,000,Isom: $11,250,000, Mr. Kerr $2,920,000,Johnson: $3,675,000, Ms. Aiyar: $2,360,000, Mr. Kirby $5,250,000, Mr. Isom $3,500,000,May: $2,360,000 and Mr. Johnson $2,920,000. For 2013, the amounts include the grant dateRaja: $2,860,000. The aggregate maximum fair value as calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 718, of the 2023 one-time retention RSUs granted in December 2013 in connection withand promotion performance-based RSU grants assuming the Merger.

(d)We did not grant any options or SARs to anyhighest level of our named executive officers during anyachievement of the three preceding fiscal years.performance conditions is as follows: Mr. Isom: $11,000,000, Ms. Aiyar: $741,000 and Mr. Raja: $1,213,000.

 

(e)
For 2015, amounts represent payments under

64

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


(b)

The STIP payouts for both the AAG 20152022 and 2023 programs are reflected as compensation for 2023 as the performance period for the 2022 STIP ran from April 1, 2022 through April 1, 2023 and the legacy US Airways Group 2013-2015 LTIPP. For additional information onperformance period for the payouts under these cash incentive programs, see2023 STIP ran from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. Under the section entitled “Compensation Discussion2022 STIP, each named executive officer received a payment as follows: Mr. Isom: $3,855,800, Mr. Johnson: $1,483,040, Ms. Aiyar: $1,353,274, Mr. May: $879,417 and Analysis—Annual Cash Incentive Program” beginning on page 58.Mr. Raja: $1,436,695. Under the 2023 STIP, each named executive officer received a payment as follows: Mr. Isom: $3,922,360, Mr. Johnson: $1,787,085, Ms. Aiyar: $1,376,634, Mr. May: $1,461,495, and Mr. Raja: $1,461,495.

 

(f)(c)

The following table provides the amounts of other compensation, including perquisites, paid to, or on behalf of, named executive officers during 20152023 included in the “All Other Compensation” column. Perquisites and other personal benefits are valued on the basis of the aggregate incremental cost to the Company, except that flight benefits are valued based on the imputed taxable income to the executive, which valuation is greater than the incremental cost to the Company.

 

   W. Douglas
Parker
   Derek J.
Kerr
   J. Scott
Kirby
   Robert D.
Isom, Jr.
   Stephen L.
Johnson
 

Dividends (a)

  $410,732    $174,963    $292,886    $201,818    $174,963  

Flight Privileges (b)

   18,929     9,291     12,381     22,395     24,285  

Life Insurance Premiums (c)

   9,210     1,700     1,677     -     -  

Medical Examinations

   4,406     7,774     2,107     7,046     -  

Financial Advisory Services

   -     4,500     4,500     4,500     4,500  

Relocation (d)

   -     152,795     -     360,384     -  

Gross-Up Payments (e)

   15,682     850     838     39,296     18,214  

401(k)

   10,600     14,575     14,575     14,575     14,575  
    Robert
Isom ($)
  

Steve

Johnson ($)

   Priya
Aiyar ($)
   Devon
May ($)
   Vasu
Raja ($)
 

Flight Privileges(1)

   20,591   23,979    11,287    17,793    8,988 

Medical Examinations

   5,118   -    5,436    -    9,046 

Financial Advisory Services

   50,700(3)   4,500    4,500    4,500    4,500 

Gross-Up Payments(2)

   15,443   17,984    8,465    13,345    6,741 

401(k) Company Contributions

   18,150   18,150    18,150    18,150    18,150 

 

 (a)(1)Amounts represent dividends accrued and paid on RSUs upon vesting.

(b)

Amounts represent flight privileges provided for unlimited, top-priority reserved travel in any class of service, for the named executive officer and his or her immediate family, and up to 12 round-trip or 24 one-way passes fornon-eligible family members and friends. Amounts for Messrs. Parker, Isom and Johnson represent the actual value of travel utilized by those named executive officers and their respective eligible dependents during 2015. Amounts for Messrs. Kerr and Kirby represent the annuitized value of their lifetime flight benefits for 2015.2023.

 

 (c)(2)Amounts represent premium

Amount represents tax gross-up payments made by the Company on behalf of each named executive officer as follows: (i) with respect to Messrs. Parker, Kerr and Kirby, premium payments made by the Company in excess of the amount of premiums paid for employees generally with respect to coverage of the named executive officer under a life insurance policy and (ii) with respect to Mr. Parker only, the portion of premiums paid by the Company attributable to Mr. Parker for a life insurance policy under the America West Directors’ Charitable Contribution Program.flight privileges.

 

 (d)(3)For 2015,

Amount includes $46,200 in legal expenses incurred by Mr. Kerr’s relocation benefits consistedIsom in connection with the negotiation of reimbursement for: home sale closing costs of $140,000; and transportation of household goods and automobiles of $12,795. Mr. Isom’s relocation benefits consisted of reimbursement for: home sale and purchase closing costs of $317,500; transportation of household goods and automobiles of $35,384; and other miscellaneous expenses of $7,500.his CEO compensation that were reimbursed by the Company.

 

(d)(e)Amount represents tax gross-up payments with respect

Reflects a one-time cash payment to flight privileges, life insurance and relocation benefits.Mr. Isom.

 

(g)(e)Amount represents payment

Reflects payments under the legacy US Airways Group 2013-2015 LTIPP.cash retention agreements that were entered into with Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. May and Raja, respectively, in prior years payable subject to each employee’s continued service through April 1, 2023.

LOGO

65

2024 Proxy Statement


Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 20152023

The following table provides information regarding grants of plan-based awards made to our named executive officers during the year ended December 31, 2015.2023.

 

Name

 Grant Date  Estimated Future Payouts Under
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards
(a)
  Estimated Future Payouts Under
Equity Incentive Plan Awards (b)
  All Other
Stock
Awards:
Number of
Shares of
Stock or
Units (#)
(c)
  All Other
Option
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options (#)
 Exercise
or Base
Price of
Option
Awards
($/Sh)
 Grant Date
Fair Value
of Stock and
Option
Awards
($) (d)
 
  Threshold
($)
  Target
($)
  Maximum
($)
  Threshold
(#)
  Target
(#)
  Maximum
(#)
     

W. Douglas Parker

   -    -    -         
  4/20/2015       56,072    112,143    224,286       5,580,000  
  4/20/2015          95,529      4,750,000  

Derek J. Kerr

   368,359    736,719    1,473,438         
  4/15/2015       15,271    30,541    61,082       1,460,000  
  4/15/2015          30,541      1,460,000  

J. Scott Kirby

   582,969    1,165,938    2,331,875         
  4/15/2015       27,487    54,974    109,948       2,625,000  
  4/15/2015          54,974      2,625,000  

Robert D. Isom, Jr.

   384,375    768,750    1,537,500         
  4/15/2015       18,325    36,649    73,298       1,750,000  
  4/15/2015          36,649      1,750,000  

Stephen L. Johnson

   368,359    736,719    1,473,438         
  4/15/2015       15,271    30,541    61,082       1,460,000  
  4/15/2015          30,541      1,460,000  
  Name  Grant Date   Estimated Future Payouts
Under Non-Equity Incentive
Plan Awards(a)
   Estimated Future Payouts
Under Equity Incentive
Plan Awards
  

All Other

Stock

Awards:

Number of

Shares of

Stock or

Units

(#)

  

Grant Date

Fair Value

of Stock

and

Option

Awards

($)(b)

 
  

Threshold

($)

   

Target

($)

   

Maximum

($)

   

Threshold

(#)

   

Target

(#)

   

Maximum

(#)

 

Robert Isom

     1,300,000    2,600,000    5,200,000         
   9/20/2023          107,676    430,704    861,408(c)    5,625,000 
   9/20/2023          105,283    421,133    842,266(d)    5,500,000 
   9/20/2023               430,704(e)   5,625,000 
   9/20/2023               210,566(f)   2,750,000 

Steve Johnson

     637,500    1,275,000    2,550,000         
   9/20/2023          35,176    140,704    281,408(c)    1,837,500 
   9/20/2023               140,704(e)   1,837,500 
   9/20/2023               181,554(g)   2,371,000 

Priya Aiyar

     456,250    912,500    1,825,000         
   5/2/2023          21,423    85,693    171,386(c)    1,180,000 
   7/12/2023          4,988    19,953    39,906(d)    370,500 
   5/2/2023               85,693(e)   1,180,000 
   7/12/2023               19,952(f)   370,500 

Devon May

     484,375    968,750    1,937,500         
   5/2/2023          21,423    85,693    171,386(c)    1,180,000 
   5/2/2023               85,693(e)   1,180,000 

Vasu Raja

     484,375    968,750    1,937,500         
   5/2/2023          25,962    103,848    207,696(c)    1,430,000 
   7/12/2023          8,166    32,662    65,324(d)    606,500 
   5/2/2023               103,848(e)   1,430,000 
    7/12/2023                                 32,661(f)   606,500 

 

(a)

Reflects potential payouts under the AAG 20152023 STIP. For each named executive officer, the actual payment for 2015 was 149% of the executive’s target bonus opportunity. See the “Summary Compensation Table” on page 69.

 

(b)

For solely time-based RSU awards and the time-based vesting portion of each named executive officer’s RSU award, the grant date fair value is equal to the number of shares underlying the RSUs, multiplied by the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of grant. For the performance-vesting portion of each named executive officer’s RSU award, the grant date fair value is determined based on the closing price of our Common Stock on the date of grant multiplied by a factor reflecting achievement of the probable outcome of the total debt reduction and relative pre-tax income margin improvement versus a pre-defined group of airlines as applicable (which was 100%).

(c)

Represents the performance-vesting portion of the named executive officers’ 2023 annual RSU awards that vest on April 15, 2018, and in the casethird anniversary of Mr. Parker, April 20, 2018,the grant date, subject to the executive’s continued employment,service and based on the Company’s achievement of a(i) total debt reduction from year-end 2022 to year-end 2025 and (ii) pre-tax income margin for the three years ending December 31, 2017improvement relative to the pre-tax income margin improvement for a pre-defined group of airlines based on 2023-2025 pre-tax income margin over the same period for a pre-defined group of airlines.2019 baseline. The number of shares that will be issued with respect to the performance-vesting RSUs varies between 50%25% and 200% depending on the Company’s relative performance, and no shares will be issued if threshold performance is not achieved.

 

(c)(d)

Represents the performance-vesting portion of the named executive officers’ 2023 one-time and promotion RSU awards that vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the executive’s continued service and based on the Company’s achievement of (i) total debt reduction from year-end 2022 to year-end 2025 and (ii) pre-tax income margin improvement relative to the pre-tax income margin improvement for a pre-defined group of airlines based on 2023-2025 pre-tax income margin over a 2019 baseline. The number of shares that will be issued with respect to the performance-vesting RSUs varies between 25% and 200% depending on the Company’s performance, and no shares will be issued if threshold performance is not achieved.

(e)

Represents the time-vesting portion of the named executive officers’ 2023 annual RSU awards that vest, subject to the executive’s continued employment, with respect to two-thirds66.66% on the first anniversary of the grant date and with respect to 33.33% of the shares on April 15, 2016,the second anniversary of the grant date.

(f)

Represents the time-vesting portion of the named executive officers’ 2023 one-time and inpromotion RSU awards that vest, subject to the caseexecutive’s continued employment, with respect to 66.66% on the first anniversary of Mr. Parker, April 20, 2016,the grant date and with respect to one-third33.33% of the shares on April 15, 2017, and in the casesecond anniversary of Mr. Parker, April 20, 2017.the grant date.

 

(d)(g)For a description

Represents Mr. Johnson’s promotion RSU grant that vests over three years, with one-third of the assumptions made to arrive at these amounts, please see Note 18 to our consolidated financial statements in our 2015 Annual Reportshares vesting on Form 10-K.each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date.

66

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Outstanding Equity Awards at 20152023 Fiscal Year-End

The following table provides information regarding all outstanding equity awards held by each of our named executive officers as of December 31, 2015.2023.

 

Name

 Option/Stock Appreciation Awards  Stock Awards 
 Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Exercisable
(#)
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable
(#)
  Option
Exercise
Price ($)
  Option
Expiration
Date
  Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested (#)
  Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested ($)(f)
  IAP Award:
Number of
Unearned
Shares, Units,
or Other
Rights That
Have Not
Vested (#)
  IAP Awards:
Market or
Payout Value of
Unearned
Shares, Units, or
Other Rights
That Have Not
Vested ($)(g)
 

W. Douglas Parker

  294,748    -    7.62    4/11/2019    95,529(a)    4,045,653    112,143(e)    4,749,256  
  240,536    -    8.14    4/20/2018    96,792(b)    4,099,141    
  231,060    -    7.42    4/14/2017    96,792(c)    4,099,141    
  332,370    -    3.10    4/8/2016    56,907(d)    2,410,011    
  196,820    -    8.84    4/9/2018      
  90,000    -    45.01    4/11/2017      
  120,000    -    38.44    4/19/2016      

Derek J. Kerr

  117,287    -    7.62    4/11/2019    30,541(f)    1,293,411    30,541(e)    1,293,411  
  95,714    -    8.14    4/20/2018    34,568(b)    1,463,955    
      34,569(c)    1,463,997    
      22,645(d)    959,016    

J. Scott Kirby

  31,500    -    45.01    4/11/2017    54,974(f)    2,328,149    54,974(e)    2,328,149  
  37,500    -    46.11    10/2/2016    62,223(b)    2,635,144    
  18,000    -    38.44    4/19/2016    62,224(c)    2,635,186    
      39,839(d)    1,687,182    

Robert D. Isom, Jr.

