From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jan 23 13:28:22 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 08:28:22 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways launched online voting for Americans' hot destinations Message-ID: <20060123082702.D652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 23 January 2006 ; Travel Daily News US Airways launched online voting for Americans' hot destinations http://www.traveldailynews.com/new.asp?newid=27339 --- US Airways and Barclays kicked off a first-of-its-kind program that has Americans voting online for their favorite travel destinations then offering them a chance to purchase 50 cent flights to the most popular destinations. Since launching the program on January 3, 2006, thousands of Americans have cast their votes at 50centflights website. Most surprisingly, Americans professed their crush on Italy by voting Rome as the top destination. On Wednesday, February 1, whether it`s anticipation for the Olympics or the need for a food fix, anyone who has already signed up for a US Airways Dividend World MasterCard from Barclays will be eligible to earn a 50 cent flight on US Airways. February 1 is only the beginning. Cardholders who are Miami sun worshippers, Vegas card sharks, Hawaiian surfers or Los Angeles wannabees also have the chance to purchase 50 cent fares during the first five business days of February. Additional destinations will be announced for each business day throughout the entire month of February and will be available on a first come-first serve basis. While Rome is winning by a landslide over number two destination Las Vegas, the locations least voted are just as interesting: Salina, Kansas; Ontario, California; and Salisbury, Maryland all have received only one vote to date. The top five US destinations rank as follows: * Las Vegas, Nevada * Orlando, Florida * Los Angeles, California * Honolulu, Hawaii * Phoenix, Arizona The top five International destinations rank as follows: * Rome, Italy * Paris, France * Venice, Italy * London, England * Dublin, Ireland From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 24 03:31:45 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 22:31:45 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways to webcast stockholders gathering Message-ID: <20060123223059.X652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 23 January 2006 ; Philadelphia Business Journal US Airways to webcast stockholders gathering http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/01/23/daily1.html --- US Airways Group Inc. has set May 17 as the date of its stockholders meeting. It will be the first such meeting for the newly merged company, which is a combination of the previous US Airways and America West airlines. The new company was formed when US Airways emerged from bankruptcy in September. The company said President and CEO Doug Parker will be at the meeting to answers stockholders' questions. The company said the location of the meeting has not been determined but it can be heard on a webcast at www.americawest.com. US Airways (NYSE: LCC), the dominant carrier at Philadelphia International Airport, is based in Tempe, Ariz. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu Jan 26 03:34:03 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 22:34:03 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways execs in line for bonuses Message-ID: <20060125223316.Q652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 25 January 2006 ; Beaver County Times Allegheny Times US Airways execs in line for bonuses http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15995208 --- Karen Ferrick-Roman, Times Staff TEMPE, Ariz. - Executives of the new US Airways could receive incentive bonuses of between 35 percent and 80 percent of their salaries if performance targets are met. The distributions set by the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the company's board of directors, according to a Security and Exchange Commission filing on Monday: Chief executive officer, 80 percent; executive vice presidents, 60 percent; senior vice presidents, 45 percent; and vice presidents, 35 percent. The goals could include earnings, net income, earnings per share, profitability, profit margins, stock price, market share and expense levels. Though the awards would be made for performance this year, the payout would not be until 2007, said Elise Eberwein, US Airways' senior vice president of corporate communications, and would not be made unless the employee profit-sharing plan kicks in that year. The old US Airways, coming out of its second bankruptcy, established a profit-sharing plan with union workers. Union workers at merger partner America West Airlines also will be included in the profit-sharing plan, as well as nonunion workers, Eberwein said. The executives' percentage awards are typical of those in today's marketplace, said Marick Masters, a professor of business administration in the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat Jan 28 02:54:27 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 21:54:27 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] America West and USAir: Everything That Rises Must Converge Message-ID: <20060127215227.J652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 27 January 2006 ; Frommer's America West and USAir: Everything That Rises Must Converge http://www.frommers.com/deals/airfare/article.cfm?dealID=AIRFARE&articleID=3383&t=America%20West%20and%20USAir%3A%20Everything%20That%20Rises%20Must%20Converge --- By Sascha Segan When the going gets tough, band together. US Airways and America West completed their merger late last year, pulling together two major airlines best known for low fares. But with mergers, the devil is in the execution. Combining two big businesses can lead to streamlined service, or organizational chaos. To see how things were going, we flew a round-trip on US Airways in January, keeping an eye out for signs of the new regime. We found that travelers will need to keep their eyes open, especially at airports. First, the good news: this merger won't lead to lots of flight and route cuts. US Airways and America West didn't overlap much; US Airways was focused on the east coast, with hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte, and America West had hubs in Phoenix and Las