97-715: American Airlines is a major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas , within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . It is the largest airline in the world when measured by scheduled passengers carried, revenue passenger mile, and daily flights. American, along with its regional subsidiaries and contractors operating under the brand name American Eagle , operate an extensive international and domestic network with almost 6,800 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in 48 countries. American Airlines
194-477: A focus city airport for the company. By 2010, Pittsburgh was no longer listed as a US Airways focus city. US Airways now operated an average of only 39 departures a day exclusively to domestic destinations, compared to 2001 when it was a hub with 500+ flights a day with service across the United States and to Europe. Western Pennsylvania leaders and most notably the designer of the 1992 modernization of Pittsburgh International, Tasso Katselas , pointed out that
291-580: A reverse merger , acquiring the assets and branding of the larger US Airways while putting the America West leadership team largely in charge of the merged airline. In 2013, American Airlines and US Airways announced plans to merge, creating the largest airline in the world . The holding companies of American and US Airways merged effective December 9, 2013. The combined airline carried the American Airlines name and branding and maintained
388-457: A concessionary agreement, forced US Airways into a second round of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection proceedings on September 12, 2004. Widespread employee discontent and a high volume of employee sick calls were blamed by the airline for a staff shortage around the 2004 Christmas holiday, a public relations disaster which led to speculation that the airline could be liquidated; the USDOT found that
485-557: A direct role in the development of the DC-10 , which resulted from a specification from American Airlines to manufacturers in 1966 to offer a widebody aircraft that was smaller than the Boeing 747 , but capable of flying similar long-range routes from airports with shorter runways. McDonnell Douglas responded with the DC-10 trijet shortly after the two companies' merger. On February 19, 1968,
582-648: A new headquarters in Fort Worth. Groundbreaking began in the spring of 2016, and occupancy was completed in September 2019. The airline plans to house 5,000 new workers in the building. It will be located on a 41-acre (17 ha) property adjacent to the airline's flight academy and conference and training center, west of Texas State Highway 360 , 2 miles (3.2 km) west from the current headquarters. The airline will lease 300 acres (120 ha) from Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, and this area will include
679-423: A new livery. The original design called for a red, white, and blue stripe on the fuselage and a simple "AA" logo, without an eagle, on the tail; instead, Vignelli created a highly stylized eagle, which remained the company's logo until January 16, 2013. On January 17, 2013, American unveiled a new livery. Before then, American had been the only major U.S. airline to leave most of its aircraft surfaces unpainted. This
776-469: A new logo, American Airlines introduced a new livery for its fleet. The airline calls the new livery and branding "a clean and modern update". The current design features an abstract American flag on the tail, along with a silver-painted fuselage, as a throw-back to the old livery. The new design was painted by Leading Edge Aviation Services in California . Doug Parker, the incoming CEO, indicated that
873-616: A new logo, which includes elements of the 1967 logo. American Airlines faced difficulty obtaining copyright registration for their 2013 logo. On June 3, 2016, American Airlines sought to register it with the United States Copyright Office , but in October of that year, the Copyright Office ruled that the logo was ineligible for copyright protection, as it did not pass the threshold of originality , and
970-610: A new terminal at its hub in Pittsburgh . In 1996 the alliance between USAir and British Airways ended in a court battle when British Airways announced its intentions to partner with American Airlines. About March 1, 1997 USAir changed its name to US Airways and introduced a new corporate identity. A stylized version of the United States flag was adopted as a new logo. The new branding was applied to terminals and ticket jackets. The airline painted aircraft in deep blue and medium gray with red and white accent lines. That same year,
1067-404: A personal item. Still, American later revised their Basic Economy policies to allow for a carry-on bag. In May 2017, American announced it would add more seats to some of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets and reduce overall legroom in the basic economy class. The last three rows were to lose 2 inches (5.1 cm), going from the current 31 to 29 inches (79 to 74 cm). The remainder of the main cabin
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#17327801947131164-487: A pitch of 34 inches (86 cm) or more. Amid financial losses, this scheme was discontinued in 2004. American also offers Basic Economy , the airline's lowest main cabin fare on many routes. Basic Economy consists of a Main Cabin ticket with numerous restrictions, including waiting until check-in for a seat assignment, no upgrades or refunds, and boarding in the last group. Originally Basic Economy passengers could only carry