  117,287    -    7.62    4/11/2019    36,649(f)    1,552,085    36,649(e)    1,552,085  
  70,000    -    31.14    9/6/2017    41,482(b)    1,756,763    
      41,483(c)    1,756,805    
      22,645(d)    959,016    

Stephen L. Johnson

  117,287    -    7.62    4/11/2019    30,541(f)    1,293,411    30,541(e)    1,293,411  
      34,568(b)    1,463,955    
      34,569(c)    1,463,997    
      22,645(d)    959,016    
  Stock Awards 

Name

 Grant Date  

Number of
Shares or
Units of Stock
That Have
Not Vested

(#)

  

Market Value of
Shares or
Units of Stock
That Have
Not Vested

($)(j)

  Number of
Unearned
Shares, Units, or
Other Rights
That Have
Not Vested
(#)
  

Market or Payout
Value of
Unearned Shares,
Units, or
Other Rights
That Have

Not Vested

($)(j)

 

Robert Isom

  9/20/2023   430,704(a)   5,917,873   430,704(b)   5,917,873 
  9/20/2023   210,566(c)   2,893,177   421,133(d)   5,786,367 
  2/24/2022   21,539(e)   295,946   172,312(f)   2,367,567 
  2/16/2021   46,914(g)   644,598   -   - 

Steve Johnson

  9/20/2023   140,704(a)   1,933,273   140,704(b)   1,933,273 
  9/20/2023   181,554(h)   2,494,552   -   - 
  2/24/2022   15,891(e)   218,342   127,123(f)   1,746,673 
  2/16/2021   31,706(g)   435,640   -   - 

Priya Aiyar

  7/12/2023   19,952(c)   274,140   19,953(d)   274,154 
  5/2/2023   85,693(a)   1,177,422   85,693(b)   1,177,422 
  12/12/2022   73,943(h)   1,015,977   -   - 
  11/16/2021   26,462(h)   363,588   -   - 
  2/16/2021   6,079(h)   83,525   -   - 

Devon May

  5/2/2023   85,693(a)   1,177,422   85,693(b)   1,177,422 
  12/12/2022   58,685(h)   806,332   -   - 
  11/16/2021   21,001(h)   288,554   -   - 

Vasu Raja

  7/12/2023   32,661(c)   448,762   32,662(d)   448,776 
  5/2/2023   103,848(a)   1,426,872   103,848(b)   1,426,872 
  12/12/2022   24,882(h)   341,879   -   - 
   11/16/2021   8,736(h)   120,033   -   - 

 

(a)Two-thirds

Represents the time-vesting portion of the RSUs vested on April 20, 2016 and, subject to the executive’s continued employment, one-third will vest on April 20, 2017.

(b)One-third of the RSUs vested on April 22, 2016 and, subject to the executive’s continued employment, two-thirds will vest on April 22, 2017.

(c)Represents performance-vesting RSUs with respect to which the performance conditions were achieved and certified to by the Compensation Committee as of December 31, 2015. One-third of the RSUs vested on April 22, 2016 and, subject to the executive’s continued employment, two-thirds will vest on April 22, 2017.

(d)100% of the RSUs vested on April 10, 2016.

(e)Represents RSUsnamed executive officer’s 2023 annual RSU awards that will vest, subject to the executive’s continued employment, with respect to 66.66% on April 15, 2018,the first anniversary of the grant date and inwith respect to 33.33% of the caseshares on the second anniversary of Mr. Parker, April 20, 2018,the grant date.

(b)

Represents the performance-vesting portion of the named executive officers’ 2023 annual RSU awards that vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the executive’s continued service and based on the Company’s achievement of a(i) total debt reduction from year-end 2022 to year-end 2025 and (ii) pre-tax income margin for the three years ending December 31, 2017improvement relative to the pre-tax income margin improvement for a pre-defined group of airlines based on 2023-2025 pre-tax income margin over the same period for a pre-defined group of airlines.2019 baseline. The number of shares that will be issued with respect to the performance-vesting RSUs varies between 50%25% and 200% depending on the Company’s relative performance, and no shares will be issued if threshold performance is not achieved. Based on our expected attainment level as of December 31, 2023, the target number of RSUs is shown.

(f)(c)Two-thirds

Represents the time-vesting portion of the RSUs vested on April 15, 2016named executive officers’ 2023 one-time and promotion RSU awards that vest, subject to the executive’s continued employment, one-third will vestwith respect to 66.66% on April 15, 2017.the first anniversary of the grant date and with respect to 33.33% of the shares on the second anniversary of the grant date.

 

(g)(d)

Represents the performance-vesting portion of the named executive officers’ 2023 one-time and promotion RSU awards that vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject to the executive’s continued service and based on the Company’s achievement of (i) total debt reduction from year-end 2022 to year-end 2025 and (ii) pre-tax income margin improvement relative to the pre-tax income margin improvement for a pre-defined group of airlines based on 2023-2025 pre-tax income margin over a 2019 baseline. The number of shares that will be issued with respect to the performance-vesting RSUs varies between 25% and 200% depending on the Company’s performance, and no shares will be issued if threshold performance is not achieved. Based on our expected attainment level as of December 31, 2023, the target number of RSUs is shown.

(e)

Represents the time-vesting portion of the RSU awards granted on February 24, 2022, with 80% of the time-vesting shares vesting on February 24, 2023, the first anniversary of the grant date and 20% of the time-vesting shares vesting on February 24, 2024, the second anniversary of the grant date, subject to continued service.

(f)

Represents the performance-vesting portion of the RSUs granted on February 24, 2022, that will vest, subject to continued service, on February 24, 2025, based on the Company’s achievement of (i) total debt reduction from year-end 2021 to year-end 2024 and (ii) pre-tax income margin improvement relative to the pre-tax income margin improvement for a pre-defined group of airlines based on 2024 pre-tax income margin over a 2019 baseline. The number of shares that will be issued with respect to the performance-vesting RSUs varies between 20% and 200% depending on the Company’s performance, and no shares will be issued if threshold performance is not achieved. Based on our expected attainment level as of December 31, 2023, 160% of the target number of RSUs is shown.

(g)

Represents time-vesting RSU awards. 40% of the shares underlying grant vested on February 16, 2022, the first anniversary of the grant date, 40% of the shares underlying grant vested on February 16, 2023, the second anniversary of the grant date, and 20% of the shares underlying grant vested on the February 16, 2024, the third anniversary of the grant date.

LOGO

67

2024 Proxy Statement


(h)

Represents time-vesting RSU awards that vest over three years, with one-third of the shares vesting on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date.

(j)

The market value of RSUs was calculated by multiplying $42.35,$13.74, the closing price of a share of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015,29, 2023, by the number of unvested RSUs outstanding under the award.

Options Exercised and Stock Vested

The following table provides information regarding all exercises of SARs and the vesting of RSUs held by the named executive officers during the year ended December 31, 2015.2023. Our named executive officers did not hold any options or SARs during 2023.

 

Name

  Option Awards   Stock Awards 
  Number of
Shares
Acquired on
Exercise
(#)
   Value Realized
on Exercise
($) (a)
   Number of
Shares
Acquired
on Vesting
(#)
   Value
Realized
on Vesting
($) (b)
 

W. Douglas Parker

   791,630     29,194,852     742,468     32,599,332  

Derek J. Kerr

   144,200     5,198,025     314,650     13,801,672  

J. Scott Kirby

   415,858     16,761,045     528,688     23,206,659  

Robert D. Isom, Jr.

   197,344     8,036,126     359,409     15,735,261  

Stephen L. Johnson

   289,914     12,345,525     314,650     13,801,672  
   Stock Awards 

Name

  

Number of Shares

Acquired on Vesting

(#)

   

Value Realized

on Vesting

($)(a)

 

Robert Isom

   240,026    3,806,677 

Steve Johnson

   158,818    2,520,656 

Priya Aiyar

   102,553    1,402,276 

Devon May

   83,385    1,128,972 

Vasu Raja

   43,115    605,702 

 

(a)Represents the market price at the time of exercise of SARs, net of the exercise price.

(b)

Represents the closing market price of a share of our Common Stock on the date of vesting, multiplied by the number of shares that vested.

68

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

PensionThis section quantifies payments that would be made to our named executive officers upon a change in control or following certain qualifying terminations of employment. For a description of these benefits, please see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Severance Benefits and Nonqualified Deferred CompensationPost Termination Restrictive Covenants.”

NoneThe estimated amounts of the respective benefits for each of our named executive officers, participatedassuming the triggering event occurred on December 31, 2023, are provided in any pension the table below. The table below reflects the termination and/or nonqualified deferred compensationchange in control benefits payable to each named executive officer under agreements and plans during 2015.

Employment and Other Executive Agreements

Upon the closingin which he or she participates that were in effect as of the Merger, we assumed certain agreementsend of the fiscal year, and in the case of Mr. May, the severance agreement he entered into between US Airways Group and our named executive officers, as described below.in February 2024.

Executive Benefits and

Payments Upon Termination

 

Change in

Control

($)

  

Involuntary
Termination

($)

  

Involuntary
Termination
with
Change in
Control

($)

  

Death

($)

  

Disability

($)

  

Any Other

Qualifying
Termination

($)(f)

 

Robert Isom

      

Base Salary(a)

  -   2,600,000   2,600,000   -   -   - 

Annual Incentive Award(b)

  -   5,200,000   5,200,000   3,922,360   3,922,360   - 

COBRA(c)

  -   54,875   54,875   -   -   - 

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs(d)

  23,823,401   15,389,935   23,823,401   23,823,401   23,823,401   9,041,151 

Flight Privileges(e)

  -   268,043   268,043   170,308   268,043   268,043 

Total

  23,823,401   23,512,853   31,946,319   27,916,069   28,013,804   9,309,194 

Steve Johnson

      

Base Salary(a)

  -   1,275,000   1,275,000   -   -   - 

Annual Incentive Award(b)

  -   1,912,500   1,912,500   1,787,085   1,787,085   - 

COBRA(c)

  -   40,854   40,854   -   -   - 

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs(d)

  8,761,753   8,761,753   8,761,753   8,761,753   8,761,753   8,761,753 

Flight Privileges(e)

  -   295,231   295,231   197,802   295,231   295,231 

Total

  8,761,753   12,285,338   12,285,338   10,746,640   10,844,069   9,056,984 

Priya Aiyar

      

Base Salary(a)

  -   1,095,000   1,095,000   -   -   - 

Annual Incentive Award(b)

  -   1,368,750   1,368,750   1,376,634   1,376,634   - 

COBRA(c)

  -   13,105   13,105   -   -   - 

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs(d)

  4,366,228   2,313,445   4,366,228   4,366,228   4,366,228   - 

Flight Privileges(e)

  -   18,775   18,775   -   -   - 

Total

  4,366,228   4,809,075   6,861,858   5,742,862   5,742,862   - 

Devon May

      

Base Salary(a)

  -   1,162,500   1,162,500   -   -   - 

Annual Incentive Award(b)

  -   1,453,125   1,453,125   1,461,495   1,461,495   - 

COBRA(c)

  -   45,964   45,964   -   -   - 

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs(d)

  3,449,730   1,869,135   3,449,730   3,449,730   3,449,730   - 

Flight Privileges(e)

  -   317,273   317,273   227,649   317,273   317,273 

Total

  3,449,730   4,847,997   6,428,592   5,138,874   5,228,498   317,273 

Vasu Raja

      

Base Salary

  -   -   -   -   -   - 

Annual Incentive Award(b)

  -   -   -   1,461,495   1,461,495   - 

COBRA

  -   -   -   -   -   - 

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs(d)

  4,213,194   -   4,213,194   4,213,194   4,213,194   - 

Flight Privileges(e)

  -   -   -   -   -   - 

Total

  4,213,194   -   4,213,194   5,674,689   5,674,689   - 

 

Employment Agreement with W. Douglas Parker

(a)
As

On an involuntary termination, represents 24 months of December 31, 2015, we were party to an Amendedbase salary for Mr. Isom and Restated Employment Agreement with Mr. Parker dated November 28, 2007 (the “Parker Agreement”). At Mr. Parker’s request, our Compensation Committee approved the elimination18 months of the Parker Agreementexecutive’s base salary for Ms. Aiyar and our obligations thereunder in April 2016. However, notwithstanding the elimination of Mr. Parker’s employment agreement, he has agreed to remain obligated with respect to the employment agreement covenants that required post termination confidentialityMessrs. Johnson and non-solicitation of employees.May.

