We know things. We know things no other airline could possibly know. Because we fly more people more miles than any other airline on earth.

On September 13, American Airlines launched a new campaign that underscores the value and importance of our employees in delivering the service you expect when you choose to fly with us. We know why you fly.

Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey has told employees that "this campaign is one that truly communicates the essence of our brand. At American,. Our brand is more than just a logo or a name; our brand is a promise that we make to our customers about what they get when they buy a ticket from us. It is our promise of a superior experience provided by every single one of us."

We have nearly 80 years of experience and knowledge -- something no other carrier can match. That day-to-day experience translates into this simple truth: Nobody understands airline travelers better than we do.

On a typical day, AA receives more than 329,000 reservation calls -- that's more than 120 million in a single year. On a typical day, AA handles more than 293,000 pieces of luggage -- nearly 110 million in a single year. And those are numbers for a typical day, not even a particularly busy one! We fly more than 2,600 flights on a typical day -- that's nearly 950,000 in just one year.

And what has three-quarters of a century of "typical days" in the airline industry taught us? We know it's not about the trip; it's about the destination. We know it's not about getting there, it's about being there.

You're not just flying to an airport. You're flying to your childhood bedroom, clean sheets and mom's rigatoni. We know that getting home tonight beats watching TV in a hotel room. We know why you get up at 4:30 in the morning. Why you fly 1,800 miles for a two-hour meeting. And why you fly back home the same afternoon.

We know it's not just another flight. It's a moment made possible. A passion ignited. A deal done. A kiss that lingers. A tail that wags. A friendship renewed. A memory made. A promise kept.

We know it's not just a seat on a flight to a place. It's a seat ... on a flight ... to your life.

In each issue of American Way, we introduce you to one or two of our many extraordinary employees in "Something Special at American" - now, in the spirit of the new campaign, renamed "Being There." This edition, on the facing page, you'll read about Edwin Aponte's, Miguel Arocho's and Gladys Ruiz's mission to El Salvador. Each time you read one of these stories, implicit in the telling of the tale is the truth behind it: We are the people of American Airlines. We know why you fly.

AA's new television commercials and newspaper print ads will begin airing on Sept. 13 in four markets, including New York, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami, and on national cable television and Web sites everywhere. We'd like to hear your own stories about why you fly; send them to we.know@aa.com. Please include contact information, and your story may be told on these pages.