FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Airlines today announced a three-week test on flights departing from San Francisco in which it will only accept major credit cards or debit cards for onboard purchases, including headsets, snacks, fresh light meals and alcoholic beverages.

The cashless test will help American determine if passengers in the main cabin prefer to pay for onboard items with plastic. The test will include more than 700 scheduled flights between Sept. 10 and Sept. 30. American Express(R) Cards and other major credit and debit cards will be accepted. Receipts will be provided to passengers upon request.

Lauri Curtis, American Airlines Vice President - Onboard Service, said: "These days, consumers are more frequently paying for items electronically with credit cards and debit cards. With this test, we are seeking feedback from passengers and from our flight attendants to determine if this consumer behavior also works with the purchase of onboard items.

"We chose San Francisco because our departures from there cover an excellent cross-section of distances. From there, we operate service to Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu and New York, among other destinations," Curtis said.

American, a founding member of the global oneworld(R) Alliance, began accepting credit and debit cards for onboard purchases last year. Initial customer feedback indicates that plastic payment options are a great way to conserve cash while being able to purchase items available on American Airlines flights.

Snacks available for purchase on flights two hours or longer include: Orange Cranberry Trail Mix from Great Nut Supply Co., Raisin Oatmeal Mega Bite(R) Cookies, Lay's Stax(R) Potato Crisps, and 3 Musketeers(R) for $3 each or Dannon(R) Spring(TM) bottled water for $2 each. In addition to snacks, American also offers fresh light meals on all flights three hours or longer. Choices vary based on destination, but currently include a breakfast bagel sandwich, club croissant sandwich, Italian wrap, turkey and swiss ciabatta, or Asian chicken salad or wrap for $5.

The Food for Sale program is offered in addition to American's complimentary beverage service, which remains unchanged.

About American Airlines

American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection(R) airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. .

AmericanAirlines(R) We know why you fly(R) Current AMR Corp. releases can be accessed on the Internet. The address is http://www.aa.com/

CONTACT: Charley Wilson, Corporate Communications of American Airlines,
Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, +1-817-967-1577, corp.comm@aa.com

Web site: http://www.aa.com/