 

LOGO

Prior to the termination of the Parker Agreement, Mr. Parker was entitled to the following under the Parker Agreement:

69

2024 Proxy Statement


A minimum annual cash base salary in the amount of $700,000 or such higher amount as determined by the Compensation Committee.
An annual cash incentive award based on a target of at least 80% of his base salary and a maximum of at least 160% of his base salary. For 2014, Mr. Parker’s annual incentive program target was 200% of his base salary and his maximum opportunity was 400% of his base salary.
Participation in the LTIPP.
Eligibility to receive equity-based incentive awards appropriate for his status as our most senior executive officer.
A $2 million term life insurance policy.
Membership fees and dues for up to two clubs that Mr. Parker may choose to join (Mr. Parker has joined only one club) and reimbursement of tax and financial planning assistance. At his request, we no longer reimburse Mr. Parker for his club membership.
Participation in various employee benefit plans or programs provided to senior executives.
Positive space flight privileges for Mr. Parker, his wife and eligible dependents.

 

(b)The Parker Agreement also provided

On an involuntary termination, represents two times Mr. Isom’s annual target cash incentive and 1.5 times the executive’s annual target cash incentive for certain change in controlMs. Aiyar and severance benefits, as described more fully below.Messrs. Johnson and May. On death or disability, amount represents the amount of the annual incentive award earned by each named executive officer under the 2023 STIP which was attained at 150.86% of target.

 

(c)

Potential Payments Upon Termination or ChangeOn an involuntary termination, in Control

This section describes payments that would be madethe case of Mr. Isom, represents a payment equal to our named executive officers upon24 months’ COBRA premiums, and for Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. Johnson and May, a change in control or following a qualifying termination of employment. The narrative and table below describe specific benefitspayment equal to which each named executive officer is entitled under, as applicable, the Parker Agreement (prior to its termination), the executive change in control agreement, and general plans that may apply to any executive officer participating in those plans, along with estimated amounts of benefits assuming termination and/or a change in control as of December 31, 2015.
18 months’ COBRA premiums.

Parker Agreement

 

(d)Termination for Good Reason, without Misconduct, or following a Change in Control. Prior to the termination of the Parker Agreement, it provided that if Mr. Parker terminated his employment for good reason, if we terminated Mr. Parker’s employment for any reason other than misconduct, or if Mr. Parker terminated his employment for any reason within 24 months after a change in control, then Mr. Parker would have been entitled to receive the following, subject to the signing of a general waiver and release of claims:

a severance payment equal to 200% of the sum of Mr. Parker’s annual base salary plus the greater of (i) the average of his annual cash incentive award for the three calendar years before the termination and (ii) the target annual cash incentive award for the year of termination;
accelerated vesting of all stock and other awards held by Mr. Parker pursuant to equity incentive compensation plans, which awards would have remained exercisable for a period of 36 months or such longer period as provided by the terms of any specific award, but in no event would the exercise period have extended beyond the earlier of the original expiration date of the award or ten years from the original date of grant;
a payment equal to 200% of the greater of (i) 125% of Mr. Parker’s base salary and (ii) the amount that would have been paid to him if the TSR for the performance cycle ending on December 31 of the year in which termination occurs had been measured as of the termination date (this payment would be in settlement of our obligations under the LTIPP, so that Mr. Parker would not receive the termination payments described above under the LTIPP in this case);
a lump sum payment equal to the value of 24 months of COBRA continuation coverage premiums for healthcare benefits for Mr. Parker and his eligible dependents, less the cost of such benefits for an active employee for 24 months, in addition to a tax gross-up for the lump sum payment;
continued term life insurance for a period of 24 months; and
positive space flight privileges for Mr. Parker for his lifetime and his wife and eligible dependents for their lifetimes.

Given that, commencing May 1, 2015, Mr. Parker no longer received any base salary or participated in the Company’s annual cash incentive program, the severance payment tied to his base salary and target annual cash incentive award would have been based on the levels in place immediately prior to May 1, 2015, which would have been periodically adjusted to reflect increases in Mr. Parker’s target direct compensation.

For purposes of the Parker Agreement, “good reason” included, among other things, any of the following acts or failures to act, if not consented to by Mr. Parker in writing: (i) a material diminution in Mr. Parker’s titles, positions, functions, duties, or responsibilities, subject to Mr. Parker’s timely notification; or (ii) our failure to perform any material obligation owed to Mr. Parker, subject to timely notification and our ability to cure.

In order to facilitate the Merger and obtain the support of the Creditors Committee, Mr. Parker waived his right to receive accelerated vesting of stock and other awards at the closing of the Merger. In addition, under his agreement, Mr. Parker would have been entitled to severance and full vesting of equity awards if he resigned during a specified period of time following the Merger. However, in exchange for eligibility to receive an award of RSUs as part of a retention program, Mr. Parker agreed to waive his right to receive those termination benefits as a result of the Merger.

Termination Due to Disability or Non-Renewal. Prior to the termination of the Parker Agreement, if Mr. Parker’s employment had been terminated because we did not renew his employment agreement or if Mr. Parker’s employment was terminated because of disability, Mr. Parker would have been entitled to receive the following, subject to the signing of a general waiver and release of claims:

a severance payment equal to the sum of Mr. Parker’s annual base salary plus the greater of (i) the average of his annual cash incentive award for the three calendar years before the termination and (ii) the target annual cash incentive award for the year of termination;
in the case of disability, accelerated vesting of all stock and other awards held by Mr. Parker pursuant to equity incentive compensation plans, which awards would have remained exercisable for a period of 36 months or such longer period as provided by the terms of any specific award, but in no event would the exercise period have extended beyond the earlier of the original expiration date of the award or ten years from the original date of grant;
payments under the LTIPP as if Mr. Parker’s employment had continued through the date awards under the LTIPP are paid for the year of termination;
a lump sum payment equal to the value of 24 months of COBRA continuation coverage premiums for healthcare benefits for Mr. Parker and his eligible dependents, less the cost of such benefits for an active employee for 24 months, plus a tax gross-up for the lump sum payment;
continued term life insurance for a period of 24 months; and
positive space flight privileges for Mr. Parker for his lifetime and his wife and eligible dependents for their lifetimes.

As noted above, commencing May 1, 2015, the severance payment would have been based on the base salary and target annual cash incentive award levels in place immediately prior to May 1, 2015. In April 2016, at Mr. Parker’s request, the Parker Agreement was terminated.

Termination Due to Death. Prior to the termination of the Parker Agreement, if Mr. Parker’s employment terminated due to death, his estate would be entitled to receive, subject to the signing of a general waiver and release of claims:

accelerated vesting of all stock options, SARs, RSUs, long-term incentive compensation, and other awards held by Mr. Parker pursuant to equity incentive compensation plans, which awards would have remained exercisable for a period of 36 months or such longer period as provided by the terms of any specific award, but in no event would the exercise period have extended beyond the earlier of the original expiration date of the award or ten years from the original date of grant;
payments under the LTIPP as if Mr. Parker’s employment had continued through the date awards under the LTIPP are paid for the year of death;
a lump sum payment equal to the value of 24 months of COBRA continuation coverage premiums for healthcare benefits for Mr. Parker’s eligible dependents, less the cost of such benefits for an active employee for 24 months, plus a tax gross-up for the lump sum payment; and

positive space flight privileges for Mr. Parker’s wife and eligible dependents for their lifetimes.

The Parker Agreement also provided a tax gross-up payment in an amount that would have an after-tax value equal to taxes that could be imposed if any severance payments due to Mr. Parker were considered to be “excess parachute payments” subject to excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code. If Mr. Parker was entitled to receive severance payments under any other severance plans or policies, then the other severance payments would have been reduced by the amount payable under Mr. Parker’s employment agreement, excluding tax gross-ups. If Mr. Parker’s employment terminated for any reason, he was entitled to receive accrued benefits and payments.

The following table provides the termination and/or change in control benefits payable to Mr. Parker under his employment agreement and under the termination and change in control benefits generally provided for all named executive officers described below, assuming termination of employment occurred on December 31, 2015, while the Parker Agreement was in effect. Except for insured benefits, all payments would have been made by AAG. Following the elimination of the Parker Agreement, Mr. Parker is no longer contractually entitled to certain benefits, such as cash severance, COBRA continuation, life insurance premium payments and the 280G tax gross up benefits shown in the table below. While, pursuant to their terms, the vesting of Mr. Parker’s RSU awards will accelerate upon a change in control or his death or permanent disability, following the elimination of his employment agreement, he is no longer contractually entitled to the full vesting acceleration provided in his employment agreement upon other terminations of employment.

Executive Benefits and

Payments Upon Termination

 Any Termination
Following a
Change
in Control
Other than by the
Company for
Misconduct ($) (a)
  Executive
Termination
for Good
Reason ($)
  Company
Termination
Other than
for
Misconduct ($)
  Termination
on
Expiration
Date
Following
Non-Extension ($)
  Death ($)  Disability ($) 

Compensation:

      

Base Salary (b)

  1,435,000    1,435,000    1,435,000    717,500    -    717,500  

Annual Incentive Award (b)

  3,333,334(c)   3,333,334(c)   3,333,334(c)   1,666,667(d)   -    1,666,667(d) 

Long-Term Incentive Award

  1,793,750(e)   1,793,750(e)   1,793,750(e)   387,450(f)   387,450(f)   387,450(f) 

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs (g)

  19,403,202    19,403,202    19,403,202    492,908(h)   19,403,202    19,403,202  

Extended Option and SAR Exercise Period (i)

  444,663    444,663    444,663    -    444,663    444,663  

Benefits and Perquisites:

      

Medical Benefits (j)

  75,083    75,083    75,083    75,083    75,083    75,083  

Life Insurance

  6,259(k)   6,259(k)   6,259(k)   6,259(k)   2,000,000(l)   6,259(k) 

Flight Privileges (m)

  493,608    493,608    493,608    493,608    427,456    493,608  

Tax Gross-up on Flight Privileges

  370,206    370,206    370,206    370,206    320,592    370,206  

280G Tax Gross-up (n)

  -    -    -    -    -    -  
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

Total

  27,355,105    27,355,105    27,355,105    4,209,681    23,058,446    23,564,638  
 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

(a)Represents any termination of employment within 24 months following a change in control of AAG, other than by the Company for “misconduct.”

(b)Commencing May 1, 2015, Mr. Parker was no longer eligible to receive any base salary or participate in the Company’s Short-term Incentive Program. As a result, the severance payment tied to his base salary and target annual cash incentive award are based on the levels in place immediately prior to May 1, 2015.

(c)Amount represents two times the greater of (i) the previous three years average annual incentive award prior to May 1, 2015 or (ii) the target annual cash incentive award based on the level in place immediately prior to May 1, 2015. Amount shown is two times the previous three years average annual incentive award.

(d)Amount represents the greater of Mr. Parker’s (i) average annual incentive award for the preceding three years prior to May 1, 2015 or (ii) his target annual cash incentive award based on the level in place immediately prior to May 1, 2015. Amount shown is Mr. Parker’s average annual incentive award for the preceding three years.

(e)Amount represents two times the greater of (i) 125% of Mr. Parker’s salary immediately prior to May 1, 2015 or (ii) the amount he would receive under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015. Amount shown is two times 125% of Mr. Parker’s salary.

(f)Amount represents payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(g)Aggregate value of unvested RSUs is calculated by multiplying $42.35,at a price of $13.74, the closing price of a share of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015,29, 2023, multiplied by the number of unvested RSUs outstanding under each award. The performance-vesting portion of the named executive officer’s 2022 RSU awards are valued based on our expected attainment level as of December 31, 2023 of 160% of target and the performance-vesting portion of the named executive officer’s 2023 RSU award are based on our expected attainment level as of December 31, 2023 of target. For a description of these vesting acceleration benefits, please see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Severance Benefits and Post Termination Restrictive Covenants.”

 

(h)(e)Represents

Each of Messrs. Isom, Johnson and May are vested into positive space flight lifetime travel benefits and are entitled to continued receipt of these benefits upon their termination of employment, other than coverage of income tax liability. Mr. Raja is eligible for lifetime space available travel benefits, which does not result in any incremental cost to the vestingCompany. The calculation of the portion of Mr. Parker’s 2015 RSU award that accounts for the value of Mr. Parker’s base salary and cash incentive award that otherwise would have been earned by him through the termination date.

(i)Amount reflects the incremental aggregate value due to the extension of the exercise period of SARs. Assumes (i) a stock price of $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, on the date of extension; (ii) annual interest rates of 0.23% at three months and 1.28% at three years; (iii) 33.7% volatility over three months and 37.6% volatility over three years; and (iv) a 0.94% dividend yield.

