Tag Archives: CLT

Trans States confirms it will operate at least 15 Embraer ERJ 145s for American

Trans States Airlines (St. Louis) has confirmed our previous report that the company will operate at least 15 former Envoy Air Embraer ERJ 145s under the American Eagle brand starting in April 2015 (see update below). The carrier was a former American Connection carrier. The airline issued this statement:

Trans States Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, Inc., has announced that it has finalized an agreement with American Airlines to operate at least 15 Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft under the American Eagle brand. Deliveries are slated to begin in April of 2015 at a rate of two per month until all aircraft are in place.

“We’re thrilled to renew our relationship with American Airlines and are delighted by the current and future opportunities that this growth will provide to our employees,” said Richard Leach, President and Chief Executive Officer of Trans States Airlines. “We look forward to providing American Airlines with the same safe, efficient and quality-focused service that our mainline partners have come to expect.”

“The Embraer 145s are an important part of our regional operation to ensure customers in small- and medium-size markets can access our growing global network from their communities,” said Kenji Hashimoto, senior vice president of regional carriers for American Airlines. “Trans States Airlines has been a solid regional partner of American Airlines and US Airways for many years, as well as a reliable performer with the E145 aircraft.”

Trans States Airlines previously provided regional service for American under the American Connection brand from 2001 to 2009, and has provided regional service for US Airways nearly continuously since 1993. It currently operates a fleet of 29 Embraer 145s and announced earlier this month that it will operate an additional 36 for United starting in February of 2015.

Update: Trans States Airlines will start operating as an American Eagle carrier on March 4, 2015.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Trans States operated as an American Connection carrier from November 2001 through May 2009. Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N811HK (msn 145256) arrives at Charlotte.

American Airlines Group’s flight attendants reject the latest contract offer

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) (American Airlines) flight attendants have rejected the latest tentative contract offer by a slim 16 vote margin – 8,196 against the proposal and 8,180 for the new contract. The flight attendants are represented by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants.

Read the full report by CBS News: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. US Airways’ Boeing 757-2B7 N939UW (msn 27303) now in full American colors taxies at the Charlotte hub.

American Airlines (current livery) aircraft slide show:

American Airlines-US Airways aircraft slide show:

American Airlines introduces a combined AAdvantage frequent flyer program

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) today released this announcement about its frequent flyer program:

American Airlines AAdvantage® and US Airways Dividend Miles® members will become part of the same frequent flyer program in the second quarter of 2015. The AAdvantage loyalty program will combine mileage balances and align elite levels and qualification criteria. It will also introduce the new upgrade policy for elite status members flying on American and US Airways.

In early 2015, members who have an account in both programs will have the opportunity to match their accounts. This is the next step before the program integration, which will offer customers a more seamless experience whether their flight is on American or US Airways. American began offering reciprocal benefits to AAdvantage and Dividend Miles members in January 2014, just one month after the close of the merger.

A comprehensive explanation of the changes for AAdvantage and Dividend Miles members can be found at aa.com/aadvantage2015.

AAdvantage Elite Status Membership Levels

AAdvantage offers three levels of elite status membership – AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold. Customers will continue to qualify for elite status based on elite-qualifying miles, points or segments. The current 100-segment threshold for Executive Platinum will continue until Dec. 31, 2014. On Jan. 1, 2015, the segment qualification requirement for Executive Platinum will be 120 segments for the 2016 membership year.

When the programs are combined, the four elite status levels in the Dividend Miles program will be mapped to the three elite status levels of the AAdvantage program:

Combining Accounts in the Second Quarter

For customers who have an account in both programs and have matched their accounts early in the year, American will move their current Dividend Miles elite-qualifying activity, award mileage balances and Million Miler balances into their existing AAdvantage account in the second quarter of 2015. AAdvantage elite status will be based on the member’s combined elite-qualifying activity from 2014 to determine status valid through February 2016. At the same time, their year-to-date 2015 qualifying balances will be combined to determine status through February 2017. If combining a member’s elite qualifying balances results in their reaching a new elite status level, American will honor that status level when the programs combine.

For Dividend Miles members who do not have an AAdvantage account, American will create one for them. Each of these members’ balances will then be transferred automatically to the new account in the second quarter of 2015.

