US Airways
Encyclopedia
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline
based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona
. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group
and is the sixth largest airline
by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country.
US Airways operates major hubs
in Charlotte
, Philadelphia
and Phoenix
and maintains focus city
operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
.
A member of the Star Alliance
, the airline has a fleet of 341 mainline
jet aircraft and 319 regional jet
and turbo-prop
aircraft connecting 200 destinations in North America, South America, Europe and the Middle East.
In 2003 US Airways began exploring the availability of financing and merger partners. The airline merged in 2005 with America West Airlines; all of the financing was arranged by US Airways. After the merger, the new airline retained the US Airways name. The name choice was based on studies indicating that the US Airways name had better brand recognition worldwide than the America West name.
The carrier operates the US Airways Shuttle, a US Airways brand which provides hourly service between Boston
, New York and Washington, D.C. Regional airline service is branded as US Airways Express
, operated by contract and subsidiary airline companies. As of December 2008, US Airways employed 33,765 people worldwide and operated 3,130 daily flights (1,312 US Airways Mainline, 1,818 US Airways Express as of December 2008).
brothers Richard C. du Pont
, Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr.
and CEO Steven Gardner. Headquartered in Pittsburgh
, the airline served the Ohio River
valley in 1939. In 1949 the company was renamed All American Airways as it switched from airmail
to passenger service; it became Allegheny Airlines
in 1953.
Allegheny's first jet was the Douglas DC-9 in 1966; it absorbed Lake Central Airlines
in 1968 and Mohawk Airlines
in 1972 to become one of the largest carriers in the northeastern United States and sixth largest airline in the world as measured by passenger boardings.
But with expansion came growing pains: by the 1970s Allegheny Airlines had the nickname "Agony Air" due to customer dissatisfaction with the carrier's service. Even after a later rebranding to "USAir", when service sometimes skidded downward, complainers sometimes dubbed the airline "Useless Air".
Allegheny's agreement with Henson Airlines, the forerunner to today's US Airways Express
carrier Piedmont Airlines
, to provide service under the Allegheny Commuter banner, is regarded as the industry's first code-share
agreement, a type of service now offered throughout the industry.
the previous year, which enabled the airline to expand its route network into the southeastern United States.
USAir was a launch customer for the Boeing 737-300
, as the airline needed an aircraft with greater capacity to serve its rapidly growing Florida markets. USAir was the world's largest operator of DC-9 aircraft at the time and approached McDonnell Douglas
to negotiate a new airplane design. However, in the late 1970s, the McDonnell Douglas' proposed successor to the DC-9-50 did not suit USAir's requirements. After the negotiations with McDonnell Douglas broke down, Boeing
came forward with a proposed variant of the 737. USAir selected the new 737 aircraft, and the company worked closely with Boeing during its development, taking delivery of the first plane on November 28, 1984.
(PSA) in 1986 and Winston-Salem, North Carolina
-based Piedmont Airlines in 1987. The PSA and Piedmont acquisitions were completed in 1988, and 1989, respectively.
The PSA acquisition gave USAir its first routes to the West Coast, while the Piedmont acquisition gave USAir a strong east-coast presence and new hubs in Baltimore and Charlotte
, which remained key hubs for USAir in later years. When the Piedmont acquisition was completed in 1989, it was the largest merger in airline history, and USAir became one of the world's largest airlines, operating more than 5,000 flights daily. Following the acquisitions, USAir closed down PSA's hubs in California
and Piedmont's hubs in Dayton
and Syracuse.
In 1990, the airline consolidated its headquarters at Washington National Airport into a new building at Crystal City in Arlington County, Virginia, adjacent to National Airport. Maintenance and operations remained based at its Pittsburgh International Airport hub.
from its four primary hubs. The company formed partnerships, marketing the Trump Shuttle
as the "USAir Shuttle" and accepted a large investment from British Airways
that started one of the first transatlantic airline alliance
s. During this period several 767 aircraft were painted in the British Airways livery, but operated by USAir. It also invested in a new terminal at its hub at Pittsburgh
.
In 1996, the alliance between USAir and British Airways ended in a court battle, once British Airways announced its intentions to partner with American Airlines.
On November 12, 1996, the airline announced that it would change its name to US Airways and introduce a new corporate identity in early 1997. The new logo, a stylized version of the Flag of the United States
, would be adopted. The new branding was to be applied to terminals and ticket jackets. The airline planned to paint aircraft in deep blue and medium gray with red and white accent lines.
That same year, the airline also introduced a single-class subsidiary service known as MetroJet
, which competed with low-cost carrier
s expanding into the East, in particular Southwest Airlines
.
On November 6, 1996, immediately prior to the re-branding to US Airways, the airline placed an order for up to 400 Airbus A320-series narrow body aircraft, with 120 firm orders at the time of the order signing. At the time, the order was regarded as the largest bulk aircraft request in history. In 1998, the airline followed with an order for up to 30 Airbus A330-series wide-body aircraft
, with an initial firm order for seven of the Airbus A330-300 airliners. These orders enabled US Airways to replace its older aircraft with newer, more efficient aircraft, and it helped with the re-branding and repositioning efforts of US Airways.
In 1997, US Airways bought the remains of Trump Shuttle
. US Airways also steadily expanded its flights to Europe through the end of the decade. Although the airline returned to profitability in the mid-1990s, its route network's concentration in the U.S. Northeast and high operating costs prompted calls for the company to merge with another airline.
On May 24, 2000 US Airways announced plans to be acquired for $4.3 billion by UAL Corp., the parent company of United Airlines
, the world's largest commercial carrier at the time. The complex deal drew immediate objections from labor unions, consumer advocates and antitrust
regulators. Negotiations stalled; with both airlines losing money, and the deal all but certain to be blocked by the federal government, UAL withdrew its purchase offer on July 27, 2001, paying US Airways a $50 million penalty for withdrawing from the deal.
As the largest carrier at Washington-Reagan
, US Airways was disproportionately affected by that airport's extended closure following the September 11
terrorist attacks. The resulting financial disaster precipitated the closure of the airline's MetroJet
network, which led to the de-hubbing of the subsidiary's primary operating base at Baltimore-Washington International Airport and the furloughing of thousands of employees. The airline entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy
on August 11, 2002, but received a government-guaranteed loan through the Air Transportation Stabilization Board
and was able to exit bankruptcy in 2003 after a relatively short period. The airline made major cost reductions during its bankruptcy, but it still encountered higher-than-average per-seat-mile costs. On October 19, 2005, the airline repaid the government-guaranteed loan by refinancing the debt with other lenders.
In early 2003, US Airways management liquidated the pensions of its 6,000 pilots by releasing their pensions into the federal pension program Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
. The company was one of the first major airlines to eliminate pilots' pensions in order to cut costs.
Following a trial run of selling in-flight food in 2003, US Airways discontinued free meal service on domestic flights later that year.
, citing its economies of scale
as the primary carrier and largest tenant at the airport. US Airways attempted to leverage its adverse cash position and "red ink" in the years following 9/11 to negotiate better financial terms with the airport. The Allegheny County Airport Authority
rejected US Airways' demands for reduced landing fees and lower lease payments, in part due to antitrust and FAA
regulations that required the airport operator to extend the same financial terms to all carriers if it accepted US Airways' demands. US Airways threatened to move traffic to rival hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte, and the airline made good on its threat in November 2004, reducing its flights at Pittsburgh International Airport from primary-hub to secondary-hub status. The airline, led by former ExpressJet Airlines
CEO David N. Siegel, continued to demote Pittsburgh International Airport in subsequent years until it became only a focus city
airport for the company. As of 2010, Pittsburgh is no longer listed as a US Airways focus city. US Airways now operates an average of only 39 departures a day exclusively to domestic destinations, compared to 2001 when it was a hub with 500+ flights a day with service across the United States and to Europe.
In August 2004, US Airways attempted to build a Latin American gateway at Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood
, announcing service to 10 cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The attempt was largely unsuccessful and short-lived, in part due to Fort Lauderdale's proximity to American Airlines’ hub at Miami International Airport
and its extensive Latin American network. US Airways also began a process of de-emphasizing its hub-and-spoke
system to capitalize on direct flights between major eastern
airports such as Washington-Reagan
and New York-LaGuardia
.
The airline became the 15th member of the Star Alliance
on May 4, 2004.
Fuel costs and deadlocked negotiations with organized labor, chiefly the Air Line Pilots Association, traditionally the first group to come to a concessionary agreement, forced US Airways into a second round of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection proceedings on September 12, 2004. Widespread employee discontent and a high volume of employee sick calls were blamed by the airline for a staff shortage around the 2004 Christmas holiday, a public relations
disaster which led to speculation that the airline could be liquidated; the USDOT
found that the problems were caused primarily by poor airline management.
from February through July 2004. Ultimately, these talks ended due to issues related to labor, pension, and benefit costs.
By December 2004, US Airways had cut labor costs significantly. Its investment adviser, the Seabury Group, suggested putting the airline up for sale. The following month, US Airways Group and America West Holdings resumed their discussions. On May 19, 2005, both airlines officially announced the merger deal, structured as a reverse takeover
. Financing for the deal was supplied by outside investors including Airbus
, an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS
, the European aerospace consortium. Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation
, operator of numerous US Airways Express flights, and ACE Aviation Holdings
, the parent company of Air Canada
, also bought shares in the combined airline. The merged airline retained the US Airways name to emphasize its national scope, as well as to capitalize on US Airways' worldwide recognition, Dividend Miles frequent flyer program
, and Star Alliance
membership. On September 13, 2005, America West shareholders voted to approve the merger agreement, and three days later the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia approved US Airways' emergence from bankruptcy, allowing the merger to close on September 27.
Since the merger, US Airways has been headquartered at the former America West corporate offices in Tempe, Arizona
, and America West executives and board members are largely in control of the merged company. The company's aircraft merged FAA operating certificate includes America West's airline call sign "CACTUS."
.
In January 2006, the airline began consolidating its operations under the US Airways brand, and all America West flights were branded as US Airways flights.
On February 9, 2006, US Airways announced that it would become the first American "legacy" carrier to add the Embraer 190 to its mainline
fleet.
In May 2006, the US Airways and America West web sites were merged. The new US Airways web site unites the two brands using graphics and styles reflective of the airline's new livery and services.
In July 2006, US Airways and America West ordered 20 new Airbus A350
aircraft.
The end of 2006 saw US Airways making a bid for competitor Delta Air Lines
, which opposed this bid, treating it as a hostile takeover by US Airways. The final bid was valued at $10 billion but was withdrawn on January 31, 2007, since US Airways failed to secure backing from Delta's creditors. The airline has stated that it will no longer pursue a possible takeover of Delta.