(j)Amount reflects the value of 2015 COBRA premiums for group medical, dental and vision coverage for 24 months, less the current employee portion, plus a tax gross-up for the lump sum payment of this amount.

(k)Amount represents premium payments for 24 months of life insurance coverage, assuming the monthly premium cost as of December 31, 2015.

(l)Amount represents the life insurance proceeds payable to Mr. Parker’s estate under his term life insurance policy upon a termination due to death.

(m)Basedpositive space lifetime travel benefits is based on the terms of the non-revenue travel policy for senior executivesexecutive officers currently in effect. Under her severance agreement with the Company, in the case of an Involuntary Termination, Ms. Aiyar is entitled to travel privileges pursuant to the terms of the Company’s travel policy for officers during the 18-month period following the termination date. Reflects the present value of future travel calculated using a discount rate of 4.42%5.3% and RP-2014Pri-2012 Employee Table, withoutwith white collar or quartile adjustments, decreasedincreased by 3.5%3.0% at all ages, and then projected generationally from 2012 with Scale MP-2015,MP-2021, and assumes the annual level of usage is the same as the executive’s actual usage for 2023 (excluding travel between Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth and between Orange County and Dallas/Fort Worth for Mr. Johnson) with a valuation based on imputed income and a 1% annual increase in the cost of travel.

 

(n)(f)Assumes that Mr. Parker is entitled to full reimbursement

Represents for Messrs. Isom and Johnson, the vesting of (i)certain RSUs on any excise taxes that are imposed upon Mr. Parkertermination without “cause,” including retirement.

CEO Pay Ratio

As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing information about the relationship of the annual total compensation of our employees and the annual total compensation of Mr. Isom, who served as CEO as of December 31, 2023.

We offer competitive compensation to our team members. As one of the world’s largest airlines, some of our unique characteristics may make comparisons to the pay ratios at other airlines or companies difficult. We employ over 130,000 team members; our route network is vast and unique; and we insource more of our flying and services than our U.S. peers. For example, American operates three wholly-owned regional airlines, and approximately 22% of our total workforce is employed by those airlines. Additionally, our pay ratio includes approximately 16% part-time and temporary team members. In 2023, mainline and regional salaries, wages and benefits were our largest expense and represented approximately 34% of our total operating expenses. Approximately 87% of our employees as of December 31, 2023 were represented by various labor unions responsible for negotiating the collective bargaining agreements covering their compensation and job duties, among other things. The Company’s employment footprint is quite diverse—with some positions requiring initial education and licensing requirements as well as ongoing certification work. Compensation for positions with more rigorous requirements for continued employment and that draw from smaller applicant pools generally utilize higher pay bands than those positions with fewer educational and training requirements and larger applicant pools.

For 2023, the median annual total compensation of all team members across American (other than our CEO) was $67,788, while the annual total compensation of our CEO was $31,438,162, as outlined in the “Summary Compensation Table” above. Based on this information, the ratio of the annual total compensation of our CEO to the median annual total compensation of all employees was estimated to be 464 to 1, calculated in accordance with SEC rules. This pay ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K.

In addition to the required pay ratio calculation above, we have calculated an alternative pay ratio using an adjusted amount of total compensation for Mr. Isom that removes the non-recurring elements of his compensation as set forth under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis— Non-Recurring Compensation Elements Reported in 2023”. When calculated in this manner, Mr. Isom’s adjusted total compensation for 2023 is $16,582,362 and the ratio of the annual total compensation of Mr. Isom to the median annual total compensation of all employees was estimated to be 245 to 1.

This alternative pay ratio is not a substitute for the pay ratio calculated in accordance with the SEC disclosure rules, but we believe it is helpful in fully evaluating the ratio of Mr. Isom’s annual total compensation to the median of the annual total compensation of all American Airlines employees.

Determining the Median Employee

The Company chose December 31, 2023 as the date for establishing the employee population used in identifying the median employee and 2023 as the measurement period.

70

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


We captured all full-time, part-time and temporary employees located in the U.S. as of December 31, 2023 with nonzero W-2 earnings, including team members employed at our three wholly owned subsidiaries, consisting of 139,532 individuals. As permitted by SEC rules, under the 5% “de minimis” exemption, we excluded 6,487 non-U.S. employees. The jurisdictions in which we excluded employees and their employee populations were as follows: Antigua and Barbuda (26); Argentina (475); Aruba (38); Australia (7); Bahamas (148); Barbados (65); Belize (26); Bermuda (19); Brazil (509); Canada (478); Cayman Islands (1); Chile (201); China (29); Colombia (84); Costa Rica (74); Dominican Republic (443); Ecuador (11); El Salvador (35); France (155); Germany (91); Greece (2); Grenada (30); Guatemala (46); Haiti (26); Honduras (46); Hong Kong (4); India (8); Ireland (61); Israel (6); Italy (24); Jamaica (95); Japan (57); Korea, Republic of (6); Mexico (1,160); Netherlands (12); Netherlands Antilles (4); Nicaragua (23); Peru (467); Portugal (7); Saint Kitts and Nevis (35); Sint Maarten (2); Spain (131); Switzerland (6); Trinidad and Tobago (445); Turks and Caicos Islands (1); United Kingdom (862); and Uruguay (6).

We identified the median team member using earnings as set forth in Box 5 of W-2 for 2023. We annualized earnings for permanent employees who worked less than the entire year. We selected the employee with earnings closest to the median after excluding seven employees closer to the median as they were either affiliated with a regional airline or had a pension, both of which we determined were not representative of the broader population. The annual total compensation of the median employee and the annual total compensation of the CEO were calculated in accordance with the requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K.

Pay Ratio Comparisons

The SEC’s rules for identifying the median compensated employee and calculating the pay ratio based on that employee’s annual total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their employee populations and compensation practices. As a result, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies have different employee populations and compensation practices and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

LOGO

71

2024 Proxy Statement


Pay Versus Performance
In accordance with SEC rules, the table below sets forth additional information concerning the compensation of each individual who served as our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and our other
(“non-CEO”)
named executive officers (“NEOs”) for each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, and our financial and total stockholder return (“TSR”) performance for each such fiscal year. Mr. Isom served as our CEO during 2023 and a part of 2022 and Mr. Parker served as our CEO during a part of 2022 and all of 2021 and 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the most challenging time in our industry’s history. It resulted in drastic disruptions in global demand for air travel and a severe decline in our business. Despite these challenges, we remained consistent in our approach and philosophy that our executive compensation programs provide both fair pay and
pay-for-performance
and align with the interests of stockholders. In 2023, we produced exceptionally strong performance, including:
Achieved record 2023 revenue of approximately $53 billion, an increase of more than $22 billion compared to 2021
On a GAAP basis, reversed our pre-tax loss in 2021 of over $2.5 billion and produced pre-tax income of $186 million in 2022 and pre-tax income of more than $1.1 billion in 2023
Excluding
pre-tax
net special items,
(1)
reversed our
pre-tax
loss in 2021 of nearly $7 billion and produced
pre-tax
income of $458 million in 2022, and nearly $2.5 billion in 2023
(1)
See Appendix B for details on the components of
pre-tax
net special items and for a reconciliation of
pre-tax
income (loss) excluding net special items, a
non-GAAP
measure.
Pay Versus Performance Table
              
Value of Initial Fixed $100
Investment Based on:
    
Year
 
Summary
Compensation
Table Total:
Mr. Isom
($)
(1)
 
CAP:
Mr. Isom
($)
(2)
 
Summary
Compensation
Table Total:
Mr. Parker
($)
(1)
 
CAP:
Mr. Parker
($)
(2)
 
Average
Summary
Compensation
Table Total for
Non-CEO

NEOs ($)
(1)
 
Average
CAP:
Non-CEO

NEOs ($)
(2)
 
AAG Total
Stockholder
Return
($)
(3)
 
Peer Group
Total
Stockholder
Return
($)
(3)
 
Net
Income
(Loss)
($) (in
millions)
 
Adjusted
Pre-Tax

Margin
%
(4)
2023
   31,438,162   33,817,502   -   -   9,530,121   9,827,888   48.08   61.60   822   4.7%
2022
   4,886,649   3,507,095   6,537,694   3,881,181   3,400,714   2,422,634   44.52   48.04   127   0.9%
2021
   -   -   7,238,011   8,128,613   3,892,813   4,197,060   62.85   74.23   (1,993)   (23.2%)
2020
   -   -   10,663,866   (614,164)   4,245,970   736,998   55.19   75.55   (8,885)   (70.7%)
(1)
Amounts reported in these columns represent the total compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for Messrs.
Isom
and Parker for each year where they served as CEO and the average of the total compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for our remaining NEOs for the relevant fiscal year, which captures the individuals indicated in the table below for each fiscal year:
  Year
CEO
Non-CEO
NEOs
2023Robert IsomSteve Johnson, Priya Aiyar, Devon May and Vasu Raja
2022Robert Isom and Doug ParkerDerek Kerr, Steve Johnson, Maya Leibman and David Seymour
2021Doug ParkerRobert Isom, Derek Kerr, Steve Johnson and Maya Leibman
2020Doug ParkerRobert Isom, Derek Kerr, Steve Johnson and Maya Leibman
(2)
Compensation Actually Paid (“CAP”) to Mr. Isom and the remaining NEOs for 2023 reflects the following adjustments from total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table:
72
LOGO
2024 Proxy Statement

  
2023
 
  Adjustments
 
Mr. Isom ($)
  
Average
Non-CEO

NEOs ($)
 
Deduction for amounts reported under the “Stock Awards” column of Summary Compensation Table for Fiscal Year 2023 (“FY23”)
  (19,500,000  (3,895,000
Year-end
Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in FY23
  20,515,276   3,842,580 
Year over Year Change in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Equity Awards Granted in Prior Years
  610,517   167,907 
Change in Fair Value of Equity Awards Granted in Prior Years that Vested in the FY23 based on change from Prior
Year-end
to Vesting Date
  753,546   182,279 
Total Adjustments
  2,379,339   297,766 
Fair value or change in fair value, as applicable, of equity awards in the Compensation Actually Paid columns was determined by reference to (1) for time-based RSU awards, the closing price of a change in control, (ii) any income and excise taxes imposed upon him as a result of the reimbursement of the excise tax amount and (iii) any additional income and excise taxes that are imposed upon him as a result of his reimbursement for any excise or income taxes. Also assumes a Section 4999 excise tax rate of 20%, a 39.6% federal income tax rate and a 2.35% additional Medicare tax rate. Because it is assumed that the SARs are cashed out, the value of the SARs is calculated based on the difference between the closing priceshare of our Common Stock on the last trading day of 2015, and the SAR’s respective exercise price. To the extent the SARs would be assumed by the surviving entity and converted to SARs with respect to surviving entity’s stock, the value attributable to the SARs could differ. The calculations were performed assuming that no amounts will be discounted as attributable to reasonable compensation and no value will be attributed to execution of a noncompetition agreement.

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control (continued)

Executive Change in Control Agreements for Messrs. Kirby, Isom, Johnson and Kerr

Upon the closing of the Merger, we assumed the executive change in control agreements entered into between US Airways Group and Messrs. Kirby, Isom, Johnson and Kerr, as described below.

Messrs. Kirby, Isom, Johnson, and Kerr have each entered an executive change in control agreement, effective as of November 28, 2007applicable
year-end
date(s) or, in the case of Mr. Johnson, when he joined US Airways Group on March 16, 2009 (the “Executive CIC Agreements”). These agreements have an initial term of two years and automatically renew for successive two-year terms unless we provide at least 180 days advance written notice to the executive. These agreements provide benefits to the executives upon a termination of employment by us for any reason (other than “misconduct” or disability) or by the executive with “good reason,” in each case within 24 months following a “change in control” (each as defined in the Executive CIC Agreements) or, subject to certain conditions described below, prior to a change in control in contemplation of that change in control.

Conditions on Payment and Offsets. As a condition of receiving benefits under the agreement, the executive is required to sign a general waiver and release of claims against us and related parties. In addition, any severance benefits under the agreement may be reduced by any other severance benefits or other benefits we must pay in connection with the executive’s termination of employment by law, under a written employment or severance agreement with us (currently there are none), or any policy or practice that would provide for the executive to remain on the payroll for a period of time after notice of termination of employment. Furthermore, the executive’s benefits under the agreement will terminate immediately and the executive may be required to reimburse us for amounts paid under the agreement if the executive (i) violates any proprietary information or confidentiality obligation to us, (ii) solicits our employees within one year of termination, (iii) makes any untrue or disparaging statement or criticism of us within five years of termination, or (iv) fails to return all of our property.

Termination Benefits. In the event of any termination, the covered executive is entitled to receive all accrued but unpaid salary and other benefits through the termination date and, except as to termination for misconduct, any unpaid incentive payment under the annual cash incentive program with respect to any fiscal year completed prior to termination.