For AAdvantage members who do not have a Dividend Miles account, no action is needed; they will retain their existing AAdvantage number and account.

500-Mile and Complimentary Upgrades

Once the programs combine in the second quarter of 2015, all elite members will receive complimentary, auto-requested upgrades on eligible American-marketed and operated flights less than or equal to 500 miles. Executive Platinum members will continue to receive complimentary upgrades on all 500-mile upgrade eligible flights, regardless of the length of the flight. Additionally, all complimentary upgrades will be automatically requested for each member at the time of booking. Elite member upgrade benefits will continue to work differently for American and US Airways flights initially until the airlines are on a common reservation system later in 2015.

The upgrade policy for elite members traveling on American-marketed and operated flights in eligible markets will be as follows:

Additional Benefits

AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Dividend Miles Chairman’s Preferred members now receive a complimentary alcoholic beverage and snack item when those members travel on US Airways flights in the Main Cabin, as they receive on American.

Starting Jan. 1, 2015, before the programs are combined, bonus miles for AAdvantage members on Business Class tickets on American and US Airways will increase from 25 to 50 percent to align with what Dividend Miles members receive today. Executive Platinum and Chairman’s Preferred members will also enjoy complimentary same-day flight changes on American Airlines.

Once the programs are combined in the second quarter of 2015, AAdvantage members will be able to redeem miles for upgrades and AAnytime® Awards for travel on American and US Airways flights. Executive Platinum members in the combined program will receive eight systemwide upgrades as they do in the current program today, and those upgrades will be valid on both American and US Airways marketed and operated flights.

Since January 2014, American has rolled out enhanced benefits to members flying on either airline, including:

1. The opportunity to earn and redeem miles on American or US Airways, with all eligible travel on either airline counting toward elite status qualification in the program of that member’s choice

2. Reciprocal benefits for elite status members when flying either airline, including First and Business Class check-in, complimentary checked bags and priority security and boarding

3. More lounge access, with reciprocal club access for Admirals Club® and US Airways Club members

4. Easy access to the combined company’s expanded network through the codeshare between American and US Airways, which allows the ability to sell seats on both airlines’ flights

5. Bringing US Airways into the award-winning oneworld® alliance, offering more options across the Atlantic and an easier and more rewarding global travel experience to Europe and beyond

6. The ability to easily stay connected while customers fly with Monthly Traveler and Daily Wi-Fi passes, valid on both American and US Airways

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The first US Airways Airbus A330-200 to be repainted is the pictured A330-243 N288AY (msn 1441) departing from the Charlotte hub.

American Airlines Aircraft Slide Show (Current):

American Airlines-US Airways:

American Airlines Group reports a record third quarter net profit of $1.2 billion

American Airlines Group Inc. (American Airlines and US Airways) (Dallas/Fort Worth) today reported its third quarter 2014 results.

Third quarter 2014 net profit, excluding net special charges, was a record $1.2 billion, up 59 percent versus the third quarter 2013

Third quarter 2014 GAAP net profit was $942 million, a record for any quarter in the history of American Airlines

Returned $185 million to shareholders through the payment of $72 million in quarterly dividends and the repurchase of $113 million of common stock through the Company’s stock repurchase program

Declared a dividend of $0.10 per share to be paid on November 17, 2014 to shareholders of record as of November 3, 2014

For the third quarter 2014, American Airlines Group reported a record GAAP net profit of $942 million. This compares to a GAAP net profit of $289 million in the third quarter 2013 for AMR Corporation prior to the merger.

The Company believes it is more meaningful to compare year-over-year results for American Airlines and US Airways excluding special charges and on a combined basis, which is a non-GAAP formulation that combines the results for AMR Corporation and US Airways Group. On this basis, third quarter 2014 net profit excluding net special charges was a record $1.2 billion, or $1.66 per diluted share. This represents a 59 percent improvement over the combined non-GAAP net profit of $771 million excluding net special charges for the same period in 2013. The Company’s third quarter 2014 pretax margin excluding net special charges was 11 percent. See the accompanying notes in the Financial Tables section of this press release for further explanation of this presentation, including a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial information.

