My father has had the pleasure of spending time with guys like Crandal as they both enjoy retirement and I can say without a doubt that some AA management team mebers are just morons, but some were just doing their job of not giving the union all they wanted and to ensure the health of the company for the investors. Its their job, and a tough one, just like the mechanic responsible for making sure the planes work safely, the pilots making sure they fly safely, the FAs making sure customers are happy and safe and counter agents dealing with the mess we all know occurs on the ground----no one job is tougher than another, just different types of tough.
Problem is FA, mechanic, pilot, grounds crew and CEO all have to realize they are not created equal in a free market economy. Some people make more, some less. Some people, their jobs are no less important, but the more responsibility they have and the more rare their skill set, the more they will command. Tough concept for all of us to swallow.
Cheers,
AA777