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Tell Me Why

Tell Me Why

Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do…

American Airlines

84 episodesEN

Show overview

Tell Me Why has been publishing since 2019, and across the 7 years since has built a catalogue of 84 episodes, alongside 3 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 10 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence, with the show now in its 9th season.

Episodes typically run under ten minutes — most land between 7 min and 9 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Business show.

The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 months ago, with 2 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2019, with 31 episodes published. Published by American Airlines.

Episodes
84
Running
2019–2026 · 7y
Median length
8 min
Cadence
Monthly

From the publisher

Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do? Wonder no more! Welcome to the "Tell Me Why" podcast, a series that talks about the "why" behind the decisions we make or the approach we take at the company.

Latest Episodes

View all 84 episodes

S9 Ep 2S9:E2 — ‘Our technology focus is to enable the goals of the airline’ — Ganesh Jayaram

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, American’s Chief Digital and Information Officer Ganesh Jayaram joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to talk about the priorities for American’s IT team, how technology is helping to improve the team member and customer experience and how American is leveraging AI to build a more efficient airline.

Mar 12, 20268 min

S9 Ep 1S9:E1 — ‘We need to make sure we’re investing in technologies‘ — Larry Culp

In the first episode of Season 9 of Tell Me Why, GE Aerospace Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Larry Culp joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to talk about the decades-long relationship between American and GE Aerospace and how GE and CFM’s fuel-efficient engines power American’s aircraft. Larry emphasized GE Aerospace’s commitment to deliver best-in-class engines to help American maximize the power of our fleet and network to connect more people to more places than any other airline.

Feb 19, 20266 min

S8 Ep 7S8:E7 — ‘It’s about who you walk and run with’— Jerry Jones

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo at The Star in Frisco, Texas, to talk about the power of partnership and what it means to build something enduring. Jerry reflects on the Cowboys’ long-standing relationship with American Airlines, the shared pursuit of excellence and how customer experience is at the heart of everything.

Nov 17, 202511 min

S8 Ep 6S8:E6 — ‘oneworld is extremely important for us’ — Turkka Kuusisto

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Finnair CEO Turkka Kuusisto discusses the importance of oneworld and the Atlantic Joint Business. He also discusses Finnair’s recent centennial, improvements to the customer experience and the airline’s focus on sustainability. 

Oct 6, 20255 min

S8 Ep 5S8:E5 — ‘We opened some amazing new routes’ — José Freig

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, José Freig, Vice President, International and Inflight Dining Operations, discusses American’s newest international routes and the exciting new products the airline is rolling out to support these markets. José also highlights the excitement of international team members as American heads into its centennial year.

Sep 30, 20256 min

S8 Ep 4S8:E4 — ‘The future of aviation is radically changing’ — Secretary Sean Duffy

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy discusses the evolving future of transportation and the work being done to build a state-of-the-art air traffic control system.

Aug 22, 202510 min

S8 Ep 3S8:E3 — ‘What are the best routes for us to add’ — Brian Znotins

Brian Znotins, SVP of Network Planning, discusses the newly announced international routes and the reasoning behind the selected destinations.

Aug 14, 20257 min

S8 Ep 2S8:E2 — ‘Modernizing our digital customer experience' — Ganesh Jayaram

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Chief Digital and Information Officer Ganesh Jayaram joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to discuss the critical role IT plays in enhancing the operation and customer experience. From app redesigns to new technologies supporting operations and customer interactions, the team is working hard to deliver a seamless digital journey.

Jun 23, 202510 min

S8 Ep 1S8:E1 — 'Focusing on the entire customer journey' — Heather Garboden

On the season 8 debut of Tell Me Why, Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden joins Chief Communications Officer Ron DeFeo to talk about the renewed focus on the customer experience and how the Customer Experience organization is keeping customers at the center of decisions being made. From new lounges and a redesigned mobile app to complimentary Wi-Fi for AAdvantage® members, sponsored by AT&T, the sky’s the limit when it comes to delivering a world-class experience for our customers.  

May 22, 20256 min

S7 Ep 7S7:E7 — ‘We’re making loyalty even more rewarding.’ — Scott Chandler

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Scott Chandler, Senior Vice President of Revenue Management and Loyalty, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to share exciting updates to the AAdvantage® program. From getting to use your miles onboard to keeping it straightforward to earn status, discover how we’re making loyalty more rewarding for our customers.