“We are very pleased to have reported a record profit for each quarter so far in 2014,” said Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. “We anticipate we will also post a record profit for both the fourth quarter and full year 2014. This performance reflects the strength of our merger and the commitment of our team. Our over 100,000 team members are doing an excellent job of integrating our airlines and providing outstanding service to our customers. While some of the biggest tasks in our integration still lie before us, the significant accomplishments to date reinforce our confidence that we are well on our way to restoring American as the world’s greatest airline. Thanks to our team, American is in excellent position for success in 2015 and beyond.”

Revenue and Cost Comparisons

Total revenues in the third quarter were a record $11.1 billion, an increase of 4.4 percent versus the third quarter 2013 on a combined basis, on a 2.0 percent increase in total available seat miles (ASMs). Consolidated passenger revenue per ASM (PRASM) was a record at 14.12 cents, up 1.0 percent versus the third quarter 2013 on a combined basis, driven by a record yield of 16.93 cents, up 2.6 percent year-over-year.

Total operating expenses in the third quarter were $9.9 billion, an increase of 3.5 percent over combined third quarter 2013. Third quarter mainline cost per available seat mile (CASM) was 13.28 cents, up 1.3 percent on a 2.1 percent increase in mainline ASMs versus combined third quarter 2013. Excluding special charges and fuel, mainline CASM was up 0.7 percent compared to the combined third quarter 2013, at 8.35 cents. Regional CASM excluding special charges and fuel was 15.52 cents, up 3.7 percent on a 1.0 percent increase in regional ASMs versus combined third quarter 2013.

Liquidity and Financing Transactions

At September 30, 2014, American had approximately $8.8 billion in total cash and short-term investments, of which $875 million was restricted. The Company also had an undrawn revolving credit facility of $1.0 billion.

During the third quarter, the Company Issued $957 million principal amount of 2014-1 Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) at a blended interest rate of 3.8 percent and issued $750 million principal amount of 5.5 percent senior unsecured notes due in 2019.

Also in the third quarter, the Company returned $185 million to its shareholders through the payment of $72 million in quarterly dividends and the repurchase of $113 million of common stock, or 2.9 million shares. The Company also purchased approximately 432,000 shares from its Disputed Claims Reserve at the prevailing market price to satisfy certain tax obligations resulting from the July 1, 2014, distribution.

As of September 30, 2014, $721 million of the Company’s unrestricted cash balance was held in Venezuelan bolivars, valued at the weighted average applicable exchange rate of 6.41 bolivars to the dollar. The Company’s cash balance held in Venezuelan bolivars decreased $70 million from the June 30, 2014, balance of $791 million, due primarily to $48 million in repatriations in the third quarter of 2014 ($31 million valued at 6.3 bolivars to the dollar and $17 million valued at 10.6 bolivars to the dollar). This balance also reflects the Company’s significant reduction in capacity in this market, pending further repatriation of funds and due to a decrease in demand for air travel resulting from the effective devaluation of the bolivar. The Company continues to work with Venezuelan authorities regarding the timing and exchange rate applicable to the repatriation of funds held in local currency. The Company is monitoring this situation closely and continues to evaluate its holdings of Venezuelan bolivars for potential impairment.

In early October, the Company arranged a new credit facility consisting of a fully-drawn $750 million term loan that matures in October 2021 and an undrawn $400 million revolving credit facility that matures in October 2019. Collateral for the new credit facility consists of certain slots, gates and route authorities. Also in early October, the Company increased its existing $1 billion revolving credit facility by $400 million and extended its maturity date from June 2018 to October 2019. As a result of these transactions, the Company’s undrawn revolving credit facility is now $1.8 billion.

On October 22, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.10 per share for shareholders of record as of November 3, 2014. The dividend will be paid on November 17, 2014.

