RST’s American Airlines team has landed a significant victory, earning the prestigious American Airlines Customer Cup for the first quarter of 2025.
The Customer Cup is an internal award program that recognizes airport teams throughout the American Airlines network for operational excellence, a strong safety record and superior customer service.
Top performance leads to top award
Winning the Customer Cup gives coveted bragging rights to the 22 members of RST’s AA team, led by Station Manager Sean Kelly. They earned this honor by accomplishing:
- Zero cancelled flights: They achieved a remarkable 100% completion factor, meaning zero flights were cancelled during the first quarter.
- Punctual departures: They maintained an impressive 97.78% on-time departure rate for morning flights, a key performance indicator.
- Speedy turnarounds: They were able to turn around late-arriving aircraft within 30 minutes 95.77% of the time (excluding weather and air traffic delays).
- Care with baggage: Out of 11,235 bags handled, there were only 13 mishandled (including damaged luggage), resulting in a 99.88% success rate. Furthermore, the RST team successfully sorted 97% of bags, prioritizing those with the shortest connection times in Chicago to ensure they made their connecting flights.
A victory for American Airlines, our airport and our community
The AA team’s consistent hard work and willingness to go the extra mile make this victory possible, said Sean Kelly, American Airlines Station Manager for RST.
Kelly said: “To win this award in the first quarter – covering January to March 2025 — is a great achievement as we are one of the few northern American Airlines stations among our similar sized airports. Our team had to overcome adverse weather conditions such as extreme cold, snow and ice. There are many days where employees come into work in the darkness of morning and go home in the darkness of the evening. To see their dedication and sacrifice recognized in this award is a proud moment for the American RST Team.”
John Reed, RST’s Executive Director, notes that the Customer Cup represents not only a big win for American Airlines, but for all travelers who use RST.
“This outstanding achievement by the American Airlines team gives us a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on the exceptional quality of service you can expect at RST,” Reed said. “The American Airlines team’s exceptional performance translates into great experiences for travelers who choose RST. The Customer Cup represents a big win not only for American Airlines, but also for our entire community. Thank you, American Airlines colleagues. We appreciate you!”
Time to celebrate!
American Airlines operates 4 flights per day from RST to Chicago O’Hare. This marks the RST AA team’s first time winning the Customer Cup. It topped 58 other airports within its size category.
The eight other winners for airports in other size categories include: Chicago O’Hare; Los Angeles International; San Diego International; Hartford, CT – Bradley International; Albuquerque International; Colorado Springs Airport; Amarillo, TX – Rick Husband International and Evansville Indiana Regional Airport.
To celebrate the award, RST’s AA team will be recognized at a ceremony on June 5th. They’ll be joined by Envoy’s Regional Managing Director Ann Marie De La Paz, Vice President of Envoy Airport Services Jude Mayeux, and Senior Vice President Envoy Customer Services John Jaynes.
Congrats to the American Airlines team on setting the standard for excellence and ensuring passengers’ journeys are smooth and stress-free!
