The last of the route awards in the controversial, involved and drawn-out Domestic Phase of the “Transpacific Route Investigation” was activated After almost thirty years of foreign operations limited to Mexico, American Airlines applied for and won a route from New York and Honolulu to the South Pacific and “Down Under.” Although the airline received its authorization to start service on July 22, 1969, a delay of many months ensued before it commenced flying the route, due to the difficulty in reaching an agreement with its pilots covering over-water flights (new to the airline) and in obtaining approval from the Australian Government.

This cover was carried on the American Airlines inaugural flight from Pago Pago, American Samoa to New York (where it was backstamped) and is listed in the Foreign Air Mail Flights (FAM) Section of The American Air Mail Catalogue as F26-38.