Merger Integration Developments

Reached a tentative agreement with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants on a joint collective bargaining agreement covering more than 24,000 flight attendants at American and US Airways. This agreement is pending ratification by the flight attendants

Recalibrated the schedule at our Miami hub to increase the number of available connections and optimize revenue

Combined operations at 82 airports since the merger, including the Company’s hub at Chicago O’Hare

Broke ground on our new state of the art Robert W. Baker Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, with completion planned for the third quarter of 2015

American flight attendants began exclusively using an electronic flight attendant manual on a handheld tablet, making the documents easier to access for flight attendants and reducing weight on each aircraft. US Airways flight attendants will begin using eManuals after the two carriers achieve a single operating certificate next year

Rebranded nine Admirals Club® lounges at eight airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Boston Logan Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, and Tampa International Airport

Fleet and Network Developments

As part of its plan to modernize its fleet, the Company took delivery of 22 new mainline aircraft during the third quarter

US Airways became fully integrated in the trans-Atlantic joint business by launching a codeshare agreement with Finnair, providing customers increased access to Helsinki and beyond

Applied for new international service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Beijing. This will be the Company’s 11th route between the U.S. and Asia

Special Items

In the third quarter, the Company recognized a total of $281 million in net special charges, including:

$223 million net special operating charges, which principally included $168 million of mainline and regional merger integration expenses and an $81 million charge to revise prior estimates of certain aircraft residual values. These charges were offset, in part, by a net $40 million credit for bankruptcy related items consisting of fair value adjustments for bankruptcy settlement obligations
$50 million of nonoperating items, primarily due to early debt extinguishment costs related to American’s 7.5 percent senior secured notes and other debt
$8 million in non-cash deferred income tax provision related to certain indefinite-lived intangible assets

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. US Airways is now repainting its fleet, including the older Boeing 757-200s. Boeing 757-23N N203UW (msn 30548) taxies at the Charlotte hub.

American Airlines (current livery):

US Airways:

American Airlines-US Airways:

American Airlines Cargo and US Airways Cargo today are now using the same air waybill, another step in the merger process

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) have reached a significant milestone in their merger today as the cargo divisions combined under a single air waybill. The new entity brings in more than $800 million each year and moves more than one billion pounds of freight and mail annually.

The cargo teams have successfully combined 154 facilities and harmonized products since December 2013, making it the first operations division at the airline to be fully integrated.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Another step in the repainting process at US Airways is the pictured Airbus A319-112 N745VJ (msn 1289) in the legacy 1966 Allegheny Airlines markings now has American titles.

American Airlines-US Airways:

American Airlines (current livery):

US Airways:

Allegheny Airlines (1st) Aircraft Slide Show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Airlines-UnitedStates-1/Allegheny-Airlines-1st

American Airlines Group pays renewed homage to the original Pacific Southwest Airlines

American Airlines Group (American Airlines and US Airways) (Dallas/Fort Worth) has repainted the pictured US Airways Airbus A319-112 N742PS (msn 1275) now with American titles. The Group is proud of its heritage logo jets and is also proud to remember its honored past. The group intends to have additional heritage jets (including TWA) for most of its heritage airlines that are now in the new and expanded American Airlines family tree (below).

The original Pacific Southwest Airlines-PSA (San Diego) operated from 1949 to 1988.

In other news, the continued negotiations for a combined pilot seniority list continues for the new American Airlines with some calling for America West pilots to be included in the negotiations.

This article by Ted Reed in Forbes details the on-going negotiations for a fair seniority list. Read the article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 N742PS (msn 1275) in the 1977 livery of PSA and now with American titles departs from the Charlotte hub.

American Airlines-US Airways:

American Airlines:

US Airways:

Pacific Southwest Airlines-PSA (1st):

Photos of the original PSA via YouTube:

Family Tree: Courtesy of American Airlines (aircraft images from AirlinersGallery.com):

Piedmont Airlines’ pilots approve the new contract, will fly American Eagle jets

Piedmont Airlines’ (2nd) (US Airways Express and American Eagle) (Salisbury, MD) pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), voted to ratify amendments to their current agreement with the company. With 86 percent of the pilot group participating in the ballot, 77 percent of those pilots voted to approve the modifications to their current contract, which includes plans to refleet the airline as well as guaranteed opportunities for Piedmont pilots with the airline’s parent company, American Airlines.

“With much of our fleet of Dash 8s nearing replacement age, we needed to look long term as to what was best for the pilots on the property now, and what would provide career options for pilots just joining Piedmont,” said Capt. Bruce Freedman, chairman of the Piedmont unit of ALPA.

