American Airlines now has pilot trading cards. They’ve been one of the few airlines without these. And the way they’ve been added is a bit of a stick in the eye.
Delta Air Lines, United, Alaska, Spirit, and Frontier all have them. Spirit and Frontier pay for these cards with aircraft on them that pilots can choose ot carry, and that passengers can ask for.
- Delta’s are the most viral. They distributed 3 million of them in 2024, and 5 million were printed for 2025. They have produced 68 unique cards in total.
- United says its pilots carry six aircraft cards. Alaska officially relaunched an eight-card set last year. Spirit’s six cards were new in February, launched in the airline’s second bankruptcy.
- Frontier’s are animal tail cards and can be handed out by flight attendants, not just pilots.
Here are American’s. They are not produced by the airline. The pilot union has stepped into the breach, so that their pilots aren’t left out, and don’t have to awkwardly apologize to customers who ask for them.
Looks like @AmericanAir is finally getting trading cards, according to the union representing its pilots. pic.twitter.com/F8H47ErDhn
— Ryan Ewing (@FlyingHighRyan) April 11, 2026
The new cards come in several varieties you can collect,
The union shared an image of four of the trading cards, which feature some of the airline’s most popular aircraft types, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737, and Airbus A321, flying above destinations like Paris and Sydney.
The collection also features the Boeing 777-300 in a special 100th anniversary retro livery, which is based on the ‘Flagship’ paint scheme that used to be emblazoned on the carrier’s Douglas DC-3 airplanes more than 90 years ago.
Several pilots are vocally unhappy about the new trading cards – not so much that they’re an option, as much as it’s their dues paying for the cards.
What a waste of union dues
— Scott Michael (@lilesdad) April 12, 2026
However,
- It’s not going to cost a lot of money
- It’s a service to pilots
- And it’s a way to embarass the airline
So it actually strikes me as money well-spent, to be honest. The union has made the case that management doesn’t have its act together, isn’t turning the airline around and producing the financial results that it needs to. The airline has a revenue problem and needs to appeal to customers. So the union is taking matters into its own hands in this small way, which is an embarasment for the airline which hasn’t managed to offer this industry-standard perk that even Spirit and Frontier can manage.
In a sense, the lack of pilot trading cards at American perfectly encapsulates what’s gone so wrong at the airline.
- It has seen itself primarily competing against Spirit and Frontier, focused on costs rather than revenue, right as customers were looking to spend more money for a better product.
- CEO Robert Isom’s first message to employees upon assuming the role was never to spend a dollar more than they needed to.
- And so they haven’t valued the small details that add up to the product.
Over the past year American has started working to change this. But there are thousands of things to tackle. I have to imagine this was low on the list for middle managers, but it’s also a small embarassment that pilots face daily. So the union stepped up, underscoring a way in which management has been missing.
As a passenger, though, I think it’s great, and not just for a collectible. It’s a wonderful way to encourage pilots to interact with customers, and vice-versa. And that connection humanizes the airline. United CEO Scott Kirby emphasizes in employee meetings how important it is for pilots to get out of the cockpit. Chats at the gate, announcements, and notes to customers mean a lot.
So here’s how to ask for a trading card. Your best bet is to ask the flight attendants when boarding the aircraft. They can check if you’re able to pop your head into the cockpit and ask a pilot for a card. Of course you can ask a pilot directly whenever you see them, but having a flight attendant inquire on your behalf lets you avoid interrupting them or making yourself unwelcome (they may be busy or in a hurry).
American Airlines has introduced pilot trading cards—a step into the 21st century for the airline. American Airlines management opted not to purchase the aircraft trading cards, so the pilot union took it upon themselves to provide them. Apparently, American Airlines management was saving up for that next round of executive bonuses and couldn’t spare a dime. There is growing enthusiasm for these cards, especially on social media, with hopes to see notable figures such as Cierra Mistt featured. I look forward to the possibility of Cierra Mistt transitioning from “former American Airlines flight attendant” to “union pilot extraordinaire,” perhaps being honored with her own trading card in the left seat of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Collect all the cards—maybe you’ll receive one from a union pilot during your next American Airlines flight delay as a goodwill gesture!
“The union has made the case that management *does* have its act together,…”
“So the *airline* is taking matters into its own hands…”
Ugh!