From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed May 3 01:46:22 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 21:46:22 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Group Has Climbed To A New High Message-ID: <20060502214532.Y8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 May 2006 ; Trading Markets Live US Airways Group Has Climbed To A New High http://www.tradingmarkets.com/tm.site/news/STOCK+ALERT/241771/ --- (RTTNews) - US Airways Group (LCC) gapped up and moved higher at the open of Tuesday's session, before settling into a range. The stock has risen further in the last 10 minutes and is now up 2.69 at $46.37. US Airways Group has risen above Thursday's closing price, to set a new high for the year. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed May 3 02:00:54 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 2 May 2006 22:00:54 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Court Orders US Airways Lawsuit Dismissed Message-ID: <20060502215923.S8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 2 May 2006 ; Houston Chronicle (AP) Court Orders US Airways Lawsuit Dismissed http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/3834782.html --- By MARCY GORDON AP Business Writer WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered dismissal of a lawsuit that US Airways pilots filed against a federal agency in a fight over pension benefits, saying the claims must be pursued through administrative channels. In a 3-0 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sent the case back to a lower federal court with instructions to dismiss the pilots' suit against the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the federal agency that backs private pension plans. Without ruling on the merits of the case, the appeals court said the November 2003 suit must be thrown out "because the pilots have not yet exhausted their administrative remedies." The pilots, in the suit, contended that the pension agency had made errors in calculating the pension benefits due them under federal law after US Airways Group Inc., the nation's fifth-largest airline, filed its first bankruptcy in August 2002. The airline, which has filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors twice in two years, terminated the pilots' defined-benefit pension plan in March 2003. That caused a sharp drop in benefits for many US Airways pilots because the airline's plan would have provided significantly more money than what is guaranteed by the PBGC. A number of big U.S. airlines are or have been in bankruptcy reorganization, and airline employee pensions are a contentious issue. United Airlines also used bankruptcy to slash costs by dumping its employee pension liabilities onto the PBGC, which was created in 1974 as a government insurance program for traditional employer-paid pension plans. Companies pay insurance premiums to the agency, and if an employer can no longer support its pension plan, the agency takes over the assets and liabilities and pays promised benefits to retirees _ up to certain limits under the law. The US Airways pilots contended in the suit, which also named the airline, that the PBGC had made several errors in calculating their pension benefits. The agency began paying the retired pilots estimated benefits when it took over the pension plan in March 2003, without having formally determined each pilot's benefits, as is its practice. The pilots filed the suit "without waiting for the PBGC to complete its final determinations," the appeals court said in the ruling written by Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland. The agency subsequently corrected some of the alleged errors, the ruling noted. In going through administrative channels, decisions on the pilots' case would be made by the pension agency itself and administrative law judges there. US Airways, based in Tempe, Ariz., was acquired by America West Airlines last September in a deal that allowed US Airways to emerge from bankruptcy for the second time in three years. The carrier, which retained the US Airways name, bills itself as the world's largest low-fare airline. The pilots' case against US Airways was put on hold as a result of its bankruptcy filing. PBGC spokesman Jeffrey Speicher said the agency had no comment on Tuesday's court ruling. Spokesmen for the pilots couldn't be reached for comment. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed May 3 12:49:43 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 3 May 2006 08:49:43 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] When "Get Human" is Not Enough Message-ID: <20060503084835.W8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 3 May 2006 ; National Review Online When "Get Human" is Not Enough http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTdhY2E1NjVmMjA2NDJiMzk1NTlmNzBkODJmMTk1Y2U --- Just call me an "documented" worker. By Frederica Mathewes-Green Okay, so maybe it was a little complicated. I wanted to use some of my USAirways Award miles to fly my daughter and her two little ones from Baltimore to Charleston, S.C. I checked the airline's website, and there were no longer three Award seats available on the necessary dates. But maybe there were two, or even one, and I could purchase the others on the same flight. No way around it: I was going to have to wade into Press Three Hell. Eventually, with enough shouting "Agent! Agent!" I'd lasso a human and get things squared away. I learned on www.gethuman.com that all I needed to do was to press 4, then 1, then wait in line. And this part of the process was relatively painless. In short order a nice young woman answered the phone; she was polite, and spoke English well, with a barely discernible accent. I presume she was in India, where so much of this work is outsourced. It would have been about 9:00 P.M. her time, and I guess they stay at the phones all night. I'd read a lengthy profile of outsourced phone workers in India, and had been impressed by how grateful they are for a job like this, and how they train with a diligence rarely seen in the U.S. Despite her best efforts, however, we ran into problems almost immediately. "I need to book three tickets on a flight from BWI to Charleston, S.C.," I said. "I want to use Award miles for as many as I can, but I already checked online, and there aren't three Award seats available. So I'd like to use Award miles to book as many as I can, and purchase the others on the same flight." "Where are you leaving from?" she asked. "BWI," I said; Baltimore-Washington International is one of USAir's big hubs. "BWY?" she asked. It was pretty much like that for the next 45 minutes. After many requests for repetitions and spellings, I saw that the only way to make progress was to move with excruciating slowness, and make every attempt not to confuse her. It took a great deal of thrashing to discover when the flights occurred at all. At one point she had the outbound flight from Charleston to Baltimore. I spent a couple of lengthy waits on hold. Finally, we discovered that there were several likely flights to choose from, going in the direction I wanted and on the appropriate day. I'm pretty sure she'd forgotten by then about applying Award miles. This is the point when she asked for the passengers' names. "The surname is Parker," I said, and breathed easy. When Megan exchanged her "Mathewes-Green" for "Parker" six years ago, she exulted that she'd never have to spell her last name again. "How do you spell that?" the nice agent asked. Next she wanted first names. I picked the easiest first. "Hannah," I said. "Is that with one 'n'?" she asked. "No, two 'n's." "A-n-n-a?" Hmmm. I thought I'd better reintroduce the unpleasant news that the reason I was talking to her, the reason I hadn't done this through the Internet, was that I want to use Award miles to purchase some of the seats. Again I was placed on hold. "I'm sorry, I had to check this. You are not allowed to use Award miles for anyone but yourself." "What? But I've done it before!" "Yes. They changed the rules." I hung up, bewildered. Went to www.usairways.com, and searched for any sign that they'd changed the rules. Could find nothing to that effect, but that didn't mean it wasn't so. So I used the website's "Contact Us" form to complain about the nerve-wracking phone call, and ask whether they had, in fact, changed the rules. I received an e-mail from a Shaunta Irving that my message was received incomplete, and an identical message from an Ann Marie Diaz that my message was received incomplete. So I sent it again, in different ways, in hopes of reaching someone who was actually reading the mail and not just pressing the form letter button. Unfortunately, there's no way to shout "Get human!" by e-mail. Two days later, I received an unsigned message directing me to link on the USAir website titled "Redeeming Dividend miles for a ticket for someone else." Seems that I can redeem Dividend miles for a ticket for someone else. So I wrote and explained the situation once more, a bit more annoyed. I said that I still wanted to book the tickets, and asked how I could get a competent human to could assist me. Obviously, the 800-number route doesn't work. A new reply now arrived, also unsigned, conveying sorrow that I had not been able to secure an award reservation. It reminded me that these are subject to capacity control and the number of seats is limited. It suggested that I try different dates, or a