From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Feb 1 13:47:42 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 08:47:42 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways, America West combining vacation-booking units Message-ID: <20060201084652.R652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 31 January 2006 ; Business Journal of Phoenix US Airways, America West combining vacation-booking units http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/01/30/daily21.html --- Following the recent merger of the two airlines, America West Vacations and US Airways Vacations will combine to offer customers new one-stop vacation destinations and an easier to book such travel. Expecting more traffic, US Airways plans to add 40 more customer service jobs to handle the increase in volume. Customers using www.usairwaysvacations.com will be able use the new Low-Fare Finder fare-search grid, which will help them search within a range of several days for the lowest-priced package. The new, farther-reaching US Airways Vacations offers customers one convenient place to book vacation packages to dozens of destinations, including favorites in Las Vegas, Florida, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Europe, Costa Rica, Arizona, Mexico, and many more. Bookings to Europe and the Caribbean will be managed and fulfilled by US Airways partner Mark Travel Corp. until May. Last year's merger of US Airways and America West created the fifth largest domestic airline. Tempe-based US Airways Group Inc. (NYSE: LCC) operates approximately 3,700 flights per day, serving more than 230 communities in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Feb 1 13:48:48 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 08:48:48 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways warns of expiring frequent-flier miles Message-ID: <20060201084758.M652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 31 January 2006 ; Philadelphia Business Journal US Airways warns of expiring frequent-flier miles http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/01/30/daily28.html --- US Airways Group Inc. will erase the frequent-flier accounts of customers whose accounts have had no activity in at least three years, a company spokesman confirmed. The airline, which is the dominant carrier at Philadelphia International Airport, has sent letters to Dividend Miles account holders whose miles are slated to expire. The letter warns them to book a flight or otherwise add miles to their accounts by Feb. 15 or risk losing all their miles. The move comes as part of US Airways' recent $1.5 billion merger with America West Group Holdings Inc. The combined carrier (NYSE:LCC), which took the US Airways name, is based in Tempe, Ariz. In separate developments, US Airways Vacations and America West Vacations are combining their operations to offer customers one-stop vacation shopping to more destinations. As a result, US Airways anticipates higher volume and plans to add 40 customer-service jobs to the division. US Airways Vacations is one of the largest vacation-package companies in the United States, with packages available to Las Vegas, the Caribbean, Florida, Bermuda, Europe, Arizona, California, Mexico, New York, Boston, Hawaii, Costa Rica and Reno and Lake Tahoe, Nev. Packages include round-trip fare, hotel accommodations and other options From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Feb 1 13:49:49 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 08:49:49 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] Airline adding 48 jobs in city Message-ID: <20060201084849.L652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 1 February 2006 ; Winston-Salem Journal Airline adding 48 jobs in city http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833784991&path=!business&s=1037645507703 --- US Airways plans to add 100 more at reservations center By Richard Craver JOURNAL REPORTER A renewed focus on domestic customer service is prompting US Airways Group Inc. to bolster the work force at its Winston-Salem reservations center. The airline has hired 48 employees for its Hanes Mall Boulevard center, Vonda Hardy, the president of Communications Workers of America Local 3640, said yesterday. There are plans to add at least 100 more "as soon as possible," Hardy said. US Airways has 591 employees at the center, including 525 reservation representatives, according to Philip Gee, a spokesman for the airline. "What I understand is that the reservations center has been told to hire and to keep hiring until they're told to stop," Hardy said. "We started two three-week classes for new trainees on Monday for another 48." Gee said that the company is planning more training classes for late February. Hardy said that the hiring strategy is recognition by US Airways' new management that the outsourcing of domestic-reservation calls wasn't working as efficiently as expected. Gee said that US Airways did not have a comment on how the airline is handling domestic production. The airline will conduct a job fair at the Winston-Salem Urban League from 9 a.m. to noon next Wednesday. All applicants must submit a resume to Urban League officials by Friday at the group's office at 201 W. Fifth St. or e-mail one to sjones at wsurban.org to participate in the job fair. For more information, call 725-5614. America West Holdings Corp., based in Tempe, Ariz., completed the purchase of US Airways on Sept. 27 after US Airways emerged for the second time from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The airline kept the US Airways brand. The previous US Airways management closed the Pittsburgh reservations center in September 2005 to consolidate domestic reservations in Winston-Salem. The airline also transferred some domestic calls to centers in San Salvador, El Salvador, Mexico City and the Philippines. "We're getting some of the jobs back because the outsourcing wasn't working in some areas because of the language barrier," Hardy said. "Some reservation calls were taking up to 40 minutes longer than they needed to be." Many new hires are likely to work second shift, along with weekends and holidays. The starting salary will be $8.72 an hour, according to Hardy and Urban League officials. US Airways paid a starting salary of $9.52 an hour for reservations