Shortly after the failed take over of Delta by US Airways, Doug Parker CEO of US Airways, was arrested for a DUI in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Aircraft were equipped with Verizon Airfone
in every row of seats. Since Verizon ended this service, the airline has deactivated the service and as of 2007, has removed the phones or has covered them in all aircraft.
Overnight on March 4, 2007, the US Airways and America West computer reservation systems merged. US Airways, which previously used the Sabre
airline computer system, switched to the new QIK
system, an overlay for the SHARES system, that had been used by America West. A few of the features from the Sabre
system were incorporated into the new joint system, with the most prominent being the continued utilization of the Sabre ramp partition "DECS" for all computer functions related to weight and balance, aircraft loading and technical flight tracking within the company.
America West Airlines and the US Airways merged FAA certificates on September 25, 2007. Former America West employees (including pilots, fleet service personnel, flight attendants) remain on their original America West union contracts and did not fully combine work forces with their pre-merger US Airways counterparts. Until October 2008, former America West aircraft flew with their respective crews and used the call sign "CACTUS", while the pre-merger US Airways crews primarily flew with their respective aircraft and used the call sign "US AIR". In October 2008, the company began operating under a single operating certificate (that of the former US Airways.) This required operation under a single call sign, and that of America West ("CACTUS") was chosen. In addition, flights operated using former America West aircraft and crews are numbered 1-699, whereas flights operated by pre-merger US Airways aircraft and crews are numbered 700-1999. (Flights numbered 2000-2199 are shuttle services, and those 2200 and higher are operated by express subsidiaries.) Aircraft operated by pre-merger US Airways crews or former America West crews flew under two different United States Department of Transportation
operating certificates until September 25, 2007. However, until pilot and flight attendant union groups from both sides successfully negotiate a single contract, each group of crewmembers will fly only on its pre-merger airlines' aircraft and the flights will be marked accordingly.
Now that the computer systems are merged, former America West-operated flights are marketed as though America West was a wholly owned carrier. This marketing is common practice for airlines that have code-share agreements with other airlines operating aircraft for feeder or regional routes, and although the practice is uncommon for major airlines, it greatly simplifies the process for passengers connecting between historically US Airways-operated flights and former America West-operated flights.
In summer 2007, US Airways began upgrading its in-flight services, from food and entertainment to the training of flight attendants. The airline was planning to test-market a new seat back entertainment system in early 2008, however the 2008 fuel crisis has ended those plans. As a further result of the skyrocketing fuel costs, the airline is now rolling back the planned summer 2007 service upgrades as well as ending its existing in-flight entertainment on all domestic routes.
survey of 23,000 readers in June 2007 ranked US Airways as the worst airline for customer satisfaction. The survey was conducted before the airline's March 2007 service disruptions. A follow-up survey polling a smaller sample size, conducted in April, found that US Airways remained in last place, with its score dropping an additional 10 points. Also in 2007, the Today/Zagat Airline Survey rated US Airways as the worst airline overall in the United States, ranking it 10/30 for comfort, 5/30 for food, 10/30 for service, and 15/30 for its online reservations system.
On August 1, 2008, US Airways ceased providing its passengers with complimentary beverages. Passengers were required to purchase bottled water or soda for $2 US, or $1 US for coffee and tea. However, the Shuttle flights between LGA
, DCA
, and BOS continued to offer free beverages. US Airways resumed serving complimentary drinks in March 2009.
US Airways ranked last out of 20 domestic airline carriers for systemwide on-time performance in March, April and May 2007, according to DOT figures. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics June 2008 report (using data from May 2008), US Airways ranked 7th for percentage of on-time arrivals.
US Airways is the leader in service complaints with 4.4 complaints per 100,000 customers. US Airways rate of customer complaints is 7.5 times the rate of JetBlue (0.59 complaints per 100,000 customers) and 11 times the rate of Southwest Airlines
(0.4 complaints per 100,000 customers). US Airways has a very poor record of addressing customer complaints, answering only 50% of the telephone calls to its customer service department.
US Airways East pilots took steps to relinquish their ALPA
membership and form their own in-house union. "East" pilots were dissatisfied with the results of binding arbitration when the arbitrator's ruling placed all active former America West pilots, including their most junior pilot, who had been hired only three months previous to the merger, ahead of furloughed US Airways pilots with up to seventeen years of service. The former US Airways pilots petitioned the National Mediation Board to conduct a vote to determine whether to replace their union. East pilots (3,200) outnumbered west pilots (1,800) and the proposed union's president stated that the union has a sufficient number of requests to call a vote according to National Mediation Board regulations. The new union would be called the US Airline Pilots Association
(USAPA). On April 17, 2008, USAPA was voted in as the sole bargaining agent for the pilots of US Airways, East and West.
As of September 2007, US Airways continued to downgrade Pittsburgh International Airport
's status from 500 flights a day (with 12,000 employees) in 2001 to just 68 flights a day (with only 1,800 employees). CEO Parker stated his frustration at the economics of Pittsburgh
, and referred to the possibility of service further decreasing. This represents a further deterioration of a strained relationship with Allegheny County, with which the airline shares significant historical ties. US Airways Group Inc. said October 3, 2007 it would cut mainline
flights at Pittsburgh International Airport to 22 a day from 31 and reduce regional flights to 46 a day from 77, beginning January 6, 2008, essentially reducing the airport to a destination spoke in its network. Pittsburgh is no longer a focus city for the airline as of its most recent annual report and January 2008 flight schedule reductions. US Airways did, however, select Pittsburgh for the site of its new flight operations center, beating out proposals from Charlotte and Phoenix. It opened ahead of schedule in November 2008 and is home to approximately 600 employees. It serves as the nerve center for all of US Airways' nearly 1,400 daily mainline flights.
On April 25, 2008, it was reported that US Airways was in talks to merge its operations with either American Airlines
or United Airlines
, partially as a response to the recent Delta Air Lines
and Northwest Airlines
merger. Then, on April 28, 2008, reports stated that US Airways would announce its intent to merge with United within two weeks. At the end of May 2008, the airline announced that merger talks were formally ended.
On May 20, 2008, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index by the University of Michigan, US Airways ranked last in customer satisfaction among the major airlines. However, it was making steady ground to bridge its gap with other airlines.
won a three way competition between Phoenix
and Charlotte
for the right to continue as US Airway's Global Flight Operations center. Opening in November 2008, US Airways invested more than $25 million into a state-of-the-art 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) facility. It replaced a smaller 11 year old (pre-merger) operations center closer to downtown Pittsburgh. The opening and long-term investment ensures that Pittsburgh continues to be the operational hub of the US Airways network.
, under the command of Captain Chesley Sullenberger
, flying from New York City's LaGuardia Airport
to Charlotte Douglas International Airport ditched
into the Hudson River
shortly after takeoff. It is believed that "multiple bird hits
" from a flock of Canada Geese caused both engines to lose power. All 150 passengers and 5 crew members (2 pilots and 3 flight attendants) survived with only minor injuries. New York's Governor Paterson
called it "the miracle on the Hudson." President George W. Bush said he was "inspired by the skill and heroism of the flight crew", and he also praised the emergency responders and volunteers.
US Airways received its first Airbus A330-200 in June 2009.
In mid-2009 it was reported that US Airways, along with American Airlines and United Airlines was placed under credit watch. Experts say several factors, including capital and revenue, played a role in the airline's addition to the list. On October 2, US Airways Reported that it had a buyer for 10 of its 25 Embraer 190 Aircraft. The remaining 15 aircraft are scheduled to be redeployed to Boston where they will operate Boston to Philadelphia and the Boston to New York LaGuardia leg of the US Airways Shuttle service. On December 8, US Airways started the flight to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão airport operated by a Boeing 767-200. This is the first route to South America.
, Boston
, and New York LaGuardia. The airline was given tentative government approval to trade many of its LaGuardia takeoff and landing slots to Delta Air Lines
in exchange for Delta's slots at Washington Reagan. This exchange would strengthen each airline's presence at both airports. The DOT gave approval pending the carriers selling a small percentage of their routes to other carriers. US Airways and Delta disagreed with the decision and said they planned to sue the US DOT. US Airways has since reopened their Focus City operations at La Guardia Airport through its regional US Airways Express
arm.
On April 7, 2010, the New York Times reported that US Airways was "deep in merger discussions" with United Airlines. The report stated that a deal would not be reached for several weeks, but indicated that a deal was close. Several weeks later, however, on April 22, 2010, the airline ended discussions with United regarding the merger. Shortly thereafter, United announced that it was merging with Continental Airlines
instead.
On August 19, 2010, US Airways announced "FastPath", a new complimentary service for travelers flying between Philadelphia and Boston
in all classes of service. Perks include dedicated check-in lines, priority security lane (shared with First Class, Envoy, Dividend Miles Preferred and Star Alliance Gold members), departure gates located closest to security, and the first and closest baggage carousel. Travelers will follow green "FastPath" signs at the airport.
US Airways (NYSE:LCC) ranked first in baggage handling for 2010 among the major network carriers according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) December 2010 Air Travel Consumer Report. The airline's 2.6 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers ratio for 2010 was US Airways' best baggage handling performance in company history. However, J.D. Power ranked US Airways last in all categories for which it judged airlines, never giving it more than two out of five points with the exception of “Boarding Experience”
, American Airlines
or Delta Airlines.
Kirby also commented that US Airways' membership in the Star Alliance
would make a merger with United Continental Holdings
easier, but added that "it's not meaningful enough to really be a factor."
Among the 10 largest domestic airlines, consumers scored US Airways last for overall customer satisfaction in a May 2011 Consumer Reports
survey.
May 2011 Business Insider
reported that ACSI
ranked US Airways sixth in a list of “The 19 Most Hated Companies in America.”
July 2011 the pilots' union, USAPA, purchased a full page advertisement in the USA Today newspaper, questioning US Airways management's commitment to safety. US Airways transmitted a communication to all of its employees, on the same day as the ad, denying the accusations.
October 29, 2011, a US Airways flight attendant was found murdered in the crew layover hotel in Mexico City. Mexican authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the murder.
US Airways has its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona
. The 225000 square foot building was originally occupied by America West Airlines
. Jahna Berry of the Arizona Business Gazette said in 2005 that the building "is one of the dominant buildings in downtown Tempe." The City of Tempe gave America West $11 million in incentives and tax breaks so it would occupy what is now the US Airways headquarters, which cost $37 million to construct. Construction of the building began in January 1998, although the official groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 19 of that year. As of 2006 over 700 employees work at the nine story building.
Previously US Airways had its headquarters in Crystal Park Four, a Class A mixed-use development in Crystal City, Virginia
. Park Four is between Reagan National Airport, The Pentagon
, and Washington, D.C. After the merger with America West Airlines, the company decided to close its Virginia headquarters and moved the employees into the former America West building in three to six months after the merger closed. Russell Grantham at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that the decision to move the headquarters to Tempe was not that difficult because the Crystal City facility "consisted of like two or three floors of people."