higher Award level. I wrote once again, repeating my frustration at the original agent's incompetence.I had the strange conviction that that should interest them.and asking once more how I could get a competent agent to help with this itinerary. This time it was a Marianne (no last name) who replied, "This format is not designed for booking reservations. If you have problems with a sales representative, please ask to speak to a supervisor." They'd beaten me. I sent a pouty concluding message stating that I gave up and would not longer try to book the tickets. I explained that asking for a supervisor would be futile, since that was apparently who had told the agent that I couldn't use Award miles for another person. I mentioned that I was frustrated that no one would admit that this care I'd gotten, while unfailingly polite, was incompetent. I wrapped up: "But I know that I only hear back form letters from computers, no human being is reading this. I'm just going to go to Google and type in 'hate USAir' and find somebody to tell my troubles to." Maybe that pushed the right button, because the next response read, "Due to the nature of your request, we are forwarding your issue to US Airways Customer Relations Department." Ten days passed before I got a message from Theressa Parks, in the US Airways Office of Customer Relations. She offered an apology for the difficulties I'd had while speaking with an agent. Furthermore, "I regret that you were unable to redeem your miles for travel. The number of seats allocated on each flight for use by customers redeeming Dividend Miles Awards is limited, and I am sorry there were no available seats on your flights and dates of choice. "Your comments have been documented. We are grateful to our passengers when they alert us to areas that need improvement." Documented! Gee! But what really sealed things was this personal touch, at the end: "Mr. Green, we appreciate your business and hope that you will continue to consider US Airways for all of your future travel needs." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu May 4 12:57:17 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 08:57:17 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Group, Inc. Reports April Traffic Message-ID: <20060504085539.R8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 3 May 2006 ; PR Newswire US Airways Group, Inc. Reports April Traffic http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060503/law125.html?.v=27 --- TEMPE, Ariz., May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE: LCC) today reported April and year-to-date traffic results for 2006. For America West operated flights, revenue passenger miles (RPMs) for the month were 2 billion, down 1.2 percent from April 2005. Capacity was 2.5 billion available seat miles (ASMs), down 2.3 percent from April 2005. The passenger load factor for April was 82.6 percent versus 81.7 percent in April 2005. For US Airways mainline operated flights, RPMs for April 2006 were 3.2 billion, a decrease of 9 percent from April 2005. Capacity was 3.8 billion ASMs, down 16.2 percent from April 2005. The passenger load factor for the month of April was 82.4 percent versus 75.9 percent in April 2005. Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing Scott Kirby said, "Our traffic results for April 2006 were very strong. Our load factor increased 4.9 points to 82 percent and on a consolidated (mainline and express) basis, we posted year-over-year passenger revenue per available seat mile improvements of over 25 percent." Until US Airways operates under one certificate, data for America West and US Airways operated flights will continue to be reported separately. Additionally, US Airways Express consisting of PSA Airlines, Piedmont Airlines and US Airways' MidAtlantic division will continue to report separate data. US Airways Group, Inc., consisting of America West, US Airways mainline and US Airways Express, combined operational information will also be reported. The following summarizes US Airways Group, Inc., America West, US Airways mainline and US Airways Express April and year-to-date results for 2006 and 2005: [table data] US Airways is also providing a brief update on the integration process between US Airways and America West. Listed below are major accomplishments from the month of April: * Completed the previously announced redemption of approximately $112 million in principal amount of America West Holdings, Inc.'s 7.50 percent convertible senior notes due 2009. * Announced the completion of a $1.25 billion debt refinancing transaction. The new loan, which was underwritten by GE Commercial Finance and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, will bear interest at LIBOR plus 3.50 percent. The margin over LIBOR is reduced as the loan is paid down and can be as low as LIBOR plus 2.50 percent if the loan balance is $600 million or less. * The Coca-Cola Company will be the exclusive provider of soft drinks on all US Airways flights as the two companies recently reached a multi-year deal. All US Airways mainline and US Airways Express flights will transition to Coca-Cola products this summer. Coca-Cola will also provide the airline with an array of juices and bottled water as well. America West and US Airways now report combined operational performance numbers to the Department of Transportation. For the month of April 2006, US Airways will report a domestic on-time performance of 80.1 percent and a completion factor of 99.5 percent. For additional information regarding the airline's current cost per available seat mile (CASM) guidance, fuel hedging positions, and estimated capital expenditures for 2006, please visit the investor relations update, which is located in the "About AWA" section of the airline's Web site at www.usairways.com or www.americawest.com. The investor relations update page also includes our fleet plan for 2006. US Airways and America West's recent merger creates the fifth largest domestic airline employing approximately 35,000 aviation professionals and serving more than 230 destinations. This press release and additional information on US Airways can be found at www.usairways.com or www.americawest.com. (LCCT) From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri May 5 12:54:16 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 08:54:16 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways passenger traffic declines Message-ID: <20060505085328.I8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 May 2006 ; Pittsburg Tribune-Review US Airways passenger traffic declines http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_450475.html --- By Thomas Olson US Airways' passenger traffic, including at America West Airlines, fell 6.8 percent last month, compared to year-ago levels. At the same time, the recently merged airlines' capacity fell 12.4 percent in April, in terms of the total number of aircraft seats. As a result, 82 percent of US Airways' seats were filled with passengers last month. That is a 4.9 point improvement from April 2005, when the carrier filled 77.1 percent of its aircrafts' seats. Year-to-date, US Airways has reduced capacity by 11.2 percent, resulting in a load factor of 77.4 percent, versus 74.7 percent the year earlier. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri May 5 12:55:26 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 08:55:26 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways loses traffic as it trims capacity levels Message-ID: <20060505085432.W8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 4 May 2006 ; The Business Journal of Phoenix US Airways loses traffic as it trims capacity levels http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/05/01/daily48.html --- US Airways Group Inc. April traffic fell 6.8 percent from April 2005 levels, as the airline reduced capacity by 12.4 percent. The Tempe-based reported 5.45 billion revenue passenger miles for this April, down from 5.85 billion revenue passenger miles in April 2005. A revenue passenger mile is one paying passenger flown one mile. Capacity fell to 6.65 billion available seat miles from 7.59 billion a year earlier. However, occupancy increased nearly 5 percentage points to 82 percent in April. "Our traffic results for April 2006 were very strong," said Scott Kirby, executive vice president, sales and marketing. "Our load factor increased 4.9 points to 82 percent and on a consolidated (mainline and express) basis, we posted year-over-year passenger revenue per available seat mile improvements of over 25 percent." Merged since the end of September 2005, America West Airlines and US Airways now report combined operational performance numbers to the Department of Transportation. For the month of April 2006, US Airways will report a domestic on-time performance of 80.1 percent and a completion factor of 99.5 percent. US Airways (NYSE: LCC) serves more than 230 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri May 5 12:56:29 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 08:56:29 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways beats clock but complaints on rise Message-ID: <20060505085539.L8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 5 May 2006 ; The Arizona Republic US Airways beats clock but complaints on rise http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0505ontime0505.html --- by Dawn Gilbertson The new US Airways continues to trump its competitors in on-time performance but ranks worst in the industry for customer complaints. The Tempe-based airline, formed by last fall's merger of America West and bankrupt US Airways, ranked third of 19 carriers in April, according to the monthly Air Travel Consumer Report from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Nearly 83 percent of its flights arrived on time. Hawaiian was No. 1, as it always is, at 90.9 percent, followed by commuter carrier Comair at 84.1 percent. Southwest Airlines, the second-busiest carrier at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after US Airways, ranked fifth, at 79.7 percent. Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group, a regional airline that operates as US Airways Express and other commuter carriers, ranked ninth, at 76.8 percent. US Airways employees will get a $50 bonus for the on-time showing. The airline pays the bonus if it ranks in the top three among its self-described peer group of 10 large airlines. It excludes carriers like Hawaiian and all regional carriers. On that basis, it was first in on-time performance in April. This will be its sixth consecutive payout. Employees also can earn awards if US Airways has the fewest customer complaints, but the airline hasn't come close in that category since the merger. The old US Airways has had a high number of complaints since its baggage meltdown in December 2004, and the numbers don't appear to be improving much. In April, the level of customer complaints increased compared with a year ago. US Airways had 1.41 complaints per 100,000 passenger boardings, up from 1.39 in April 2004. For the first quarter, it was second from last, though the rate of complaints was significantly lower. Southwest had the fewest customer complaints, at 0.17 per 100,000 boardings. US Airways did show improvement in baggage handling, a chronic problem area, ranking 13th among 19 carriers. It had 7.41 bag mishaps per 1,000 passengers, vs. 13.37 a year ago. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri May 5 12:57:48 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 08:57:48 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways success could hinge on fixes in Philadelphia Message-ID: <20060505085648.F8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 5 May 2006 ; The Ithaca Journal US Airways success could hinge on fixes in Philadelphia http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/LIFESTYLE06/605050334/1046 --- PHILADELPHIA -- Years of neglect by the old US Airways during back-to-back bankruptcies, coupled with its unfortunate spot in the oldest part of the airport, have left its Philadelphia operation dirty, dysfunctional and dreaded by customers. The company committed $20 million to the hub, its second-busiest (Charlotte, N.C. is first), its biggest by revenue and its international gateway. US Airways generates nearly one-fifth of its revenue from passengers flying to and from Philadelphia. The airline's problems in Philadelphia are much more than cosmetic. Indeed, just $2.7 million of the $20 million will go toward sprucing up the gate areas and decrepit break rooms for employees. The airline's Christmas baggage meltdown of 2004 was national news and still haunts the airline in the form of ill will and lingering customer complaints. People can't understand how they can get off a plane, go to the restroom and maybe even shop in the airport's popular mall and still make it to baggage claim before their bag. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sun May 7 13:44:00 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sun, 7 May 2006 09:44:00 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Last for Takeoff: Philadelphia Message-ID: <20060507094244.O8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 7 May 2006 ; Philadelphia Inquirer Last for Takeoff: Philadelphia http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/14521711.htm --- Airport at bottom for on-time air travel By Tom Belden and Alletta Emeno Inquirer Staff Writers A record 31.5 million people flew into or out of Philadelphia last year, and many of them learned a frustrating lesson: Philadelphia International Airport regularly has the worst on-time performance of any large U.S. airport. Unfortunately for air travelers, that on-time record may not get much better for years to come. Because of both the way US Airways schedules its flights and the airport's location and layout, Philadelphia will always struggle to raise its on-time ranking. And as long as Philadelphia is a major connecting hub for US Airways, with 450 flights a day to more than 100 airports, on-time performance for all carriers here will suffer, an Inquirer analysis has found. In 2005, Philadelphia finished last among the 33 largest U.S. airports in on-time departures by major airlines, with 72 percent, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Flights also arrived on time 72 percent of the time, leaving the airport in 29th place. On-time flights are those that push back from or arrive at an airport gate less than 15 minutes behind schedule. US Airways flights left Philadelphia on schedule 70 percent of the time, the poorest performance of any airline here. The dominant carrier in Philadelphia, US Airways has 64 percent of the flights and 63 percent of the passengers. The airport's last-place finish was not a fluke. Philadelphia International ranked last in monthly on-time departure performance more often than any other airport between January 2003 and December 2005, the government data show. Philadelphia ranked last 11 times, compared with eight times at the notoriously congested Chicago O'Hare International Airport. During the same three-year period, Philadelphia ranked second to last in on-time departures eight times, and O'Hare six times. "Things are so bad in Philadelphia that it almost caused Southwest Airlines not to come here," said Kevin P. Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, a national organization for corporate travel managers based in Radnor. "There's no reliability... . It affects meeting and convention planners who know that Philadelphia is not an optimal situation. There are a lot of consequences." The only recent exceptions to the cellar-dwelling pattern came in December and March, when Philadelphia moved up to the middle of the rankings. City Aviation Director Charles J. Isdell said the improvement in those two months could be traced to a reduction by US Airways in its number of flights here over the winter, and a concerted effort by the airline to operate more efficiently. But he also warned: "This could be a temporary aberration." On average, about 18 percentage points separate the airport with the best on-time percentage from the one with the lowest each month. Flights take off on time an average of 89 percent of the time at airports with the best records. (Salt Lake City ranked first last year.) Often only a few percentage points separate airports that finish last and those that finish eight or 10 places higher. Nearly three-quarters of delays at Philadelphia are attributed to heavy air traffic and late-arriving aircraft. Even if US Airways were operating at peak efficiency, flying out of Philadelphia International would be problematic. That is in part because the airport is in the middle of one of the world's densest air-travel corridors, between New York and Washington. Summer thunderstorms and winter snow play havoc with even the best-run airlines. Equally important, Philadelphia's runways are crammed close together on 2,100 acres of land between an expressway and a river, limiting the number of planes that can take off or land at the same time. The airport has a master plan that calls for rearranging its runways, as a way to speed up landings and takeoffs, but doing so could take more than a decade to complete and cost $1.5 billion to $3 billion. "With Philadelphia, a lot of it is structural," said Richard Golaszewski, executive vice president of GRA Inc., a Jenkintown aviation-consulting firm that has done work for the airport, US Airways and federal agencies. "Unless you do something with the runway system, [if] you try to move the number of people you do here, you're going to have delays." The Federal Aviation Administration is in the midst of preparing an environmental impact statement on the airport's runway reconfiguration plan that will take close to two years to complete. Isdell said that, in the meantime, he hoped that area residents would not think the need for runway improvements had changed because of the improved on-time performance in December and March. "My bottom line is, we have to continue looking" for ways to speed up landings and takeoffs, he said. Separately, the FAA is studying how to reconfigure the airspace in the New York and Philadelphia areas to reduce delays. 