representatives before being bought by America West. Adding local jobs also represents a sharp reversal from US Airways' recent personnel strategy, which had cut the work force at its reservations and Dividend Miles centers from 1,600 in August 2004 to 468 in October 2005. The airline is consolidating its consumer-affairs division and revenue-accounting operations in Tempe by spring. The previous management offered early-out packages to local reservation employees and 324 accepted, Hardy said. Another 40 local reservations employees retired. "I don't think the company was ready for that many people to take the early-out package," Hardy said. Steve Jones, the director of the Urban League's employment division, said he didn't know whether the airline's recent personnel moves will affect its hiring plan. "I know that many people are attracted by the benefits package that include free flights," he said. Hardy said that new management has taken away "some of the uneasiness about the status of the company." US Airways is not the only airline reducing the number of domestic calls being transferred offshore, said Dean Headley, an aviation analyst at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan. "It's likely that the America West management has gotten a better feel for the holes in the merged company, and one of them is how it handles domestic reservations," Headley said. "They might have determined that whatever cost savings they're getting are being lost in customer dissatisfaction." The airline is eligible for up to $100,000 a year in incentives for three years from the city of Winston-Salem, according to Derwick Paige, the assistant city manager for economic development. He said that US Airways could receive $88.24 for each retained job and $83.34 for each transferred job in September. "The incentive deal does not address new positions, and the airline hasn't approached us to request incentives for new hires," Paige said. Forsyth County commissioners made a similar three-year offer to the airline last February. Ed Jones, a deputy county manager, said he hasn't heard from the airline about the county's offer. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed Feb 1 23:50:34 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 18:50:34 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] 50-cent US Airways flights gone in 60 seconds Message-ID: <20060201185026.N652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 1 February 2006 ; Arizona Republic 50-cent US Airways flights gone in 60 seconds http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/020150cent01-ON.html --- by Dawn Gilbertson The first batch of 50-cent flights on US Airways were scooped up today in less than a minute. Fifty lucky winners snagged round-trip tickets to Rome for 50 cents plus taxes in the first day of a monthlong credit card promotion from Barclays' Bank. Everyone else that tried was met with the Internet equivalent of a busy signal at 50centflights.com. Barclays, through its Juniper Bank division, launched the promotion to introduce its new US Airways Dividend Miles Master Card. Customers earn frequent flier miles on Tempe-based US Airways for their purchases. Only cardmembers are eligible for the 50-cent flights. The cities change every weekday. Thursday it will be Miami; Friday, Las Vegas. The times to click and try to win change every day. There was plenty of grumbling about the Internet logjam on frequent flier Web site FlyerTalk.com, but two people did post messages saying they scored one of the flights. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Feb 4 15:48:04 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 10:48:04 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] Sabre signs five-year deal with US Airways Message-ID: <20060204104701.E652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 February 2006 ; Reuters Sabre signs five-year deal with US Airways http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=marketsNews&storyID=2006-02-02T125642Z_01_WEN9622_RTRIDST_0_LEISURE-SABRE-URGENT.XML --- CHICAGO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Sabre Holdings Corp., which owns the Travelocity Web site, on Thursday said its Sabre Travel Network has signed a five-year, full-content deal with US Airways Group Inc., through which all US Air published fares and inventory will be available for Sabre users. US Air also signed a deal with Travelocity, which includes the Travelocity Partner Network, Sabre said. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Feb 4 15:49:24 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 10:49:24 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] Sabre sign with US Airways Message-ID: <20060204104822.L652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 February 2006 ; Internet Travel News Sabre sign with US Airways http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/article/20060202152651229 --- Sabre Holdings and US Airways have signed a new five-year, full content agreement for Sabre Travel Network. Through the agreement, all US Airways published fares and inventory, whether flown under the America West or US Airways brand, including Web fares, are guaranteed to be available for all users of the Sabre global distribution system (GDS), including online and offline travel agencies. This includes published fares that the airline sells through any third-party Web site and through its own Web site and reservation offices. Concurrent with the agreement, US Airways, the fifth largest domestic airline, also signed a new long-term full content deal with Travelocity, which includes the Travelocity Partner Network, Travelocity's private label booking business, as its exclusive hotel content supplier for the US Airways Web site. "This is a great opportunity to provide value across our portfolio to help US Airways market and sell its products long term. It's a milestone for both companies," said Hugh Jones, chief operating officer, Sabre Travel Network. "Our travel agents, corporate travelers and consumers will now have unprecedented access to all published fares offered by US Airways. This long-term agreement reflects the unique capabilities of Sabre's efficient marketplace that provides a comprehensive, global and real-time electronic supermarket for the buying and selling of travel." "Signing