, Charlotte
, Las Vegas
, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix
, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. and Winston-Salem.
US Airways has operated various liveries under both the US Airways and USAir names. In general, the Express and Shuttle divisions have had liveries that closely paralleled the company-wide livery at the time.
USAir (late 80s)– "USAir is Your Choice"
PSA and USAir (late 80s)– "Now our smile is even wider."
USAir (early 90s)– "USAir Begins With You"
USAir (mid 90s)– "Fly the Flag With USAir"
US Airways (early 2000s)– "Where I Fly the Flag"
US Airways (post 9/11)– "Get On Board"
US Airways (first bankruptcy) "Together We Fly"
US Airways (post first bankruptcy)– "Clear Skies Ahead"
US Airways (post America West merger)– "Fly with US"
US Airways operates 3,130 flights a day to 200 destinations in 30 countries from its hubs in Phoenix, Charlotte and Philadelphia.
US Airways' routes are concentrated along the East Coast of the United States
, Southwestern United States
and the Caribbean, with a number of routes serving Europe and primary destinations along the U.S. West Coast
. The airline's western U.S. presence has increased following the merger with America West. Codesharing with United Airlines
has helped US Airways by enabling the airline to offer its customers service throughout the Midwest
, Great Plains
and Rocky Mountains
states. Services to South America, Asia and Australia also are offered via the United Airlines codeshare. Likewise, United passengers benefit from increased access via US Airways to the U.S. East Coast, Europe and the Caribbean. US Airways Express carriers operate a large number of domestic routes, primarily into US Airways' hubs and focus cities, but with some exceptions, particularly small markets where the regional express carriers operate service under the EAS
program, as well as some point-to-point commuter routes in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions and south through the Carolinas. In February 2007, the airline announced that its official operations center would be located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On November 11, 2007, US Airways announced nonstop service between Philadelphia and London Heathrow Airport
, its first service to the airport. The airline will retain its existing nonstop service between Charlotte and Gatwick Airport.
Also in 2007, the airline applied for flights to Bogotá
, Colombia
, however its application was denied by the U.S. Department of Transportation after the agency awarded Delta Air Lines
, JetBlue Airways
, and Spirit Airlines
the routes from Delta's New York-JFK hub, JetBlue from Orlando, and Spirit from Fort Lauderdale.
As of 2008, US Airways and other airlines have struggled with the price of fuel. Despite that, US Airways CEO Doug Parker said "It is our international gateway. We'd like to expand that". The airline has added three international flights during the summer of 2009, including to Tel Aviv
from Philadelphia. US Airways has also started year-round service between Charlotte and Rio de Janeiro. On June 1, 2010, US Airways inaugurated its new service to Anchorage, AK from Philadelphia.
In 2009, US Airways and Delta have reached an agreement to exchange landing/takeoff slots at both LaGuardia Airport
and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
. Also, US Airways plans to purchase flying rights to Tokyo and São Paulo
from Delta. The airline plans to begin service to Tokyo from its Phoenix hub with Airbus A330
aircraft, however it plans not to begin service until 2012 or later.
US Airways has announced they will use United Airlines
dormant Brazil slots to begin nonstop service to São Paulo from Charlotte
. The route has been approved by the United States government and US Airways is waiting for approval from the Brazilian government to begin the route. Service was expected to start January 2011.
Note: This list includes Star Alliance
(*) partners.
Former agreements
s, divided between mostly newer Airbus aircraft and generally older Boeing
aircraft. As of March 2007, the post-merger airline operated the largest fleet of Airbus aircraft in the world. Like the old America West fleet, most new Airbus A320 family will use IAE Engines. http://iaenews.com/?p=89 US Airways has a fleet average age of 13.3 years as of October 2011. US Airways discontinued all in-flight entertainment except on long haul flights. However, Wi-Fi will be offered on a trial basis on a select fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft.
The US Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of July 31, 2010):
Envoy Sleeper Seats are marketed as Envoy Class, US Airways' International Business Class
, although they were International First Class Only before US Airways discontinued three-cabin service in 2003. When fully reclined, the sleeper seats are horizontal, forming a flat bed. There are six of the seats per aircraft, on the Airbus A330-300
only. Each has a personal on-demand video screen attached to the arm rest that offers movies, games and syndicated television shows in multiple languages. There is also an EmPower
power outlet at each of the seats. Other Sleeper Seat amenities, including food and beverage services, are identical to those in the rest of Envoy Class. The seats in this class have the largest seat pitch (94") available on any commercial flight in the world.
These Envoy Sleeper Seats will not be available on US' new Airbus A330-200 deliveries.
. The older seats fitted to the Airbus A330-300 do not offer the significant recline of the Sleeper Seats, however on Airbus A330-300
aircraft these seats are currently being replaced by the Envoy Suite found on the A330-200, every seat has a personal on-demand video screen attached to the arm rest that offers movies, games and syndicated television shows in multiple languages, and there is an EmPower power outlet at each seat. The new Airbus A330-200
is fitted with new Envoy Class seats, which lie completely flat. These are the Cirrus model designed by Sicma Aeroseat and feature a fully flat semi-private "pod". The cabin seating is in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, where every window seat is also an aisle seat.
All seven A330-200's in the fleet are fitted with the new seating (N279AY, N280AY, N282AY, N284AY, N285AY, N281AY, N283AY). The first two A330-200s delivered (N281AY, N283AY) were fitted with older Envoy Class seats, because there were delays in receiving the new seats in time for some of the deliveries. These aircraft were retrofitted in late 2010.
The Boeing 767-200ER
features 18 Envoy "lie flat" seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. The seats are not fully horizontal parallel to the floor of the aircraft, but instead recline to a flat position at an angle to the floor. There is a 110 V AC power outlet at each seat, and personal entertainment devices featuring a selection of on demand audio and video programming are distributed to each passenger.
The subfleet of transatlantic, ETOPS configured Boeing 757-200
s features 12 Envoy seats in a 2-2 configuration. These are the same seats used in the Airbus A330-300 Envoy cabin, with a recline of approximately 160 degrees and 55" of pitch. There is a 110 V AC power outlet at each seat, and personal entertainment devices featuring a selection of on demand audio and video programming are distributed to each passenger.
The airline offers free food and beverage service for all Envoy Class seats.
ted 757 aircraft), every seat has a personal video screen located in the forward seat back that includes movies, games and syndicated television shows in multiple languages. On board the new Airbus A330-200, a Panasonic
entertainment system is available. On the older Airbus A330-300 aircraft, there is a system made by Rockwell Collins
. The cushions on this aircraft used to be cloth, but are now covered in leather. The seats feature winged headrests and mechanical lumbar support. The Airbus A330-300 will be fitted with the new entertainment system, and new seats, in late 2010. On all other Airbus and some Boeing aircraft, there were overhead monitors mounted every three rows or so. All overhead monitors were removed by November 1, 2008 with the exception of the Hawaii and transatlantic Boeing 757s. This makes USAirways the only legacy carrier to offer absolutely no form of entertainment for domestic travel, with the exception of Hawai'i. And on transatlantic and transpacific flights, you can expect to pay $5 for the headphones, as single pronged headphones will not work on their planes. The Boeing 767 still retains the wall mounted LCD monitors in the front of each cabin and the overhead video unit at row 22. They will be replaced with PTV.
An EmPower
power outlet is available on some Airbus aircraft, but is not available on planes formerly operated by America West. All power ports will be disabled on all domestic narrowbody aircraft as of November 1, 2008. Meals are available for purchase on flights over 3.5 hours and snack boxes are available on flights over 2.5 hours as part of a buy on board
program. Soft drinks, water and coffee are free on all flights, as is a copy of US Airways Magazine. On transatlantic flights, meals and drinks (excluding alcohol) are free.
Dividend Miles is US Airways Group
's frequent-flyer program. Members of the program earn mileage bonuses, priority check-in, and other benefits. In addition to US Airways partner airlines in the Star Alliance
, the Dividend Miles program other partner airlines or programs include:
Dividend Miles has 5 status membership levels, general member, silver preferred, gold preferred, platinum preferred, and Chairman's preferred.
Silver membership is obtained when a member flies 25,000 preferred qualified miles or 30 segments during the calendar year. Benefits include the following: Instant upgrades on Y/B North American fares. Complementary upgrades 2 days prior to departure on all other North American flights. Ability to reserve choice coach seats. Free 1st and 2nd check bags. 25% mileage bonus. 500 miles (804.7 km) minimum mileage earned. Star Alliance Silver status. Private reservation number. Priority check-in, baggage, security screening, and boarding. Free Stand-by. Members who reach 35,000 miles or 45 segments are given a day pas to the US Club, the ability to nominate a friend to trial preferred, and special offers from partners.
Gold membership is obtained when a member flies 50,000 preferred qualified miles or 60 segments during the calendar year.
Benefits include the following: Instant upgrades on Y/B North American fares. Complementary upgrades 3 days prior to departure on all other North American tickets. Ability to reserve choice coach seats. Three free checked bags. 50% mileage bonus. 500 miles (804.7 km) minimum mileage earned. Star Alliance Gold status. Private reservation number. Priority check-in, security screening, and boarding. Free Stand-by on flights. Members who reach 60,000 miles or 75 segments get to add a spouse to their US Club membership at no cost and receive more special offers from partners.
Platinum membership is obtained when a member flies 75,000 preferred qualified miles or 90 segments during the calendar year. All of the benefits of Gold Preferred are included as well as a 75% mileage bonus, complementary upgrades 4 days prior to departure on all flights within North America, and guaranteed seating on all flights. Members who reach 85,000 miles or 105 segments get the right to nominate a friend to Silver Preferred status and first class travel on award tickets.
Chairman's membership is obtained when a member flies 100,000 preferred qualified miles or 120 segments during the calendar year. All of the benefits of Platinum Preferred are included as well as a 100% milage bonus, complementary upgrades 7 days prior to departure on all flights within North America, and four systemwide upgrades. Members who reach 125,000 miles or 150 segments receive a free US Club membership and the right to nominate a friend to Gold Preferred. For every additional 25,000 miles or 30 segments that members reach, they can nominate another friend to Gold Preferred.
America West Airlines had a frequent flyer program called FlightFund. Following the US Airways-America West merger, FlightFund was merged into the US Airways Dividend Miles program.
is called the US Airways Club and has 19 lounges in 14 airports across the US. Philadelphia used to have an envoy lounge, which was reserved exclusively for international business or first class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members traveling on long-haul international flights. On October 31st, the airline converted it to a standard club.