'Real Bruise' Philadelphia business leaders are worried about the effect of delays on the region's economy. "At the least, it's screwing up schedules, and at worst, there's already an economic downside," said Mark Schweiker, president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. "Right now it's a real bruise on the general business reputation of greater Philadelphia." In March, Schweiker and W. Douglas Parker, US Airways' chairman and chief executive, as members of the chamber's CEO Council for Growth, wrote to FAA officials, urging them to complete the airspace redesign plan as quickly as possible. Without improvement in air-traffic flows in the region, "the result will be an airport that will not be able to compete with other airports for air traffic," Parker said. The arrival of Southwest and other low-fare competition in mid-2004 made Philadelphia International even more congested, with an average of almost 1,500 takeoffs and landings a day, compared with just over 1,200 a day in 2003. The airport was the ninth-busiest in the world in 2005, according to Airports Council International-North America, a trade group. The 31.5 million passengers who flew into and out of Philadelphia last year compares with 24.7 million in 2003. For most of last year, the former management at US Airways and the new team in charge after the airline's acquisition by America West Airlines in September took various approaches to try to raise Philadelphia's ranking. For a few months last fall, the effort seemed to work. First, in February 2005, US Airways tried to create a "rolling hub," spacing flights more evenly throughout the day rather than in six or seven clusters around peak travel times, as most airlines do at their hubs. In the fall, the new managers switched dozens of flights a day from larger jets to smaller US Airways Express airplanes and cut back on flights. In December, Philadelphia finished in 16th place for departures and 11th place for arrivals among the big airports. But the improved performance came at a price: a decline in revenue for US Airways in Philadelphia. Over the winter, the airline moved its schedule back to the standard way hubs work. Operating a hub at any airport has a negative effect on the on-time performance of that airport and the dominant airline and has a spillover effect on other airlines. Even Southwest, which has the airline industry's best on-time record since carriers began reporting performance in 1987, has it tough at its Las Vegas hub. Although 78 percent of Southwest's Philadelphia departures left on time last year, only 70 percent of its flights took off on schedule at Las Vegas - the same as US Airways' Philadelphia record. Both airlines have a similar number of departures at their respective hubs. Business travelers who have been flying from Philadelphia for years notice any change an airline makes. Marvin Schlanger, a Cherry Hill entrepreneur and frequent US Airways traveler, said baggage service had improved for him, but added: "It seems to me the last half-dozen US Airways flights I've taken have been late." Key US Airways hub US Airways' executives know how vital it is to fix the problems here. No airport generates more passengers or revenue for the $5.1 billion airline than Philadelphia International. The airport serves as US Airways' main international gateway and its second-largest connecting hub, after Charlotte, N.C. "We realize the importance of Philadelphia to us," said Al Crellin, executive vice president of operations, at US Airways' annual media day in March at its Tempe, Ariz., headquarters. "We're making a major commitment." At all of the airports it uses nationwide, US Airways has been making changes. By combining its on-time statistics with those of America West last fall, the "new" US Airways was able to boast of the best systemwide record of the 10 largest carriers in the fourth quarter. In contrast, the old US Airways finished in ninth place in the fourth quarter of 2004. Much of the statistical improvement last year can be attributed to the new management's decision to operate fewer flights. From August through December, 77 percent of US Airways' Philadelphia flights departed on time, compared with 66 percent from January through July. Yet in November, US Airways decided to sacrifice some of the gains in on-time performance in exchange for revenue. Andrew Nocella, US Airways' senior vice president of scheduling, planning and alliances, said that with the rolling hub schedule, more passengers were choosing to fly through US Airways' other East Coast hub in Charlotte, N.C., because their connecting times were shorter. "Or even worse," Nocella said, "they were flying on one of our competitors. We found our market shares on certain routes were falling." Generating more revenue, of course, is vital to US Airways, and the most recent changes in the Philadelphia schedule, combined with strong demand that has allowed all airlines to raise fares, are having the desired effect, according to airline officials. Increasing revenue at Philadelphia International may be important to US Airways, but after years of living with late flights by all airlines at the airport, many travelers find that their patience is exhausted. Steve Lapin, a Melrose Park sales executive who is a frequent-flier on US Airways, got up at 3 a.m. on Tuesday to catch a 6 a.m. American Airlines flight to Dallas-Fort Worth. The first departures of the day are the most likely to be on time. "The flight was an hour late taking off," he said in an angry e-mail message. "Something is very, very wrong." The Latest Philadelphia Flights in 2005 For various reasons, some flights leaving Philadelphia International Airport are consistently delayed. Only flight numbers scheduled at least 260 times by Philadelphia International's 14 largest airlines were analyzed. All flights listed operated from 274 to 365 times last year. [chart] From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 9 01:58:40 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 21:58:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways begins Charlotte-JFK service Message-ID: <20060508215751.D8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 8 May 2006 ; Charlotte Business Journal US Airways begins Charlotte-JFK service http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2006/05/08/daily1.html --- US Airways Group Inc. will launch three daily round-trip flights between Charlotte and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Sept. 6. The new service complements the airline's 10 daily flights between Charlotte and New York's LaGuardia International Airport and the eight daily flights the airline has between Charlotte and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Sample fares begin at $94 one way. Round-trip purchases are required. US Airways Express carrier Mesa Airlines will operate the JFK flights with the 86-seat Canadair Regional Jet 900. US Airways' flights to JFK coincide with JetBlue Airways Corp.'s entrance into the Charlotte market. On July 12, the low-cost carrier will begin service between the Queen City and JFK. New York-based JetBlue, whose flights are on 100-seat Embraer aircraft, is offering introductory one-way fares of $69. Regular one-way fares between Charlotte and New York City will range from $89 to $199. Round-trip purchases are not required on JetBlue flights. JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU) flies to 35 destinations with more than 410 daily flights. US Airways, which operates its largest hub at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, was acquired by America West Holdings Corp. in late September in a $1.5 billion deal. The combined carrier (NYSE:LCC), which took the US Airways name, is based in Tempe, Ariz. The merger created the fifth-largest domestic airline. US Airways flies to 230 destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 9 01:59:55 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 21:59:55 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways success could hinge on fixes in Philadelphia Message-ID: <20060508215855.B8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 8 May 2006 ; USA Today US Airways success could hinge on fixes in Philadelphia http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2006-05-08-us-air-in-philly_x.htm --- PHILADELPHIA -- Anthony Mule was trying to decide whether Concourse B or Concourse C was a better place to begin the tour of US Airways' operations at Philadelphia International Airport. "It doesn't matter," he finally said, "because they both are ugly." Mule, the Tempe, Ariz.-based airline's senior vice president of customer service, settled on C. Gate C17 alone featured an entire row of gray chairs with foam spilling from the seats. Stains covered the wall-to-wall industrial carpeting. Across the way at C20, a row of chairs set strategically against a wall hid a hole the size of a dinner plate. It didn't take long to understand why executives running the new airline deemed fixing Philadelphia priority No. 1 even before the America West-US Airways merger last fall. Years of neglect by the old US Airways during back-to-back bankruptcies, coupled with its unfortunate spot in the oldest part of the airport, have left its Philadelphia operation dirty, dysfunctional and dreaded by customers. The company committed $20 million to the hub, its second-busiest (Charlotte is first), its biggest by revenue and its international gateway. US Airways generates nearly one-fifth of its revenue from passengers flying to and from Philadelphia. Former America West executives may run the nation's fifth-largest airline from Arizona, but their focus is never far from the business power center 2,400 miles away. As Philadelphia goes, in many respects, so goes the new US Airways. The airline's problems in Philadelphia are much more than cosmetic. Indeed, just $2.7 million of the $20 million will go toward sprucing up the gate areas and decrepit break rooms for employees. The airline's Christmas baggage meltdown of 2004 was national news and still haunts the airline in the form of ill will and lingering