this agreement with Sabre not only provides attractive economics to US Airways, but it also ensures our most loyal customers will have easy access to our low fares through the distribution channel most convenient for them," remarked Scott Kirby, US Airways executive vice president, sales and marketing. "Many of our top business customers regard Sabre as the most convenient and comprehensive way to book their travel. We're extremely pleased with the agreement as it allows these customers to continue booking on US Airways through their existing systems." --- [1] http://www.sabre-holdings.com/ From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Feb 4 15:50:18 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 10:50:18 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways is hiring reservation sales representatives. Message-ID: <20060204104938.N652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 February 2006 ; WMFMY News 2 US Airways is hiring reservation sales representatives. http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=56623 --- Winston-Salem, NC -- The Winston-Salem Urban League and US Airways will hire up to 100 more peple to work at the Winston-Salem reservations department. Minimum qualifications are a high school diploma or equivalent, a minimum age of 18 years, and availability to work variabe hours including nights, weekends and holidays. Skills include excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong listening and problem-solving skills, abiity to function effectively in high stress situations, abiity to continuously learn and understand changing job-related policies and procedures, and people-oriented skills including a positive and cooperative attitude. Duties include generating revenue and promoting customer service through telephone sales, providing information regarding fights, fares, destinations, special offers and products, resolvng customer problems and or complaints, and achieving performance expectations in attendance and availability to customres and sales measures. Benefits and compensation include medical/dental, 401k, paid vacation and holidays and free flight benefits. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Feb 4 15:51:41 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 10:51:41 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways, America West record good on-time numbers Message-ID: <20060204105031.D652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 February 2006 ; The Business Journal of Phoenix US Airways, America West record good on-time numbers http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/01/30/daily54.html --- by Mike Sunnucks US Airways got some good news and bad news from the latest air travel consumer report put out by the federal government on Thursday. The report contains separate numbers for America West Airlines and US Airways, which merged late last year and are integrating operations. While the airlines have joined in a single corporate identity, US Airways and America West are still operating under separate FAA certificates until the agency approves a single operating certificate. That process may take two to three years, industry observers have said. On the plus side, America West ranked third best in the industry for on-time arrivals rates in December. US Airways ranked fifth best. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), which has substantial operations in Phoenix, ranked fourth best. All had on-time arrival rates above 75 percent at major U.S. airports. Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time rate at major airports. JetBlue Airways came in last. For the year, America West came in fourth for on-time performance; US Airways 13th and Southwest fifth. However, when it came to consumer complaints filed with federal agencies US Airways did not fare as well in December. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports getting 50 consumer complaints about US Airways in December. The complaints range from lost baggage and ticket problems to flight delays. US Airways had the worst rate of consumer complaints of U.S. carriers in December, according to the new federal numbers. America West ranked 14th; Southwest second; and Frontier Airlines had the fewest number of and lowest rate of complaints. Tempe-based US Airways Group Inc. (NYSE: LCC) operates about 3,700 flights per day, serving more than 230 communities in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Feb 4 15:52:58 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 10:52:58 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] Sabre Locks Up U.S. Airways Fares For Five Years Message-ID: <20060204105200.D652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 February 2006 ; Information Week Sabre Locks Up U.S. Airways Fares For Five Years http://www.informationweek.com/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=178600940 --- Airline says it will stop investing in development of its own corporate booking portal. By Tony Kontzer In the latest sign that airlines are flexing their muscle as they seek more favorable terms with the companies that help them sell tickets, U.S. Airways this week said it's reached a five-year agreement with Sabre Travel Network to provide its entire airfare inventory to Sabre's distribution network. The airline also signed a concurrent agreement with Sabre's Travelocity site, which will supply U.S. Airways' site with hotel inventory the airline can offer as part of travel packages. The deal with Sabre Travel Network marks the first time that the former America West Airlines, which took the U.S. Airways name after acquiring its larger competitor last year, has signed a long-term agreement with any of the four companies that run the so-called "global distribution systems" that travel agencies and corporate travel departments use to book travel reservations. Those companies: Amadeus IT Group, Cendant Corp.'s Galileo International, Sabre, and Worldspan; signed numerous airlines to such contracts a few years ago in order to secure full inventories in exchange for slightly discounted distribution fees. But as the rise of cheaper, alternative technologies has forced Sabre and the others to adjust their pricing further, airlines have become bolder in their approach to negotiations. In America West's