Vegas. America West flew several routes to Mexico; US Airways flew to Europe. They only overlapped at 38 airports out of 398, according to US Airways spokesman Carlo Bertolini. But travelers are going to have to stay aware, because for now things are a little confusing in the air (and on the web.) For now, the two 'airlines' still have separate websites, separate reservations phone numbers and appear separately on travel agency sites, with different routings and different fares appearing on USAirways.com and americawest.com. So you should treat the airlines as separate when you're buying tickets or subscribing to deals newsletters, and you should compare their prices against each other. But America West flights also now show up on USAirways.com and under "US Airways" on travel agency sites, as flights "operated by America West." US Airways' website also shows Star Alliance partners like United and Air Canada, making it the more flexible of the two sites. Meanwhile, if you try to book a US Airways route on the America West site, you get an 'under construction' message, and there are no United flights on americawest.com. "Under construction" is the theme at the airport and on planes, too. At Las Vegas airport, the US Airways and America West check-in desks were next to each other, and both were flying the same flag. Staff we quizzed knew about the merger and had no problem explaining how far things had gone. But folks flying on US Airways-branded flights were shuffled to one line, and those on America West-branded flights were shuffled to another. The difference was marked by flight number, not by the website you bought your ticket through, so be aware of yours and keep your eyes peeled. Fliers passing through Washington/Dulles, Newark and Chicago/O'Hare should be aware that the two ticket counters aren't next to each other, so allow a little extra time in case you end up at the wrong one, and ask an airline employee before waiting on one of the lines. If a flight gets cancelled or you want to change something at the airport, you must go to the counter for the airline operating the segment you want to change. So if you're on a US Airways flight from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas but coming back on an America West flight, and you want to change the second half, you must talk to America West. You also can't stand by for an America West flight with a US Airways ticket, or vice versa. But when our US Airways return flight was delayed, our US Airways gate agent immediately checked to see if there were America West flights he could put us on. Yes, this is terribly confusing. It will go on until April 2007 at the latest, Bertolini said. As the year goes on, you'll have to pay even more attention, because airport signage and even the planes themselves will all say "US Airways" -- but if you booked through americawest.com, you'll still be checking in on a different line than those USAirways.com folks. On our outbound flight, the notices and videos didn't mention the merger at all. But on our return flight, they did. The two airlines' in-flight snack menus and entertainment choices are also still different, Bertolini said. Both airlines sell food on board; neither have personal video screens in coach class on domestic flights. Many of the airlines' policies have merged, not necessarily for the better. The new airline has adopted America West's more restrictive policy on unaccompanied minors, who can no longer take connecting flights. US Airways' policy on being able to cancel a reservation within 24 hours of booking - the 'changed my mind' policy - is also gone. We're most annoyed by the sugarcoated $25 standby fee. That gets you a confirmed seat on an earlier flight, which is nice; if they can't confirm a seat, they'll let you stand by for free. But you can't stand by for free, if there are seats available to confirm - the only seats you can get for free are from last-minute no-shows. The two airlines will merge their frequent flier programs this year, but for now, things are a little confusing. You can combine US Airways and America West miles for awards, but if your primary membership is at America West, you can't get flights on the Star Alliance partners. Find more details at http://www.usairwaysinfo.com/usair/content/frequent-flyer/redeeming-miles.aspx. In general, though, we think this merger will be good for travelers, and we're generally against airline mergers. US Airways was financially creaky, and the merger will shore them up; the lack of overlap between US Airways and America West means that travelers won't lose many options through the merger. Whether the new US Airways will manage to be a successful low-cost carrier, though, is anyone's guess. Low-cost carriers don't just sell cheap tickets - they also run more uniform sets of planes, don't have older carriers' pension obligations and are more efficient at using their aircraft. For the new US Airways to succeed, they're going to need to remake themselves inside and out. To keep track of the merger status, go to http://www.usairwaysinfo.com/usair/default.aspx. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sun Jan 29 23:18:40 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 18:18:40 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] Employment outlook is sky-high Message-ID: <20060129181628.P652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 29 January 2006 ; East Valley Tribune Employment outlook is sky-high http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=57987 --- By John Yantis, Tribune The merger of America West Airlines and US Airways resulted in more aviation jobs in the East Valley, and international shipping giant DHL continues to add to its presence here. Add the continual march of car dealers, and the area becomes a hotbed of transportation and logistics. The airline merger in September left the Tempe company using the US Airways name but it is run by former America West executives. The combination resulted in the nation's fifth largest airline. In the last year, the carrier has added 260 jobs and a few hundred more are expected this year. In the fall, US Airways announced the consolidation that resulted in the leasing of two new Tempe buildings for 750 workers. The carrier will move into 148,000 square feet of space -- about the size of three traditional grocery stores -- in the Rio West Business Park at Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway. The space will be used for support functions including customer relations, accounting, purchasing, cargo sales and training. It is expected to open in March or April. "We think we're adding to Tempe alone about 1,000 jobs and some of those have already come over (from the old US Airways)," said airline spokesman Phil Gee. Currently, the company employs 412 people in two buildings on 52nd Street in east Phoenix. The buildings contain information technology functions, customer relations positions and US Airways Vacations. There are 624 employees at its headquarters on Rio Salado Parkway in downtown Tempe and another 1,093 at its reservations center in east Phoenix. The carrier employes more than 7,400 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. DHL, the Plantation, Fla.