Upon termination within 24 months of a change in control under the conditions described above, the covered executive is entitled to receive:

a payment equal to two times the greater of the executive’sthen-current annual base salary or the annual base salary immediately preceding a change in control;
a payment equal to the greater of (i) 200% of the executive’sthen-current target incentive award under the annual incentive program or (ii) the executive’s actual incentive award under the annual incentive program for the immediately preceding year;
a payment equal to 200% of the executive’s target award under the LTIPP that is in effect on the termination date or, if there is no LTIPP in effect and its suspension or termination constitutes a “good reason” to terminate employment, 200% of the executive’s target award most recently established under the LTIPP;

a lump sum payment equal to the value of 24 months of COBRA continuation coverage premiums for healthcare benefits for the executive and eligible dependents, provided the executive is eligible to elect COBRA continuation coverage upon his termination;
extended exercisability of all vested stock options, SARs, or other similar stock awards for 18 months following the executive’s termination of employment, but not beyond the maximum term of the awards; and
a tax gross-up payment in an amount that will have an after-tax value equal to taxes that are imposed if any severance payments due the executive are considered to be greater than 110% of the amount that would cause any portion of the payments to be “excess parachute payments” subject to excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code.

The agreements also provide that termination benefits are to be provided to an executive who has been terminated prior to a change in control (if it can reasonably be demonstrated that the termination was at the request of a third party effecting the change in control) by us for any reason other than misconduct or disability. The benefits and payments provided in these circumstances are identical to those described above except that (i) payments and benefits due upon the change in control are offset by any amounts received as a result of the executive’s termination prior to the change in control and (ii) instead of extended exercisability of stock awards and acceleration of equity vesting the executive will receive an amount equal to the intrinsic value of any stock award (other than exercisable grants) forfeited at the time of termination that would have vested on the change in control, based on the value of the award as of the date of the change in control, and, as to exercisable grants, the difference between that stock award’s exercise price and the value of the stock underlying the award on the date of the change in control.

The Executive CIC Agreements provide that upon a change in control, the executive’s outstanding stock awards held pursuant to the US Airways Group, Inc. 2005 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2005 Plan”), or any successor plan, will become fully vested and exercisable and the executive will be entitled to top priority, first class, positive space flight privileges for the executive and his or her dependents, for the life of the executive. Messrs. Kirby and Kerr previously became entitled to lifetime flight privileges in connection with the merger of US Airways Group and America West. Mr. Isom previously became entitled to lifetime flight privileges to replace a similar benefit provided by his previous employer that was forfeited when he commenced employment with US Airways Group. Mr. Johnson became entitled to lifetime flight privileges upon the closing of the Merger.

In order to facilitate the Merger and obtain the support of the Creditors Committee, Messrs. Kirby, Isom, Johnson, and Kerr each waived his right to accelerated vesting of his equity awards at the closing of the Merger. Each executive also waived his right to receive severance benefits and accelerated vesting of outstanding equity awards upon a resignation based on changes made to his position as a result of the Merger during a specified period of time following the Merger in exchange for an award of RSUs under a retention program.

Long-Term Incentive Performance Program

Under the LTIPP, upon termination on account of retirement, total disability, or death (each as defined in the LTIPP), each executive officer is entitled to a cash payment equal to the award that would have been earned for the performance cycle that ends in the calendar year of termination had the executive’s employment continued until the award payment date. This amount is calculated using the same methodology as benefits are calculated for active employees; hence, no award is paid unless the performance goals established for the performance cycle have been satisfied.

These payments are quantified on the tables on pages 85 through 92 for each executive assuming termination as of December 31, 2015.

AAG 2013 IAP, 2011 Incentive Award Plan and 2008 Equity Incentive Plan

Pursuant to the terms of grant agreements under the AAG 2013 IAP, US Airways Group 2011 Incentive Award Plan (the “2011 Plan”) and the US Airways Group, Inc. 2008 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”), all SARs and RSUs held by the named executive officers are fully accelerated in the event of either of the following: (i) termination by reason of death or “disability” or (ii) a “change in control” (each, as defined in the applicable plan and award agreements). In addition, the SARs vest upon retirement, and the vesting of the RSUs may be accelerated by the Compensation Committee in its discretion upon retirement.

SARs granted under the 2011 Plan and the 2008 Plan provide for (i) an 18-month exercise period following termination of employment within 24 months following a change in control and (ii) a three-year exercise period following termination of employment due to death (or if the executive dies within three months after termination of employment other than for cause), disability, or “retirement,” but in each case not beyond the maximum term of the awards.

Commencing May 2015, at his request, 100% of Mr. Parker’s direct compensation is in the form of equity incentives. Mr. Parker has agreed to no longer receive any base salary and no longer participates in the AAG 2015 STIP, the value of which has been captured in Mr. Parker’s 2015 target equity incentive compensation. In connection with this adjustment, the Compensation Committee provided that in the event of Mr. Parker’s termination of employment for any reason prior to the vesting of his 2015 RSUs, a portion of his equity award will vest to account for the value of Mr. Parker’s base salary and cash incentive award that otherwise would have been earned by him through the termination date.

2005 Equity Incentive Plan

SARs and stock options granted under the 2005 Plan and under the America West 2002 Incentive Equity Plan (the “2002 Plan”) provide for a longer exercise period following termination of employment, if the executive’s employment is terminated due to death (or if the executive dies within three months after termination of employment other than for cause), disability, or retirement. Retirement means termination of employment after age 65, or between the ages of 55 and 65 under rules established by the Compensation Committee. Currently, the Compensation Committee has not established any rules for retirement between the ages of 55 and 65.

Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance Benefits

Upon termination of employment and eligibility under long-term disability coverage for officers, a named executive officer would receive disability benefits in the amount of 66 2/3% of his base monthly salary, subject to a maximum of $20,000 per month. Benefits begin 90 days after the executive becomes disabled and continue until the executive reaches Social Security retirement age (or is no longer disabled). In the event of eligibility, assuming no offsets, we estimate that these benefits would be $20,000 per month for Messrs. Parker, Kirby, Isom, Johnson and Kerr. In addition, US Airways Group obtained supplemental, portable, individual level term life insurance policies with various insurance carriers for each of Messrs. Parker, Kirby and Kerr, in each case owned by the executive. The policies pay a death benefit equal to the coverage amount under each policy upon the death of the executive to a named beneficiary designated by the executive. The death benefits under these policies are fully insured and would be paid by the respective insurance carriers.

The amounts of the respective benefits for each of Messrs. Kirby, Isom, Johnson and Kerr are provided in the tables below.

J. Scott Kirby

The following table provides the termination and/or change in control benefits payable to Mr. Kirby under his Executive Change in Control Agreement and under the termination and change in control benefits generally provided for all named executive officers described above, assuming termination of employment on December 31, 2015.

Executive Benefits and Payments Upon Termination

  Qualified
Termination
following a
Change in
Control
($) (a)
   Death ($)   Disability ($)   Any Other
Termination
($)
 

Compensation:

        

Base Salary

   1,332,500     -     -     -  

Annual Incentive Award

   2,331,875(b)     1,735,981(c)     1,735,981(c)     -  

Long-Term Incentive Award

   1,532,375(d)     326,463(e)     326,463(e)     -  

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs (f)

   11,613,810     11,613,810     11,613,810     -  

Extended Option and SAR Exercise Period (g)

   241,380     241,380     241,380     -  

Benefits and Perquisites:

        

Medical Benefits (h)

   37,844     -     -     -  

Life Insurance

   -     1,750,000(i)     -     -  

Flight Privileges (j)

   261,036     211,862     261,036     261,036  

280G Tax Gross-up (k)

   -     -     -     -  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   17,350,820     15,879,496     14,178,670     261,036  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)Represents a termination of employment by us for any reason (other than “misconduct” or disability) or by Mr. Kirby with “good reason” within 24 months following a change in control of AAG.

(b)Amount represents the greater of (i) two times Mr. Kirby’s target annual incentive award or (ii) his actual incentive award for the immediately preceding year. Amount shown is two times Mr. Kirby’s target annual incentive award under the AAG 2015 STIP.

(c)Amount represents the annual incentive award earned by Mr. Kirby under the AAG 2015 STIP.

(d)Amount represents 200% of the target (115% of Mr. Kirby’s base salary) payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(e)Amount represents payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(f)Aggregate value of unvested RSUs is calculated by multiplying $ 42.35,dates, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, by the number of unvested RSUs outstanding under each award.

(g)Amount reflects the incremental aggregate value due to the extension of the exercise period of SARs. The Executive Change in Control Agreements allow for an 18 month extension upon termination after a change in control on awards granted under the 2005 Plan, 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan. The 2005 Plan, 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan allow for a three-year extension for both death and disability. Assumes (i) a stock price of $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, on the date of extension; (ii) annual interest rates of 0.23% at three months, 0.82% at 18 months and 1.28% at three years; (iii) 33.7% volatility over three months, 39.3% volatility over 18 months and 37.6% volatility over three years; and (iv) a 0.94% dividend yield.

(h)Amount reflects the value of 2015 COBRA premiums for group medical, dental and vision coverage for 24 months.

(i)Amount represents the life insurance proceeds payable to Mr. Kirby’s estate under his term life insurance policy upon a termination due to death.

(j)Based on the terms of the non-revenue travel policy for senior executives currently in effect. Reflects the present value of future travel calculated using a discount rate of 4.42% and RP-2014 Employee Table, without collar or quartile adjustments, decreased by 3.5% at all ages, projected generationally with Scale MP-2015, and assumes a 1% annual increase in the cost of travel.

(k)Assumes that Mr. Kirby is entitled to full reimbursement of (i) any excise taxes that are imposed upon Mr. Kirby as a result of a change in control, (ii) any income and excise taxes imposed upon him as a result of the reimbursement of the excise tax amount, and (iii) any additional income and excise taxes that are imposed upon him as a result of his reimbursement for any excise or income taxes. Also assumes a Section 4999 excise tax rate of 20%, a 39.6% federal income tax rate, and a 2.35% additional Medicare tax rate. Because it is assumed that the SARs are cashed out, the value of SARs is calculated based on the difference between the closing priceshare of our Common Stock on the last trading dayapplicable vesting dates, and (2) for performance-based RSU awards, the same valuation methodology as time-based RSU awards except
year-end
values are multiplied by a factor reflecting achievement of 2015,the probable outcome of the applicable performance conditions as of the measurement date (which as of December 31, 2023 was 160% for the 2022 grants and 100% for the SAR’s respective exercise price. To the extent the SARs would be assumed by the surviving entity and converted to SARs with respect to surviving entity’s stock, the value attributable2023 grants).

(3)
Pursuant to the SARs could differ.SEC rules, TSR reflects an initial investment of $100 on December 31, 2019, and that all dividends, if any, were reinvested. The calculations were performed assuming that no amounts will be discounted as attributable to reasonable compensationPeer Group Total Stockholder Return represents the cumulative TSR of the ARCA Airline Index (the “Peer Group TSR”).
(4)
Adjusted
pre-tax
margin is a
non-GAAP
measure and no value will be attributed to executionexcludes net special items. See Appendix B for a reconciliation of
pre-tax
margin excluding net special items, a noncompetition agreement.
non-GAAP
measure.
Relationship Between Financial Performance Measures
The graphs below compare the compensation actually paid to our CEOs and the average of the compensation actually paid to our
non-CEO
named executive officers, with (i) our cumulative TSR, (ii) our Peer Group TSR, (iii) our net income (loss), and (iv) our adjusted
pre-tax
margin, in each case, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
Given the emphasis in our executive compensation programs on long-term incentives tied to our stock price, the compensation actually paid to our named executive officers is generally strongly aligned with our stock price performance. For 2020, given the more significant decrease in our stock price, reflecting the severe decline in our business as a result of the
COVID-19
pandemic, compensation actually paid is significantly lower than the reported Summary Compensation Table total compensation values, and the 2020 compensation actually paid to Mr. Parker was negative. With the improvement in our stock price in 2021, as we emerged from the pandemic, compensation actually paid also improved but then substantially decreased in 2022 in alignment with the decrease in our stock price. As discussed in the “Compensation Discussion and
Analysis—Non-Recurring
Compensation Elements Reported in 2023,” the compensation actually paid for 2023 is significantly higher than prior years because it includes for Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. Isom, Johnson and Raja
one-time
and promotion awards and for Ms. Aiyar and Messrs. May and Raja,
non-recurring
payments in April 2023 for services performed in prior years. Furthermore, for each named executive officer, the STIP payouts for both the 2022 and 2023 programs are reflected as compensation for 2023.
LOGO
73
2024 Proxy Statement

Outside of our stock price performance, we believe that adjusted
pre-tax
margin is the most important financial metric that ties our executives’ compensation to our performance. We have been able to significantly improve our adjusted
pre-tax
margin from 2020 through 2023. These financial outcomes, however, do not align as closely with our outcomes on compensation actually paid. Similarly, the improvement in our net income from 2020 through 2023 does not directly align with our outcomes on compensation actually paid. Compensation actually paid is less sensitive to these financial outcomes as a result of the emphasis in our executive compensation programs on long-term incentives and its stronger correlation to our stock price, which we expect will continue to have a much larger impact than these financial outcomes on compensation actually paid, as described above.
LOGO
LOGO
74
LOGO
2024 Proxy Statement

LOGO
Pay Versus Performance Tabular List
We believe the following performance measures represent the most important financial performance measures used by us to
link
compensation actually paid to our named executive officers for 2023:
Stock price/total stockholder return;
Adjusted
pre-tax
margin;
Total debt reduction;
Adjusted
pre-tax
income;
Mainline and regional
on-time
departures
Mainline and regional controllable completion factor; and
Measures related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
For additional details regarding our performance measures, please see the sections entitled “Annual Cash Incentive Program” and “Long-Term Incentive Programs” in our “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” beginning on pages 49 and 52, respectively.
LOGO
75
2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

Robert D. Isom, Jr.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

The following table provides the termination and/or change in control benefits payable to Mr. Isominformation about our Common Stock that may be issued under his Executive Change in Control Agreement and under the termination and change in control benefits generally provided for all named executive officers described above, assuming terminationour equity compensation plans as of employment on December 31, 2015.2023, which consists of the 2023 Incentive Award Plan (the “2023 Plan”) and the 2013 Incentive Award Plan (the “2013 Plan”).