case, it launched a corporate booking portal in 2004 with the stated intent of trying to get corporate travelers to book directly with the airline. But Scott Kirby, executive VP of sales and marketing for the new U.S. Airways, says the airline will now cease investing in further development of that site, and he acknowledges that the corporate portal served primarily to test the airline's resolve. "We had to experiment with it, and we had to convince the [global distribution systems] that, if necessary, we were prepared to go it on our own," says Kirby. Corporate customers have clearly indicated that they're not willing to shop across airline sites looking for the best fares, Kirby says, but rather, they want continued access to a booking engine that lets them shop for fares through a single interface. That, combined with the fact that Sabre reaches the largest number of travel agent desktops, led the airline to agree to the recent contract, he says. Travel industry observers have targeted 2006 as a key year for the airline industry because the long-term agreements with the Sabres and Galileos were set to expire, opening up an opportunity for upstarts like ITA Software and G2 Switchworks to intercept some of that business with their lower-cost, standards-based technology. But if their more established competitors start inking more deals, ITA and G2 could find that securing a bigger piece of the airfare distribution business will take a bit longer than expected. "Deals like the ones we just cut with Sabre reduce their advantage," says Kirby. Financial terms of U.S. Airways' contract with Sabre were not divulged. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Feb 4 15:54:16 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 10:54:16 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Fourth Quarter 2005 Financial Conference Call to Be Web Cast Message-ID: <20060204105322.L652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 February 2006 ; PR Newswire US Airways Fourth Quarter 2005 Financial Conference Call to Be Web Cast http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-02-2006/0004274084 --- TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways Group (NYSE: LCC) will conduct a live audio webcast of its fourth quarter 2005 financial results conference call with the financial community on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. ET (9:00 a.m. MT). The Web cast will be available to the public on a listen-only basis at the company's Web sites, http://www.usairways.com or http://www.americawest.com. An archive of the Web cast will be available on the site through March 21, 2006. Listeners to the Web cast will need a current version of Windows Media Player software and at least a 28.8ps connection to the Internet. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Feb 13 13:30:09 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 08:30:09 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways, and its own pilots, will fly 190s Message-ID: <20060213082921.A608-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 13 February 2006 ; ATW US Airways, and its own pilots, will fly 190s http://atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=4017 --- US Airways will become the second carrier in the US after JetBlue to operate the Embraer 190 after altering an existing order for 85 170s--57 of which are still to be delivered--to an order for 25 190s and 32 additional "firm 190s subject to reconfirmation," according to a joint statement from Embraer and US Airways.The deal also includes up to 50 options for other aircraft in the 170/190 family. Deliveries will resume in November. US Airways announced the original order for 170s in May 2003 in between its two bankruptcy reorganizations. The 190s will be configured for 88 seats, including 11 in first class. US Airways pilots rather than those of a Regional partner will operate the aircraft. Although the carrier left bankruptcy last fall, the agreement still must be affirmed by the US Bankruptcy Court. While America West and US Airways merged last year, the two pilot seniority lists have yet to be combined. However, the airline was able to negotiate a pay rate that is comparable to JetBlue, according to Jack Stephan, a spokesperson for the US Airways pilot group. "It's about $95 an hour for a captain and about $52 an hour for a first officer," he said. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Feb 14 03:09:25 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 22:09:25 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] Teamsters to force US Airways vote Message-ID: <20060213220816.W608-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 13 February 2006 ; The Charlotte Observer Teamsters to force US Airways vote http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/13861554.htm --- by TONY MECIA The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said Monday that it has enough support to force an election on whether it or the International Association of Machinists will represent US Airways' 3,500 mechanics. For weeks, the Teamsters have been gathering signatures in major US Airways cities, including Charlotte, to try to hold a representation election. The battle between the Teamsters and the IAM springs from last year's merger between US Airways and America West. The Teamsters represent America West's mechanics, while the IAM represents US Airways'. If the federal National Mediation Board agrees that the Teamsters have collected enough signatures, it would set a date for an election. A similar battle is taking place over which union will represent the airline's 6,000 baggage handlers. That pits the IAM, which represented US Airways baggage handlers, against the Transport Workers Union, which represents the America West side. That battle apparently turned ugly last week in Philadelphia, where police are investigating the beating of five TWU organizers. The TWU said about two dozen IAM members attacked the organizers with bottles and chairs, sending two to the hospital. The airline's other major unions, representing pilots, flight attendants and gate agents, have been less contentious because both sides are represented by the same union. Analysts have said that integrating labor groups would be the biggest challenge the merged US Airways would face.