IMGCAP(1)]
NEW YORK, Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:48 pm EDT (Reuters) — A U.S. judge has denied a request by American Airlines parent AMR Corp to abandon collective bargaining agreements with its pilots’ union. The unexpected decision was a setback for bankrupt AMR in its quest to save more than $1 billion a year in labor costs from redesigned retirement savings plans and retiree benefits.