is an
American Low-cost Airline 1 headquartered in
Tempe, Arizona , owned by
US Airways Group, Inc. The airline is the sixth largest airline in the
United States , and the largest low cost/low fare carrier in the United States according to destinations. Including aircraft operated by its
America West Airlines affiliate, US Airways has a fleet of 357
Mainline jet aircraft and 352 "express" (regional jet and
Turbo-prop ) aircraft connecting 240 destinations in North America,
Central America , the
Caribbean ,
Hawaii , and
Europe . As of February 2007, US Airways employs 37,675 people worldwide and operates 3,860 daily flights.
US Airways operates primary hubs in
Charlotte ,
Philadelphia ,
Phoenix and
Las Vegas , with the latter two being former America West hubs. Additionally, US Airways has a secondary hub in
Pittsburgh . US Airways also maintains
Focus City operations at
New York LaGuardia ,
Washington Reagan National , and
Boston .
US Airways Annual Report .
The airline operates the
US Airways Shuttle , a US Airways brand which provides hourly service between key
Northeastern markets. Regional airline service is branded as
US Airways Express , operated by contract and subsidiary airline companies.
US Airways traces its history to
All American Aviation Company , a company founded by
Du Pont Family brothers
Richard C. Du Pont and
Alexis Felix Du Pont, Jr. . Hubbed 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. The company was again renamed, to
Allegheny Airlines , in 1952.
Allegheny expanded progressively, introducing the
Douglas DC-9 in 1966 and absorbing
Lake Central Airlines in 1968 and
Mohawk Airlines in 1972 to become one of the largest carriers in the northeastern United States.
But with expansion came growing pains: by the 1970s Allegheny Airlines had earned the nickname "Agony Air" due to customer dissatisfaction with the carrier's service.
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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 generally regarded as the industry's first
Code-share agreement, a type of service now routinely offered throughout the industry.
Allegheny changed its name to in 1979 following the passage of the
Airline Deregulation Act the previous year, which allowed the airline to expand its route network to the southern United States. In the early 1980s, its routes in the Northeast were fed by
Ransome Airlines , among others. It was at this time with a new corporate name that the company moved its corporate headquarters from
Pittsburgh to Arlington (Crystal City), Virginia near
Washington, D.C. , although Pittsburgh would remain its primary hub for another two decades.
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 and approached
McDonnell Douglas for a new airplane. However, in the late 1970s, the company's proposed successor to the DC-9-50 did not suit USAir's requirements. After negotiations with McDonnell Douglas broke down,
Boeing stepped forward with a proposed variant of the 737. USAir chose this aircraft and the company worked closely with Boeing during its development, receiving the first plane on
November 28 ,
1984 .
USAir expanded dramatically in 1987, when it purchased
San Diego -based
Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) and
Winston-Salem, North Carolina -based
Piedmont Airlines . The mergers gave the airline hubs in
Baltimore ,
Charlotte ,
Syracuse ,
Dayton , routes to the West Coast, and Piedmont's transatlantic service to
London Gatwick Airport . Only Baltimore and Charlotte remained hubs. When the Piedmont acquisition was completed in 1989, it was the largest merger in airline history. USAir became one of the world's largest airlines, operating over 5,000 daily flights.
In the early 1990s, USAir expanded its service to Europe with new flights to .
In 1996, USAir closed its relationship with British Airways and announced its re-branding as . It expanded its flights to Europe through the end of the decade, and bought out the remains of
Trump Shuttle in 1997. That same year it introduced a single-class service known as '''
MetroJet ''', which attempted to compete with
Low-cost Carrier s expanding into the East, in particular
Southwest Airlines .
On
November 6 ,
1996 , just following the re-branding to US Airways, US Airways 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, it was regarded as the largest single aircraft order in history. In 1998, the airline followed with an order for up to 30 Airbus A330-series or A340-series widebody aircraft, with an initial firm order for 7 A330-300 aircraft. These orders accomplished two goals: 1) they allowed US Airways to replace older aircraft with newer, more efficient aircraft; and 2) helped with the re-branding and repositioning of US Airways as the "Global Carrier of Choice".
Although the airline had returned to profitability in the mid-1990s, its route network's concentration in the
U.S. Northeast and high operating costs prompted calls 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 Union s, 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.
Beginning in 2000, US Airways started retiring several aircraft types in an attempt to simplify its fleet to lower costs. These aircraft types were replaced by new A320 family aircraft.