 

Executive Benefits and Payments Upon Termination

  Qualified
Termination
following a
Change in
Control
($) (a)
   Death ($)   Disability ($)   Any Other
Termination
($)
 

Compensation:

        

Base Salary

   1,230,000     -     -     -  

Annual Incentive Award

   1,537,500(b)     1,144,577(c)     1,144,577(c)     -  

Long-Term Incentive Award

   1,230,000(d)     264,450(e)     264,450(e)     -  

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs (f)

   7,576,754     7,576,754     7,576,754     -  

Extended Option and SAR Exercise Period (g)

   174,389     187,977     187,977     -  

Benefits and Perquisites:

        

Medical Benefits (h)

   37,844     -     -     -  

Life Insurance

   -     -     -     -  

Flight Privileges (i)

   367,511     278,539     367,511     367,511  

280G Tax Gross-up (j)

   -     -     -     -  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   12,153,998     9,452,297     9,541,269     367,511  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  Plan Category  

(i)

Number of

Securities to be

Issued Upon

Exercise of

Outstanding

Options, Warrants

and Rights

  

(ii)

Weighted Average

Exercise Price

of Outstanding

Options, Warrants

and Rights

($)

   

(iii)

Number of Securities

Remaining Available

for Future Issuance Under

Equity Compensation Plans

(Excluding Securities

Reflected in Column (i))

 

Equity Compensation Plans

Approved by Security Holders(a)

   14,234,700(b)   -    9,501,204 

Equity Compensation Plans

Not Approved by Security Holders

   -   -    - 

Total

   14,234,700   -    9,501,204 

 

(a)Represents a termination of employment by us for any reason (other than “misconduct” or disability) or by Mr. Isom with “good reason” within 24 months following a change in control of AAG.

(b)Amount represents

On May 10, 2023, our stockholders approved the greater of (i) two times Mr. Isom’s target annual incentive award or (ii) his actual incentive award for2023 Plan which replaced the immediately preceding year. Amount shown is two times Mr. Isom’s target annual incentive award under the AAG 2015 STIP.

(c)Amount represents the amount of the annual incentive award earned by Mr. Isom under the AAG 2015 STIP.

(d)Amount represents 200% of the target (100% of Mr. Isom’s base salary) payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(e)Amount represents payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(f)Aggregate value of unvested RSUs is calculated by multiplying $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, by the number of unvested RSUs outstanding under each award.

(g)Amount reflects the incremental aggregate value due to the extension of the exercise period of SARs. The Executive Change in Control Agreements allow for an 18 month extension upon termination after a change in control on awards granted under the 2005 Plan, 2008 Plan and 20112013 Plan. The 20052013 Plan 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan allow for a three-year extension for both death and disability. Assumes (i) a stock price of $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, on the date of extension; (ii) annual interest rates of 0.23% at three months, 0.82% at 18 months and 1.28% at three years; (iii) 33.7% volatility over three months, 39.3% volatility over 18 months and 37.6% volatility over three years; and (iv) a 0.94% dividend yield.

(h)Amount reflects the value of 2015 COBRA premiums for group medical, dental and vision coverage for 24 months.

(i)Based on the terms of the non-revenue travel policy for senior executives currently in effect. Reflects the present value of future travel calculated using a discount rate of 4.42% and RP-2014 Employee Table, without collar or quartile adjustments, decreased by 3.5% at all ages, projected generationally with Scale MP-2015, and assumes a 1% annual increase in the cost of travel.

(j)Assumes that Mr. Isom is entitled to full reimbursement of (i) any excise taxes that are imposed upon Mr. Isom as a result of a change in control, (ii) any income and excise taxes imposed upon him as a result of the reimbursement of the excise tax amount, and (iii) any additional income and excise taxes that are imposed upon him as a result of his reimbursement for any excise or income taxes. Also assumes a Section 4999 excise tax rate of 20%, a 39.6% federal income tax rate, and a 2.35% additional Medicare tax rate. Because it is assumed that the SARs are cashed out, the value of SARs is calculated based on the difference between the closing price of our Common Stock on the last trading day of 2015, and the SAR’s respective exercise price. To the extent the SARs would be assumed by the surviving entity and converted to SARs with respect to surviving entity’s stock, the value attributable to the SARs could differ. The calculations were performed assuming that no amounts will be discounted as attributable to reasonable compensation and no value will be attributed to execution of a noncompetition agreement.

Stephen L. Johnson

The following table provides the termination and/or change in control benefits payable to Mr. Johnson under his Executive Change in Control Agreement and under the termination and change in control benefits generally provided for all named executive officers described above, assuming termination of employment on December 31, 2015.

Executive Benefits and Payments Upon Termination

  Qualified
Termination
following a
Change in
Control
($) (a)
   Death ($)   Disability ($)   Any Other
Termination ($) (b)
 

Compensation:

        

Base Salary

   1,178,750     -     -     -  

Annual Incentive Award

   1,473,438(c)     1,096,886(d)     1,096,886(d)     1,096,886(d)  

Long-Term Incentive Award

   1,178,750(e)     253,431(f)     253,431(f)     253,431(f)  

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs (g)

   6,473,790     6,473,790     6,473,790     -  

Extended Option and SAR Exercise Period (h)

   -     -     -     -  

Benefits and Perquisites:

        

Medical Benefits (i)

   37,456     -     -     -  

Life Insurance

   -     -     -     -  

Flight Privileges (j)

   402,705     266,471     402,705     402,705  

280G Tax Gross-up (k)

   -     -     -     -  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   10,744,889     8,090,578     8,226,812     1,753,022  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)Represents a termination of employment by us for any reason (other than “misconduct” or disability) or by Mr. Johnson with “good reason” within 24 months following a new change in control of AAG.

(b)Amounts under “Any Other Termination” are payable to Mr. Johnson as he is retirement eligible under the AAG 2015 STIP and the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(c)Amount represents the greater of (i) two times Mr. Johnson’s target annual incentive award or (ii) his actual incentive award for the immediately preceding year. Amount shown is two times Mr. Johnson’s target annual incentive award under the AAG 2015 STIP.

(d)Amount represents the annual incentive award earned by Mr. Johnson under the AAG 2015 Short-term Incentive Program.

(e)Amount represents 200% of the target (100% of Mr. Johnson’s base salary) payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(f)Amount represents payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(g)Aggregate value of unvested RSUs is calculated by multiplying $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, by the number of unvested RSUs outstanding under each award.

(h)Amount reflects the incremental aggregate value due to the extension of the exercise period of SARs. The Executive Change in Control Agreements allow for an 18 month extension upon termination after a change in control on awards granted under the 2005 Plan, 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan. The 2005 Plan, 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan allow for a three-year extension for both death and disability. Assumes (i) a stock price of $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, on the date of extension; (ii) annual interest rates of 0.23% at three months, 0.82% at 18 months and 1.28% at three years; (iii) 33.7% volatility over three months, 39.3% volatility over 18 months and 37.6% volatility over three years; and (iv) a 0.94% dividend yield.

(i)Amount reflects the value of 2015 COBRA premiums for group medical, dental and vision coverage for 24 months.

(j)Based on the terms of the non-revenue travel policy for senior executives currently in effect. Reflects the present value of future travel calculated using a discount rate of 4.42% and RP-2014 Employee Table, without collar or quartile adjustments, decreased by 3.5% at all ages, projected generationally with Scale MP-2015, and assumes a 1% annual increase in the cost of travel.

(k)Assumes that Mr. Johnson is entitled to full reimbursement of (i) any excise taxes that are imposed upon Mr. Johnson as a result of the change in control, (ii) any income and excise taxes imposed upon him as a result of the reimbursement of the excise tax amount, and (iii) any additional income and excise taxes that are imposed upon him as a result of his reimbursement for any excise or income taxes. Also assumes a Section 4999 excise tax rate of 20%, a 39.6% federal income tax rate, and a 2.35% additional Medicare tax rate. Because it is assumed that the SARs are cashed out, the value of SARs is calculated based on the difference between the closing price of our Common Stock on the last trading day of 2015, and the SAR’s respective exercise price. To the extent the SARs would be assumed by the surviving entity and converted to SARs with respect to surviving entity’s stock, the value attributable to the SARs could differ. The calculations were performed assuming that no amounts will be discounted as attributable to reasonable compensation and no value will be attributed to execution of a noncompetition agreement.

Derek J. Kerr

The following table provides the termination and/or change in control benefits payable to Mr. Kerr under his Executive Change in Control Agreement and under the termination and change in control benefits generally provided for all named executive officers described above, assuming termination of employment on December 31, 2015.

Executive Benefits and Payments Upon Termination

  Qualified
Termination
following a
Change in
Control
($) (a)
   Death ($)   Disability ($)   Any Other
Termination ($)
 

Compensation:

        

Base Salary

   1,178,750     -     -     -  

Annual Incentive Award

   1,473,438(b)     1,096,886(c)     1,096,886(c)     -  

Long-Term Incentive Award

   1,178,750(d)     253,431(e)     253,431(e)     -  

Acceleration of Unvested RSUs (f)

   6,473,790     6,473,790     6,473,790     -  

Extended Option and SAR Exercise Period (g)

   -     -     -     -  

Benefits and Perquisites:

        

Medical Benefits (h)

   55,296     -     -     -  

Life Insurance

   -     1,500,000(i)     -     -  

Flight Privileges (j)

   187,783     140,646     187,783     187,783  

280G Tax Gross-up (k)

   -     -     -     -  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   10,547,807     9,464,753     8,011,890     187,783  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)Represents a termination of employment by us for any reason (other than “misconduct” or disability) or by Mr. Kerr with “good reason” within 24 months following a change in control of AAG.

(b)Amount represents the greater of (i) two times Mr. Kerr’s target annual incentive award or (ii) his actual incentive award for the immediately preceding year. Amount shown is two times Mr. Kerr’s target annual incentive award under the AAG 2015 STIP.

(c)Amount represents the annual incentive award earned by Mr. Kerr under the AAG 2015 STIP.

(d)Amount represents 200% of the target (100% of Mr. Kerr’s base salary) payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(e)Amount represents payment under the legacy US Airways Group LTIPP for 2015.

(f)Aggregate value of unvested RSUs is calculated by multiplying $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, by the number of unvested RSUs outstanding under each award.

(g)Amount reflects the incremental aggregate value due to the extension of the exercise period of SARs. The Executive Change in Control Agreements allow for an 18 month extension upon termination after a change in control on awards granted under the 2005 Plan, 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan. The 2005 Plan, 2008 Plan and 2011 Plan allow for a three-year extension for both death and disability. Assumes (i) a stock price of $42.35, the closing price of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015, on the date of extension; (ii) annual interest rates of 0.23% at three months, 0.82% at 18 months and 1.28% at three years; (iii) 33.7% volatility over three months, 39.3% volatility over 18 months and 37.6% volatility over three years; and (iv) a 0.94% dividend yield.

(h)Amount reflects the value of 2015 COBRA premiums for group medical, dental and vision coverage for 24 months.

(i)Amount represents the life insurance proceeds payable to Mr. Kerr’s estate under his term life insurance policy upon a termination due to death.

(j)Based on the terms of the non-revenue travel policy for senior executives currently in effect. Reflects the present value of future travel calculated using a discount rate of 4.42% and RP-2014 Employee Table, without collar or quartile adjustments, decreased by 3.5% at all ages, projected generationally with Scale MP-2015, and assumes a 1% annual increase in the cost of travel.

