Rob Britton

Principal - Airlearn

Rob Britton is the principal of AirLearn, a consultancy that helps suppliers, partners, insiders, and students understand the complexities of the airline industry, and provides general marketing advice for airline, aviation, and travel companies. In 2006, he retired as Managing Director, Brand Development and Advertising at American Airlines, where he was responsible for brand stewardship, worldwide media advertising, direct marketing, promotion, and customer research. He has spent 40 years in and near the travel and tourism industry, in a variety of roles.

Rob earned a Ph.D. in economic geography from the University of Minnesota, and completed postdoctoral work at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He held staff and field positions with Republic Airlines and Northwest Airlines. Rob joined American in 1987, and held positions in marketing, international affairs, corporate communications, and operations. He has published over 60 articles in major newspapers and magazines, in travel-trade publications, and in academic journals.

Originally a geography professor, he lectures annually at more than 25 business schools worldwide, including Kellogg, Wharton, Darden, UT-Austin, USC Marshall, Rotman (Toronto), Judge Business School at Cambridge University, INSEAD, and U. Católica (Santiago, Chile); he serves on advisory boards at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University in Montreal, and the Business School at Umeå University, Sweden. Rob is a board member and volunteer with the Dallas Ramp Project (the group builds wheelchair ramps for people who cannot afford them), and a board member of the American Airlines Federal Credit Union. He is married to Linda, a juvenile-court judge, and has two grown children and one grandchild.