1261-549: A process of de-emphasizing its hub-and-spoke system to capitalize on direct flights between major eastern airports such as Washington National Airport and New York-LaGuardia . The airline became the 15th member of the Star Alliance on May 4, 2004. Fuel costs and deadlocked negotiations with organized labor, chiefly the Air Line Pilots Association , traditionally the first group to come to
1358-709: A proposed variant of the 737. USAir selected the new 737 and the company worked closely with Boeing during its development, taking delivery of the first plane on November 28, 1984. In 1979, USAir's network was east of the Mississippi, plus spokes to Houston and Phoenix; it added Dallas-Ft Worth and Kansas City in 1981, Denver in 1982 and Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego in 1983. It acquired two commuter airlines, Pennsylvania Airlines and Suburban Airlines , in 1985. It bought San Diego –based Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) in 1986 and Winston-Salem, North Carolina –based Piedmont Airlines in 1987. The PSA acquisition
1455-478: A reluctant Douglas to design a sleeper aircraft based on the DC-2 to replace American's Curtiss Condor II biplanes. (The existing DC-2's cabin was 66 inches (1.7 m) wide, too narrow for side-by-side berths.) Douglas agreed to proceed with development only after Smith informed him of American Airline's intention to purchase 20 aircraft. The prototype DST ( Douglas Sleeper Transport ) first flew on December 17, 1935,
1552-471: A round-trip flight between Los Angeles and Chicago. In 2011, due to a downturn in the airline industry, American Airlines' parent company, the AMR Corporation , filed for bankruptcy protection. In 2013, American Airlines merged with US Airways but kept the American Airlines name, as it was the better-recognized brand internationally; the combination of the two airlines resulted in the creation of
1649-446: A single contract, each group of crewmembers would fly only on its pre-merger airlines' aircraft and the flights would be marked accordingly. Since the computer systems were merged, former America West-operated flights were marketed as though America West was a wholly owned carrier. This marketing is common practice for airlines that have code-share agreements with other airlines operating aircraft for feeder or regional routes and although
1746-986: A smaller sample size, conducted in April, found that US Airways remained in last place, with its score dropping an additional 10 points. Also in 2007, the Today/Zagat Airline Survey rated US Airways as the worst airline overall in the United States, ranking it 10/30 for comfort, 5/30 for food, 10/30 for service and 15/30 for its online reservations system. On August 1, 2008, US Airways ceased providing free drinks; passengers could buy bottled water or soda for $ 2 or coffee and tea for $ 1. Shuttle flights between LGA , DCA and BOS continued to offer free beverages. US Airways resumed serving complimentary drinks in March 2009. US Airways ranked last out of 20 domestic airline carriers for on-time performance in March, April, and May 2007, according to DOT figures. According to
1843-451: A standard livery was adopted in the 1930s, featuring an eagle painted on the fuselage. The eagle became a symbol of the company and inspired the name of American Eagle Airlines . Propeller aircraft featured an international orange lightning bolt running down the length of the fuselage, which was replaced by a simpler orange stripe with the introduction of jets. In the late 1960s, American commissioned designer Massimo Vignelli to develop
1940-525: A subsidiary of Citigroup , Barclaycard , and Bilt card in the United States, by several banks including Butterfield Bank and Scotiabank in the Caribbean, and by Banco Santander in Brazil. AAdvantage allows one-way redemption, starting at 7,500 miles. The Admirals Club was conceived by AA president C.R. Smith as a marketing promotion shortly after he was made an honorary Texas Ranger . Inspired by
2037-548: A union of more than eighty small airlines. The two organizations from which American Airlines originated were Robertson Aircraft Corporation and Colonial Air Transport . The former was first created in Missouri in 1921, with both being merged in 1929 into holding company The Aviation Corporation . This, in turn, was made in 1930 into an operating company and rebranded as American Airways . In 1934, when new laws and attrition of mail contracts forced many airlines to reorganize,
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#17327801947132134-495: Is American's economy plus product. It is offered on all widebody aircraft. The cabin debuted on the airline's Boeing 787-9s in late 2016 and is also available on Boeing 777-200s and -300s, and Boeing 787-8s. Premium Economy seats are wider than seats in the main cabin (American's economy cabin) and provide more amenities: Premium Economy customers get two free checked bags, priority boarding, and enhanced food and drink service, including free alcohol. This product made American Airlines
