AMERICAN PRESENTS $100,000 CHECK TO THE KOMEN FOUNDATION FROM DONATIONS MADE BY THOUSANDS OF WEST COAST CUSTOMERS

An Expanding West Coast Network Will Allow American To Offer

"Fly For The Cure" Fund-Raiser Again This Year

A check for $100,000 was presented to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by American Airlines today as a result of a "Fly For The Cure" program American conducted throughout the West Coast last fall after it significantly expanded its West Coast route network.

Nearly one million AAdvantage frequent-flyer miles were awarded by American to West Coast customers in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington to raise the funds.

At a ceremony with Komen officials on the campus of the University of Southern California here, Mike Gunn, American's executive vice president of marketing and planning, announced that American will repeat the "Fly For The Cure" initiative on the West Coast again this fall.

"The fight against breast cancer profoundly touches millions of lives," Gunn said. "We are deeply gratified that our customers responded so positively, so powerfully, and so generously to 'Fly For The Cure' last year, and we hope to do even more for this important cause this fall."

A portion of this year's proceeds was designated to help support breast cancer research being conducted at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center here by a team of researchers led by Dr. Anna H. Wu.

Gunn said American's ability to raise additional dollars for the Komen Foundation through "Fly For The Cure" will be enhanced by the airline's expansion on the West Coast this summer, where its flight schedules are increasing by 25 percent at Los Angeles and by 24 percent at San Jose.

Two key expansion steps will take place on July 2 when American begins daily nonstop service at Los Angeles to Phoenix, Denver and Oakland, and at San Jose to Denver and Phoenix.

Earlier, American launched new nonstop service between Los Angeles and St. Louis and Hartford, Conn., and began flying nonstop between San Jose and Honolulu.

Overall, the expansion will add a combined total of 25 flights a day at Los Angeles - raising American's total operations here to 127 daily departures - and will add 13 flights at San Jose, for a daily total of 67 departures.

For the West Coast as a whole, American's schedules are increasing to a total of 468 flights a day to 22 cities. This gives the airline an expanded ability to carry passengers up and down the West Coast, and to link destinations in the West to the rest of American's route network.

As American grows in the West, it is doing so with a fleet of jets outfitted with the carrier's new "More Room" coach interior, which affords increased legroom throughout the coach cabin by eliminating two rows of coach seats on each aircraft.

American is the only carrier increasing legroom throughout the entire coach cabin, and has converted all airplanes serving the West Coast route network. So far, the airline has completed more than 520 airplanes - nearly 90 percent of its domestic

fleet - and will have all domestic aircraft finished by November. American's international fleet will be fully converted to "More Room" by the middle of next year.

Next year also will mark the completion of a $245 million improvement project at American's Terminal 4 at Los Angeles International Airport. As part of the project, the airline is improving ticket counter and baggage claim facilities, is giving a whole new look to the departure concourse, and is adding a new international arrivals facility and a new Admirals Club, first class lounge and executive center.

Under "Fly For The Cure," donors who contributed to the Komen Foundation last fall were rewarded with 10 AAdvantage miles for every dollar donated. The minimum donation was $10; the maximum miles awarded was 5,000 for a $500 donation.

Customers were able to participate either through a special "Fly For The Cure" brochure, sent to more than 90,000 American Airlines customers, or by calling American's toll-free AAdvantage number.

Details for this year's program will be announced soon, but will be similar to those used last year.