American Way

American Way was a free, inflight magazine available across the entire American Airlines fleet and Admirals Clubs premium lounges. The magazine was first published in 1966, launching originally as The American Way. It was published on a monthly basis and reached over 16 million passengers every month. Since its inception, the inflight magazine has been a ubiquitous presence on American Airlines aircraft, offering thoughtful perspectives and cultural, lifestyle or travel-related feature articles.

In 2014, American Airlines appointed Ink as the new publisher of American Way. Ink's first issue launched in January 2015 with a double cover edition featuring rock star David Grohl and the band Foo Fighters. The issue touted a fresh design and an editorial mix of international celebrities, world-class destinations, and extraordinary stories. This signaled a shift in the magazine's focus, offering content that was as diverse and global as the airline's passenger base.

However, all good things must come to an end. In June 2021, American Way ceased publication. This decision was bittersweet, as the magazine had been a staple of American Airlines' inflight entertainment for more than half a century. The last issue of American Way, published by Ink, continued to serve customers until its final days.

Despite the magazine's retirement, American Airlines remained committed to enhancing its inflight offerings. Passengers could look forward to a library of up to 600 movies and TV shows, a collection of more than 150 creative, productivity or language classes on American’s new Lifestyle inflight entertainment channel featuring Rosetta Stone and Skillshare content. They could also enjoy a wide range of kids’ content, live music and concert performances from top venues such as Austin City Limits, and meditation and relaxation exercises from Calm.

Moreover, American Airlines planned to introduce new inflight offerings designed to inspire wanderlust and provide even more ways to connect with family and friends while flying at 35,000 feet. Customers could stream on their phone, tablet or laptop by enabling airplane mode and connecting to the “AA-Inflight” signal. In addition to providing customers with more of what they want, this change also aimed to eliminate some paper waste and reduce weight on the aircraft, furthering the airline’s commitment to sustainability.{{Categories}}