What US Airways, American Airlines Merger Means for Travelers - East Idaho News
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What US Airways, American Airlines Merger Means for Travelers

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011713 AmericanAirlinesNewLook?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1360845759481PRNewsFoto/American Airlines(NEW YORK) — American Airlines and US Airways announced on Thursday that they will merge their operations and become one airline, called American Airlines.  Together, they will be the world’s largest airline by passenger traffic.

So what does the merger mean for travelers?  

In the short-term, travelers will see virtually no changes from either airline.  The merger still faces regulatory obstacles and must be approved by the Department of Transportation and the Justice Department.  If and when it passes that scrutiny, the process of merging the two airlines’ operations will begin.

If you’re holding a ticket on US Airways or American Airlines, that ticket will still be valid on the airline you planned to fly, on the day and time you planned to fly it.

When you get to the airport, you will head to the same airline check-in counter by which your ticket was issued.

The only possible exception is if you are holding a ticket for many months out and your airline’s schedule changes as a result of the merger of flight schedules.  In this case, you will be contacted by the airline ahead of time, typically to the email address you provided when the ticket was purchased.

And members of either airline’s frequent flier programs need not worry: Your miles are still valid on your airline and it’s very unlikely you’ll lose miles or elite status.  

American and US Airways will merge frequent flier programs.  The new American Airlines will be part of the oneworld Alliance.  US Airways will leave the Star Alliance.

Longer term, the merger could mean higher prices.  The U.S., in the last decade, has gone from six legacy carriers (Delta, Northwest, United, Continental, American and US Airways) to four (Delta, United, American and US Airways).

If this merger is approved, just three legacy carriers will remain.

Certainly, the higher fares can’t all be attributed to consolidation in the industry (fuel costs, a reduction in available seats and the economy all factor in) but in general, less competition means higher prices.

Higher airfare tends to hit smaller cities harder than larger cities because smaller cities and airports have less competition.

On the up side, the merger will also mean more destinations for the new American Airlines.  US Airways passengers will benefit from American’s international routes, particularly in Europe and Latin America.  American will be able to access the smaller U.S. cities where US Airways has a large presence.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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