(k)Assumes that Mr. Kerr is entitled to full reimbursement of (i) any excise taxes that are imposed upon Mr. Kerr as a result of a change in control, (ii) any income and excise taxes imposed upon him as a result of the reimbursement of the excise tax amount, and (iii) any additional income and excise taxes that are imposed upon him as a result of his reimbursement for any excise or income taxes. Also assumes a Section 4999 excise tax rate of 20%, a 39.6% federal income tax rate, and a 2.35% additional Medicare tax rate. Because it is assumed that the SARs are cashed out, the value of SARs is calculated based on the difference between the closing price of our Common Stock on the last trading day of 2015, and the SAR’s respective exercise price. To the extent the SARs would be assumed by the surviving entity and converted to SARs with respect to surviving entity’s stock, the value attributable to the SARs could differ. The calculations were performed assuming that no amounts will be discounted as attributable to reasonable compensation and no value will be attributed to execution of a noncompetition agreement.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information about our Common Stock that may be issued under all of our existing equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2015, which include the following:

the AAG 2013 IAP;
the 2011 Plan;
the 2008 Plan; and
the 2005 Plan.

Plan Category

  (i)
Number of
Securities to be
Issued
Upon Exercise of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
   (ii)
Weighted Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
($)
   (iii)
Number of Securities
Remaining Available
for Future Issuance Under
Equity Compensation  Plans
(Excluding Securities
Reflected in Column (i))
 

Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Security Holders (a)

   5,125,961     -     33,736,570  

Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders (b)

   4,493,168     15.17(c)     - (d)  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   9,619,129     15.17     33,736,570  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(a)The AAG 2013 IAP was approved by the Bankruptcy Court in connection with the Bankruptcy PlanAMR Corporation’s bankruptcy plan and further approved by the Board of Directors on December 9, 2013. Under Delaware law, as part of the reorganization, the AAG 2013 IAPPlan was deemed to be approved by our stockholders. The AAG 2013 IAP replaces and supersedes the 2011 Plan. No additional awards will be made under the 2011 Plan or the other US Airways Group plans. The AAG 2013 IAP authorizes the grant of awards for the issuance of 40,000,000 shares plus any shares underlying awards granted under the AAG 2013 IAP, or any US Airways Group plan, that are forfeited, terminate or are settled in cash (in whole or in part) without a payment being made in the form of shares. In addition, any shares that were available for issuance under the 2011 Plan as of the effective date of the AAG 2013 IAP may be used for awards under the AAG 2013 IAP; provided, that awards using such available shares under the 2011 Plan shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the 2011 Plan and shall only be made to individuals who were not providing services to AAG prior to the Merger. Consists of 5,125,961 RSUs.

 

(b)US Airways Group had three equity compensation plans, the 2011 Plan, the 2008 Plan and the 2005 Plan, all three of which were approved by US Airways Group’s stockholders prior to the Merger, but have not been approved by our stockholders. These plans have shares that may become issuable pursuant to the exercise of outstanding options and SARs and the vesting of RSUs. As a result of the Merger, all outstanding equity awards under these plans were converted into awards exercisable for shares of our Common Stock.

Consists of 3,963,399 SARs, 480,613 RSUs, and 49,156 options.14,234,700 RSUs.

 

(c)
Represents the weighted average exercise price of the outstanding options and SARs. The weighted average remaining term of these outstanding options and rights is 1.9 years.

76

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement

(d)No shares are available for future grant under these plans.


SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCELOGO

 

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires that our directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities, file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of our Common Stock and other equity securities. Officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders are required by SEC regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. To our knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to us and written representations that no other reports were required, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, none of our directors, officers or greater than 10% beneficial owners failed to file on a timely basis any reports required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, except that each of Maya Leibman and Beverly Goulet filed a late report on Form 4 on December 15, 2015 to report an exempt disposition to the Company on December 9, 2015 of shares withheld to cover applicable withholding taxes related to the vesting of restricted stock units.

OTHER MATTERS

Stockholder Proposals

Stockholder Proposals

Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act provides that certain stockholder proposals must be included in the proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders. For a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in the proxy statement for our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, our Corporate Secretary must receive the proposal at our principal executive offices no later than December 30, 2016. The proposal must comply with the SEC regulations under

Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act provides that certain stockholder proposals must be included in the proxy statement for an annual meeting of stockholders. For a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in the proxy statement for our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our Corporate Secretary (Priya Aiyar, Corporate Secretary, at American Airlines Group Inc., MD8B503, 1 Skyview Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76155) must receive the proposal no later than December 26, 2024. The proposal must comply with the SEC regulations under Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in our proxy materials.

Pursuant to the Bylaws, in order for a stockholder to present a proposal at an annual meeting of stockholders, other than proposals to be included in the proxy statement as described above, the stockholder must deliver proper notice to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices (please see the address above) not more than 120 days and not less than 90 days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting or, if the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or after such anniversary date, not later than the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made. For the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, notice must be delivered no sooner than February 5, 2025 and no later than March 7, 2025. Stockholders are advised to review the Bylaws, which contain additional requirements with respect to advance notice of stockholder proposals. Additional information with regard to director recommendations or nominations for director candidates can be found beginning on page 17 and we encourage stockholders to review the procedures and deadlines relating thereto before taking action.

In addition, our Bylaws permit certain of our stockholders who have beneficially owned 3% or more of our outstanding Common Stock continuously for at least three years to submit nominations to be included in the Company’s proxy materials for up to 20% of the total number of directors then serving. Notice of proxy access director nominations for the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must be delivered to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices (please see the address above) no earlier than November 26, 2024 and no later than the close of business on December 26, 2024. The notice must set forth the information required by our Bylaws with respect to each proxy access director nomination that eligible stockholder or stockholders intend to present at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and must otherwise be in compliance with our Bylaws.

Any notice of director nomination other than through proxy access must include the additional information required by Rule 14a-19(b) under the Exchange Act and otherwise comply with our Bylaws. In connection with the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, we intend to file a proxy statement and a WHITE proxy card with the SEC in connection with our solicitation of proxies for that meeting.

Annual Report and Available Information

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 accompanies this Proxy Statement but does not constitute a part of the proxy soliciting materials. A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, including financial statements and financial statement schedules but without exhibits, is available to any person whose vote is solicited by this proxy upon written request to the Corporate Secretary, American Airlines Group Inc., MD8B503, 1 Skyview Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. Copies also may be obtained without charge through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained in this Proxy Statement should be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “continue,” “seek,” “target,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “if current trends continue,” “optimistic,” “forecast” and other similar words. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, estimates and strategies for the future, and other statements that

LOGO

77

2024 Proxy Statement


are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current objectives, beliefs and expectations, and they are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and financial position and timing of certain events to differ materially from the information in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those set forth in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2024 (especially in Part I, Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors), and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. There may be other factors of which the Company is not currently aware that may affect matters discussed in the forward-looking statements and may also cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. The Company does not assume any obligation to publicly update or supplement any forward-looking statement to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting these forward-looking statements other than as required by law. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof or as of the dates indicated in the statement.

78

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

APPENDIX A

Proposal 4: Bylaw Voting Threshold Amendment

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws as provided for therein. The Bylaws also may be adopted, amended, altered or repealed by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80%a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of Directors.

Proposal 5: Supermajority Elimination Amendment

ARTICLE XIII

AMENDMENT OF THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed in this Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL, and all rights herein conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to such reservation; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation (but in addition to any other vote that may be required by applicable law or this Certificate of Incorporation), the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirdsa majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares entitled to vote for the election of Directors shall be required to amend, alter, change or repeal, or to adopt any provision as part of this Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with the purpose and intent of Section 6 of Article IV, Article V, Article VIII and Article X of this Certificate of Incorporation or this Article XIII.

*    *    *    *     *

LOGO

A-1

2024 Proxy Statement


LOGO

APPENDIX B

Reconciliation of Certain GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information

We sometimes use financial measures that are derived from the condensed consolidated financial statements but that are not presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”) to understand and evaluate our current operating performance and to allow for period-to-period comparisons. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures may also provide useful information to investors and others. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP measures of other companies, and should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for or superior to, any measure of performance, cash flow or liquidity prepared in accordance with GAAP. We are providing a reconciliation of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their comparable financial measures on a GAAP basis. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company’s current operating performance and to allow for period-to-period comparison. As net special items may vary from period-to-period in nature and amount, the adjustment to exclude net special items allows management an additional tool to understand our core operating performance.

The tables below present the reconciliations of the following GAAP measures to their non-GAAP measures:

Pre-Tax Income (Loss) (GAAP measure) to Pre-Tax Income (Loss) Excluding Net Special Items (non-GAAP measure);

 

 Pursuant

Pre-Tax Margin (GAAP measure) to the Bylaws, in order for a stockholder to present a proposal at an annual meeting of stockholders, other than proposals to be included in the proxy statement as described above, the stockholder must deliver proper notice to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices not more than 120 days and not less than 90 days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting or, if the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or after such anniversary date, not later than the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made. For the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, notice must be delivered no sooner than February 8, 2017 and no later than March 10, 2017. Stockholders are advised to review the Bylaws, which contain additional requirements with respect to advance notice of stockholder proposals.Pre-Tax Margin Excluding Net Special Items (non-GAAP measure);

 

 In addition, our Bylaws permit certain of our stockholders who have beneficially owned 3% or more of our outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years

Net Income (GAAP measure) to submit nominations to be included in the Company’s proxy materials for up to 20% of the total number of directors then serving. Notice of proxy access director nominations for the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders must be delivered to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices no earlier than November 30, 2016Net Income Excluding Net Special Items (non-GAAP measure); and no later than the close of business on December 30, 2016. The notice must set forth the information required by our Bylaws with respect to each proxy access director nomination that eligible stockholder or stockholders intend to present at the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders and must otherwise be in compliance with our Bylaws.

 

Annual ReportBasic and Available InformationDiluted Earnings Per Share (GAAP measure) to Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share Excluding Net Special Items (Non-GAAP measure).

   12 Months Ended December 31, 
  Reconciliation of Pre-Tax Income (Loss) Excluding Net Special Items  2023   2022   2021 
   (in millions, other than percentages) 

Pre-tax income (loss) as reported

  $1,121   $186   $(2,548

Pre-tax net special items:

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Mainline operating special items, net (1)

   971    193    (4,006

Regional operating special items, net (2)

   8    5    (449

Nonoperating special items, net (3)

   362    74    60 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total pre-tax net special items

   1,341    272    (4,395

Pre-tax income (loss) excluding net special items

  $2,462   $458   $(6,943

Calculation of Pre-Tax Margin

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Pre-tax income (loss) as reported

  $1,121   $186   $(2,548

Total operating revenues as reported

  $52,788   $48,971   $29,882 

Pre-tax margin

   2.1   0.4   (8.5%) 

Calculation of Pre-Tax Margin Excluding Net Special Items

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Pre-tax income (loss) excluding net special items

  $2,462   $458   $(6,943

Total operating revenues as reported

  $52,788   $48,971   $29,882 

Pre-tax margin excluding net special items

   4.7   0.9   (23.2%) 

LOGO

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 accompanies this Proxy Statement but does not constitute a part of the proxy soliciting materials.A copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December31, 2015, including financial statements and financial statement schedules but without exhibits, is available to any person whose vote is solicited by this proxy upon written request to Caroline B. Ray, Corporate Secretary, American Airlines Group Inc., 4333 Amon Carter Blvd., MD 5675, Fort Worth, Texas 76155.Copies also may be obtained without charge through the SEC’s website atwww.sec.gov.

B-1

2024 Proxy Statement

Annex A

Reconciliation of Certain GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information


 

   2015  2014   %
Change
 
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (In millions, except
share and per share
amounts)
     

AAG GAAP Net Income As Reported

  $7,610   $2,882    

AAG Special Items (1)

   (1,341  1,302    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

AAG Net Income Excluding Special Items

  $6,269   $4,184     50

Weighted Average Diluted Shares Outstanding (in thousands)

   687,355    734,016    

Earnings per Diluted Share As Adjusted for Special Items (in dollars)

  $9.12   $5.70    
   12 Months Ended December 31, 2023 

Reconciliation of Net Income Excluding Net Special Items

  (in millions, except share and per
share amounts)
 

Net income as reported

  $822 

Net special items:

  

Total pre-tax net special items (1), (3)

   1,341 

Net tax effect of net special items

   (304
  

 

 

 

Net income excluding net special items

  $1,859 

Reconciliation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share Excluding Net Special Items

  

Net income excluding net special items

  $1,859 

Shares used for computation (in thousands):

  

Basic

   653,612 
  

 

 

 

Diluted

   719,669 
  

 

 

 

Earnings per share excluding net special items:

  

Basic

  $2.84 
  

 

 

 

Diluted (4)

  $2.65 
  

 

 

 
   

 

 

 

   Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 

Reconciliation of Pre-Tax Loss Excluding Net Special Items

  (in millions) 

Pre-tax loss as reported

  $(2,086

Pre-tax net special items:

  

Mainline operating special items, net (1)

   157 

Nonoperating special items, net (3)

   3 
  

 

 

 

Total pre-tax net special items

   160 

Pre-tax loss excluding net special items

  $(1,926

Note: Amounts may not recalculate due to rounding.