Under the modified agreement, Piedmont pilots can now take advantage of a seniority-based flow-through procedure to fly at American Airlines, and pilots have secured flying at Piedmont by obtaining minimum fleet commitments. In exchange, Piedmont pilots agreed to increase their share of medical premium payments and, over time, revise pay scales to reflect more commonly used industry approaches.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The Bombardier DHC-8 turboprop fleet is gradually being repainted. However the Dash 8s will need to be replaced and this new agreement paves the way for the company to fly American Eagle jets in the future. Bombardier DHC-8-314 N329EN (msn 290) departs from the Charlotte hub.

US Airways Express-Piedmont Airlines:

American-US Airways pilots agree on a protocol for pilot seniority integration, will it lead to a final list?

U.S. Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), representing the pilots of US Airways (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) (and the pilots of the former America West Airlines) (Phoenix), stated it has reached a tentative agreement on a protocol with the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union representing the pilots of American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth). The tentative agreement lays out a process for the seniority integration of the two pilot groups according to The Street.

However according to article by Forbes, the previous bitter split between US Airways (East) pilots and America West (West) pilots at US Airways, could reemerge as work continues on a final seniority list. Will the new American Airlines inherit the seven-year old US Airways-America West pilot dispute? Forbes explores this question.

Read the full interesting article: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Freshly repainted with new American titles, US Airways’ Airbus A319-132 N838AW (msn 2615) painted in America West’s 2005 heritage livery, taxies to the gate at the Charlotte hub. N838AW symbolizes this hot button issue better than any other AA-US aircraft.

American Airlines (current):

American Airlines-US Airways:

US Airways:

America West Airlines:

Jay Selman’s Inside Look: US Airways operates the last Boeing 737 Classic revenue flight

Guest Editor Jay Selman

An Inside Look: The End of a Classic Era

by Jay Selman

When I was hired by Piedmont Airlines (Winston-Salem) in 1981, the Boeing 737 reigned supreme. We were taking delivery of brand new Boeing 737-200s, and oh how I loved those birds. They were short and fat, and NOISY in an era when noise was still acceptable! In the early days of my airline career, I was on an airplane virtually every weekend. Those were the days when an airline could make money with a 50% load factor, and on those rare occasions when a flight did fill up, there was usually room in the cockpit for a company employee. I’d venture to say that 95% of my flights during the first 10 years of my career were in 737s.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-201 N736N (msn 19420) of Piedmont waits for its next assignment at Atlanta. The -200 is painted in the original 1974 livery.

By 1985, the 737-300 had joined the Piedmont fleet. Although it still had the 737 designation, it seemed to be a whole new animal. Those CFM-56 engines were massive compared to the JT-8Ds on the -200s, and the 737-300 promised significant increases in payload and range, as well as significant reductions in fuel burn. Oh yes, and they were QUIET. In fact, a common complaint among crewmembers flying the -300 was that they had to lower their voices so that passengers would not join in their conversations. The cockpits of Piedmont’s -300s still had the old “steam gauges” but they also had greatly improved avionics, and even a lovely feature called “Autoland”, which the company was never actually certified to use.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-301 N307P (msn 23259) of Piedmont wears the updated white top 1974 color scheme.

Piedmont was the launch customer for the Boeing 737-400, essentially a stretched -300, and in September, 1988, I had the good fortune to fly on the delivery flight of N406US, the first 737-400 in the world to be delivered by Boeing.

Copyright Photo: Nigel P. Chalcraft/AirlinersGallery.com. The first delivered -400, Boeing 737-401 N406US (msn 23876) taxies at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood in the bare metal 1988 livery.

At one time, Piedmont was able to claim the title of the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 737. No wonder I had a love affair with the Seven Three throughout my career in the airline industry.

In 1989, Piedmont and USAir merged and I was now working for USAir. The merger brought a large number of different aircraft types to my company, but I still loved the 737.

Copyright Photo: Christian Volpati Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. Suddenly the Piedmont name and brand were going way. USAir later gave way to US Airways as a brand.

Then in 1997, USAir CEO Steven Wolf shocked the aviation community by announcing an order for up to 400 narrow-body Airbus aircraft. Ultimately, this would reduce the composition of the company’s narrow-body fleet to one basic type (the A319, A320, and A321 are all the same basic airplane).