Dec 12, 20244 min

S7 Ep 6S7:E6 — ‘We’re battle-tested.’ — Capt. Alan Johnson and Cedric Wilson

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Capt. Alan Johnson, Vice President of Flight, and Cedric Wilson, Vice President of Safety Systems, Efficiency and Compliance, join Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about how our Operations team is getting ready for a busy holiday travel season. Learn more about how American is preparing to welcome nearly 8.3 million customers during the Thanksgiving holiday period on our Newsroom.  

Nov 21, 20248 min

S7 Ep 5S7:E5 — ‘We want to increase travel.’ — Geoff Freeman

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of U.S. Travel Association, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about the work the association is doing to advocate on behalf of the travel industry. American is a proud member of U.S. Travel and partners with them to ensure that the interests of the travel community, and all those employed by it, are effectively represented within the legislative process.

Oct 21, 20247 min

S7 Ep 4S7:E4 — ‘These destinations are a gateway to the rest of Europe.’ — Brian Znotins

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Brian Znotins, Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about the summer 2025 network announcement. American continues to grow its comprehensive global network and will offer customers five new routes to Europe next summer, including returning to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI) for the first time since 2019.

Sep 10, 20247 min

S7 Ep 3S7:E3 — ‘We’ve really been focusing on supportability.’ — Heather Garboden

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Heather Garboden, Senior Vice President, American Eagle and Cargo, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to talk about how our regional carriers and Cargo team are helping us achieve our goals of running a reliable and profitable airline.

Aug 16, 20248 min

S7 Ep 2S7:E2 — ‘We’re reengineering the way we work.’ — Ganesh Jayaram

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Ganesh Jayaram, Chief Digital and Information Officer, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications Officer, to talk about how technology is powering our airline. Team members are leveraging technology to support customers this summer by mitigating disruptions, driving faster recovery during irregular operations and delivering new features that make the customers’ travel journeys easier. To better support our customers and team members, IT is reengineering how they work with a focus on resiliency in delivery, excellence in engineering and modernizing technology. 

Jun 7, 20249 min

S7 Ep 1S7:E1 — ‘Are we ready? We absolutely are.’ — David Seymour

In the Season 7 premiere of Tell Me Why, David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer, joins Ron DeFeo, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, to preview American’s summer operation and share some of the preparations we’ve made to ensure the airline runs smoothly for our customers during this critical time of year.Learn more about our preparation for the summer travel season on our Newsroom.

May 15, 20249 min

S6 Ep 11S6:E11 — ‘When you are an innovator, you are focused on your customers, not your competitors’ — Vasu Raja

In the season 6 finale of Tell Me Why, Vasu Raja, Chief Commercial Officer, talks about how we think about our business and our customers – from the best global network to the award-winning AAdvantage program to connecting directly with our customer.

Dec 29, 202316 min

S6 Ep 10S6:E10 — ‘The team is what’s going to make this work.’ — Anne Moroni

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Anne Moroni, Vice President of Operations Planning and Performance, talks about our strong operational performance, how we’ve prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday travel period and the latest tools and technology helping our team. We’re running the best operation in our history, and we’re prepared to continue delivering for our customers this winter holiday season. Learn more about what we’re expecting for Thanksgiving holiday travel on our Newsroom. 

Nov 13, 20239 min

S6 Ep 9S6:E9 — ‘Fuel is a commodity and it’s all about the supply and demand dynamics’ —Meghan Montana

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Meghan Montana, Senior Vice President and Treasurer, talks about the recent run-up in fuel prices, the proactive decisions we’re making to protect American from the rise in costs and how team members around the system can help conserve fuel.

Sep 14, 20238 min

S6 Ep 8S6:E8 — ‘Sustainability Is At The Heart Of Building An Airline That Thrives Forever’—Jill Blickstein

In the latest episode of Tell Me Why, Jill Blickstein, VP and Chief Sustainability Officer talks about sustainability and why it’s so important for our airline. We’re on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050, and there is a lot to be excited about, including a recent study American participated in with Google Research and Breakthrough Energy on avoiding contrails in flight.

Sep 8, 20238 min
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