Politics & Power Quote by Gerard Arpey

"At American Airlines, we have built a business around the love of travel that has lasted three quarters of a century. And I'm pretty sure we're just getting started"

Gerard Arpey, Businessman

About this Quote

Corporate optimism always sounds like it was workshopped next to a stock chart, but Arpey’s line is doing more than cheerleading. “Built a business around the love of travel” is a deliberate reframing: it takes an airline - a sector most people associate with delays, fees, and cramped seats - and recasts it as an emotion-first lifestyle brand. The key move is smuggling commerce into romance. You’re not buying a ticket; you’re buying access to a feeling, and the company just happens to be the gatekeeper.

The “three quarters of a century” marker is classic legacy-company rhetoric, aimed at investors and anxious customers alike. Longevity becomes proof of legitimacy, a way to imply reliability in an industry where bankruptcy and consolidation are practically part of the business model. It’s also a subtle answer to the unspoken critique: if people increasingly hate the flying experience, why should they stick with you? Because you’ve been here; you’ll still be here.

“And I’m pretty sure we’re just getting started” is the forward-looking kicker that tries to erase the fatigue baked into “old.” The casual “pretty sure” softens the corporate bravado, making confidence sound human rather than scripted. Contextually, it’s the language of an airline executive selling renewal: to markets, to employees asked to buy into another turnaround cycle, and to travelers who want to believe the industry can be about possibility again - not just logistics and upsells.

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About the Author

Gerard Arpey (born July 26, 1958) is a Businessman from USA.

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