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Enough AAlready
Err Travel · April 3, 2001

An open letter to
Mr. Bruce Chemel, President
AAdvantage Marketing Programs
American Airlines
4333 Amon Carter Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76155

Dear Mr. Chemel:

I noticed in a recent news release that Dr. David McKenas, American Airlines' medical director, had introduced a program where sickies can drag a nurse along with them on an American Airlines flight for a discounted fare. That sounds like an admirable enough program, but what's the deal with the name: Skycaare?

At first I thought that this must have been a typo that found its way into your news release. But, because I read about it in so many places, I dismissed this as the reason for the double "aa."

I considered the notion that Dr. McKenas is an eye doctor and a jokester and that Skycaare was an attempt at some sort of ophthalmologic humor. That reasoning fell short too when I reminded myself that this was Don Carty and American Airlines, not Herb Kelleher and Southwest Airlines.

Finally I checked the American Airlines website. Holy moley! I found that this spelling problem was pervaasive.

AApparently this doubling up of the A's began with the deployment of your "AAdvantage" frequent flyer program and has spread to infect much of the marketing copy. Miles can be redeemed under either a "PlanAAhead" or "AAnytime" formula. There's a "Winter SAAle" and a "Spring SAAle." There is "AAirpass" and "Business ExtrAA." There are "Net SAAver Fares" and even a "Fly From Florida SAAle" (sort of a mix of alliteration and double A's all in one).

Finally, I got it. In fact, when I read about the alliance between AOL and American Airlines, I was braced for the next stage: the introduction of the triple A. But instead of finding "AAAdvantage Rewards," I was disappointed to discover the less-creative "AOL AAdvantage Rewards."

What happened? Did your marketing department run out of steaaam? Did you feel that this multiple letter concept was getting out of control? Or did you receive a "cease and desist" letter from Lloyd Aannsseettee.

As you are undoubly aware, Lloyd is president of the Mississippi-based American Association of Persons Possessing Back to Back, Seemingly Superfluous, Additional Alphabetic Conterminous Characters-better known as the AAPPBBSSAACC. Lloyd's concern is that companies such as American Airlines are employing double-letter marketing tactics without the approval of the AAPPBBSSAACC, which according to him is-or should be-the official clearinghouse for commercial double-letter usage.

I'm beginning to see his point. Evidently Lloyd was able to convince Hilton Hotels to contain double-letter usage to its HHonors program, but he is having one heck of a time with Anheiser Busch, which is rumored to be considering the Budweiser Beer BBoozers program for frequent inebriates. Apparently the company hopes to capitalize on a follow-on program that is already in place. If fact, it's a program that has been around for 65 years and boasts over 2,000,000 members.

Now this is where it gets problematic for Lloyd, for Busch, and for American Airlines. That follow-on program might be confused for the granddaddy of all American Airlines promotions. It is simply known as A.A. Can you see the problem?

Lloyd can. And it is this unrestrained double-letter use that causes him to be, like the letters in his name, beside himself. As he lamented to me, "Enough aalready."

I aagree.

Sincerely,
TeRRy Riley, Ph.D.
Principal
Applied Psychology
22 Rincon Court/West
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Dr. Terry Riley is a psychologist and travel security authority. He is author of the popular book Travel Can Be Murder. Visit his site at http://www.appliedpsychology.com or e-mail him at terry@ticked.com.