He then received an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University (1986), where American Airlines offered him a job after a campus interview.

US Airways took the unprecedented step of securing tentative contracts with American's labor groups, while AMR was still pushing to exit bankruptcy.

[6] That deal closed on 9 December 2013, and Parker was named CEO of the combined company, which became the world's largest airline.

[2] December 7, 2021, American Airlines Group announced Parker would be retiring as the chief executive officer on March 31, 2022.

[12] Parker endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the run-up for the 2016 United States presidential election.