2231-850: Is American's economy product found on all mainline and regional aircraft in its fleet. Seats range from 17–18.5 inches (43–47 cm) in width and have 30–32 inches (76–81 cm) of pitch. American markets several rows within the main cabin immediately behind Main Cabin Extra as "Main Cabin Preferred", which requires an extra charge to select for those without status. American Airlines marketed increased legroom in economy class as "More Room Throughout Coach", also referred to as "MRTC", starting in February 2000. Two rows of economy class seats were removed on domestic narrowbody aircraft, resulting in more than half of all standard economy seats having
2328-467: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . US Airways US Airways was a major airline in the United States . It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation , which soon became a commercial passenger airline. In 1953, it was renamed Allegheny Airlines and operated under that name for a quarter-century. In October 1979, after
2425-455: Is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance. American Airlines and American Eagle operate out of ten hubs, with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) being the largest. The airline handles more than 200 million passengers annually, with an average of more than 500,000 passengers daily. As of 2023, the company employs 103,200 staff members. American Airlines was started in 1930 as
2522-743: Is not a part of the JV. American Airlines has a joint venture with fellow Oneworld member Japan Airlines for flights across the Pacific. Combined, the airlines offer 16 daily flights to 9 cities between Japan and the United States with connections possible on Japan Airlines beyond Japan, and on American Airlines throughout North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. American Airlines has received approval to add additional service between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Haneda Airport in Tokyo, making it
2619-440: Is offered on all domestically configured aircraft. Seats range from 19–21 inches (48–53 cm) in width and have 37–42 inches (94–107 cm) of pitch. Dining options include complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on all flights as well as standard economy snack offerings, enhanced snack basket selections on flights over 500 miles (800 km), and meals on flights 900 miles (1,400 km) or longer. Premium Economy
2716-416: Is the frequent flyer program for American Airlines. It was launched on May 1, 1981, and remains the largest frequent flyer program, with over 115 million members as of 2021. Miles accumulated in the program allow members to redeem tickets, upgrade service class, or obtain free or discounted car rentals, hotel stays, merchandise, or other products and services through partners. The most active members, based on
2813-521: The 2008 fuel crisis ended those plans. As a further result of the skyrocketing fuel costs, the airline rolled back the planned summer 2007 service upgrades as well as ending its existing in-flight entertainment on all domestic routes. A Consumer Reports survey of 23,000 readers in June 2007 ranked US Airways as the worst airline for customer satisfaction. The survey was conducted before the airline's March 2007 service disruptions. A follow-up survey polling
2910-477: The Kentucky colonels and other honorary title designations, Smith decided to make particularly valued passengers "admirals" of the "Flagship fleet" (AA called its aircraft "Flagships" at the time). The list of admirals included many celebrities, politicians, and other VIPs, as well as more "ordinary" customers who had been particularly loyal to the airline. There was no physical Admirals Club until shortly after
3007-477: The Seabury Group , suggested putting the airline up for sale. The following month, US Airways Group and America West Holdings resumed their discussions. On May 19, 2005, both airlines officially announced the merger deal, structured as a reverse takeover . Financing for the deal was supplied by outside investors included Airbus , Air Wisconsin (a US Airways Express operator), and ACE Aviation Holdings ,
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3104-647: The 32nd anniversary of the Wright Brothers ' flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Its cabin was 92 in (2.3 m) wide, and a version with 21 seats instead of the 14–16 sleeping berths of the DST was given the designation DC-3. There was no prototype DC-3; the first DC-3 built followed seven DSTs off the production line and was delivered to American Airlines. American Airlines inaugurated passenger service on June 26, 1936, with simultaneous flights from Newark, New Jersey , and Chicago, Illinois . American also had
3201-511: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics June 2008 report (using data from May 2008), US Airways ranked seventh for percentage of on-time arrivals. US Airways was the leader in service complaints with 4.4 complaints per 100,000 customers. The US Airways rate of customer complaints was 7.5 times the rate of JetBlue (0.59 complaints per 100,000 customers) and 11 times the rate of Southwest Airlines (0.4 complaints per 100,000 customers). US Airways had