Locations
Major carrier
Major carrier or major airline carrier is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U.S.-based airlines that post more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year.As of 2010, there were 19 major carriers....
based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group
US Airways Group
US Airways Group Inc. is an airline holding company based in Tempe, Arizona. US Airways Group operate US Airways, along with its subsidiaries PSA Airlines, Inc. and Piedmont Airlines, Inc., which are wholly owned but marketed under the branding of US Airways Express...
and is the sixth largest airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country.
US Airways operates major hubs
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
in Charlotte
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
, Philadelphia
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
and Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
and maintains focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
.
A member of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
, the airline has a fleet of 341 mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...
jet aircraft and 319 regional jet
Regional jet
A Regional jet , is a class of short to medium-range turbofan powered airliners.-History:The term "Regional jet" describes a range of short to medium-haul turbofan powered aircraft, whose use throughout the world expanded after the advent of Airline Deregulation in the United States in...
and turbo-prop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft connecting 200 destinations in North America, South America, Europe and the Middle East.
In 2003 US Airways began exploring the availability of financing and merger partners. The airline merged in 2005 with America West Airlines; all of the financing was arranged by US Airways. After the merger, the new airline retained the US Airways name. The name choice was based on studies indicating that the US Airways name had better brand recognition worldwide than the America West name.
The carrier operates the US Airways Shuttle, a US Airways brand which provides hourly service between Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, New York and Washington, D.C. Regional airline service is branded as US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
, operated by contract and subsidiary airline companies. As of December 2008, US Airways employed 33,765 people worldwide and operated 3,130 daily flights (1,312 US Airways Mainline, 1,818 US Airways Express as of December 2008).
Heritage
US Airways traces its history to All American Aviation Inc, a company founded by du Pont familyDu Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
brothers Richard C. du Pont
Richard C. du Pont
Richard Chichester du Pont was an American businessman and an aviation and glider pioneer who was a member of the prominent Du Pont family....
, Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr.
Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr.
Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr. was an American aviation pioneer, soldier, philanthropist, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family.-Biography:...
and CEO Steven Gardner. Headquartered in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, the airline served the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
valley in 1939. In 1949 the company was renamed All American Airways as it switched from airmail
Airmail
Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...
to passenger service; it became Allegheny Airlines
Allegheny Airlines
Allegheny Airlines was an airline operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia....
in 1953.
Allegheny's first jet was the Douglas DC-9 in 1966; it absorbed Lake Central Airlines
Lake Central Airlines
Lake Central Airlines was an airline that served points in the midwestern United States from 1950 to 1968, when it was merged into Allegheny Airlines. Founded as Roscoe Turner Airlines, the company was based at Weir-Cook Airport in Indianapolis, IN. It serviced communities principally in...
in 1968 and Mohawk Airlines
Mohawk Airlines
Mohawk Airlines was an airline that operated in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, primarily the states of New York and Pennsylvania from the mid-1940s until its acquisition by Allegheny Airlines in 1972...
in 1972 to become one of the largest carriers in the northeastern United States and sixth largest airline in the world as measured by passenger boardings.
But with expansion came growing pains: by the 1970s Allegheny Airlines had the nickname "Agony Air" due to customer dissatisfaction with the carrier's service. Even after a later rebranding to "USAir", when service sometimes skidded downward, complainers sometimes dubbed the airline "Useless Air".
Allegheny's agreement with Henson Airlines, the forerunner to today's US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
carrier Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft...
, to provide service under the Allegheny Commuter banner, is regarded as the industry's first code-share
Code sharing
A codeshare agreement, sometimes simply codeshare, is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code...
agreement, a type of service now offered throughout the industry.
1970s: Deregulation and rebranding
Allegheny changed its name to USAir in 1979 following the passage of the Airline Deregulation ActAirline Deregulation Act
The Airline Deregulation Act is a United States federal law signed into law on October 24, 1978. The main purpose of the act was to remove government control over fares, routes and market entry from commercial aviation...
the previous year, which enabled the airline to expand its route network into the southeastern United States.
USAir was a launch customer for the Boeing 737-300
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
, as the airline needed an aircraft with greater capacity to serve its rapidly growing Florida markets. USAir was the world's largest operator of DC-9 aircraft at the time and approached McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
to negotiate a new airplane design. However, in the late 1970s, the McDonnell Douglas' proposed successor to the DC-9-50 did not suit USAir's requirements. After the negotiations with McDonnell Douglas broke down, Boeing
Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing Commercial Airplanes designs, assembles, markets and sells large commercial jet aircraft and provides product-related maintenance and training to customers worldwide...
came forward with a proposed variant of the 737. USAir selected the new 737 aircraft, and the company worked closely with Boeing during its development, taking delivery of the first plane on November 28, 1984.
1980s: Mergers and expansion
USAir expanded dramatically in the late 80s purchasing San Diego-based Pacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
(PSA) in 1986 and Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
-based Piedmont Airlines in 1987. The PSA and Piedmont acquisitions were completed in 1988, and 1989, respectively.
The PSA acquisition gave USAir its first routes to the West Coast, while the Piedmont acquisition gave USAir a strong east-coast presence and new hubs in Baltimore and Charlotte
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
, which remained key hubs for USAir in later years. When the Piedmont acquisition was completed in 1989, it was the largest merger in airline history, and USAir became one of the world's largest airlines, operating more than 5,000 flights daily. Following the acquisitions, USAir closed down PSA's hubs in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Piedmont's hubs in Dayton
Dayton International Airport
James M. Cox Dayton International Airport , also referred to as simply Dayton International Airport, is a public airport located nine miles north of the central business district of Dayton, a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The airport is situated in Vandalia and it is owned and...
and Syracuse.
In 1990, the airline consolidated its headquarters at Washington National Airport into a new building at Crystal City in Arlington County, Virginia, adjacent to National Airport. Maintenance and operations remained based at its Pittsburgh International Airport hub.
1990s: Rebranding, fleet modernization, and failed sell-off
In the early 1990s, USAir expanded its service to Europe with flights to London, Paris and FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
from its four primary hubs. The company formed partnerships, marketing the Trump Shuttle
Trump Shuttle
Trump Shuttle, Inc., doing business as Trump Airlines, was an airline owned by Donald Trump from 1989 to 1992. The landing rights and some of the physical assets necessary to operate the shuttle flights were originally part of Eastern Air Lines and known as the Eastern Air Shuttle...
as the "USAir Shuttle" and accepted a large investment from British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
that started one of the first transatlantic airline alliance
Airline alliance
An airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate on a substantial level. The three largest passenger alliances are the Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld. Alliances also form between cargo airlines, such as that of WOW Alliance, SkyTeam Cargo and ANA/UPS Alliance...
s. During this period several 767 aircraft were painted in the British Airways livery, but operated by USAir. It also invested in a new terminal at its hub at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
.
In 1996, the alliance between USAir and British Airways ended in a court battle, once British Airways announced its intentions to partner with American Airlines.
On November 12, 1996, the airline announced that it would change its name to US Airways and introduce a new corporate identity in early 1997. The new logo, a stylized version of the Flag of the United States
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
, would be adopted. The new branding was to be applied to terminals and ticket jackets. The airline planned to paint aircraft in deep blue and medium gray with red and white accent lines.
That same year, the airline also introduced a single-class subsidiary service known as MetroJet
MetroJet
MetroJet was a no-frills "airline within an airline" brand operated as a division of US Airways from 1998 to 2001.-History:After the conclusion of painstaking labor negotiations in 1997, US Airways sought to head off burgeoning competition from low-cost carriers in its strongest region, the U.S....
, which competed with low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s expanding into the East, in particular Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
.
On November 6, 1996, immediately prior to the re-branding to US Airways, the airline placed an order for up to 400 Airbus A320-series narrow body aircraft, with 120 firm orders at the time of the order signing. At the time, the order was regarded as the largest bulk aircraft request in history. In 1998, the airline followed with an order for up to 30 Airbus A330-series wide-body aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
, with an initial firm order for seven of the Airbus A330-300 airliners. These orders enabled US Airways to replace its older aircraft with newer, more efficient aircraft, and it helped with the re-branding and repositioning efforts of US Airways.
In 1997, US Airways bought the remains of Trump Shuttle
Trump Shuttle
Trump Shuttle, Inc., doing business as Trump Airlines, was an airline owned by Donald Trump from 1989 to 1992. The landing rights and some of the physical assets necessary to operate the shuttle flights were originally part of Eastern Air Lines and known as the Eastern Air Shuttle...
. US Airways also steadily expanded its flights to Europe through the end of the decade. Although the airline returned to profitability in the mid-1990s, its route network's concentration in the U.S. Northeast and high operating costs prompted calls for the company to merge with another airline.
2000–2004: September 11 and financial woes
Beginning in 2000, US Airways started retiring aircraft in an attempt to simplify its fleet and reduce costs, replacing many of its older planes with the new Airbus A320-family aircraft.On May 24, 2000 US Airways announced plans to be acquired for $4.3 billion by UAL Corp., the parent company of United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, the world's largest commercial carrier at the time. The complex deal drew immediate objections from labor unions, consumer advocates and antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
regulators. Negotiations stalled; with both airlines losing money, and the deal all but certain to be blocked by the federal government, UAL withdrew its purchase offer on July 27, 2001, paying US Airways a $50 million penalty for withdrawing from the deal.
As the largest carrier at Washington-Reagan
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
, US Airways was disproportionately affected by that airport's extended closure following the September 11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
terrorist attacks. The resulting financial disaster precipitated the closure of the airline's MetroJet
MetroJet
MetroJet was a no-frills "airline within an airline" brand operated as a division of US Airways from 1998 to 2001.-History:After the conclusion of painstaking labor negotiations in 1997, US Airways sought to head off burgeoning competition from low-cost carriers in its strongest region, the U.S....
network, which led to the de-hubbing of the subsidiary's primary operating base at Baltimore-Washington International Airport and the furloughing of thousands of employees. The airline entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
on August 11, 2002, but received a government-guaranteed loan through the Air Transportation Stabilization Board
Air Transportation Stabilization Board
The Air Transportation Stabilization Board is an office of United States Department of the Treasury created to assist US airlines in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks....
and was able to exit bankruptcy in 2003 after a relatively short period. The airline made major cost reductions during its bankruptcy, but it still encountered higher-than-average per-seat-mile costs. On October 19, 2005, the airline repaid the government-guaranteed loan by refinancing the debt with other lenders.
In early 2003, US Airways management liquidated the pensions of its 6,000 pilots by releasing their pensions into the federal pension program Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is an independent agency of the United States government that was created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to encourage the continuation and maintenance of voluntary private defined benefit pension plans, provide timely and...
. The company was one of the first major airlines to eliminate pilots' pensions in order to cut costs.
Following a trial run of selling in-flight food in 2003, US Airways discontinued free meal service on domestic flights later that year.