customer complaints. People can't understand how they can get off a plane, go to the restroom and maybe even shop in the airport's popular mall and still make it to baggage claim before their bags, said Charles Isdell, director of aviation for the city of Philadelphia. Last year, the old US Airways ranked 19th of 19 in customer complaints and 15th of 19 in mishandled bags. Baggage operations are being revamped and upgraded to the tune of $7.5 million. Altogether, the airline has 10 to 15 projects in various stages, covering everything from break rooms to baggage readers. "I haven't come into a situation where I've been giving the marching orders on such a wide spectrum of things," said Tony Grantham, who transferred from America West's Las Vegas hub less than three months ago to oversee the day-to-day operations in Philadelphia. The airline has little choice. US Airways' market share last year fell to 64.1%, from 67.2% in 2004, with rival Southwest Airlines, a relatively new player in Philadelphia, gaining. John Esaia, a Philadelphia-area printing company manager who travels to Penn State football games and to Disney World for vacation, switched allegiances to Southwest the week the discount airline started service two years ago and hasn't looked back. When he has to fly to a city Southwest doesn't serve, he chooses a carrier other than US Airways. "US Airways took advantage of their Philadelphia monopoly for years, charging outrageous prices while offering poor service," he said. "The baggage situation alone was a joke." Outbound luggage, too, has its share of woes. Mule said US Airways' current laser readers for bag tags in Philadelphia are so low-tech that three out of four times they send luggage to the wrong plane. Bags pile up and miss flights because the current screening machines from the Transportation Security Administration can't handle the volume. Last year, 37% of complaints against US Airways had to do with baggage. The industry average was 23%. Merger partner America West was at 18%. "People talk about the airport like it's Philadelphia. 'Don't go to Philadelphia because I had trouble with my bags there,' " said Isdell, whose duties include overseeing the airport. "It doesn't help me to say that's not me, that's the airline. It's all identified as one place, one airport." Isdell said the new management of US Airways, flush with cash from merger investors, isn't wasting time putting some of it to work in Philadelphia. "They're very interested in investing in infrastructure in a way we haven't seen in a generation," he said. Members of the new management team at US Airways shook up things from the start. They spent $2 million on 52 new pieces of ground equipment to cart around luggage, and they will spend a total of $5 million on equipment this summer. "Before, we had to hunt around for pieces of equipment," said Albert Marcus, a veteran baggage handler at US Airways. "Now, we don't have to look as hard. Some days are worse than others." Grantham knows everyone wishes the airline's Philadelphia operations could be fixed overnight. The upgraded system for baggage reading, for example, won't come until Halloween. "I wish I had a wand and I could turn it on right now," he said. Jennifer Grey may be an early convert. The Rockford, Ill., woman took a flight into Philadelphia this month to see her family. It was her sixth trip since October. She had endured waits up to an hour for her luggage, one time forcing her family to park while she waited in baggage claim. This time was different. Waiting just inside the baggage claim door, her green roller bag at her side, she called her brother-in-law on her cellphone. "Believe it or not," she said, "I got my luggage real quickly." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 9 02:02:18 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 22:02:18 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Earnings Preview: US Airways Message-ID: <20060508220012.B8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 8 May 2006 ; Houston Chronicle Earnings Preview: US Airways http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/3848187.html --- NEW YORK -- US Airways Group Inc. reports first-quarter results Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. OVERVIEW: US Airways, which was created by last year's merger of the old East Coast-heavy US Airways and West Coast-focused America West, has apparently supplanted Southwest Airlines as Wall Street's airline darling. Analysts are upgrading the stock, saying they're impressed with the relatively smooth merger integration so far, and shares keep surpassing fresh 52-week highs. It is a far cry from a little over a year ago, when US Airways was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and analysts were on death watch. The industry overall has been reporting better revenue figures so far this year, from Continental Airlines to Alaska Air Group, as planes are flying at their fullest levels in decades. But the high price of oil continues to be the Achilles' heel for the industry. Jet fuel and labor are among the two highest costs for airlines. Each 1 cent increase in jet fuel translates to $199 million in annual operating costs for the industry, according to the Air Transport Association in Washington. BY THE NUMBERS: Analysts expect US Airways to report a loss of 16 cents per share in the quarter, according to Thomson Financial. The company did not give guidance for first-quarter results, but expects to turn a profit for the full year, excluding merger costs. Analysts see a return to profit in the second quarter and predict 2006 earnings of $3.79 per share. ANALYST TAKE: Analysts have been effusive in their praise of US Airways, which cut costs to near the lowest in the industry during its stay in bankruptcy protection. JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker wrote in a recent research note that US Airways cut costs so much that the only way it can lose money is under a scenario so draconian that competitors Continental and JetBlue would likely have already gone into bankruptcy protection. Baker said he sees US Airways near the top of the industry for pretax profit margin next year as well. He forecasts that only US Airways, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines will have double-digit pretax profit margin. The biggest danger for US Airways is merger integration, Baker said. If difficulties arise in melding the work forces of US Airways and America West, or their route structures, there could be big hiccups. STOCK PERFORMANCE: US Airways shares set fresh 52-week highs almost every other day during the previous two weeks, surging to new peaks in six of 10 trading days. JP Morgan analyst Baker set a target price of $100 for US Airways shares. The stock has already more than doubled from the $20.10 it opened at in September on the New York Stock Exchange, after exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and traded recently around $48.70. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 9 12:45:20 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 9 May 2006 08:45:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways adds more NYC flights Message-ID: <20060509084433.U8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 9 May 2006 ; The Charlotte Observer US Airways adds more NYC flights http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/14533514.htm --- By AMY BALDWIN US Airways will launch three daily flights between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport beginning Sept. 6. The move will bring its daily flights to the New York area to 21. Monday's announcement from the Tempe, Ariz.-based airline came less than a month after discount airline JetBlue Airways said it would begin flying between Charlotte and JFK. News of the JetBlue flights, slated to begin July 12, elicited a spirited letter from US Airways CEO Doug Parker to the company's U.S. employees. In the letter, Parker said JetBlue has "among the worst" records of on-time arrivals in recent months and noted that the airline, which has been consistently profitable since last year, has said it expects to lose money in 2006. US Airways, meanwhile, ranked near the top of government on-time statistics in recent months and says it expects to turn an operating profit this year for the first time since 1999. "US Airways will be here long after JetBlue," he predicted. So why follow JetBlue to JFK? To have a presence in all three New York-area airports, said Phil Gee, a spokesman for US Airways. US Airways already has 10 daily flights between Charlotte, its largest hub, and New York's LaGuardia International Airport and eight to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. "In our opinion, LaGuardia -- for people who want to do business in Manhattan -- is the most convenient, period. But that is not to say that everyone is going to do business in Manhattan," Gee said. LaGuardia is indeed closer to midtown Manhattan than JFK -- about seven miles compared with 15 miles. A taxi ride into midtown from LaGuardia takes about 30 minutes compared with an hour from JFK. US Airways said the round-trip fare, excluding taxes and airport fees, for the Charlotte-JFK flights will be as low as $188. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 9 12:46:56 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 9 May 2006 08:46:56 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Posts 1Q Profit Message-ID: <20060509084622.K8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 9 May 2006 ; MSN Money (AP) US Airways Posts 1Q Profit http://moneycentral.msn.com/inc/news/providerredir.asp?feed=AP&Date=20060509&ID=5705429 --- TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - US Airways Group Inc. on Tuesday said it reversed a year-ago loss in the first quarter, as revenue surged in the wake of the airline's merger with America West. The airline reported quarterly earnings of $65 million, or 76 cents per share, compared with losses of $174 million, or $6.58 per share, a year ago. Excluding special items, the company posted a profit of $5 million, or 5 cents per share, versus a loss of $16 million, or $1.09 per share, in the year-earlier quarter. US Airways said its results are compared to America West's standalone results for the first quarter of 2005, before America West acquired US Airways in September 2005. The combination was structured so that America West -- the acquiring company -- became a subsidiary of US Airways Group. Per-share results were affected by a change in the number of shares outstanding: About 93.4 million in the recent quarter versus 25.7 million in the 2005 quarter. Analysts expected a loss of 16 cents per share, according to a Thomson Financial poll. Operating revenue surged to $2.65 billion from $733 million a year ago. Analysts' revenue target for the recent quarter was $2.61 billion. Passenger traffic more than doubled in the quarter to 16.39 billion revenue passenger miles from 6.37 billion the year before. A revenue passenger mile equals one paying passenger flown one mile. Capacity expanded in the quarter to 21.89 billion available seat miles from 8.28 billion. Occupancy dipped to 74.9 percent from 76.9 percent. Shares of US Airways added 40 cents to $47.70 in premarket activity. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 9 12:49:28 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 9 May 2006 08:49:28 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways reports first-quarter profit Message-ID: <20060509084827.X8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 9 May 2006 ; Reuters US Airways reports first-quarter profit http://today.reuters.com/investing/FinanceArticle.aspx?type=marketsNews&storyID=2006-05-09T120500Z_01_N09268183_RTRIDST_0_AIRLINES-USAIR-EARNS-UPDATE-1.XML --- CHICAGO, May 9 (Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc. (LCC.), formed from the merger of America West Airlines and US Airways last year, on Tuesday said its profit declined in the first quarter. The combined airline said profit 75 cents per share, compared with a profit of $1.29 per share, at a stand-alone America West Airlines a year earlier. For reporting purposes, America West is viewed as the acquiring company. Excluding these special items, the US Air reported a profit of $5 million, or 5 cents per share, compared with a loss of $16 million, or $1.09 per share, a year earlier. Wall Street analysts had a consensus forecast for a loss of 15 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates. The special items include a $90 million gain associated with the forgiveness by Airbus of a company loan and a $26 million unrealized gain related to the airline's fuel hedges. US Air reported operating revenue for $2.65 billion, up from $733 million a year earlier. The carrier ended the quarter with an unrestricted cash balance of $1.6 billion. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Thu May 18 22:59:04 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 18:59:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] More RJ Tire Woes: US Airways Planes Pop Tires In Albany, DC Message-ID: <20060518185631.M8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 18 May 2006 ; Aero-News More RJ Tire Woes: US Airways Planes Pop Tires In Albany, DC http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=b0f67c54-17c1-4e20-a4d5-69a9facfcc5e --- What Is It With Regional Jet Tires Lately? There were two more incidents this week involving blown tires on regional jets during takeoff, this time involving aircraft flying for US Airways and regional operator Republic Airways. One plane aborted its takeoff, while the second made a precautionary landing in Washington, DC. [Image: http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=b0f67c54-17c1-4e20-a4d5-69a9facfcc5e#dhttp://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=b0f67c54-17c1-4e20-a4d5-69a9facfcc5e#d ] An Embraer 170 (file photo of type, above) operating as US Airways Express Flight 3343, from Albany International (ALB) to Ronald Reagan National (DCA), had a tire on its left maingear blow out as the aircraft was on its takeoff roll. The pilots felt a vibration as they were preparing to rotate, and chose to abort the takeoff, according to ALB spokesman airport spokesman Doug Myers. The plane came to rest about 1,000 feet from the end of the runway, blowing out a second tire during the heavy braking. None of the 76 persons onboard the plane were injured. Just as with incidents involving Embraer 145s earlier this month [1], tire woes on regional jets seem lately to be coming in twos... as was the case with a second Republic Airways EMB-170 that suffered a blown maingear tire as it departed Reagan National bound for Dallas Tuesday night, less than 24 hours before the incident in Albany. US Airways Flight 3337, with 68 people onboard, made an emergency landing at Washington Dulles at about 11:00 pm Tuesday night. Again, no one was injured. Investigators are now scrambling to determine what led to the unrelated tire failures. Ground crews in Albany swept the runway, but found no foreign object debris that could have cause a tire to blow. Investigators in Washington are also inspecting the tires on the EMB-170 involved in the earlier incident. It's important to note that tire failure on a commercial aircraft during takeoff or landing is not usually a major problem, as flight crews are trained to compensate for how the loss of a tire affects the ground stability of the aircraft. However, such failures occasionally lead to far greater problems -- as evidenced by the 2000 Concorde tragedy in Paris [2], which began when one of the aircraft's maingear tires blew out after striking FOD left by a departing aircraft on the runway. Pieces of that tire struck the wing, tearing through to the fuel tank and hydraulic lines in the wing... and leading to the loss of 109 passengers onboard the plane, and four people on the ground. --- [1] http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=db602d26-5cc7-4de6-a857-dd86b4678ecd&Dynamic=1 [2] http://www.aero-news.net/news/commbus.cfm?ContentBlockID=d3e3a15b-0e51-4e3d-b77b-a676ec675b0f&Dynamic=1 From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri May 19 22:56:37 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 18:56:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways merging Web sites, frequent-flier programs Message-ID: <20060519185549.Q8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 19 May 2006 ; Philadelphia Business Journal US Airways merging Web sites, frequent-flier programs http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2006/05/15/daily48.html --- If you have the America West Airlines Web site bookmarked as a travel resource, you may want to change that to the US Airways Web site starting this weekend. The new US Airways, the product of a merger last year between US Airways and America West, is ready to combine its two sites into one. However, if you still go to www.americawest.com, you will be automatically forwarded to the new www.usairways.com site, airline spokeswoman Andrea Rader said. The Tempe, Ariz.-based carrier, the dominant airline at Philadelphia International Airport, is also now ready to combine its frequent-flier programs into the US Airways Dividend Miles program. If you are an existing America West Flight Fund member, your miles will automatically be rolled into the new US Airways program. US Airways Group Inc. (NYSE: LCC) flies to 230 destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat May 20 13:06:58 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 20 May 2006 09:06:58 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] 'Boom' Note Causes Scare On US Airways Flight Message-ID: <20060520090613.L8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 20 May 2006 ; The Aero-News Network 'Boom' Note Causes Scare On US Airways Flight http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=d0e9ddd2-d291-452c-92f4-3e49425ef7f0 --- What NOT To Write Onboard A Plane A person with perhaps too much time on their hands -- and far too little sense -- apparently thought it would be funny to scribble the word "boom" in the bathroom of a US Airways A319. Reuters reports a member of the flight crew discovered the message Thursday morning while the plane was inflight, bound for Boston from Washington, DC... and sure enough, that caused a bomb scare. Flight 2024 was met by authorities when it arrived at Boston's Logan International. "The pilot and command called ahead and notified TSA and the Massachusetts state police who met the aircraft and ultimately swept the aircraft using explosive detection canines," said TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis. No explosives were found onboard the plane... and authorities have no idea who left the note. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Sat May 20 17:01:06 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Sat, 20 May 2006 13:01:06 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways expands to Rio West Business Park Message-ID: <20060520125928.B8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 20 May 2006 ; East Valley Tribune US Airways expands to Rio West Business Park http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=65998 --- By John Yantis, Tribune US Airways expanded its operations in Tempe on Friday by opening two office buildings that can handle as many as 800 employees. The carrier has moved some 700 employees into 150,000 square feet -- about the size of three traditional grocery stores -- at the Rio West Business Park at Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway. The space is being used for support functions, including customer relations, accounting, purchasing, cargo sales and training. The move is the result of a plan to save $600 million following the merger of US Airways and America West Airlines last year. As a result of the merger, about 1,000 jobs were to be added in Tempe, where the company is headquartered. Some of the jobs were filled with employees who transferred from US Airways operations in Arlington, Va., Charlotte and Winston-Salem, N.C., and Pittsburgh. Some employees moved into the new buildings from US Airways' nine-story Tempe headquarters. Others were moved there from other Tempe locations, including a building on 52nd Street. A customer relations center in Winston-Salem was closed and positions moved here. A company spokesman said its still unclear how many jobs were gained in Tempe. At the time of the merger, US Airways employed about 2,000 in Tempe. "Once things settle down, we can have some time to look back and see what the shift has been," said Morgan Durrant, US Airways spokesman. Durrant said the new buildings will help frontline employees so the company can continue to better serve its customers. None of the locations where the departments were previously will be closed, Durrant said. The Rio West project was under construction for 7 1/2 months and it took a month to move employees into the buildings. The furniture, filing cabinets and art were brought in from the former US Airways headquarters in Virginia and 5 closed U.S. Airways clubs. Rio West is 25 acres just west of Tempe Town Lake. It's owned by SunCor Development Co. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 23 13:14:19 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 09:14:19 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways Web site draws ire Message-ID: <20060523091322.F8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 23 May 2006 ; The Charlotte Observer US Airways Web site draws ire http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/14644664.htm --- New Web site combines with America West; customers find glitches by SARAH RABIL US Airways customers who tried to use the airline's new Web site Monday complained of multiple glitches that kept them from booking flights and that sometimes showed inaccurate frequent-flier miles balances. The new Web site, launched Sunday afternoon, combines the previously separate sites for US Airways and America West Airlines, which merged eight months ago. Customers were unable to book flights using only airport codes or city names. Typing "Charlotte" or the airport code "CLT," for example, generated an error message stating that the selected city "did not match a location served by US Airways." Charlotte is the Arizona-based airline's biggest hub. Rob Slisko of Pittsburgh, who flies US Airways on business almost weekly, said he became frustrated with the new Web site Monday. He ended up buying a $317 ticket for personal travel on United Airlines. "They just shouldn't have done this. They really should have tested it better" he said. US Airways spokesman Phil Gee said the company is pleased with the transition so far. "When you're undertaking something so massive there's going to be some glitches here and there," he said. Some customers also had trouble viewing their Dividend Miles balances, or found miles were missing. The accounts were supposed to reflect their combined frequent-flier miles from the two airlines. Gee said the airline is still working to merge tens of thousands of frequent-flier accounts. US Airways' new Web site combines the previously separate sites for US Airways and America West Airlines, which merged eight months ago. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Tue May 23 21:18:00 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 17:18:00 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways' Rehiring Spree Message-ID: <20060523171649.L8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 23 May 2006 ; The Street US Airways' Rehiring Spree http://www.thestreet.com/pf/stocks/transportation/10287328.html --- By Ted Reed TheStreet.com Staff Reporter It's not just shareholders who have benefited from the US Airways (LCC:NYSE) merger. Last year's combination of US Airways and America West Airlines is also creating jobs at the airline, including 600 reservations jobs that had been outsourced abroad. The return of reservations jobs from San Salvador, Mexico City and Manila to Phoenix, Reno, Nev., and Winston-Salem, N.C. -- including 200 jobs that have already been restored -- represents a reversal of the widespread trend to outsource customer service jobs to other countries. "Our reservations team does a much better job than those the work has been outsourced to," said US Airways CEO Doug Parker, in an interview with TheStreet.com. "Despite our efforts to improve the outsourcing, it will never be as good as having our own employees do it." Parker also said that the expectation of further consolidation in the airline industry may be overblown, simply speculation resulting from the bankruptcies of Delta Air Lines (DALRQ:OTC BB) and Northwest Airlines (NWACQ:OTC BB) . "Both of these companies are going through their bankruptcies, finding themselves coming in ahead of their plan and probably have standalone plans for emerging," he said. "If they do come out independent, you won't hear much about consolidation anymore." The reservations jobs were outsourced last year by the former US Airways, which was operating under bankruptcy court protection, strapped for cash and struggling to reduce labor costs. Parker, who had headed America West Airlines, took over management of the combined airline when the merger was completed in September. He regularly heard complaints, from customers and employees, about the quality of the outsourced service. "When the pay scales were so divergent, I wasn't here, but I guess the analysis said, 'It's going to be a little worse service, but so much (less) money,' " Parker said. "Now we look at it and say, "It's going to be a little more money but much better service." A US Airways spokesman said service at the three foreign facilities has gradually improved, and that all three will continue to be used, but some of their call volume will be redirected. When the hiring is completed by the end of the year, US Airways will employ 2,400 reservations agents in the U.S. Reservations are not the only area where the new US Airways has reduced its reliance on outsourcing. The company has also brought several America West Boeing 757s into Pittsburgh for heavy maintenance that had been scheduled to be done by a third-party vendor. And it has hired about 100 information technology workers; US Airways had outsourced much of its IT work to EDS. Parker stressed that he is not opposed to outsourcing; in fact, all of America West's heavy aircraft maintenance work is outsourced. "America West has always outsourced some maintenance, just because we didn't have the infrastructure to do a lot of it inside," he said. "US Airways now does some of each. What we're finding is that work that's being done by our own people, no surprise to us, is being done better than by a third-party vendor." He credited the intensive cost-cutting at the former US Airways for making it feasible to bring work back. "The lesson here is that when you get to where pay scales are outside of market rates, jobs go outside," he said. "But when you can do stuff inhouse close to as efficiently as it can be done outside, you would always prefer to have it done inside." Because outsourcing has declined, the airline economy has improved and the merger has gone well, job loss from the combination of the two companies has been far less than expected. Although the merger was initially projected to result in the loss of roughly 5,000 jobs, only about 1,000 to 2,000 workers have been let go, Parker said. US Airways today employs about 35,000 workers, about the same as the combined total at the two predecessor airlines. Recently, the airline recalled 55 pilots and 203 flight attendants. About 1,000 management employees, including about 400 of the 600 workers at the former Crystal City headquarters in Arlington, Va., lost their jobs, many because they were unwilling to relocate to Phoenix, where America West has its headquarters and employs nearly 10,000 people. The airline also closed its Pittsburgh reservations center and reduced the Winston-Salem workforce from 800 to 450. That number has since grown to about 600, and will increase as more reservations agents are hired and trained. To be sure, Parker faces a difficult task as he moves to combine labor groups. Union workers who accepted cuts in wages and benefits during the bankruptcy now see a