Twelve Years of Turbulence: The Inside Story of American Airlines' Battle for Survival

by Gary Kennedy, Roger Staubach (Foreword), Terry Maxon (Contributor)

The inside story of crisis and turmoil at American Airlines during the twelve years following the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

In the twelve years following 9/11, American Airlines lost billions of dollars and endured years of crisis and turmoil. Financial upheaval, the crash of Flight 587, grueling confrontations with labor, a rival’s push to acquire the company, and a challenging fight with the government tested the mettle and fortitude of its top executives.

Against all odds, American found a way to save what was once the world’s largest airline from certain ruin. Told through the eyes of American’s chief lawyer, this insider’s story of intrigue of the unfolding events is set against a personal look at the innermost workings of the sexiest industry in the world.

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published February 6, 2018

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I watched with fascination as the airline experienced the highs and lows of an ultracompetitive industry. I was in awe of the actions we took to crush our competitors and what they would do in kind to us… It was, as Bob Crandall once remarked, the closest thing you could get to legalized warfare.” | If you are primarily interested in airplanes and flight, this is not the book for you. But, if like myself, you are specifically fascinated by the complex U.S. commercial airline industry, I’m confident you’ll enjoy this read! Kennedy’s experience, insights, and perspectives as former Chief Counsel were genuinely intriguing and well written (albeit, sometimes very heavily focused on the purely legal aspects of things.) As a former flight attendant, it was thought provoking to read about the ‘other side’ of the functions of the airline.

[Nick Ueber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and well told story. I spent 25 years of my professional life as an employee of the greatest airline in the world, American Airlines. From a fresh new employee in the Sales and Marketing Department to a Regional Sales responsibility I was fortunate to work with some of the best people a company could find.

After 25 years I retired and was not there during the period of this book but followed all aspects closely. It was a sad day to see such a glorious entity go through bankruptcy but this story does a great job of telling how it dealt with that along with the US Air merger and came out stronger than ever.

If you are a fan of aviation, a fan of business stories or a customer of American’s you will find this a page turner that is hard to put down. Mr. Kennedy and so many others did his company proud.

[Josh Hollin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good and I do think it does a good job giving some insight on what was occurring behind the doors of AA during the company’s darkest days. I agree with some other readers’ sentiments that at times it feels like the book is focused more on people’s names, giving them their ado, and legal jargon rather than just telling the story of AA’s fight for survival as a company.

[Keerigan Rudd · Rating 3 out of 5]

12 Years of Turbulence contains a lot of interesting information about the corporate struggles of American Airlines from 2001 to 2013. It reads like a history textbook turned first-person corporate law drama, but not quite in a positive way. If you’re interested in law and executive decision-making in regards to the airline industry, this is the book for you. If not, good luck staying awake. Despite my feelings about the writing itself, I learned a lot from this book and do not regret reading it.

[Chiso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, concise inside-view of a mega-restructuring/Chapter 11 process (from the debtor's POV). Would have appreciated a deeper technical look, but nevertheless a quality description of the entire ordeal.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good Read for me, as I work for AA, and saw first hand the Chaos. He tells no lies, and a lot of stuff I didn't know about, behind close doors! Thank you Mr. Kennedy, well done!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, really good, and a quick read. I had a minor quibble here or there, but overall it was fascinating to read an insider's perspective.

[KK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating tale of how a lawyer witnessed AA come out of the ashes. Loved the history behind the Dallas Ft worth airport and Love field. Great story.

[Simonas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is written by the lawyer so the story is very narrow-minded, it sounds like it was only legal processes going on: no commercial, network planning, business strategy, marketing, etc.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I think things are getting tough I reflect on what the ‘00s were like for Gary Kennedy, and how positive he was about the experience.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're interested in legal matters involving enormous companies, mergers, the DOJ and meetings with attorneys, this book might be for you! Unfortunately for the aviation aficionado the fact that the company central to this book is one of the world's largest airlines is mostly tangential save for some flavour paragraphs here and there.

[Minh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are on the fence about investing in airlines, well, this book will help you make decisions quickly. The author did a good job pulling back the curtain on the challenges of dealing with unions in the airline industry as well as on the bankruptcy process. American's bankruptcy proceedings were quite unique because their merger with US Airways took place at the same time.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as recommended by a senior leader at American Airlines. I have heard a lot at AA about the merger between US Airways and American. This book was super interesting and i found it a real page-turner, but maybe because I am an aviation geek. Totally enjoyed this book.

[Adam Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about the history of AA

[Rob Moritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting to understand how the top management (C-suite) manages bankruptcy, causes and subtleties, as well as being the target of a hostile takeover.