American Airlines : The tale of two 30-year journeys in Miami

Customer Service Agent Jeanie Jones moved to Miami from a small town in South Carolina when she was 8 years old with her mother and seven siblings in search of a better life. When her family arrived in Miami in 1969, they frequently visited the perimeter of Miami International Airport to watch planes. Jeanie was fascinated by the massive aircraft around the airport, and her love of aviation grew. 'I told my mom that I was going to work for American Airlines one day,' Jeanie said.

Her dream came true on June 2, 1989. Jeanie received an invitation to interview with American and was invited to start that same day.

'They asked me if I could go home and change into some navy slacks. That was the start of my career here,' Jeanie said. 'I was so happy, and I still am!'

As the MIA hub celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, Jeanie feels privileged to have been a witness to its growth over the last three decades.

'The hub's transformation has been like seeing a caterpillar change into a butterfly,' Jeanie said. When she started, there were only 19 daily departures. Today, MIA has more than 350 daily flights to nearly 130 destinations.

Jeanie's love of people is what keeps her working with customers on the ground. She believes that MIA's diverse customers inspire her to learn other languages. Today, she can communicate in Creole, Portuguese, Spanish and French, which helps her better serve customers at the ticket counter.

Jeanie believes that American's MIA hub is a dynamic place to work. After working in the Training department for 15 years, she gained valuable expertise in running a top-notch station. She said that she was able to see how MIA began, how it progressed and how she could help make it a top-performing station in the network.

The MIA team's performance metrics have earned the coveted Customer Cup 10 times. The Customer Cup program recognizes stations with stellar performance in some of our most important operational metrics like mishandled bags, on-time departures and turn time. It also considers what our customers say about their travel experiences by tracking compliments and complaints. Jeanie has played an important role in each of those 10 Customer Cups.

Jeanie and the MIA team are also involved in the community. Jeanie has always volunteered with her fellow team members and gave back to others. She thanks her mother for impressing upon her the importance of community service. 'She instilled in us that it is in giving that you receive and to do good to all mankind, because you reap what you sow,' Jeanie said. As both Jeanie and American celebrate important 30-year milestones at MIA this year, she sees no end to her tenure at American.

'I'm proud to know that I am part of American's history in Miami, what it continues to be here and what it is becoming,' Jeanie said. 'I'm proud to wear this uniform.'