2003–2004: Pittsburgh hub conflict
In late 2003-early 2004, US Airways lobbied for lower operating fees at Pittsburgh International AirportPittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
, citing its economies of scale
Economies of scale
Economies of scale, in microeconomics, refers to the cost advantages that an enterprise obtains due to expansion. There are factors that cause a producer’s average cost per unit to fall as the scale of output is increased. "Economies of scale" is a long run concept and refers to reductions in unit...
as the primary carrier and largest tenant at the airport. US Airways attempted to leverage its adverse cash position and "red ink" in the years following 9/11 to negotiate better financial terms with the airport. The Allegheny County Airport Authority
Allegheny County Airport Authority
Allegheny County Airport Authority is a Municipal Authority in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that oversees and maintains the Allegheny County airport system. These include management of Pittsburgh International Airport as well as Allegheny County Airport...
rejected US Airways' demands for reduced landing fees and lower lease payments, in part due to antitrust and FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
regulations that required the airport operator to extend the same financial terms to all carriers if it accepted US Airways' demands. US Airways threatened to move traffic to rival hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte, and the airline made good on its threat in November 2004, reducing its flights at Pittsburgh International Airport from primary-hub to secondary-hub status. The airline, led by former ExpressJet Airlines
ExpressJet Airlines
ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Southeast Airlines which is in turn a subsidiary of the airline holding company SkyWest, Inc., parent company of the air carrier SkyWest...
CEO David N. Siegel, continued to demote Pittsburgh International Airport in subsequent years until it became only a focus city
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
airport for the company. As of 2010, Pittsburgh is no longer listed as a US Airways focus city. US Airways now operates an average of only 39 departures a day exclusively to domestic destinations, compared to 2001 when it was a hub with 500+ flights a day with service across the United States and to Europe.
2004–2005
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport is an international commercial airport located in unincorporated Broward County, Florida, three miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Lauderdale...
, announcing service to 10 cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The attempt was largely unsuccessful and short-lived, in part due to Fort Lauderdale's proximity to American Airlines’ hub at Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
and its extensive Latin American network. US Airways also began a process of de-emphasizing its hub-and-spoke
Spoke-hub distribution paradigm
The hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm is a system of connections arranged like a chariot wheel, in which all traffic moves along spokes connected to the hub at the center...
system to capitalize on direct flights between major eastern
Eastern seaboard
An Eastern seaboard can mean any easternmost part of a continent, or its countries, states and/or cities.Eastern seaboard may also refer to:* East Coast of Australia* East Coast of the United States* Eastern Seaboard of Thailand-See also:...
airports such as Washington-Reagan
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
and New York-LaGuardia
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
.
The airline became the 15th member of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
on May 4, 2004.
Fuel costs and deadlocked negotiations with organized labor, chiefly the Air Line Pilots Association, traditionally the first group to come to a concessionary agreement, forced US Airways into a second round of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection proceedings on September 12, 2004. Widespread employee discontent and a high volume of employee sick calls were blamed by the airline for a staff shortage around the 2004 Christmas holiday, a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
disaster which led to speculation that the airline could be liquidated; the USDOT
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
found that the problems were caused primarily by poor airline management.
US Airways/America West merger
Even before the second bankruptcy filing of 2004, one of the alternatives US Airways Group explored was a possible merger with America West, as the two airlines had complementary networks and similar labor costs. The parties held preliminary discussions and conducted due diligenceDue diligence
"Due diligence" is a term used for a number of concepts involving either an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations...
from February through July 2004. Ultimately, these talks ended due to issues related to labor, pension, and benefit costs.
By December 2004, US Airways had cut labor costs significantly. Its investment adviser, the Seabury Group, suggested putting the airline up for sale. The following month, US Airways Group and America West Holdings resumed their discussions. On May 19, 2005, both airlines officially announced the merger deal, structured as a reverse takeover
Reverse takeover
A reverse takeover or reverse merger is the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public...
. Financing for the deal was supplied by outside investors including Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
, an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
, the European aerospace consortium. Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation
Air Wisconsin
Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation is an airline based at Outagamie County Regional Airport in the town of Greenville, Wisconsin, United States, near Appleton. Air Wisconsin is the largest privately held regional airline in the United States...
, operator of numerous US Airways Express flights, and ACE Aviation Holdings
ACE Aviation Holdings
ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. is a Canadian holding company that provides commercial airline service and technical support and is the parent company of Air Canada. It is headquartered in Montreal.-History:...
, the parent company of Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
, also bought shares in the combined airline. The merged airline retained the US Airways name to emphasize its national scope, as well as to capitalize on US Airways' worldwide recognition, Dividend Miles frequent flyer program
Frequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
, and Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
membership. On September 13, 2005, America West shareholders voted to approve the merger agreement, and three days later the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia approved US Airways' emergence from bankruptcy, allowing the merger to close on September 27.
Since the merger, US Airways has been headquartered at the former America West corporate offices in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, and America West executives and board members are largely in control of the merged company. The company's aircraft merged FAA operating certificate includes America West's airline call sign "CACTUS."
Post-2005 merger
During 2006, the airline began consolidating its operations under the US Airways brand. Operations were not fully integrated until October 2008, when government approval was obtained to allow the airlines to operate under a single operating certificateOperating certificate
Operating certificate is a category of license issued by a government agency allowing an individual or company to provide a controlled type of service. These certificates are generally issued for a limited time period...
.
In January 2006, the airline began consolidating its operations under the US Airways brand, and all America West flights were branded as US Airways flights.
On February 9, 2006, US Airways announced that it would become the first American "legacy" carrier to add the Embraer 190 to its mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...
fleet.
In May 2006, the US Airways and America West web sites were merged. The new US Airways web site unites the two brands using graphics and styles reflective of the airline's new livery and services.
In July 2006, US Airways and America West ordered 20 new Airbus A350
Airbus A350
The Airbus A350 is a family of long-range, wide-body jet airliners under development by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.A consortium originally comprising European aerospace companies from the UK, France, Spain and West Germany, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known...
aircraft.
The end of 2006 saw US Airways making a bid for competitor Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, which opposed this bid, treating it as a hostile takeover by US Airways. The final bid was valued at $10 billion but was withdrawn on January 31, 2007, since US Airways failed to secure backing from Delta's creditors. The airline has stated that it will no longer pursue a possible takeover of Delta.
Shortly after the failed take over of Delta by US Airways, Doug Parker CEO of US Airways, was arrested for a DUI in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Aircraft were equipped with Verizon Airfone
Airfone
Airfone is a brand of air-ground radiotelephone service offered by Verizon. Airfone allows passengers to make telephone calls in-flight. It was originated by John D. Goeken in the 1970s. Western Union purchased a fifty percent share in Airfone in 1981 and sold to GTE in 1986 for $39 million cash...
in every row of seats. Since Verizon ended this service, the airline has deactivated the service and as of 2007, has removed the phones or has covered them in all aircraft.
Overnight on March 4, 2007, the US Airways and America West computer reservation systems merged. US Airways, which previously used the Sabre
Sabre (computer system)
Sabre Global Distribution System , owned by Sabre Holdings, is used by more than 55,000 travel agencies around the world with more than 400 airlines, 88,000 hotels, 24 car rental brands, and 13 cruise lines...
airline computer system, switched to the new QIK
QIK
Qik - is an intelligent airline agent application first developed in the late 1980s as a front end to mainframe computer reservations systems....
system, an overlay for the SHARES system, that had been used by America West. A few of the features from the Sabre
Sabre (computer system)
Sabre Global Distribution System , owned by Sabre Holdings, is used by more than 55,000 travel agencies around the world with more than 400 airlines, 88,000 hotels, 24 car rental brands, and 13 cruise lines...
system were incorporated into the new joint system, with the most prominent being the continued utilization of the Sabre ramp partition "DECS" for all computer functions related to weight and balance, aircraft loading and technical flight tracking within the company.
America West Airlines and the US Airways merged FAA certificates on September 25, 2007. Former America West employees (including pilots, fleet service personnel, flight attendants) remain on their original America West union contracts and did not fully combine work forces with their pre-merger US Airways counterparts. Until October 2008, former America West aircraft flew with their respective crews and used the call sign "CACTUS", while the pre-merger US Airways crews primarily flew with their respective aircraft and used the call sign "US AIR". In October 2008, the company began operating under a single operating certificate (that of the former US Airways.) This required operation under a single call sign, and that of America West ("CACTUS") was chosen. In addition, flights operated using former America West aircraft and crews are numbered 1-699, whereas flights operated by pre-merger US Airways aircraft and crews are numbered 700-1999. (Flights numbered 2000-2199 are shuttle services, and those 2200 and higher are operated by express subsidiaries.) Aircraft operated by pre-merger US Airways crews or former America West crews flew under two different United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
operating certificates until September 25, 2007. However, until pilot and flight attendant union groups from both sides successfully negotiate a single contract, each group of crewmembers will fly only on its pre-merger airlines' aircraft and the flights will be marked accordingly.
Now that the computer systems are merged, former America West-operated flights are marketed as though America West was a wholly owned carrier. This marketing is common practice for airlines that have code-share agreements with other airlines operating aircraft for feeder or regional routes, and although the practice is uncommon for major airlines, it greatly simplifies the process for passengers connecting between historically US Airways-operated flights and former America West-operated flights.
In summer 2007, US Airways began upgrading its in-flight services, from food and entertainment to the training of flight attendants. The airline was planning to test-market a new seat back entertainment system in early 2008, however the 2008 fuel crisis has ended those plans. As a further result of the skyrocketing fuel costs, the airline is now rolling back the planned summer 2007 service upgrades as well as ending its existing in-flight entertainment on all domestic routes.
2007
A Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
survey of 23,000 readers in June 2007 ranked US Airways as the worst airline for customer satisfaction. The survey was conducted before the airline's March 2007 service disruptions. A follow-up survey polling a smaller sample size, conducted in April, found that US Airways remained in last place, with its score dropping an additional 10 points. Also in 2007, the Today/Zagat Airline Survey rated US Airways as the worst airline overall in the United States, ranking it 10/30 for comfort, 5/30 for food, 10/30 for service, and 15/30 for its online reservations system.
On August 1, 2008, US Airways ceased providing its passengers with complimentary beverages. Passengers were required to purchase bottled water or soda for $2 US, or $1 US for coffee and tea. However, the Shuttle flights between LGA
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
, DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
, and BOS continued to offer free beverages. US Airways resumed serving complimentary drinks in March 2009.
US Airways ranked last out of 20 domestic airline carriers for systemwide on-time performance in March, April and May 2007, according to DOT figures. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics June 2008 report (using data from May 2008), US Airways ranked 7th for percentage of on-time arrivals.
US Airways is the leader in service complaints with 4.4 complaints per 100,000 customers. US Airways rate of customer complaints is 7.5 times the rate of JetBlue (0.59 complaints per 100,000 customers) and 11 times the rate of Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
(0.4 complaints per 100,000 customers). US Airways has a very poor record of addressing customer complaints, answering only 50% of the telephone calls to its customer service department.
