Tag Archives: CLT

Piedmont Airlines’ flight attendants ratify the new contract

Piedmont Airlines’ (2nd) (US Airways Express) (Salisbury) flight attendants, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), have voted to ratify a new five-year collective bargaining agreement that was reached on March 6. The new contract was ratified by the airline’s 180 flight attendants who are based in Harrisburg, PA; Salisbury, MA; Charlottesville, VA; Roanoke, VA and New Bern, NC.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier (de Havilland Canada) DHC-8-102 N908HA (msn 015) of Piedmont Airlines (2nd) taxies to the runway at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) hub.

Piedmont Airlines-US Airways Express:

American Airlines changes its policies concerning mileage redemptions and checked bag policies

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) today announced new mileage redemption options for American Airlines AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles members, as well as new checked bag policies for customers traveling across the combined network of more than 356 destinations in 56 countries. The changes, along with enhancements in First and Business Class on flights operated by US Airways, part of American Airlines Group, will provide customers a more consistent experience and an onboard product in line with or better than that of American’s competitors.

Mileage Redemption Structure

Effective today for travel starting June 1, Dividend Miles members now will be able to book last seat availability awards for flights year-round without any blackout dates. For AAdvantage members, AAnytime award travel will now be available more for than half of the year at an even lower redemption level. Previous redemption rates called for 25,000 miles one way, and the new redemptions will start at 20,000 miles one way. Redemption mileage during the remainder of the year will begin at 30,000 miles one way for last seat availability. The exceptions will fall on the busiest travel days of the year. On those days, American will offer a higher award redemption option, which will be available starting at 50,000 miles one way. Since January, when American and US Airways launched the first phase of reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, AAdvantage and Dividend Miles members have earned more than 587 million miles through travel across the new American’s combined global network. For details on award travel levels, visit aa.com/aadvantage or usairways.com/dividendmiles.

Checked Bag Policies

American has also updated its checked bag policies. For flights operated by American, these changes take place for tickets issued starting today. For flights operated by US Airways, these changes take place for tickets issued starting April 23. The changes include removing the second bag charge on flights to and from South America. Also, AAdvantage Gold members and Dividend Miles Platinum and Gold members will receive one fewer free checked bag than they do today. Customers traveling on an AAnytime award or a full-fare economy ticket (on legacy American) will no longer receive free checked bags. Lastly, Citi cardholders will continue to receive one free checked bag, and starting April 30, that same benefit will also apply to customers who have the US Airways MasterCard® with an annual fee of at least $79.

Importantly, American leads the industry in baggage exemptions for our nation’s military as the only airline to offer five free checked bags to military servicemen and women traveling on orders, and three bags to military servicemen and women on personal travel.

Inflight Enhancements

Customers in First Class on flights operated by US Airways will now enjoy an updated selection of fresh meals on most flights longer than 1,000 nautical miles, or about 2 hours 45 minutes in duration. Customers in international Business Class on flights operated by US Airways will be able to tune out or tune in to new entertainment options with new Bose® Quiet Comfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones. Another feature includes Business Class on Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft which will now offer 60 movies and a greater variety of television programs, as well as audio selections on the new Samsung Galaxy Tab. Business Class on Airbus A330 aircraft now offers double the previous entertainment options, with more than 250 movies and 350 audio choices.

American Airlines (current):

US Airways:

US Airways joins the trans-Atlantic joint venture

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth), British Airways (London), Iberia (Madrid) and Finnair (Helsinki) today (April 3) celebrate a key milestone as US Airways (Phoenix) joins the airlines’ trans-Atlantic joint venture. As part of the joint business, established by American, British Airways and Iberia in October 2010, the airlines can cooperate commercially on trans-Atlantic flights. The joint venture also includes a revenue sharing agreement in which member airlines have permission to coordinate schedules and pricing on North Atlantic routes. These benefits provide customers traveling between North America and Europe increased choices and access to a more comprehensive network.

US Airways brings 28 trans-Atlantic routes to the joint business including nonstop service from the United States to 18 European destinations including Munich, Athens and Amsterdam. Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., will become oneworld’s largest East Coast gateways to Europe providing customers access to more than 100 destinations throughout North America with one-stop connections from these two airports. With combined operations, the joint business will serve 29 destinations in North America and 25 destinations in Europe, operating nearly 100 routes between the two regions.

US Airways also plans to implement extensive codeshare agreements with the other carriers in the coming weeks, providing easy access to the joint business’ combined global network.

US Airways:

Insel Air Aruba to introduce Aruba-Miami service on April 11

Insel Air Aruba (Aruba) will introduce a new route from Aruba to Miami on April 11 with six flights a week.

This will be followed by Aruba-Valencia service starting two days later on April 13.

Finally on June 18 the airline will launch a twice-weekly route to Georgetown, Guyana on June 18.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) PJ-MDD (msn 49972) with “Aruba” titles taxies at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).

US Airways Express/American Eagle to return to Watertown, New York

US Airways (American Airlines) (Phoenix) will resume passenger service to Watertown, New York on May 8. US Airways Express service was last operated in April 2007 from and to Pittsburgh. This time, US Airways Express (soon American Eagle) 50-seat CRJ200s will be operated to and from the Philadelphia hub with two flights a day.

Read the full report from 7 News in Watertown: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-600-2B19) N241PS (msn 7909) of PSA Airlines (2nd) taxies at the Charlotte hub.

US Airways Express-PSA Airlines:

Republic Airways Holdings to ground 27 regional jets due to a pilot shortage, Bloomberg Businessweek takes a look at the issue

Bloomberg Businessweek has taken a look at how the pilot shortage issue is affecting small carriers and how the low pay issue is making it worse.