3298-548: The Middle East. The airline was a member of the Star Alliance , before becoming an affiliate member of Oneworld in March 2014. US Airways had 343 mainline jets, as well as 278 regional jet and turboprops flown by contract and subsidiary airlines under the name US Airways Express via code sharing agreements. The airline had severe financial difficulties in the early 2000s, filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in two years. In 2005, America West Airlines carried out
3395-481: The Pittsburgh airport itself, since US Airways had signed a 30-year lease and the county had issued $ 600 million in bonds for construction, which were supposed to be paid by US Air. US Air's move eliminated thousands of jobs and was a financial gut punch for the entire Pittsburgh region; former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said US Air's departure was the "second devastating economic blow after steel in
3492-752: The US Airways and America West computer reservation systems merged. US Airways, which previously used the Sabre airline computer system, switched to the new QIK system, an overlay for the SHARES system, that had been used by America West. A few of the features from the Sabre system were incorporated into the new joint system, with the most prominent being the continued utilization of the Sabre ramp partition "DECS" for all computer functions related to weight and balance, aircraft loading and technical flight tracking within
3589-510: The US Airways brand. Operations were not fully integrated until October 2008, when government approval was obtained to allow the airlines to operate under a single operating certificate . In May 2006, the US Airways and America West web sites were merged. The new US Airways web site united the two brands using graphics and styles reflective of the airline's new livery and services. In July 2006, US Airways and America West ordered 20 new Airbus A350 aircraft. In December 2006, US Airways became
3686-572: The United States The United States Department of Transportation defines a major carrier or major airline carrier as a U.S.-based airline that posts more than $ 1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year , grouped accordingly as "Group III". According to FY2024 revenues, 19 major carriers meet the requirement for Group III status. (*) - considered one of the "Big 4" major U.S. national airlines This article about an aviation -related organization
3783-485: The United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Three of these carriers are independent, and three are subsidiaries of American Airlines Group: Envoy Air Inc. , Piedmont Airlines, Inc. , and PSA Airlines Inc. American Airlines is headquartered across several buildings in Fort Worth, Texas that it calls the "Robert L. Crandall Campus" in honor of former president and CEO Robert Crandall . The 1,700,000-square-foot (160,000 m), five-building office complex called
3880-657: The above codeshares, American Airlines has entered into three joint ventures . American Airlines is a vital member of the Oneworld Atlantic joint venture on flights across the North Atlantic with European carriers British Airways , Finnair , and Iberia . Aer Lingus , which shares ownership with British Airways and Iberia, has received regulatory approval to join this joint venture. Itineraries including flights operated by Oneworld partner Alaska Airlines are sold as part of itineraries in this JV, but Alaska
3977-555: The accumulation of Loyalty Points with American Airlines, are designated AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, and AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite members, with privileges such as separate check-in, priority upgrade, and standby processing, or free upgrades. AAdvantage status corresponds with Oneworld status levels allowing elites to receive reciprocal benefits from American's Oneworld partner airlines. AAdvantage co-branded credit cards are also available and offer other benefits. The cards are issued by CitiCards,
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4074-542: The airline also introduced a single-class subsidiary known as MetroJet , which competed with low-cost carriers like Southwest Airlines expanding to the East. MetroJet operated Boeing 737-200s , the oldest aircraft in the fleet, allowing it to achieve the best utilization possible before being retired. On November 6, 1996, immediately prior to the rebranding to US Airways, the airline placed an order for up to 400 Airbus A320-series narrow-body aircraft, with 120 firm orders at
4171-424: The aisle in each row. As with the airline's other premium cabins, Flagship First offers wider food and beverage options, larger seats, and lounge access at certain airports. American offers domestic Flagship First service on transcontinental routes between New York–JFK and Los Angeles , New York–JFK and San Francisco , New York-JFK and Santa Ana , Boston and Los Angeles, and Miami and Los Angeles, as well as on
4268-424: The availability of financing and merger partners, and after no financing was available, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again in 2004 for the second time in two years. The airline merged in 2005 with America West Airlines . Under terms of the merger agreement, the America West board of directors created two new entities. First, a new "US Airways Group" was created to receive the bankrupt US Airways' assets and form