profitable airline whose stock price more than doubled since shares began trading last year at $20.40. About six dozen pilots marched silently into the airline's annual meeting in Charlotte last week, demonstrating their commitment to an improved contract. "No single investor, no investor group, has equaled the capital that this group has committed to the new US Airways," said Jack Stephan, chairman of the US Airways chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association. Stephan valued the concessions made by pilots at more than $2 billion, including pension concessions. "We participated in the worst of times, and we expect to equally participate in the best of times," he said. The US Airways' pilots contract doesn't open until 2009, but the America West pilot contract is up for renewal on June 30. America West pilots are paid more than US Airways pilots, and will be seeking an increase. Clearly, US Airways pilots, who are more senior, expect to be paid as much as America West pilots -- which conflicts with Parker's commitment to put the contracts together without raising costs. Parker said nothing requires that the two airlines have a single contract. He noted that Delta and Northwest are reducing their labor costs in bankruptcy court. Meanwhile, AMR (AMR:NYSE) unit American Airlines "is saying they need to go back to their employees and get their costs down," he said. "In an environment where everybody else is going through concessionary contracts, to suggest it's time to increase our pay is difficult." From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed May 24 22:19:00 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 18:19:00 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways brings back big jets Boeing 737s set for some ILM-Charlotte flights Message-ID: <20060524181818.T8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 24 May 2006 ; Wilmington Star US Airways brings back big jets Boeing 737s set for some ILM-Charlotte flights http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/NEWS/605240444/1004 --- By Gareth McGrath Staff Writer Wilmington International Airport welcomed back an old friend this month. But airport officials are hoping US Airways will soon be visiting more often than just twice a day. The Arizona-based carrier this month reinstated Boeing 737s, each with 126 seats, on some flights between Wilmington and Charlotte. But the two big-jet flights fall short of the six 737 flights the airport had to the Queen City last fall and are unlikely to reverse a trend of declining passenger numbers for ILM. US Airways now operates smaller regional jets, ranging from 50 to 90 seats, on six of its eight flights to Charlotte under the US Airways Express banner. That means fewer seats, less cargo space, potentially higher ticket prices as the seat supply tightens and even fewer upgrade opportunities for frequent fliers, since the regional jets have few or no business-class seats. The loss of the 737s late last year, which were the only big jets serving the Port City, coupled with the dropping of other flights has seen the Wilmington airport's passenger numbers take a nosedive. In April, Wilmington handled 56,199 passengers, down from 60,136 in April 2005. But airport officials said the dip of 6.5 percent in April - nearly 9 percent for the first four months of 2006 - is better than the drop-off most airports Wilmington's size are experiencing as airlines go to smaller, more fuel-efficient regional jets "I think we're doing very well considering all the factors involved," said Airport Director Jon Rosborough, noting that the airport's scorching growth in 2004 and 2005 probably wasn't sustainable. He added that he's happy to have the 737s back, and the big planes are already filling up. "That's showing we have the demand here to fill those seats," Rosborough said. But with Wilmington flights operating at nearly 84 percent capacity, the airport doesn't have much room for passenger growth without adding more capacity. Rosborough said that with most of the country's airlines losing money or barely eking out a profit, getting any new service these days is a challenge. "But we're continually pushing the issue, showing them our numbers and pressing our cause," he said. The big jets aren't the only flights to disappear from the Port City. US Airways Express also recently dropped one of Wilmington's flights to Philadelphia, leaving two daily connections. The commuter carrier also flies three times a day between ILM and New York-LaGuardia. Delta, Wilmington's other commercial carrier, hasn't been helping the airport's bottom line either. The bankrupt Atlanta-based carrier, which is still hemorrhaging cash, has suspended indefinitely its Wilmington-Cincinatti service operated by its commuter partner Comair. Delta's other commuter carrier, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, still operates five daily regional jet flights from Wilmington to Atlanta. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Fri May 26 22:41:42 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 18:41:42 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] Fire hits USAir plane in Phila. Message-ID: <20060526184050.I8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 26 May 2006 ; Philadelphia Inquirer Fire hits USAir plane in Phila. http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/philadelphia_county/philadelphia/14669474.htm --- It was taxiing when air controllers saw engine smoke. No one was hurt, but delays were great. By Julie Shaw Inquirer Staff Writer Hours after an electrical failure interrupted rail service for tens of thousands of passengers in the Northeast, a small generator fire erupted on a US Airways Express plane at Philadelphia International Airport last night, backing up runway traffic and causing extensive delays. No one was injured. The plane - US Airways Express Flight 3647, operated by Air Wisconsin - was preparing to depart Philadelphia for Columbia, S.C. It never left the ground. As it was taxiing on runway 27-left, a fire broke out in the auxiliary power unit of its right engine about 6:30 p.m., said Jim Peters, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration's Eastern Region. "Controllers in the tower saw some flame and smoke coming from the underbelly of the No. 2 engine side," Peters said. Fire crews raced to extinguish the flames. Meanwhile, its 46 passengers and three crew members were evacuated and bused back to the terminal. The regional jet, a CRJ-200 built by Canada's Bombardier, sustained "very little damage," Peters said. Runway 27-left, one of four airport runways, was shut down until 7:30 p.m., Peters said, adding that about two dozen aircraft were waiting to take off on adjacent taxiways when the fire broke out. Mark Pesce, airport spokesman, said the airfield was closed for 15 minutes after the fire broke out, during which no flights or departures were allowed on any of the runways. Philadelphia resident Katie Scrivner, however, said the situation felt worse than that. She was on one of the planes stranded on the runway. Her US Airways Flight 3915 had boarded on time for its 5:45 p.m. flight from Philadelphia to Columbus, Ohio, she said. But it had to wait for Flight 3647 to be cleared from its taxiway before her plane could depart, she said, speaking by cell phone at 7:15 p.m. while sitting on her plane on a runway. She said her flight crew told passengers that they were third in line for departure, with 50 other planes waiting in line to take off after them. With all the waiting, the mood on the plane was "tense," she said. According to the US Airways' Web site, her flight finally took off at 7:33 p.m. and was estimated to arrive in Columbus an hour and 20 minutes late. While flights at the airport were experiencing an hour or two of delays last night, Peters said he wouldn't know the full number of flights delayed until today. From usairways at vision.moundalexis.com Wed May 31 23:53:27 2006 From: usairways at vision.moundalexis.com (Daily US Airways News) Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 19:53:27 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [US Airways] US Airways offers new service to three European cities Message-ID: <20060531195226.J8724-100000@vision.moundalexis.com> 31 May 2006 ; The Business Journal of Phoenix US Airways offers new service to three European cities http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/05/29/daily14.html --- US Airways Group Inc. is expanding its European offerings, with new flights from Philadelphia to Milan, Italy; Stockholm, Sweden; and Lisbon, Portugal, either operating now or set to debut within a week. Tempe-based US Airways (NYSE: LCC) said Wednesday that when the new flights are operational, the airline will offer 19 daily flights to 16 cities in 10 European countries. US Airways offers nearly 450 daily flights to more than 100 destinations from its Philadelphia hub, which serves as the airline's international gateway. There is service from Philadelphia to more than 15 Caribbean destinations and other European cities, including London, Paris and Rome. There are several nonstops each day between Philadelphia and Phoenix, utilizing the aircraft of both merger partners, US Airways and America West. US Airways, which became the nation's fifth-largest domestic airline with its September 2005 merger of US Airways and America West, serves 230 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.