]]
As the largest carrier at
Washington-Reagan , US Airways was disproportionately impacted 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 included 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 . The company received a government-guaranteed loan through the
Air Transportation Stabilization Board and was able to exit bankruptcy after a relatively short period. On
October 19 ,
2005 , the loan was repaid when the debt was refinanced with other lenders.
In early 2003, US Airways management liquidated the pensions of its 6,000 pilots, sending their pensions to the federal pension program,
PBGC , or Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. It was one of the first major airlines to drop pilots' pensions to save money, and other airlines have subsequently tried to do the same.
Following an initial trial run of selling in-flight food in 2003, US Airways discontinued complimentary meal service on domestic flights.
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 , with access to an extensive Latin American network. In an attempt to stem further financial losses, in November 2004 US Airways officially de-hubbed
Pittsburgh International Airport , and began a process of de-emphasizing its
Hub-and-spoke system to capitalize on direct flights between major
Eastern airports such as
Washington-Reagan ,
New York-LaGuardia , and
Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood . This emphasis on more direct flights has been undertaken by many airlines of late, as an attempt to capitalize on the highest-profit routes, and is modeled after
Southwest Airlines ' system, one which most U.S. airlines used until the mid-1980s.
The airline became the 15th member of the
Star Alliance on
May 4 ,
2004 .
However, high fuel costs and deadlocked negotiations with organized labor (chiefly the
Air Line Pilots Association , who were 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 irregularly high 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 , however, found that the problems were caused mainly due to poor planning by management.
:For history of
America West Airlines prior to the merger see article mentioned or
America West Holdings .
On
May 19 ,
2005 , US Airways Group announced that it would merge with Arizona-based America West Holdings Corporation (parent company of
America West Airlines ), whose strength in the West would complement US Airways' routes in the Northeast, Europe, and the Caribbean. The new entity retains the US Airways name due to its non-regional emphasis, as well as its greater worldwide brand recognition, its Dividend Miles
Frequent Flyer Program , and its participation in the Star Alliance. Equity partners include
Air Wisconsin Airways Corporation and
ACE Aviation Holdings .
The merger resulted in a large loss of control by former US Airways executives as the new US Airways is headquartered at the former America West corporate offices in for additional information.
- On September 13 , 2005 , America West's shareholders voted to approve the merger agreement with 95.5 percent of shareholders approving the transaction.
- On September 16 , 2005 , the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia approved US Airways' Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization, clearing the way for the merger to be closed on September 27 , 2005 , in conjunction with US Airways Group 's emergence from bankruptcy.
- On September 27 , 2005 , the merger of the two holding companies was completed. The combined airline has branded itself as the "World's Largest Low-Fare Airline".
During 2006 the airline began consolidating its operations under the US Airways brand; operations are expected to be fully integrated by 2007 after government approval allowing the airlines to operate under a single
Operating Certificate . Until this happens, the former America West aircraft and destinations are operated under a separate certificate and by separate crews, but the flights are marketed and sold as US Airways. Check-in counters are still maintained for both US Airways and America West, but most only display US Airways signage.
In January 2006, the airline began consolidating its operations under the US Airways brand, and all America West flights became branded as US Airways flights.
On
February 9 ,
2006 , US Airways announced that it would become the first US-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 and 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.
3 In retrospect, the market capitalization of Delta has been around U 4.5 to 6 billion, so the offered price would not have actualized.
On
February 9 ,
2007 US Airways responded to
Delta Air Lines intention to apply for United States -
China service by announcing that it would also be seeking
United States Department Of Transportation approval for a China route.
US Airways noted that DOT has conducted virtually every allocation of China frequencies by means of a comparative selection route proceeding. "There is no reason to deviate from that longstanding practice now, more than a year before the frequencies at issue even become available," US Airways said in its filing.
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Most pre-merger US Airways aircraft were equipped with
Verizon Airfone at every row of seats. However, since Verizon ended this service, the airline has deactivated the service and as of 2007, removed the phones or have covered them up from all aircraft.
During the night of
March 4 ,
2007 the US Airways and America West computer reservation systems were merged. The previous US Airways system on the
Sabre airline computer system, switched to the new
QIK system, an overlay for the Shares system which is based on the
Amadeus computer reservations system, which 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 with Former America West employees being fully trained and implemented in the old East system by the end of
September 2007 .
Aircraft will still be operated by US Airways or America West crew and the aircraft will be under two different
United States Department Of Transportation operating certificates. Eventually, US Airways and America West aircraft will operate under one certificate as US Airways aircraft. Until pilot union groups negotiate one contract, pilots will fly only on their airlines' aircraft.