US Airways East pilots took steps to relinquish their ALPA
ALPA
ALPA or Alpa may refer to:* Alpa, a formerly Swiss camera design company and manufacturer of 35 mm cameras* Air Line Pilots Association, International...
membership and form their own in-house union. "East" pilots were dissatisfied with the results of binding arbitration when the arbitrator's ruling placed all active former America West pilots, including their most junior pilot, who had been hired only three months previous to the merger, ahead of furloughed US Airways pilots with up to seventeen years of service. The former US Airways pilots petitioned the National Mediation Board to conduct a vote to determine whether to replace their union. East pilots (3,200) outnumbered west pilots (1,800) and the proposed union's president stated that the union has a sufficient number of requests to call a vote according to National Mediation Board regulations. The new union would be called the US Airline Pilots Association
US Airline Pilots Association
The US Airline Pilots Association is the collective bargaining agent for US Airways pilots. The US Airline Pilots Association replaced the Air Line Pilots Association in a representational election and is an "in-house union" representing the interests of the US Airways pilots...
(USAPA). On April 17, 2008, USAPA was voted in as the sole bargaining agent for the pilots of US Airways, East and West.
As of September 2007, US Airways continued to downgrade Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
's status from 500 flights a day (with 12,000 employees) in 2001 to just 68 flights a day (with only 1,800 employees). CEO Parker stated his frustration at the economics of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
, and referred to the possibility of service further decreasing. This represents a further deterioration of a strained relationship with Allegheny County, with which the airline shares significant historical ties. US Airways Group Inc. said October 3, 2007 it would cut mainline
Mainline (flight)
A mainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares or regional subsidiaries...
flights at Pittsburgh International Airport to 22 a day from 31 and reduce regional flights to 46 a day from 77, beginning January 6, 2008, essentially reducing the airport to a destination spoke in its network. Pittsburgh is no longer a focus city for the airline as of its most recent annual report and January 2008 flight schedule reductions. US Airways did, however, select Pittsburgh for the site of its new flight operations center, beating out proposals from Charlotte and Phoenix. It opened ahead of schedule in November 2008 and is home to approximately 600 employees. It serves as the nerve center for all of US Airways' nearly 1,400 daily mainline flights.
2008
It took more than a year to correct problems stemming from the merger and by 2008, US Airways was one of the best performers among the legacy carriers. The carrier had the best departure and arrival performances among the other major US carriers. It finished with strong On-Time departure and On-Time arrival performances good enough to be number one among all major carriers. Northwest was the only other carrier that had better performances but became a part of Delta during that year.On April 25, 2008, it was reported that US Airways was in talks to merge its operations with either American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
or United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, partially as a response to the recent Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
and Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
merger. Then, on April 28, 2008, reports stated that US Airways would announce its intent to merge with United within two weeks. At the end of May 2008, the airline announced that merger talks were formally ended.
On May 20, 2008, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index by the University of Michigan, US Airways ranked last in customer satisfaction among the major airlines. However, it was making steady ground to bridge its gap with other airlines.
Flight Operations Center
Pittsburgh International AirportPittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
won a three way competition between Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
for the right to continue as US Airway's Global Flight Operations center. Opening in November 2008, US Airways invested more than $25 million into a state-of-the-art 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) facility. It replaced a smaller 11 year old (pre-merger) operations center closer to downtown Pittsburgh. The opening and long-term investment ensures that Pittsburgh continues to be the operational hub of the US Airways network.
2009
On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina...
, under the command of Captain Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III is an American airline transport pilot , safety expert, and accident investigator from Danville, California...
, flying from New York City's LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
to Charlotte Douglas International Airport ditched
Water landing
A water landing is, in the broadest sense, any landing on a body of water. All waterfowl, those seabirds capable of flight, and some human-built vehicles are capable of landing in water as a matter of course....
into the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
shortly after takeoff. It is believed that "multiple bird hits
Bird strike
A bird strike—sometimes called birdstrike, avian ingestion , bird hit, or BASH —is a collision between an airborne animal and a man-made vehicle, especially aircraft...
" from a flock of Canada Geese caused both engines to lose power. All 150 passengers and 5 crew members (2 pilots and 3 flight attendants) survived with only minor injuries. New York's Governor Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
called it "the miracle on the Hudson." President George W. Bush said he was "inspired by the skill and heroism of the flight crew", and he also praised the emergency responders and volunteers.
US Airways received its first Airbus A330-200 in June 2009.
In mid-2009 it was reported that US Airways, along with American Airlines and United Airlines was placed under credit watch. Experts say several factors, including capital and revenue, played a role in the airline's addition to the list. On October 2, US Airways Reported that it had a buyer for 10 of its 25 Embraer 190 Aircraft. The remaining 15 aircraft are scheduled to be redeployed to Boston where they will operate Boston to Philadelphia and the Boston to New York LaGuardia leg of the US Airways Shuttle service. On December 8, US Airways started the flight to Rio de Janeiro-Galeão airport operated by a Boeing 767-200. This is the first route to South America.
2010
US Airways cut many routes to close its focus cities at Las VegasLas Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and New York LaGuardia. The airline was given tentative government approval to trade many of its LaGuardia takeoff and landing slots to Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
in exchange for Delta's slots at Washington Reagan. This exchange would strengthen each airline's presence at both airports. The DOT gave approval pending the carriers selling a small percentage of their routes to other carriers. US Airways and Delta disagreed with the decision and said they planned to sue the US DOT. US Airways has since reopened their Focus City operations at La Guardia Airport through its regional US Airways Express
US Airways Express
US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from...
arm.
On April 7, 2010, the New York Times reported that US Airways was "deep in merger discussions" with United Airlines. The report stated that a deal would not be reached for several weeks, but indicated that a deal was close. Several weeks later, however, on April 22, 2010, the airline ended discussions with United regarding the merger. Shortly thereafter, United announced that it was merging with Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
instead.
On August 19, 2010, US Airways announced "FastPath", a new complimentary service for travelers flying between Philadelphia and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in all classes of service. Perks include dedicated check-in lines, priority security lane (shared with First Class, Envoy, Dividend Miles Preferred and Star Alliance Gold members), departure gates located closest to security, and the first and closest baggage carousel. Travelers will follow green "FastPath" signs at the airport.
US Airways (NYSE:LCC) ranked first in baggage handling for 2010 among the major network carriers according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) December 2010 Air Travel Consumer Report. The airline's 2.6 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers ratio for 2010 was US Airways' best baggage handling performance in company history. However, J.D. Power ranked US Airways last in all categories for which it judged airlines, never giving it more than two out of five points with the exception of “Boarding Experience”
2011
In April 2011, US Airways earned the top spot in the 2011 Airline Quality Rating(AQR) report among "Big-Five" hub-and-spoke network carriers. US Airways President Scott Kirby said that US Airways was the last viable airline in the U.S. to merge, and that any potential merger would be with one of three U.S. carriers: United Continental HoldingsUnited Continental Holdings
United Continental Holdings, Inc. , is a publicly traded airline holding company, incorporated in Delaware with headquarters in the United Building in Chicago, Illinois. UCH owns and operates United Airlines, Inc. and Continental Airlines, Inc. both of which use the trade name United Airlines...
, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
or Delta Airlines.
Kirby also commented that US Airways' membership in the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
would make a merger with United Continental Holdings
United Continental Holdings
United Continental Holdings, Inc. , is a publicly traded airline holding company, incorporated in Delaware with headquarters in the United Building in Chicago, Illinois. UCH owns and operates United Airlines, Inc. and Continental Airlines, Inc. both of which use the trade name United Airlines...
easier, but added that "it's not meaningful enough to really be a factor."
Among the 10 largest domestic airlines, consumers scored US Airways last for overall customer satisfaction in a May 2011 Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
survey.
May 2011 Business Insider
Business Insider
Business Insider is a U.S. business/entertainment news website launched in February 2009. Founded by DoubleClick Founder and former C.E.O. Kevin P. Ryan it is the overarching brand beneath which fall the Silicon Alley Insider and Clusterstock verticals...
reported that ACSI
American Customer Satisfaction Index
The American Customer Satisfaction Index is an economic indicator that measures the satisfaction of consumers across the U.S. economy. It is produced by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, a private company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan....
ranked US Airways sixth in a list of “The 19 Most Hated Companies in America.”
July 2011 the pilots' union, USAPA, purchased a full page advertisement in the USA Today newspaper, questioning US Airways management's commitment to safety. US Airways transmitted a communication to all of its employees, on the same day as the ad, denying the accusations.
October 29, 2011, a US Airways flight attendant was found murdered in the crew layover hotel in Mexico City. Mexican authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the murder.
Headquarters
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. The 225000 square foot building was originally occupied by America West Airlines
America West Airlines
America West Airlines corporate offices were in Tempe, Arizona and the main hub was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The airline became part of the US Airways Group after a merger in 2005....
. Jahna Berry of the Arizona Business Gazette said in 2005 that the building "is one of the dominant buildings in downtown Tempe." The City of Tempe gave America West $11 million in incentives and tax breaks so it would occupy what is now the US Airways headquarters, which cost $37 million to construct. Construction of the building began in January 1998, although the official groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 19 of that year. As of 2006 over 700 employees work at the nine story building.
Previously US Airways had its headquarters in Crystal Park Four, a Class A mixed-use development in Crystal City, Virginia
Crystal City, Virginia
Crystal City is an urban neighborhood in the southeastern corner of Arlington County, Virginia, south of downtown Washington, D.C.. Its residents can live, shop, and work without going outside, due to its extensive integration of office buildings and residential high-rise buildings using...
. Park Four is between Reagan National Airport, The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, and Washington, D.C. After the merger with America West Airlines, the company decided to close its Virginia headquarters and moved the employees into the former America West building in three to six months after the merger closed. Russell Grantham at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that the decision to move the headquarters to Tempe was not that difficult because the Crystal City facility "consisted of like two or three floors of people."
Do Crew
The US Airways Do Crew program is the airline's employee community-service program. Employee volunteers in the program participate in community-based projects on a monthly basis through local chapters in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. and Winston-Salem.
Livery
Slogans
USAir– "Fly the USA on USAir"USAir (late 80s)– "USAir is Your Choice"
PSA and USAir (late 80s)– "Now our smile is even wider."