-based international and domestic shipper, continues to add employees in the East Valley. It now has 2,000 employees between its Scottsdale data center and a call center in Tempe, up nearly 500 from 2004. The company added 4,000 square feet to its 24-hour data information center in north Scottsdale, one of three worldwide that manages and monitors all the company.s deliveries. The East Valley continues to be a great place to sell cars with three chains employing about 1,500 people each. Bloomfield, Mich.-based United Auto Group added 267 employees since last year. It opened two dealerships in Chandler, Lexus of Chandler and Mercedes Benz of Chandler. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based AutoNation employs 1,525 in the East Valley at 10 stores in Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa. Gilbertbased Earnhardt Auto Centers employs 1,460 employees in eight East Valley locations, including Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa and Apache Junction. The industry is expected to continue to grow this year as the Santan Motorplex in Gilbert takes shape. In December, the Earnhardts said they would move their longtime Gilbert Hyundai business from Country Club Drive to the motorplex, the latest in a string of dealerships that have signed on at the 132-acre auto mall that will open this summer. Earnhardt Hyundai is buying slightly more than 8 acres. Previously, Ford, Suzuki, Pontiac-Buick-GMC and Saturn announced plans to move into the auto mall. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Mon Jan 30 13:45:21 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 08:45:21 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] Weary airlines forced to get creative with cost-cutting Message-ID: <20060130084353.I652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 29 January 2006 ; MSNBC Weary airlines forced to get creative with cost-cutting http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11096609/ --- By Mike Sunnucks The Business Journal of Phoenix High jet-fuel costs and tight operating margins in a sector that always seems to be on the edge of a cliff have airlines scouring for creative ways to keep costs under control. Some of those methods are as simple as removing some cabin light bulbs, using cheaper blankets and mops and less expensive paper for boarding passes. Other cost-saving efforts are more large-scale, such as loading up on fuel in less expensive cities, changing flight plans to take advantage of wind conditions and using only one aircraft engine to taxi on runways before take-off. Southwest Airlines and US Airways -- the top two carriers operating in the Phoenix market -- are among the major airlines scouring their operating procedures and business models for cost savings. Dallas-based Southwest has led the airline industry in keeping costs down in the post-9/11 operating environment. The airline bought substantially more jet fuel in advance than other carriers in recent years, which allowed it to better withstand recent spikes in energy prices. But Southwest also is making some little changes that result in some not so little savings. "We switched to a different type of paper for our boarding passes, which resulted in over $700,000 savings annually," said spokeswoman Paula Berg. Southwest also made a number of other changes that may seem small to the average passenger but help Southwest lower costs. Those include: * Removing light bulbs from behind the no-smoking signs onboard Southwest aircraft. * Taking tequila and margaritas off the on-board drink menus due to lack of demand. * Switching to less-expensive kinds of mops and blankets, which resulted in savings of $850,000 annually. Berg said Southwest employees are encouraged to find innovative ways to reduce expenses, and the rank and file have embraced that because the airline has a large profit-sharing program. "Some of our maintenance employees saw another airline throwing away a scaffolding. Our guys took it out of the trash and turned it into a picnic table and a few benches for their hangar," said Berg. The airline industry has faced incredible cost pressures in recent years. Jet-fuel prices are high; labor costs are a challenge; and, despite numerous bankruptcies, the sector still grapples with the problem of too many airline seats chasing too few passengers. That means to stay competitive, airlines need to keep ticket prices low, which is good for the consumer but puts big-time bottom line pressures on the industry. Tempe-based US Airways also is looking for ways to save money both in terms of flight operations and options directly related to fuel. US Air spokesman Carlo Bertolini said the carrier has found a number of ways to use less jet fuel and find direct energy savings. That includes using ground power to cool or heat aircraft cabins before take-off; filling up airplane fuel tanks in cities with less expensive energy prices than other markets and taxiing before take-off with one engine. "Instead of starting both engines, we can just use one until it's time for take-off," said Bertolini. US Airways also installed winglets and other fuel-efficient equipment on airline wings to cut down on the wind drag that slows planes and results in more spent fuel. Bertolini said the airline also changed flight plans to decrease fuel usage by taking advantage of good tail-winds and jet- stream conditions and connecting flights to airports that allow planes to carry less reserve fuel. The carrier also is charging for in-flight meals and has changed up boarding procedures to save time and increase efficiency. In addition, US Airways offers employee incentives based on on-time performance, safety and lowering costs. "Our employees have a great awareness of the importance of keeping costs low and play a key role in doing so," said Bertolini. