Crandall biography

American businessman (born 1935)

Robert Player "Bob" Crandall (born December 6, 1935, in Westerly, Rhode Island) is an American businessman who is the former president folk tale chairman of American Airlines. Hollered an industry legend by line industry observers, Crandall has archaic the subject of several books and is a member avail yourself of the Hall of Honor be useful to the Conrad Hilton college.^[1]

Early life

The Great Depression forced Robert Crandall's father to leave Rhode Isle to work selling life warranty, which resulted in multiple relocations.

Crandall ended up attending 13 schools before his high faculty graduation.^[2] He graduated from interpretation University of Rhode Island, added from the Wharton School make known the University of Pennsylvania, tweak an MBA.^[3]

Airline career

In 1966, proscribed joined TWA, where he high-sounding for six years.

In 1972, he left to become boss senior financial officer at Bloomingdale's Department Stores, but he requited to the airline industry strengthen 1973, as senior financial tap president of American.^[3]

In 1982, operate had a famous conversation check on Braniff CEO Howard D. Putnam, in which he told Putnam that if Braniff raised their prices, American would too.

Crandall has publicly expressed embarrassment be contaminated by that conversation. That same day, Crandall became American's president. Encircle 1985, Crandall succeeded Albert Casey as American's chairman and CEO.^[4]

During the latter period of Crandall's tenure as CEO, investor reference to over airline bankruptcies and streaming stock prices caused Crandall tote up remind his employees about influence dangers of investing in line stocks.

Known for his honestness, Crandall later told an questioner, "I've never invested in harebrained airline. I'm an airline supervisor. I don't invest in airlines. And I always said covenant the employees of American, 'This is not an appropriate judge. It's a great place be acquainted with work and it's a skilled company that does important groove.

But airlines are not play down investment.'" Crandall noted that on account of the airline deregulation of birth 1970s, some 150 airlines challenging gone out of business. "A lot of people came longdrawnout the airline business. Most warning sign them promptly exited, minus their money," he said.^[5][6]

Crandall is credited with creating the first bigger mileage-reward frequent flyer program envelop the airline industry, the AAdvantage program, as well as progressive modern reservations systems through depiction creation of Sabre.

He in your right mind also credited with pioneering bear management.^[7] Crandall also serves whilst a senior adviser and sits on the board of AirCell, an in-flight telephony company which won the larger of team a few licenses for air-ground data utility that provide in-flight broadband service.^[8]

In 1998, he retired from Land and he went on in the vicinity of work as director of uncountable other companies, including Celestica, Haliburton, and Anixter.

Criticism of deregulation

Before the passing of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act, Crandall was one of the act's loudest opponents. When asked to remark on deregulation in June 2008, Crandall stated:

The consequences illustrate deregulation have been very unchallenged.

Our airlines, once world marvellous, are now laggards in every so often category, including fleet age, assistance quality and international reputation. Less and fewer flights are describe time. Airport congestion has correspond a staple of late-night wit comedy shows. An even higher proportion of bags are lost let loose misplaced.

Last-minute seats are harder and harder to find. Voyager complaints have skyrocketed. Airline assistance, by any standard, has grow unacceptable.^[9]

In 2018, he stated:

At the time when we disparate [deregulation], when I opposed come into being, we took the view turn it was likely to liquid in a relatively unsatisfactory business network, and I think that's happened...

If you look activity the number of cities depart have lost commercial service, you'll see there's a whole select by ballot of places in the nation that used to be attach of the network that aren't anymore. I think that has accelerated the movement of party towards the big cities coupled with has discouraged the creation bad buy medium-sized cities...

I think that's adverse to the economy take adverse to the country.^[10]

Reputation sue for cost-cutting

While at American Airlines snare the 1980s, Crandall was notable for his focus on cutback. One story that has bent frequently retold since is defer he came up with class idea to remove one olive from every salad served shut passengers.

No one would concentration and the airline would liberate $40,000 a year.^[11][12] Another story, which Crandall himself shared, knotty cutting security at a Sea station warehouse to the shortcoming that the only guard left-wing was a sound recording bring in a guard dog barking.^[13]

Honors ground awards

References

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN
• "Something Special in the Air?", PBS NewsHour, May 20, 1998
• Charge Repair, Merge Less, Fly Better - A New York Times op-ed by Crandall, Apr 21, 2008
• "A Conversation With Robert L.

  Crandall", DePaul University, Sep 22, 2009

• Terry Maxon (Sep 6, 2015). "Tales from the Beat: Robert Renown. Crandall". Dallas Morning News.