Unless this is your very first visit to the employee portal of American Airlines and American Eagle, you've no doubt noticed something ... different ... about Jetnet this week.

Like, well, everything. Okay, the logo is the same. But everything else has changed.

"We designed Jetnet with the employee in mind," says Andrew Watson, vice president, e-Business. "It's convenient and easy to use while delivering the news, information and services employees want — all in one Web site."

Jetnet is accessible to any active employee, from any PC with Internet access anywhere in the world.

"All in one Web site" means all in one place. How frustrating has it been to go to PeopleLink (now Employee Services) for your benefits information, ePays for your paystubs, the IntrAAnet for departmental links and Flagship Today for company news?

After months of listening to employees systemwide about what Jetnet should be doing and how to make it better, this next step was obvious, says Maya Leibman, managing director, business-to-employee technology.

"The new version of Jetnet released this week is much more than just a visual enhancement," says Leibman. "There is more content, delivered at a more personalized level."

So, for instance, when mechanics log on to Jetnet, in addition to the front page information everyone else sees, they will see information served up specifically for M&E employees. The same is true for pilots, flight attendants, reservationists, customer service reps, and employees of human resources, ITS, passenger sales and cargo, respectively. Eagle employees will also see specialized information intended only for them.

Tim Doke

"In every way," says Tim Doke, vice president, Corporate Communications, "Jetnet changes the whole face of employee communications, by putting information at people's fingertips that they can then access at their own convenience."

The early success of Jetnet in its original form is reflected in the fact that more than 50,000 employees are already using the site. "By far, Jetnet users have been most interested in the Non-Rev Travel Planner and access to ePays," says Leibman. "Those are the most-heavily visited areas of the site to date."

The enhanced version retains those features and also now includes extended information on travel, employee programs and news. Leibman adds, "Benefits enrollment, which is right around the corner in August, will be completely online this year."

Sue Oliver

And Sue Oliver, senior vice president, Human Resources, recognizes that "The [Jetnet] team has constructed a state-of-the-art communications tool," while explaining that from the HR perspective, "Our aim from the beginning ... has been to make life easier for employees by providing more online self-service tools."

With its greater efficiency and better design, Jetnet also makes sites like the IntrAAnet home page and Flagship Today obsolete. Those sites will be phased out in the near term. The links to the various departmental sites on the IntrAAnet home page are now available from the Jetnet home page — it's that tab near the top right of the page titled "All Departments." And they're finally arranged in a way that makes sense rather than just one long alphabetical listing.

"Some of those links still lead to material only accessible from company computers," says Linda Moore of the Jetnet team. "But we're gradually moving all of that information to a place where everyone will be able to access it." Employees will be able to see what were once only IntrAAnet sites from home. How convenient is that?

Jetnet isn't finished, though. It's a dynamic site that will grow and change to meet the needs of employees.

"Now it's time to take the next step," says Watson. "As a company still in financial crisis, and in following the direction of Don Carty and our executive committee, we will be developing Jetnet still further to move toward the goal of eliminating paper publications in the workplace." The Jetnet motto, according to Watson, is "from hire to retire, everything online."

Doke's analysis of this shift leads him to believe, "What excites me is the flexibility. Jetnet provides employees information whenever they want it, from virtually wherever they want it. Our folks can stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the company and in the industry, while also having access to the kinds of people and product features that were once found only in Flagship News, Connections and Skyliner."

Cost-saving imperatives have also led Jetnet to construct a world-class online self-help resource. Diane Dunn, the manager of the help initiative, called eCare, says this allows "management of employee issues and questions faster and in a useful way for both inexperienced and experienced computer users."

"By 2003, Jetnet will be seen as the catalyst and the vehicle for changing the way we do business at AMR," says Jetnet project manager Sarah Wagner. "It will be integrated into the fabric of how employees get work done and how they access information that affects their lives — benefits, industry news, employee assistance, employee discounts, travel planning and tracking, and other programs for them and their families."

And yes, there is a new "look and feel" to the site. "Most employees indicated they were pleased with the original look of Jetnet," says Watson. "But we're not satisfied with 'good enough' — we always want to get better."

Wagner agrees, adding, "Our task is to [make sure] employees are delighted that they can quickly find information that is important to them and easily perform transactions, saving them time — and the company money." Watch this space in the coming weeks to see more Jetnet features highlighted. If you have questions, be sure to check the Site Map or this help article. And let the Jetnet team know what you think by using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any page.