No doubt you have seen American Airlines' 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.

American's first new branding strategy in more than a decade puts a stake in the ground and declares that nobody understands what is important to customers better than American Airlines.

This idea is expressed in television commercials and newspaper ads that began airing on Sept. 13 in four markets, including New York, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami, and on national cable television and Web sites across the Internet.

As one of those commercial puts it, "We know you can't be flexible if you don't have options ...We know it's not just a seat on a flight to a place. It's a seat ... on a flight ... to your life." So in the spirit of knowing that customer service doesn't end at the terminal gate, courtesy of this story submitted to AA through we.know@aa.com, meet 777 pilot Dan Deneher, based in Boston.

"While driving home to New Hampshire after flying LHR-BOS in January of 2003, I spotted a car stopped on the side of the road," said Deneher. "It was close to midnight, 100 miles away from the airport and the outside temperature was at least 10 degrees below zero fahrenheit in a very rural area."

Don't worry, this isn't just another "isn't it great that he stopped to help someone change a tire?" story. However, Deneher did stop behind the idled car, got out and approached the driver's window. "I could see inside the car that it was a father and son who were looking at a map -- they were lost," he said. "I asked them if they needed help and in a thick British accent the father replied that they had just flown in from London for a ski holiday and could not find the ski area."

Deneher quickly realized that the visiting Brits were at least 20 miles off course. Because of their unfamiliarity of the countryside and the increasing chill in the air, he recalled, "I was concerned for their safety ... so I told them they could follow me to the ski area. They were both very grateful."

The story doesn't quite end there, though; upon arrival at the ski area, Deneher asked the father and son if they had flown into Boston on American Airlines Flight 155. "They both looked amazed and said yes," remembered Deneher. When the father asked him "How did you know that?," Deneher smiled and replied, "I was your pilot."

Submit your stories and photos expressing why you fly and your experiences with American Airlines to the http://www.WhyYouFly.com Web site, or send them to we.know@aa.com; include contact information, and your story -- like Deneher's -- may be told on these pages.