4365-1008: The call sign "CACTUS", while the pre-merger US Airways crews primarily flew with their respective aircraft and used the call sign "US AIR". In October 2008, the company began operating under a single operating certificate (that of the former US Airways). This required operation under a single call sign and identifier and that of America West ("CACTUS" and "AWE") were chosen as a sign of the company lineage. In addition, flights operated using former America West aircraft and crews were numbered 1–699, whereas flights operated by pre-merger US Airways aircraft and crews were numbered 700–1999. (Flights numbered 2000–2199 were shuttle services and those 2200 and higher were operated by express subsidiaries.) Aircraft operated by pre-merger US Airways crews or former America West crews flew under two different United States Department of Transportation operating certificates until September 25, 2007. However, until pilot and flight attendant union groups from both sides successfully negotiated
4462-422: The company. America West Airlines and US Airways merged FAA certificates on September 25, 2007. Former America West employees (including pilots, fleet service personnel, flight attendants) remained on their original America West union contracts and did not fully combine workforces with their pre-merger US Airways counterparts. Until October 2008, former America West aircraft flew with their respective crews and used
4559-462: The concepts of American pride and freedom wrapped into a shape that instantly makes you think about an airplane", and AskThePilot.com author Patrick Smith describing the logo as a linoleum knife poking through a shower curtain'. Later in January 2013, Bloomberg asked the designer of the 1968 American Airlines logo ( Massimo Vignelli ) on his opinion over the rebranding. Major airlines of
4656-519: The corporation redid its routes into a connected system and was renamed American Airlines. The airline fully developed its international business between 1970 and 2000. It purchased Trans World Airlines in 2001. American had a direct role in the development of the Douglas DC-3 , which resulted from a marathon telephone call from American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith to Douglas Aircraft Company founder Donald Wills Douglas Sr. , when Smith persuaded
4753-466: The deal. As the largest carrier at Washington National Airport , US Airways was disproportionately affected by that airport's extended closure following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The resulting financial disaster precipitated the closure of the airline's MetroJet network, which led to the closing of the subsidiary's primary operating base at Baltimore-Washington International Airport and
4850-530: The early '80s ." In August 2004, US Airways attempted to build a Latin American gateway at Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood , announcing service to 10 cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. The attempt was largely unsuccessful and short-lived, in part due to Fort Lauderdale's proximity to American Airlines' hub at Miami International Airport and its extensive Latin American network. US Airways also began
4947-577: The early 1990s, USAir expanded to Europe with flights to London, Paris, and Frankfurt from its four main hubs. The company formed partnerships, marketing the Trump Shuttle as the "USAir Shuttle" and accepting a large investment from British Airways that started one of the first transatlantic alliances , resulting in several Boeing 767-200ERs being painted in the British Airways livery, but operated by USAir. In 1992, it also invested in
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#17327801947135044-674: The end of the decade. Although the airline returned to profitability in the mid-1990s, its route network's concentration in the Northeastern United States and high operating costs prompted calls for the company to merge with another airline. Beginning in 2000 US Airways started retiring aircraft in an attempt to simplify its fleet and reduce costs, replacing many of its older planes with the new Airbus A320 -family aircraft. On March 30, 2000, US Airways received its first Airbus A330-300 . On May 24, 2000, US Airways announced plans to be acquired for $ 4.3 billion by UAL Corp.,
5141-596: The existing US Airways hubs for a period of at least five years under the terms of a settlement with the Department of Justice and several state attorneys general. US Airways management ran the combined airline from the American headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas . On April 8, 2015, the FAA officially granted a single operating certificate for both carriers, marking the end of US Airways as an independent carrier. The brand continued to exist until October 2015. Its first hub
5238-502: The financial year ending 31 December): American Airlines, Inc., is publicly traded through its parent company, American Airlines Group Inc., under NASDAQ: AAL Nasdaq : AAL , with a market capitalization of about $ 12 billion as of 2019, and is included in the S&;P 500 index . American Eagle is a network of six regional carriers that operate under a codeshare and service agreement with American, operating flights to destinations in