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 31 14:02:26 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:02:26 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways cuts some East Coast fares Message-ID: <20060131090147.G652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 30 January 2006 ; Business Week US Airways cuts some East Coast fares http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8FF340O5.htm --- US Airways Group Inc. cut fares to almost 20 destinations connected to its East Coast hubs of Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the airline said Monday. The cuts follow a similar reduction in about 20 markets earlier this month. Scott Kirby, executive vice president of sales and marketing, said the cuts have provided "a positive revenue impact for the airline." "We've made great strides in introducing a low cost pricing structure to many East Coast markets that were not previously served by a low-cost carrier," Kirby said. US Airways reduced a host of roundtrip fares between 39 percent and 55 percent to $198, excluding taxes, passenger facility charges and security fees. Shares of US Airways rose 47 cents to $29.36 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 31 14:03:51 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:03:51 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways cuts more fares Message-ID: <20060131090301.W652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 30 January 2006 ; The Charlotte Observer US Airways cuts more fares http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/13748525.htm --- by STAN CHOE US Airways cut fares to eight cities out of Charlotte by up to 54 percent today, the second round of price reductions from one of the country's most expensive gateways. Since its merger with America West last fall, US Airways has said it would implement a lower, simpler fare structure across the country. Charlotte fliers have long complained of high fares, as US Airways' hub status in the city has meant some of the country's most expensive fares. The cheaper fares announced today come with some strings: They must be for round-trip travel, be bought at least 21 days in advance and have a one-night minimum stay, among other requirements. The fare reductions announced today are for: . Columbus, Ohio, $198 . Dayton, Ohio, $198 . Hartford, Conn. $198 . Huntington, W.V., $278 . Huntsville, Ala., $198 . Nashville, Tenn., $198 . Seattle, $278 . Syracuse, N.Y., $198 From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue Jan 31 14:07:35 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:07:35 -0500 (EST) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways warns dividend miles may expire Message-ID: <20060131090418.J652-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 31 January 2006 ; The Charlotte Observer US Airways warns dividend miles may expire http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/13752378.htm --- Airline to erase flier accounts with no activity TONY MECIA AND STAN CHOE Attention US Airways fliers who have not used their frequent flier accounts the past few years: you may be in danger of losing them unless you act in the next two weeks. The airline said Monday it's planning to erase the frequent-flier accounts of customers who have had zero activity in at least three years, as part of its merger with America West. Charlotte's dominant carrier wouldn't say how many people could be affected, only that most are people with small mileage balances. The airline has been sending warning letters to Dividend Miles account holders in danger of having their miles expire. It warns them to post some kind of activity by Feb. 15 or risk losing all their miles. Joel Thompson, a Charlotte executive, got such a letter from US Airways. At risk: 200,000 miles, or enough for four coach seats to Paris. "The old saying `Out of sight, out of mind' goes for this!" Thompson said in an e-mail. Fliers have a few options to preserve their miles, outside of booking a flight on US Airways and traveling before Feb. 15. First, check if the account already holds enough miles to get an award ticket. The cheapest available is a round-trip ticket between the continental United States and Canada for 25,000 miles, though capacity is limited. One way to add miles to an account, which has the benefit of being free, is to sign up to receive US Airways' e-statements, which sends Dividend Miles account information over e-mail instead of snail mail. Customers can only sign up once, but it nets 1,000 bonus miles. Visit www.usairways.com [1] for more information. Customers can also buy miles directly from US Airways to create activity. The airline sells them at 3.5 cents per mile, with a minimum purchase of 1,000 miles. The airline also charges a $25 processing fee. That means a minimum of $60. Some fliers, though, have become increasingly frustrated with the seemingly diminishing value of their miles. More customers are enrolling in programs, and more are carrying credit cards affiliated with airlines that earn miles. That means more miles are chasing fewer seats available for free award tickets. Customers who don't feel like they'll build enough miles to grab a free ticket can use their miles as currency to buy magazine or newspaper subscriptions. Such subscriptions cost between 300 and 2,000 miles. Available titles include BusinessWeek, Lucky, Seventeen and Nursing Made Incredibly Easy. Visit www.magsformiles. com/usair178 and enroll before Feb. 15. The airline says the move is part of an effort to tidy up mailing lists following last fall's merger with America West Airlines. Other airlines routinely purge inactive accounts, but this marks the first time in years that US Airways has taken such a step, spokesman Phil Gee said. He said people who signed up for frequent-flier accounts in the past have been told their miles expire after three years, but that previous US Airways' management did not enforce that rule. [1] http://www.usairways.com/dividendmiles/programinfo/email_programs.htm