USAir (early 90s)– "USAir Begins With You"
USAir (mid 90s)– "Fly the Flag With USAir"
US Airways (early 2000s)– "Where I Fly the Flag"
US Airways (post 9/11)– "Get On Board"
US Airways (first bankruptcy) "Together We Fly"
US Airways (post first bankruptcy)– "Clear Skies Ahead"
US Airways (post America West merger)– "Fly with US"
Destinations
US Airways' routes are concentrated along the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and the Caribbean, with a number of routes serving Europe and primary destinations along the U.S. West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. The airline's western U.S. presence has increased following the merger with America West. Codesharing with United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
has helped US Airways by enabling the airline to offer its customers service throughout the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
and Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
states. Services to South America, Asia and Australia also are offered via the United Airlines codeshare. Likewise, United passengers benefit from increased access via US Airways to the U.S. East Coast, Europe and the Caribbean. US Airways Express carriers operate a large number of domestic routes, primarily into US Airways' hubs and focus cities, but with some exceptions, particularly small markets where the regional express carriers operate service under the EAS
Essential Air Service
Essential Air Service is a U.S. government program enacted to guarantee that small communities in the United States, which, prior to deregulation, were served by certificated airlines, maintained commercial service. Its aim is to maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service to these...
program, as well as some point-to-point commuter routes in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions and south through the Carolinas. In February 2007, the airline announced that its official operations center would be located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On November 11, 2007, US Airways announced nonstop service between Philadelphia and London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
, its first service to the airport. The airline will retain its existing nonstop service between Charlotte and Gatwick Airport.
Also in 2007, the airline applied for flights to Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, however its application was denied by the U.S. Department of Transportation after the agency awarded Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
, and Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines is a United States ultra low-cost carrier operating scheduled flights throughout the Americas. The airline is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. Spirit currently maintains a base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...
the routes from Delta's New York-JFK hub, JetBlue from Orlando, and Spirit from Fort Lauderdale.
As of 2008, US Airways and other airlines have struggled with the price of fuel. Despite that, US Airways CEO Doug Parker said "It is our international gateway. We'd like to expand that". The airline has added three international flights during the summer of 2009, including to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
from Philadelphia. US Airways has also started year-round service between Charlotte and Rio de Janeiro. On June 1, 2010, US Airways inaugurated its new service to Anchorage, AK from Philadelphia.
In 2009, US Airways and Delta have reached an agreement to exchange landing/takeoff slots at both LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
. Also, US Airways plans to purchase flying rights to Tokyo and São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
from Delta. The airline plans to begin service to Tokyo from its Phoenix hub with Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
aircraft, however it plans not to begin service until 2012 or later.
US Airways has announced they will use United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
dormant Brazil slots to begin nonstop service to São Paulo from Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
. The route has been approved by the United States government and US Airways is waiting for approval from the Brazilian government to begin the route. Service was expected to start January 2011.
Codeshare agreements
US Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines as of October 2010:
|
Bahamasair Bahamasair Holdings Limited, operating as Bahamasair, is an airline based in the Bahamasair House in Nassau, Bahamas. It is the national airline and operates domestic scheduled services to 15 destinations and regional scheduled services to Havana and four cities in Florida. Its main base is Lynden... Bmi (airline) British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa... * Brussels Airlines Brussels Airlines is a flag carrier airline headquartered in the b.house on the grounds of Brussels Airport and in Diegem, Machelen, Belgium and a subsidiary of Lufthansa. It is the largest airline based in Belgium, operating to over 65 destinations in 20 European countries as well as long-haul... * EVA Air EVA Airways Corporation "; ) is an airline based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. EVA Air is largely privately owned and flies a fully... Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International... (Hawaii inter-island service only) Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating... * |
Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft... Royal Jordanian Royal Jordanian Airlines is the flag carrier of Jordan with its head office in Amman, Jordan, operating scheduled international services over four continents from its main base at Queen Alia International Airport at Amman Jordan. Royal Jordanian is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization... (Oneworld Oneworld Oneworld , branded as oneworld, is one of the world's three largest global airline alliances with its central management team, oneworld Management Company, based in New York City, New York, USA. Oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific... ) Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets... * Spanair Spanair is a Spanish airline, with its head office in the Spanair Building in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona. It was, until 2009, a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines, which now holds slightly under 20% of the company. Spanair provides a scheduled passenger network within Spain and... * Swiss International Air Lines Swiss International Air Lines AG is the principal airline of Switzerland operating scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Its main hub is Zurich Airport... * Grupo TACA TACA is the trade name "brand" comprising a group of five independently IATA-coded and -owned Central American airlines, whose operations are combined to function as one and a number of other independently owned and IATA-coded regional airlines which code-share and feed the TACA brand system... * (future) |
TAP Portugal TAP Portugal, commonly known as TAP, is the national airline of Portugal. It has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon, and has been a member of the Star Alliance since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary... * Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey, headquartered in the Turkish Airlines General Management Building on the grounds of Atatürk Airport in Yeşilköy, Bakirköy district, Istanbul... * United Airlines United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental... * Virgin Atlantic Airways Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines... |
Note: This list includes Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
(*) partners.
Former agreements
- American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
(codeshared with US Airways in the 90s) - Big Sky AirlinesBig Sky AirlinesBig Sky Airlines was an American regional airline that operated from 1978 to 2008. Headquartered in Billings, Montana, United States. Big Sky was wholly owned by Big Sky Transportation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of MAIR Holdings....
(ceased operations March 8, 2008) - British AirwaysBritish AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
(codeshared with both US Airways [1993-1997] and America West Airlines at different times) - Caribbean SunCaribbean SunWorld Atlantic Airlines is a Miami, Florida-based airline operating scheduled and un-scheduled services.- History :The airline was founded by its first President Yolanda Suarez in September 2002 as Caribbean Sun Airlines in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and started operations in January 2003, with...
(ceased to exist when the airline shut down on January 31, 2007) - Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
(codeshared with America West Airlines) and ended the agreement on May 1, 2002, citing low code-shared flight sales. Continental resumed its reciprocal frequent flyer agreement on October 25, 2009, when it joined the Star Alliance. - LufthansaLufthansaDeutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
(codeshared in the 1990s with US Airways prior to the formation of the Star Alliance with a three-year break until US Airways joined the Star Alliance.) - QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
(codeshared with both US Airways in the 90s and America West Airlines before the merger; and after the merger with the combined US Airways/America West Airlines and ended the agreement February 28, 2007 due to Qantas being in the competing OneworldOneworldOneworld , branded as oneworld, is one of the world's three largest global airline alliances with its central management team, oneworld Management Company, based in New York City, New York, USA. Oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific...
airline alliance) - Northwest AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
(codeshared with America West Airlines on flights from Asia; Northwest merged with Delta in 2010)
Present
US Airways operates a fleet of 347 twinjetTwinjet
A twinjet or twin jet is a jet aircraft powered by two engines. Such configuration of an aircraft is the most popular today for commercial airliners, for fighters, and many other kinds, because while offering safety from a single engine failure, it is also acceptably fuel-efficient.-Aircraft...
s, divided between mostly newer Airbus aircraft and generally older Boeing
Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing Commercial Airplanes designs, assembles, markets and sells large commercial jet aircraft and provides product-related maintenance and training to customers worldwide...
aircraft. As of March 2007, the post-merger airline operated the largest fleet of Airbus aircraft in the world. Like the old America West fleet, most new Airbus A320 family will use IAE Engines. http://iaenews.com/?p=89 US Airways has a fleet average age of 13.3 years as of October 2011. US Airways discontinued all in-flight entertainment except on long haul flights. However, Wi-Fi will be offered on a trial basis on a select fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft.
The US Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of July 31, 2010):
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | E | F | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319-100 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
93 | 3 | — | — | 12 | 112 | 124 | Largest operator of A320 family |
| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
72 | 39 | — | — | 12 | 138 | 150 | Deliveries: 2009-2015 |
| Airbus A321-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
59 | 24 | — | — | 16 | 167 | 183 | Deliveries: 2008-2015 |
| Airbus A330-200 Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo.... |
7 | 8 | 20 | — | — | 238 | 258 | Deliveries to resume in 2013 |
| Airbus A330-300 Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo.... |
9 | — | 6 | 24 | — | 263 | 293 | |
| Airbus A350-800 | — | 18 | 36 | — | 234 | 270 | Entry into service: 2017 First American airline to order A350 |
|
| Airbus A350-900 | — | 4 | 36 | — | 294 | 330 | Entry into service: 2017 | |
| Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
13 | — | — | — | 12 8 |
114 126 |
126 134 |
To be phased out by E-jet family and Airbus A320 family |
| Boeing 737-400 | 40 | — | — | — | 12 | 132 | 144 | To be phased out by A320's. |
| Boeing 757-200 Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration... Domestic ETOPS |
9 | — | — | — | 15 | 176 | 190 | |
| Boeing 757-200 Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration... International ETOPS |
15 | — | — | 12 | — | 164 | 176 | |
| Boeing 767-200ER Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... |
10 | — | — | 18 | — | 186 | 204 | |
| Embraer 190 | 15 | 23 | — | — | 11 | 88 | 99 | |
| Total | 342 | 119 | ||||||
Retired
Retired aircraft flown by USAir or US Airways included:| Aircraft | Year retired | Replacement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAe-146 | 1991 | Boeing 737 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
Aircraft were obtained from the merger with PSA. |
| DC-3 | 1996 | None | Piedmont Airlines Piedmont Airlines Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft... retained one flyable DC-3 which USAir sold in 1996 to the Carolinas Aviation Museum Carolinas Aviation Museum The Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the... . The aircraft still flies and is supported by US Airways, sporting the US Airways Heritage logo next to the passenger door. |
| Fokker F28 Fokker F28 The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:... |
1997 | US Airways Express US Airways Express US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from... fleet |
|
| BAC 1-11 | 1989 | Boeing 737 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... and US Airways Express US Airways Express US Airways Express is an airline brand name, rather than a fully certified airline, and as such, the US Airways Express name is used by several individually owned airlines or airline holding companies which provide regional airline and commuter service for US Airways.Operations are conducted from... fleet |
|
| Boeing 727-100 Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced... |
Boeing 737 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... and Airbus A320 family Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
||
| Boeing 727-200 Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced... |
2000 | Airbus A320 family Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
|
| Boeing 747-200 Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced... |
1994 | None | Used by America West for its routes to Japan and Hawaii |
| Boeing 737-100 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
2000 | Airbus A320 family Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
Used by America West for Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US... charters |
| Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
2001/2005 | Airbus A320 family Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
US Airways 737-200 aircraft retired 2001, America West aircraft retired January 2005. |
| Douglas DC-9-30 | 2001 | Airbus A320 family Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
|
| Fokker F100 Fokker F100 The Fokker 100 is a medium size twin-turbofan airliner from the Fokker company. Low operational costs and almost no competition in the 100-seat short-range class made it a best seller when it was introduced in the late 1980s, but decayed due to increasing competition. Production ended in 1997 with... |
2002 | Airbus A320 family Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
|
| McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | 2002 | Airbus A320 family Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
Aircraft were obtained from the merger with PSA. |
Envoy Sleeper Seats
Envoy Sleeper Seats are marketed as Envoy Class, US Airways' International Business Class
Business class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
, although they were International First Class Only before US Airways discontinued three-cabin service in 2003. When fully reclined, the sleeper seats are horizontal, forming a flat bed. There are six of the seats per aircraft, on the Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
only. Each has a personal on-demand video screen attached to the arm rest that offers movies, games and syndicated television shows in multiple languages. There is also an EmPower
EMPOWER
EMPOWER , also known as Centre for Sex Workers' Protection or Moolniti Songserm Okard Pooying , is a non-profit organisation in Thailand that supports sex workers by offering free classes in language, health, law and pre-college education as well as individual counseling...
power outlet at each of the seats. Other Sleeper Seat amenities, including food and beverage services, are identical to those in the rest of Envoy Class. The seats in this class have the largest seat pitch (94") available on any commercial flight in the world.
