Layla Finch

Inflight AAdvantage Cash Program Manager

Inflight AAdvantage Cash Program Manager – American Airlines

February 2021 – Present

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• Oversee internal program which encourages flight attendants to acquire loyal customers through cobranded AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard, contributing to a 27% YOY increase in customer acquisitions 

• Collaborate daily with Barclays Bank, AAdvantage® Loyalty Department, Cobrand Department, and other internal teams through partner management techniques to reach decisions which strategically drive growth for both companies

• Lead team of 40 flight attendants who serve as brand ambassadors to instill confidence in the acquisition promoting; manage the talent pipeline by directing the recruitment process and hand selecting highly talented brand ambassadors

• Oversee a monthly budget of $40,000 to support brand ambassadors and flight attendant engagement strategies  

• Expanded program by 50%, increasing both the number of ambassadors and participating hubs across the U.S. 

• Increased flight attendant performance by a projected 25% in 2023 by tailoring changes to align with other programs

  • Improved the compensation structure with annual commission increases and leveraged performance incentives

  • Introduced 2-year term limits for ambassadorship with emphasis on relational, peer-to-peer approach 

• Rolled out a mobile app which enabled enrolled flight attendants to set goals and monitor selling performance

• Frequently analyze flight attendant engagement numbers to ensure strategies are achieving monthly and yearly goals

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Flight Service Manager – American Airlines

November 2019 – February 2020

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• Managed, directed, and supported a group of 150 flight attendants by conducting annual performance evaluations and completing appropriatedisciplinary actions and investigations in collaboration with the flight attendant labor union 

• Spearheaded special projects for process improvement within DFW Flight Service

  • Leveraged HTML coding experience to streamline time-off/badge replacement request processes by developing an online system, enabling AA to transition away from paper-based procedures while reducing expenses  

• Supported the Crew Service Center the Manager on Duty to facilitate tower coordination to mitigate operational delays

• Performed QA rides twice monthly to evaluate customer service and ensure adherence of flight policies and procedures 

• Mentored flight attendants looking for more opportunities, including greater responsibilities, promotions, and transfers

• Established a reputation of responsiveness with flight attendants, regularly communicating company information though monthly newsletters and sharing calendar availability to proactively address questions  

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Flight Service Training Developer — American Airlines

October 2018 – November 2019

 

• Mentored and supported instructors through technology implementation such as Poll Everywhere and screen mirroring

• Utilized Adobe Suite products in conjunction with HTML and JavaScript to build online interactive lessons for the Flight Attendant Initial Qualification Training (IQT) program, a 6-week training impacting 10,000 flight attendants 

• Served as project leader on the aircraft training redesign for IQT, transitioning the program from a stationary PowerPoint to an interactive web-based version—increased engagement and improved trainee understanding 

• Modernized training model which had been used since early 2000s—updated version currently remains active 

• Analyzed data to discover areas of improvement for the IQT program

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Flight Attendant Operational Integration Developer — American Airlines

June 2017 – October 2018

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• Utilized Adobe Suite to create curriculum to train American Airlines and US Airways flight attendants for merger-related scheduling systems, impacting the training for 22,000 flight attendants—merger’s largest workforce group 

• Served as a Subject matter expert for flight attendant trip trade system

• Partnered with system product owner, software developers and flight attendant union board members to ensure up to date training material; analyzed potential errors and presented training to flight attendants and c-suite executives

• Provided real time troubleshooting support in command center during cutover, including FOS, TTS, ETB, and PBS

• Developed foundational coding knowledge in this role, serving as the catalyst for other program successes 

• Awarded Air Operations Integration First Class Award for work accomplished during merger 

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Flight Attendant — American Airlines

November 2014 – October 2018

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• Provided leadership to both fellow crew members and passengers while on and off the airplane.

• Maintained professionalism while responding to emergency and non-emergency situations.

• Managed onboard passenger comfort and sales while providing excellent customer service.

• Qualified on all equipment and markets.

• Worked to ensure Flight Service initiatives were provided by going beyond.

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