The handwriting was on the wall for the USAir (later US Airways) 737s…in fact, all of the narrow body aircraft operated by USAir. With respect to the 737s, the dwindling fleet of 737-200s was parked following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, while the last of the -300s was retired in 2013. Finally, on August 19, 2014, N435US operated the final flight of a US Airways 737, appropriately designated as flight US 737.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. There are now no longer any US Airways 737 Classics operating out of the Charlotte hub. N406US landed at CLT with 43515 cycles and approximately 65405.45 hours. The airliner was a trusted performer for the carrier and has now been retired to the desert.

“Cactus 737”, its ATC callsign, flew from Charlotte to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Philadelphia and back to Charlotte on August 19, and I was able to fly all three legs on it. US Airways elected to keep the event low-key, since, after all, the “new American Airlines” is currently operating over 230 Next-Generation 737-800s, and will eventually own a fleet of over 300 of the type. But what made the trip special for me was the fact that the pilot in command, Captain Jeff Tarr, was also flying his last trip as an airline pilot.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The end of an era. N435US sits at the gate, unlikely to carry passengers again.

When Cactus 737 pulled into Gate D7 at 9:48 pm at CLT, there was no real fanfare for the airplane, but there was plenty of recognition for Captain Tarr.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Pictured in the cockpit of N435US is Captain Jeff Tarr (left) and F/O Robert Channell (right). This also was Jeff’s retirement flight.

And, after all, that is the way it should be. Too often, an airline is defined by its aircraft, or its color scheme, or its catch phrase. But what should REALLY define an airline is it’s employees. For most of us who have been in this industry for any length of time, it’s more than a job…it’s a way of life. Most of us who have been here for awhile began working in the days when we were envied for our status as airline employees. We remember hearing, “You have one of the best jobs in the world,” rather than, “I wouldn’t have your job for anything in the world.” An airline is about people, and not just airplanes.  Having said that, the Boeing 737 has been part of the airline I work for during my entire 33-year career. Admittedly, the Airbus offers many advantages to the passenger than the old 737 Classic. And, of course, once the merger is complete, I will, again, be working for a company that will be operating 300+ Next-Generation 737s.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The proud crew of flight US 737 that operated the flight from DFW to PHL and finally to CLT.

In my personal opinion, an Airbus simply cannot compare to a Boeing in terms of useful life and ruggedness. Why do I say this? Just consider this fact. There are still plenty of 737s around with 30+ years on their airframes. Many still haul passengers, while countless others have been converted to freight dogs. I have no idea how many 737s have been converted to cargo carriers, but I can tell you exactly how many A320s have been.  So, vive la 737. You’ve given me a great ride.

Piedmont Airlines (1st):

USAir:

US Airways:

US Airways to operate a special flight “0737” on August 19 to honor the last Boeing 737 Classic

US Airways (Phoenix and Dallas/Fort Worth) has decided to honor the long line of Boeing 737 Classic aircraft with a special flight “US 0737” that will be flown on the last day of revenue passenger operations for the last Boeing 737-400 on August 19.

US Airways, with the previously legacy operations of Allegheny Airlines, USAir, Piedmont Airlines and now US Airways, the airline has flown the Boeing 737-200, 737-300 and 737-400 models. This is the last flight of a Classic 737 for the company.

The new American Airlines will continue to operate the Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 model. This special flight is available to the public and employees who want to experience history of the last flight.

Passengers and employees on this special flight will pay tribute to the many years of faithful service this aircraft type has provided to the legacy US Airways certificate holder.

The special flight will be routed from Charlotte (CLT) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), then on to Philadelphia (PHL) and finally back to Charlotte to close this chapter of airline history. Extra time is being allocated at each station for special farewell ceremonies.

Previously on November 26, 2012 US Airways retired its last Boeing 737-300 from revenue service. Aircraft 737-3B7 N530AU (msn 24412) operated flight US 1611 from Raleigh/Durham to the Charlotte hub ending 28 years of faithful service

The now finalized schedule of special flight US 0737 on Tuesday August 19, 2014:

Thank you US Airways and the American Airlines Group for honoring airline history and for organizing this special goodbye flight.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-4B7 N443US (msn 24842) taxies to the runway at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) hub.

US Airways: