US’s largest new low-fare airline gets off the ground

US Airways has emerged from bankruptcy and officially started flying with America West as one carrier, US Airways.

The new US Airways, which started trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange under the LCC symbol, represents the nation’s largest full-service, low-cost, low-fare airline. 

Passengers so far have seen little change in operations. Most changes will come in the fall, but in the meantime:

• Passengers should continue to book with either US or America West as they did before the merger.

• Airline Web sites will also continue to operate separately.

• Airline reservation systems will operate independently.

• Elite-level fliers will be able to request first-class upgrades further in advance then they did before.

• Passengers should check their e-tickets or paper tickets to indicate which airline operates their flight.

• Airplane signage is promised to be in place to direct customers.

• For e-tickets, passengers can make changes online at the web site where they bought a ticket.

• Miles from both programs earned before and after the merger will be honored.

• There are also changes in frequent flyer programs. America West fliers can, for example, receive reward tickets to the Caribbean for 10,000 less miles than before.

• All frequent flier programs will be consolidated under one program early next year.

• And Saturday night stays will no longer be required for reward trips.

“It will be pretty much business as usual,” Carol Bertolini, a spokesman for the combined airline, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The new US Airways is being billed as this country’s first low-cost, full-service airline.

The new airline has numerous hurdles to overcome, according to Airwise, that include “a poor industry record for mergers, continued high fuel prices, and the challenge of combining thousands of unions…into one work force.”

Star Alliance issued a press release saying it welcomed the new airline into its group.

“Once the merger is fully completed (all flights operating under US flight numbers), the Tempe, Arizona-based alliance will add 1,000 flights per day to the Star Alliance network in North America,” said the alliance, established in 1997.

The alliance’s three North American member carriers  —  Air Canada, United and US Airways  —  will be operating more than 9,000 daily flights to more than 320 destinations across the US and Canada.

Report by David Wilkening