(1) ForFOOTNOTES:

(1)

Mainline operating special items

The twelve months ended December 31, 2023 mainline operating special items, net principally included $989 million of one-time charges resulting from the ratification of a detailed descriptionnew collective bargaining agreement with our mainline pilots, including a one-time payment of $754 million as well as adjustments to other benefit-related items of $235 million.

The three months ended March 31, 2022 and twelve months ended December 31, 2022 mainline operating special items, net principally included a non-cash impairment charge to write down the carrying value of the AAGCompany’s retired Airbus A330 fleet to the estimated fair value due to the market conditions for certain used aircraft. The Company retired its Airbus A330 fleet in 2020 as discussed below.

The twelve months ended December 31, 2021 mainline operating special items, refernet principally included $4.2 billion of Payroll Support Program (“PSP”) financial assistance, offset in part by $168 million of salary and medical costs associated with certain team members who opted into voluntary early retirement programs offered as a result of reductions to pages 64-65 of AAG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2016.

LOGOthe Company’s operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

(2)

Regional operating special items


LOGO

AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. 4333 AMON CARTER BLVD. FORT WORTH, TX 76155 VOTE BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com UseThe twelve months ended December 31, 2021 regional operating special items, net principally included $539 million of PSP financial assistance, offset in part by a $61 million charge associated with the Internetregional pilot retention program which provides for, among other things, a cash retention bonus paid in the fourth quarter of 2021 to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Timeeligible captains at the wholly-owned regional airlines included on the cut-off date orpilot seniority list as of September 1, 2021 and a $27 million non-cash impairment charge to write down regional aircraft resulting from the day before the dateretirement of the 2016 Annual Meetingremaining Embraer 140 fleet earlier than planned.

B-2

LOGO

2024 Proxy Statement


(3)

Nonoperating special items

Principally included charges associated with debt refinancings and extinguishments as well as mark-to-market net unrealized gains and losses associated with certain equity investments.

(4) The twelve months ended December 31, 2023 diluted earnings per share gives effect to, among other things, the Company’s outstanding 6.5% senior convertible notes by (a) adding back to earnings $47 million of Stockholders. Have your proxy cardinterest expense related to such convertible notes, net of estimated profit sharing, short-term incentive and tax effects and (b) including in hand when you access the web sitediluted shares outstanding, 61.7 million shares issuable in respect to such convertible notes.

Free Cash Flow

Our free cash flow summary is presented in the table below, which is a non-GAAP measure that management believes is useful information to investors and followothers in evaluating our ability to generate cash from our core operating performance that is available for use to reinvest in the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form. ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY MATERIALS If you would likebusiness or to reduce the costs incurreddebt. We define free cash flows as net cash provided by operating activities less net cash used in investing activities, adjusted for (1) net sales of short-term investments and (2) change in restricted cash. We believe that calculating free cash flow as adjusted for these items is more useful for investors because short-term investment activity and restricted cash are not representative of activity core to our company in mailing proxy materials, you can consentoperations. This non-GAAP measure may not be comparable to receiving all future proxy statements, proxy cardssimilarly titled non-GAAP measures of other companies, and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions above to vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access proxy materials electronically in future years. VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on the cut-off date or the day before the date of the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions. VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: E09382-P75970-Z67406 KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposals, all of which are proposed by American Airlines Group Inc. 1. A proposal to elect 13 directors to serve until the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of American Airlines Group Inc. and until their respective successors have been duly elected and quali?ed. For Against Abstain Nominees are: 1a. James F. Albaugh 1b. Jeffrey D. Benjamin 1c. John T. Cahill 1d. Michael J. Embler 1e. Matthew J. Hart 1f. Alberto Ibargüen 1g. Richard C. Kraemer 1h. Susan D. Kronick 1i. Martin H. Nesbitt 1j. Denise M. O’Leary 1k. W. Douglas Parker 1l. Ray M. Robinson 1m. Richard P. Schifter For Against Abstain 2. A proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting ?rm of American Airlines Group Inc. for the ?scal year ending December 31, 2016. 3. A proposal to consider and approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of American Airlines Group Inc.’s named executive of?cers as disclosed in the proxy statement. The Board of Directors recommends you vote AGAINST the following proposals: 4. A stockholder proposal to provide a report on lobbying activities and expenditures. 5. A stockholder proposal to adopt a policy to require an independent Board chairman on a prospective basis. 6. A stockholder proposal to provide a report on political contributions and expenditures. If any other matters properly come before the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournments or postponements thereof, the persons named as proxies will vote upon those matters according to their judgment. The Board of Directors of American Airlines Group Inc. is not aware of any other business toshould be presented to a vote of the stockholders at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. For address changes and/or comments, please check this box and write ! them on the back where indicated. Please indicate if you plan to attend this meeting. ! ! Yes No Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other ?duciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by authorized of?cer. Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] Date Signature (Joint Owners) Date


LOGO

ADMISSION TICKET American Airlines Group Inc. 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS Wednesday, June 8, 2016 9:00 am local time Latham & Watkins LLP 885 Third Avenue New York, NY 10022 This admission ticket admits only the named stockholder. Directions to Latham & Watkins LLP: Latham & Watkins LLP is located at 885 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022. This address is on Third Avenue between 53rd and 54th Streets. If arriving by taxi from any location, provide instruction to go to 53rd Street and Third Avenue to make the destination clear. From Subway: The nearest subway stop to Latham & Watkins is the E or M train (Lexington Ave/53rd Street Station) or the #6 train (51st Street Station). From Rail/Bus Station: • From Penn Station or Port Authority Bus Terminal: Take the E train uptown and get off at Lexington Avenue/53rd Street. Penn Station is where you would arrive if you were traveling on Amtrak. • From Grand Central Terminal: Take the #6 train uptown and get off at 51st Street. Note: If you plan on attending the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders in person, please bring,considered in addition to, this admission ticket,and not as a proper formsubstitute for or superior to, any measure of identification. The useperformance, cash flow or liquidity prepared in accordance with GAAP. Our calculation of video or still photography at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholdersfree cash flow is not permitted. Forintended, and should not be used, to measure the safety of attendees, all bags, packagesresidual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures because, among other things, it excludes mandatory debt service requirements and briefcases are subject to inspection. Your compliance is appreciated. If you plan to attend the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and require special assistance, please contact Caroline Ray at 817-931-2321 to request any listening or visual aid devices by May 25, 2016. Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders: The Notice,certain other non-discretionary expenditures. 

   Year Ended December 31, 2023 
    (in millions) 

Net cash provided by operating activities

  $3,803 

Adjusted net cash used in investing activities (1)

   (1,997
  

 

 

 

Free cash flow

  $1,806 
  

 

 

 

 

(1)   The following table provides a reconciliation of adjusted net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 (in millions):

    

Net cash used in investing activities

  $(502

Adjustments:

  

Net sales of short-term investments

   (1,538

Decrease in restricted cash

   43 
  

 

 

 

Adjusted net cash used in investing activities

  $(1,997
  

 

 

 

LOGO

B-3

2024 Proxy Statement Form


LOGO

P.O. BOX 8016, CARY, NC 27512-9903

LOGO

Scan QR for

digital voting

American Airlines Group Inc.

LOGO

For Stockholders of record as of April 9, 2024

LOGO

Internet:

www.proxypush.com/AAL

•  Cast your vote online

•  Have your Proxy Card ready

•  Follow the simple instructions to record your vote

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 9:00 AM, Central Time

Annual Meeting to be held live via the internet - please visit

www.proxydocs.com/AAL for more details.

LOGO

Phone:

1-866-570-3320

•  Use any touch-tone telephone

•  Have your Proxy Card ready

•  Follow the simple recorded instructions

LOGO

Mail:

•  Mark, sign and date your Proxy Card

•  Fold and return your Proxy Card in the postage-paid envelope provided

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!

PLEASE VOTE BY: 9:00 AM, Central Time, June 5, 2024.

LOGO

Virtual:

You must register to attend the meeting online and/or participate at www.proxydocs.com/AAL

This proxy is being solicited on behalf of Proxy and Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com. E09383-P75970-Z67406 AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. 4333 AMON CARTER BLVD. FORT WORTH, TX 76155 NOTICE OF 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2016 Proxy Solicited by the Board of Directors for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 8, 2016.

The undersigned hereby appoints W. Douglas ParkerRobert D. Isom and Stephen L. Johnson (the “Named Proxies”), and each or either of them, as proxies,the true and lawful attorneys of the undersigned, with full power of substitution and revocation, and authorizes them, and each of them, to vote all the shares of commoncapital stock of American Airlines Group Inc. thatwhich the undersigned is entitled to vote at said meeting and any adjournment thereof upon the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of American Airlines Group Inc.,matters specified and upon such other matters as may be properly brought before the meeting or any adjournment thereof, conferring authority upon such true and lawful attorneys to vote in their discretion on such other matters as may properly come before the meeting and revoking any proxy heretofore given.

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED OR, IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN, SHARES WILL BE VOTED IDENTICAL TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ RECOMMENDATION. This proxy, when properly executed, will be held at Latham & Watkins LLP, 885 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at 9:00 am, local time, and atvoted in the manner directed herein. In their discretion, the Named Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other matters that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

You are encouraged to specify your choice by marking the appropriate box (SEE REVERSE SIDE) but you need not mark any box if you wish to vote in accordance with the Board of Directors’ recommendation. The Named Proxies cannot vote your shares unless you sign (on the reverse side) and return this card.

PLEASE BE SURE TO SIGN AND DATE THIS PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED INCARD AND MARK ON THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN. IF YOU DO NOT STATE OTHERWISE, YOUR PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” ALL NOMINEES LISTED IN PROPOSALREVERSE SIDE

Copyright © 2024 BetaNXT, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved


LOGOAmerican Airlines Group Inc. Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Please make your marks like this:

LOGO

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE:

FOR ON PROPOSALS 1, “FOR” PROPOSALS 2, 3, 4 AND 3, AND “AGAINST” PROPOSALS 4, 5 AND 6. ANY ADDITIONAL BUSINESS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE 2016 MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OR ANY ADJOURNMENT OR POSTPONEMENT THEREOF WILL BE VOTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JUDGMENT OF THE PERSON VOTING THE PROXY. YOU MAY REVOKE THIS PROXY AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT OF VOTING AT THE 2016 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OR ANY ADJOURNMENT OR POSTPONEMENT THEREOF. If you vote by telephone or the Internet, please DO NOT mail back this proxy card. Proxies submitted by telephone or the Internet must be received by 11:59 pm, Eastern time, on June 7, 2016. Employees/Participants Holding Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. common stock under the Envoy Air Inc. 401(k) Plan: This card also constitutes your voting instructions to the appointed investment manager for those shares held in the 401(k) plan. If the investment manager receives timely voting instructions from you, it will vote your American Airlines Group Inc. shares held in the 401(k) plan as you have instructed. In order for your vote to be counted, your voting instructions must be received by 11:59 pm, Eastern time, on June 5, 2016. Address Changes/Comments: (If you noted any Address Changes/Comments above, please mark corresponding box on the reverse side.) Continued and to be signed on reverse side

PROPOSAL

YOUR VOTE

BOARD OF

DIRECTORS

RECOMMENDS

1.

Election of 11 directors to serve until the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of American Airlines Group Inc. and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified

LOGO

FORAGAINSTABSTAIN
1.01 Adriane BrownFOR
1.02 John CahillFOR
1.03 Mike EmblerFOR
1.04 Matt HartFOR
1.05 Robert IsomFOR
1.06 Sue KronickFOR
1.07 Marty NesbittFOR
1.08 Denise O’LearyFOR
1.09 Vicente ReynalFOR
1.10 Greg SmithFOR
1.11 Doug SteenlandFOR
FORAGAINSTABSTAIN
2.Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of American Airlines Group Inc. for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024FOR
3.Advisory vote to approve executive compensation (Say-on-Pay)FOR
4.Approve and adopt an amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation to allow future amendments to the Bylaws by stockholders by simple majority voteFOR
5.Approve and adopt an amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation to allow all other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation to be amended in the future by simple majority voteFOR
If any other matters properly come before the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or any adjournments or postponements thereof, the persons named as proxies will vote upon those matters according to their judgment. The Board of Directors of American Airlines Group Inc. is not aware of any other business to be presented to a vote of the stockholders at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

You must register to attend the meeting online and/or participate at www.proxydocs.com/AAL

Authorized Signatures must be completed for your instructions to be executed.

Please sign exactly as your name(s) appears on your account. If held in joint tenancy, all persons should sign. Trustees, administrators, etc., should include title and authority. Corporations should provide full name of corporation and title of authorized officer signing the Proxy/Vote Form.

Signature (and Title if applicable)

Date  Signature (if held jointly)  Date