These Envoy Sleeper Seats will not be available on US' new Airbus A330-200 deliveries.
Envoy Class
US Airways' International Business ClassBusiness class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
. The older seats fitted to the Airbus A330-300 do not offer the significant recline of the Sleeper Seats, however on Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
aircraft these seats are currently being replaced by the Envoy Suite found on the A330-200, every seat has a personal on-demand video screen attached to the arm rest that offers movies, games and syndicated television shows in multiple languages, and there is an EmPower power outlet at each seat. The new Airbus A330-200
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
is fitted with new Envoy Class seats, which lie completely flat. These are the Cirrus model designed by Sicma Aeroseat and feature a fully flat semi-private "pod". The cabin seating is in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration, where every window seat is also an aisle seat.
All seven A330-200's in the fleet are fitted with the new seating (N279AY, N280AY, N282AY, N284AY, N285AY, N281AY, N283AY). The first two A330-200s delivered (N281AY, N283AY) were fitted with older Envoy Class seats, because there were delays in receiving the new seats in time for some of the deliveries. These aircraft were retrofitted in late 2010.
The Boeing 767-200ER
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
features 18 Envoy "lie flat" seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. The seats are not fully horizontal parallel to the floor of the aircraft, but instead recline to a flat position at an angle to the floor. There is a 110 V AC power outlet at each seat, and personal entertainment devices featuring a selection of on demand audio and video programming are distributed to each passenger.
The subfleet of transatlantic, ETOPS configured Boeing 757-200
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
s features 12 Envoy seats in a 2-2 configuration. These are the same seats used in the Airbus A330-300 Envoy cabin, with a recline of approximately 160 degrees and 55" of pitch. There is a 110 V AC power outlet at each seat, and personal entertainment devices featuring a selection of on demand audio and video programming are distributed to each passenger.
The airline offers free food and beverage service for all Envoy Class seats.
Domestic First Class
Domestic First Class service is available on all US Airways-operated aircraft and available via free upgrades to Preferred members, with a seat pitch ranging from 35 to 38 inches and a seat width ranging from 20 to 21 inches. Free wine, beer and spirits are offered, along with snacks including cookies, chips and cashews. Meals are provided on flights of 3.5 hours or longer. Blankets and pillows are offered free of charge to all First Class passengers. US Airways has recently announced that they will be adding first class seats to he larger regional jets, First Class on Express flights is now offered on Embraer 170/175 aircraft and the installation is ongoing for the CRJ-700/900 aircraft, with an estimated completion of December 2011.Economy Class
Economy class is available on all aircraft, with a seat pitch ranging from 30 to 33 inches and a seat width ranging from 17 to 18 inches. On Airbus A330s (and coming soon to Boeing 767 and wingletWinglet
Wingtip devices are usually intended to improve the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft. There are several types of wingtip devices, and though they function in different manners, the intended effect is always to reduce the aircraft's drag by partial recovery of the tip vortex energy...
ted 757 aircraft), every seat has a personal video screen located in the forward seat back that includes movies, games and syndicated television shows in multiple languages. On board the new Airbus A330-200, a Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
entertainment system is available. On the older Airbus A330-300 aircraft, there is a system made by Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
. The cushions on this aircraft used to be cloth, but are now covered in leather. The seats feature winged headrests and mechanical lumbar support. The Airbus A330-300 will be fitted with the new entertainment system, and new seats, in late 2010. On all other Airbus and some Boeing aircraft, there were overhead monitors mounted every three rows or so. All overhead monitors were removed by November 1, 2008 with the exception of the Hawaii and transatlantic Boeing 757s. This makes USAirways the only legacy carrier to offer absolutely no form of entertainment for domestic travel, with the exception of Hawai'i. And on transatlantic and transpacific flights, you can expect to pay $5 for the headphones, as single pronged headphones will not work on their planes. The Boeing 767 still retains the wall mounted LCD monitors in the front of each cabin and the overhead video unit at row 22. They will be replaced with PTV.
An EmPower
EMPOWER
EMPOWER , also known as Centre for Sex Workers' Protection or Moolniti Songserm Okard Pooying , is a non-profit organisation in Thailand that supports sex workers by offering free classes in language, health, law and pre-college education as well as individual counseling...
power outlet is available on some Airbus aircraft, but is not available on planes formerly operated by America West. All power ports will be disabled on all domestic narrowbody aircraft as of November 1, 2008. Meals are available for purchase on flights over 3.5 hours and snack boxes are available on flights over 2.5 hours as part of a buy on board
Buy on board
In commercial flight, buy on board is a system where food or beverages are paid for on board; often food or beverages are not included in the ticket price for certain fare classes....
program. Soft drinks, water and coffee are free on all flights, as is a copy of US Airways Magazine. On transatlantic flights, meals and drinks (excluding alcohol) are free.
Dividend Miles
US Airways Group
US Airways Group Inc. is an airline holding company based in Tempe, Arizona. US Airways Group operate US Airways, along with its subsidiaries PSA Airlines, Inc. and Piedmont Airlines, Inc., which are wholly owned but marketed under the branding of US Airways Express...
's frequent-flyer program. Members of the program earn mileage bonuses, priority check-in, and other benefits. In addition to US Airways partner airlines in the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
, the Dividend Miles program other partner airlines or programs include:
- BahamasairBahamasairBahamasair Holdings Limited, operating as Bahamasair, is an airline based in the Bahamasair House in Nassau, Bahamas. It is the national airline and operates domestic scheduled services to 15 destinations and regional scheduled services to Havana and four cities in Florida. Its main base is Lynden...
- Hawaiian AirlinesHawaiian AirlinesHawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
- Qatar AirwaysQatar AirwaysQatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
- Royal Jordanian Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic AirwaysVirgin Atlantic AirwaysVirgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines...
- Jet AirwaysJet AirwaysJet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,...
Dividend Miles has 5 status membership levels, general member, silver preferred, gold preferred, platinum preferred, and Chairman's preferred.
- Silver Preferred
Silver membership is obtained when a member flies 25,000 preferred qualified miles or 30 segments during the calendar year. Benefits include the following: Instant upgrades on Y/B North American fares. Complementary upgrades 2 days prior to departure on all other North American flights. Ability to reserve choice coach seats. Free 1st and 2nd check bags. 25% mileage bonus. 500 miles (804.7 km) minimum mileage earned. Star Alliance Silver status. Private reservation number. Priority check-in, baggage, security screening, and boarding. Free Stand-by. Members who reach 35,000 miles or 45 segments are given a day pas to the US Club, the ability to nominate a friend to trial preferred, and special offers from partners.
- Gold Preferred
Gold membership is obtained when a member flies 50,000 preferred qualified miles or 60 segments during the calendar year.
Benefits include the following: Instant upgrades on Y/B North American fares. Complementary upgrades 3 days prior to departure on all other North American tickets. Ability to reserve choice coach seats. Three free checked bags. 50% mileage bonus. 500 miles (804.7 km) minimum mileage earned. Star Alliance Gold status. Private reservation number. Priority check-in, security screening, and boarding. Free Stand-by on flights. Members who reach 60,000 miles or 75 segments get to add a spouse to their US Club membership at no cost and receive more special offers from partners.
- Platinum Preferred
Platinum membership is obtained when a member flies 75,000 preferred qualified miles or 90 segments during the calendar year. All of the benefits of Gold Preferred are included as well as a 75% mileage bonus, complementary upgrades 4 days prior to departure on all flights within North America, and guaranteed seating on all flights. Members who reach 85,000 miles or 105 segments get the right to nominate a friend to Silver Preferred status and first class travel on award tickets.
- Chairman's Preferred
Chairman's membership is obtained when a member flies 100,000 preferred qualified miles or 120 segments during the calendar year. All of the benefits of Platinum Preferred are included as well as a 100% milage bonus, complementary upgrades 7 days prior to departure on all flights within North America, and four systemwide upgrades. Members who reach 125,000 miles or 150 segments receive a free US Club membership and the right to nominate a friend to Gold Preferred. For every additional 25,000 miles or 30 segments that members reach, they can nominate another friend to Gold Preferred.
America West Airlines had a frequent flyer program called FlightFund. Following the US Airways-America West merger, FlightFund was merged into the US Airways Dividend Miles program.
US Airways Club
The airline's airport loungeAirport lounge
An airport lounge is a lounge owned by a particular airline . Many offer private meeting rooms, phone, fax, wireless and Internet access and other business services, along with provisions to enhance comfort such as free drinks and snacks...
is called the US Airways Club and has 19 lounges in 14 airports across the US. Philadelphia used to have an envoy lounge, which was reserved exclusively for international business or first class passengers and Star Alliance Gold members traveling on long-haul international flights. On October 31st, the airline converted it to a standard club.
Locations
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Philadelphia International Airport Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania... (3) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States... (3) Pittsburgh International Airport Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of... Raleigh-Durham International Airport Raleigh-Durham International Airport is a public international airport located 4.5 miles northeast of the town of Morrisville in suburban Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The airport covers and operates three runways, providing direct service to 40 domestic and international... Tampa International Airport Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority... Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to... |
Incidents and accidents
The incidents and crashes listed below include only those of US Airways and US Air (and not predecessor or merger airlines such as Allegheny, Piedmont, PSA or America West; or partnering regional commuter airlines operating US Airways flights under the brand US Airways Express).| US Airways Reported Incidents | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EWLINE
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See also
- List of airlines of the United States
- List of airports in the United States
- Transportation in the United StatesTransportation in the United StatesTransportation in the United States is facilitated by road, air, rail, and water networks. The vast majority of passenger travel occurs by automobile for shorter distances, and airplane for longer distances...
- US Airways CenterUS Airways CenterUS Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...
External links
- US Airways mobile
- US Airways Magazine inflight magazine
- US Airways Company Store
- US Airways at YouTube
- USAir.com (Archive)
- http://timetableimages.com/ttimages/us.htm has several Allegheny timetables from 1949–63, showing where they flew, how often, how long it took and how much it cost.