GEORGE MUELLER RETIRES AFTER 31 YEARS AT AMERICAN AIRLINES

Vice President Served in Many Capacities Throughout Airline


George Mueller, who served in a broad range of marketing and operational jobs at American Airlines at a time when the industry was going through the turmoil of deregulation, will retire Aug. 31.

Mueller, currently vice president for Asia and the Pacific, joined American Airlines in 1969 as a member of its management understudy program. He rose quickly through the staff and management ranks in freight sales and ramp services in Chicago. In 1979 he was named general manager at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.

Mueller transferred to American's headquarters in 1980 as senior director of freight sales and advertising and a year later he was appointed senior director of new product development where his team developed the AAirpass.

In 1982, Mueller moved to the passenger sales department and two years later returned to the East Coast as manager of passenger sales for the Eastern Division. He was promoted to assistant vice president and general sales manager, responsible for all sales department activities, at American's headquarters.

He was named vice president of passenger sales in 1987. A year later he was named vice president of customer service, overseeing the reservations, food and beverage, consumer relations and flight services functions.

Mueller left the airline in 1995 to become senior-vice president of customer service and operations at Canadian Airlines. Three years later he returned to American as vice president of Asia and the Pacific.

"George has been a leader at American for more than three decades," said Dan Garton, executive vice president of customer service. "His dedication to our customers and the people who have worked for him contributed to American's successful transition through some of the very best and worst of times in this industry.

"We owe him much gratitude and wish him the best in his retirement," Garton said.

A native of Chicago, Mueller has a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Northwestern University. He is a U.S. Army veteran. Mueller and his wife, Verna, live in Arlington, Texas. They have two grown daughters. Mueller will spend his time working with two of his passions -- model railroading and antiques.