Now that the computer systems are merged, America West operated flights are marketed as though America West is a wholly owned carrier. This marketing is common practice for airlines that have code share agreements with other airlines operating the aircraft for feeder or regional routes. This practice is not common for all major airlines, but greatly simplifies the process for a passenger connecting between the US Airways and America West operated flights.
On the morning following the systems' merger, problems surfaced almost immediately.
QIK check-in kiosks at several major US Airways hub cities began to malfunction. Although the new system was stable, there were connectivity problems with the kiosks that originally connected to the Sabre system. One of the major problems was with the common use system that some airports (like
Las Vegas , Charlotte, Philadelphia, and others) use. Thousands of affected passengers found themselves in long lines having to check-in with an agent. Web checkins were not affected.
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When the two airlines' operating certificates merge the airline will officially be called US Airways and the America West name will cease to exist. However over half of the US Airways fleet has not been repainted (but some already labeled for the "old" US Airways), and only a few of the interiors of the previous airlines has been refurbished. Currently the only interiors that have been refurbished are the internationally-configured Boeing 767 and 757 fleets with new blue leather seats in coach and the same blue and red color "swoosh" theme from the new aircraft livery printed on the bulkhead walls. So it is likely that the two airlines will not truly be merged for years to come.
The airline in the summer of 2007 will be upgrading its in-flight service, from food and training for flight attendants. The airline will also begin test marketing a new seat back entertainment system in early 2008.
6
A
Consumer Reports survey of 23,000 readers released 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 with a smaller sample size conducted in April 2007 found US Airways remained in last place, with its score dropping an additional 10 points.http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/travel/airlines-7-07/overview/0707_air_ov_1.htm
US Airways ranked last out of 20 domestic airlines for systemwide on-time performance in March, April and May of 2007 according to the
US Department Of Transportation figures.http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2007/dot055_07/html/dot055_07.html , http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2007/dot065_07/html/dot065_07.html , http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2007/dot046_07/html/dot046_07.html
On
July 14 , 2007, US Airways applied to the
United States Department Of Transportation for nonstop service from its
Philadelphia hub to
Beijing starting in March of 2009. The other airlines bidding for a route to Beijing are
American Airlines ,
Northwest Airlines , and
Delta Air Lines .
USAir - "Fly the USA on USAir"
USAir (early 90s) - "USAir Begins With You"
US Airways (early 2000s) - "Where I fly the Flag"
US Airways (post-first bankruptcy) - "Clear Skies Ahead"
US Airways (Post Merger) - "Fly with US"
See Also: US Airways livery
US Airways has had various different liveries both under the US Airways and USAir name. In general the Express and Shuttle divisions have had liveries that closely parallel the company-wide livery at the time.
US Airways operates approximately 3,860 flights a day to 241 destinations in 30 countries from its hubs in Phoenix, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Las Vegas.
See Also: US Airways destinations
US Airways' routes are heavily concentrated in the
Eastern United States ,
Western United States , and Caribbean, with a number of routes to Europe and several destinations on the west coast. Their west coast presence has increased dramatically following the merger with America West Airlines. Codesharing with United Airlines has dramatically helped US Airways by allowing the airline to offer its customers extensive service throughout the Midwest, Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain states. Services to South America, Asia, and Australia are also provided via the United Airlines codeshare. Likewise, United passengers benefit from increased access to the Eastern Seaboard and South, Europe, and the Caribbean. US Airways Express carriers operate a number of routes, primarily into US Airways' hubs and focus cities, but with a few exceptions, in particular where smaller US Airways Express carriers operate service under the
EAS program, and also some point-to-point routes in the northeast and Carolinas. In February 2007 the airline announced that their official operations center would be located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On
July 16 ,
2007 US Airways announced it had applied with the Department of Transportation for nonstop service between Philadelphia and
Beijing . If approved, the flights would begin in March 2009 and would utilize Airbus A340 aircraft and would originate in Charlotte using a Boeing 767.
US Airways Launches Bid for Philadelphia-Beijing Flights One-Stop Service from Charlotte Proposed
US Airways and America West fly a fleet of 357 twinjets, divided between mostly newer
Airbus aircraft and generally older
Boeing aircraft. US Airways operates 224 aircraft and America West operates 134 aircraft.
US Airways System Fact Sheet (December 2006) As of March 2007, the combined airlines operate the largest fleet of Airbus aircraft in the world.
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US Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft as of June 17, 2007:
US Airways AboutUS Special Edition 6/18/07
- Envoy Class is offered on transatlantic flights operated by all Boeing 767 and Airbus A330 aircraft, and on transatlantic-configured Boeing 757 aircraft. On Airbus 330 aircraft, the first row is Envoy Sleeper Class with lie flat seats.
