American Airlines gets a new look

Gone are the days of the distinctive red-and-blue "AA" logo that marked an American Airlines (AAMRQ) plane. The company has redesigned its logo, keeping the same colors but adopting a striped pattern reminiscent of the American flag.

It's the first overhaul of American's design in four decades. The new logo will eventually appear on American's website, its employee uniforms and on airport signage as well as on its fleet.

The new logo received a surprising number of reactions on Twitter and other sites. While some pricey consultants likely got paid big bucks to come up with the look, not everyone was impressed.

"A new font, and a tail that looks like a crosswalk. Way to invigorate a dying brand, folks," writes D Magazine.

American was forced to figure out a new look because it's getting new jets made of composite materials that can't be polished like the company's current aluminum fuselages, USA Today reports. The airline chose silver mica paint to recreate that polished metal look.

The logo had some fans. "New American Airlines looks good," wrote someone on Twitter. "Will miss the old typography though. Tail of the plane. . . Wow."

The tail received mixed reviews online and was a particular focus of many observers. "Logo looks great, tail looks like the Harlem Globe-Trotters uniform," wrote one airplane enthusiast on Twitter. "LOVE the new silver of the airplanes," someone else wrote. "Also, the tail section is very patriotic. Great job @AmericanAir!"

American is expected to come out of bankruptcy protection this year, and many expect it to merge with US Airways. American CEO Tom Horton said that the two carriers were in "discussions," writes Christopher Elliott, co-founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance.

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