Related to this, Republic Airways Holdings (Indianapolis), which owns regional carriers Chautauqua Airlines and Republic Airlines (2nd), today stated in a federal filing that it is no longer seeking lease extensions for 27 of 41 Embraer 50-seat regional jets. The holding company cited a “significant reduction” in pilots who meet the new U.S. experience rules according to Reuters.

Republic added that it will retire 27 50-seat regional jets this year

Read the full Bloomberg Businessweek article: CLICK HERE

Read the report by Reuters: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Chautauqua Airlines’ Embraer ERJ 145LR (EMB-145LR) N298SK (msn 145508) operating as an US Airways Express carrier departs from the Charlotte hub.

US Airways Express-Chautauqua Airlines:

American Airlines and US Airways expand their code-share agreement

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) and US Airways (Phoenix) are expanding their code-share agreement to provide customers access to nearly 6,500 daily flights to more than 275 destinations in the combined global network. These additional codeshare flights are now available for booking, for travel starting February 6.

American and US Airways launched the initial phase of their code-share on January 13. This phase extends the code-share to all flights across the combined global network, except for a select few international markets due to regulatory requirements. The two airlines expect to code-share on every international flight in these markets by the end of the first quarter.

Through the code-share, each airline can sell tickets operated by the other carrier using its own code and flight number, and customers will be able to easily combine select flights operated by each airline on a single itinerary when booking travel on aa.com, usairways.com or through travel distribution channels.

Customers should continue to check in for flights and conduct business with the airline operating their flight just as they did before the launch of this code-share.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The first US Airways aircraft to be repainted in American Airlines’ 2013 livery is this former Star Alliance Airbus A319-112 N700UW (msn 885) arriving back at Charlotte.

American Airlines (current):

American Airlines (historic):

US Airways:

Mesa Air Group to expand its partnership with US Airways

Mesa Air Group, Inc. (Mesa Airlines) (Phoenix has announced it has reached an agreement with US Airways, Inc. (Phoenix) to extend the term covering its original 38 Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft currently in operation and for the addition of four CRJ900 aircraft to its current fleet of 47 aircraft under the US Airways Express contract. The term of the agreement covering the 38 aircraft was extended until 2021 and the term for the 4 additional aircraft is 8 years from their induction date. No further details of the agreement were released.

Mesa currently operates 69 aircraft with approximately 396 daily system departures to 77 cities, and recently announced an additional 30 Embraer 175 aircraft will be flying for United Airlines. Mesa operates as US Airways Express and United Express under contractual agreements with US Airways and United Airlines, respectively, and independently as go!.

Eventually the company will become a new American Eagle branded operator with the final merger of the two AOCs into one for American Airlines.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier CRJ900 (CL-600-2D24) N919FJ (msn 15019) of Mesa departs from the Charlotte hub.

US Airways Express-Mesa:

American Airlines Group considers new destinations from the US Airways Charlotte hub

American Airlines‘ (Dallas/Fort Worth) new CEO (and old US Airways and America West Airlines CEO) Doug Parker stated to the Charlotte Observer and others via a conference call that they plan to add “new dots on the map” for the Charlotte hub. AA executives are now reviewing the combined route map for new opportunities. CLT is now the second largest hub (behind DFW) for the American Airlines Group.

American is also adding more seats to its planes.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. The old met the new at the Charlotte hub. Allegheny Airlines became USAir, later US Airways which merged with American Airlines with US Airways management taking over the “new” American. Airbus A319-112 N700UW (msn 885) of US Airways was the first aircraft to be paint in the new American Airlines brand.

American Airlines (current):

American Airlines (historic):

US Airways:

US Airways puts the first American Airlines painted aircraft into revenue service this morning

US Airways (American Airlines Group) (Phoenix) has painted its first aircraft in American Airlines‘ (Dallas/Fort Worth) 2013 new livery. The pictured Airbus A319-112 N700UW (msn 885), formerly painted in the Star Alliance color scheme (which US Airways is leaving), was placed into revenue service early this morning (January 30) from the Charlotte hub to New York’s La Guardia Airport as flight US 2060.

US Airways issued this statement:

American Airlines today (January 30) entered into service the first legacy US Airways aircraft, an Airbus A319, painted in the American Airlines livery. The newly dressed plane, tail number N700UW, debuted its freshly painted fuselage with service from Charlotte to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on flight 2060.

The Airbus A319 recently spent 13 days receiving its makeover. In anticipation of the new coat of paint, the existing paint was gently removed, the aircraft sanded and washed. Following the metallurgical exfoliation, the seams were sealed, the aircraft masked and 80 gallons of specially chosen paint applied to the exterior. A final detailing was completed to ensure the highest shine before sending the plane out the door and back to work.

This past December, following the close of the merger with US Airways, a survey was launched allowing employees from both airlines to vote whether to change or to maintain American’s current livery. InJanuary 2014 the voting results were announced to keep the new flag tail livery.

The airline will be adding the new look to its entire fleet of aircraft over the next few years. Approximately 640 aircraft are in line to receive the makeover, with newly arriving legacy American Airlines aircraft already outfitted in the new colors and US Airways aircraft delivered in the new colors beginning this June. By the end of second quarter 2014 American Airlines anticipates that more than 275 mainline and regional aircraft will have been painted in the new livery.

Top Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. History was recorded early this morning at Charlotte (CLT) by Jay Selman. All US Airways aircraft repainted in American’s colors will have a special “Operated by US Airways” inscription by the front door until the two AOCs are merged into one operating certificate.

Bottom Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-112 N700UW returns to Charlotte today after completing its round trip to and from New York.