- ---Layout used on previous America West aircraft.
With deliveries scheduled between 2011 and 2013, they were to be a launch customer for the new Airbus A350 , with Airbus also providing a $250 million loan to help fund the exit from bankruptcy and merger. The loan has since been paid off and the status of the A350 order has been confirmed as of 18 June 2007.
The combined airline is continuing to take delivery of Airbus aircraft ordered by both US Airways and America West before their merger announcement. Between 2008 and 2010, the airline will take delivery of 37 A320-family aircraft, including 15 A321 aircraft. 10 A330-200 aircraft originally ordered by US Airways will be delivered in 2009 and 2010.
Retired aircraft flown by America West Airlines, USAir or US Airways included:
The Envoy Sleeper Seats are marketed as Envoy Class, US Airways' International Business Class , although they were considered International First Class only before US Airways discontinued 3-cabin service in 2001. When fully reclined, these seats are completely horizontal, creating a bed that is fully flat. There are six of these seats on the Airbus A330 only. Every seat has a personal on-demand television that comes out of the arm rest that includes movies, games, and television shows in multiple languages, there is also an EmPower power outlet at every seat. Service and catering remains the same as the rest of Envoy Class.
US Airways' International Business Class . These seats do not offer the significant recline of the Lie-flat and Flat Bed Seats, but still offer space and comfort. There is also complimentary gourmet food and drinks served. On Airbus 330 every seat has a personal on-demand television that comes out of the arm rest that includes movies, games, and television shows in multiple languages, there is also an EmPower power outlet at every seat. On Boeing 767 and Boeing 757 Transatlantic the airline is introducing personal video and audio entertainment devices with on-demand entertainment options. During this transition some aircraft have a personal television with seven channels. Previously there was no electric power on B767 but the airline is currently introducing 110 Volt adapter free AC Power outlets.
Available on all US Airways-operated aircraft, with a seat pitch ranging from 35 to 38 inches and width ranging from 20 to 21 inches. Complimentary wine, beer, and spirits are available along with premium snacks including cookies, chips, and cashews. Meals are provided on flights of 3.5 hours and longer. An EmPower power outlet is available at every seat on Airbus aircraft operated by US Airways, but not yet available on America West operated aircraft.
Available on all aircraft, with seat pitch ranging from 30 to 33 inches and width ranging from 17 to 18 inches. On A330 (and soon Boeing 767 and wingletted 757s) aircraft every seat has a personal television in the seat back that includes movies, games, and television shows in multiple languages. On all Airbus and some Boeing aircraft, there are overhead monitors every three rows or so. An EmPower power outlet is available at every row on Airbus aircraft operated by US Airways, but not yet available on America West operated aircraft.
In addition to US Airways partner airlines in the Star Alliance , the Dividend Miles program other partner airlines or programs include:
America West Airlines had a Frequent Flyer Program called . Following the US Airways-America West merger, FlightFund was merged into the US Airways '''Dividend Miles''' program.
The airline's Airport Lounge is called the and includes 21 lounges in 16 major airports around the world. Club membership has several levels, including:
- Base - Includes access only to the US Airways Clubs.
- Red Carpet - Includes US Airways Clubs and adds access to United Airlines Red Carpet Clubs when traveling on a United Airlines ticket.
- Star Alliance - Includes US Airways Clubs, United Airlines Red Carpet Clubs, and all Star Alliance partner airline clubs.
In addition to the US Airways Clubs, there is one Envoy Lounge located in Philadelphia International Airport for Envoy Class passengers. The Envoy Lounge includes upgraded amenities including complimentary alcohol. All passengers with an Envoy Class or Star Alliance Business Class ticket are admitted at no charge. Those with a Star Alliance First Class ticket are admitted and also allowed one guest (traveling on a Star Alliance carrier).
US Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines US Airways Codeshare Agreements as of June 2007:
- American Airlines (Codeshared with US Airways in the 90's)
- , 2005 ] Cheapflights.co.uk. at different times)
- Caribbean Sun (Ceased to exist when the airline shut down on January 31, 2007)
- Continental Airlines (Codeshared with America West Airlines Continental Ends Ticket Alliance With America West New York Times Online Archives) and ended the agreement on May 1, 2002, citing low codeshared flight sales.
- Qantas (Codeshared with 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 Oneworld airline alliance)
- Northwest Airlines (Codeshared with America West Airlines)
The crashes listed include only those of US Airways and US Air and not its predecessor airlines, such as Allegheny and PSA, nor regional commuter airlines operating US Airways flights under the brand "US Airways Express".