5335-510: The first American "legacy" carrier to add the Embraer 190 to its mainline fleet. It remains one of only three American carriers to operate the E190 in scheduled service, JetBlue and Breeze being the others. At the end of 2006, US Airways made a bid for competitor Delta Air Lines , which it opposed, treating it as a hostile takeover by US Airways. The final bid was valued at $ 10 billion but
5432-484: The first U.S. carrier to offer a four-cabin aircraft. Main Cabin Extra is American's enhanced economy product. It is available on all of the mainline fleet and American Eagle aircraft. Main Cabin Extra seats include greater pitch than is available in the main cabin, complimentary alcoholic beverages and boarding one group ahead of the main cabin. American retained Main Cabin Extra when the new Premium Economy product entered service in late 2016. Main Cabin (economy class)
5529-511: The forerunner to today's US Airways Express carrier Piedmont Airlines , to operate "Allegheny Commuter" flights was the industry's first code-share agreement, a type of service now offered throughout the industry. Allegheny changed its name to USAir in 1979 after the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act the previous year, which enabled the airline to expand its route network to the southeastern United States. USAir
5626-536: The furloughing of thousands of employees. The airline entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 11, 2002, but received a government-guaranteed loan through the Air Transportation Stabilization Board and was able to exit bankruptcy in 2003 after a relatively short period. The airline made major cost reductions during its bankruptcy, but it still encountered higher-than-average per-seat-mile costs. In 2003, US Airways began exploring
5723-506: The headquarters. Construction of the new headquarters began after the demolition of the Sabre facility, previously on the site. The airline considered developing a new headquarters in Irving, Texas , on the old Texas Stadium site, before deciding to keep the headquarters in Fort Worth. In 1931, an American employee, Goodrich Murphy designed the AA logo as an entry in a logo contest. The eagle in
5820-484: The headquarters. The airline began leasing the facility from the airport, which owns the facility. Following the merger of US Airways and American Airlines, the new company consolidated its corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, abandoning the US Airways headquarters in Phoenix, AZ. As of 2015, American Airlines is the corporation with the most significant presence in Fort Worth. In 2015, American announced it would build
5917-513: The largest airline in the United States, and ultimately the world. In December 2023, the company was added to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index . As of September 2024, American Airlines flies (or has flown) to the following destinations: American currently operates ten hubs. American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance and has codeshares with the following airlines: In addition to
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#17327801947136014-429: The logo was copied from a Scottish hotel brochure. The logo was redesigned by Massimo Vignelli in 1967. Thirty years later, in 1997, American Airlines was able to make its logo Internet-compatible by buying the domain AA.com. AA is also American's two-letter IATA airline designator . On January 17, 2013, American launched a new rebranding and marketing campaign with FutureBrand dubbed "A New American". This included
6111-469: The majority of the airline's total fleet consists of Airbus aircraft. American Airlines is the world's largest operator of the 787-8, the smallest variant of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner . Flagship First is American's international and transcontinental first class product. It is offered only on Boeing 777-300ERs and select Airbus A321s, which American designates "A321T". The seats are fully lie-flat and offer direct aisle access with only one on each side of
6208-502: The merger to close on September 27. Since the merger, US Airways had been headquartered at the former America West corporate offices in Tempe, Arizona , and America West executives and board members were largely in control of the merged company. The company's aircraft merged FAA operating certificate included America West's airline call sign and identifiers "CACTUS" and "AWE". During 2006, the airline began consolidating its operations under
6305-493: The most efficient, least costly, and least financially wasteful airfield in the world. Although conceding that those updates cost more, he argued they were more than offset by Pittsburgh's vast built-in nonnegotiable fuel and time, and to a lesser degree, labor savings. Local officials maintain that Allegheny County "bent over backwards" to accommodate US Airways and saved them millions of dollars, only to be abandoned. US Airways's abandonment of its Pittsburgh hub nearly bankrupted
6402-577: The move as a "betrayal" of New York City. American moved to two leased office buildings in Grand Prairie, Texas . On January 17, 1983, the airline finished moving into a $ 150 million ($ 459,000,000 when adjusted for inflation), 550,000-square-foot (51,000 m) facility in Fort Worth; $ 147 million (about $ 450,000,000 when adjusted for inflation) in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport bonds financed
6499-481: The new corporation. Second, "America West Holdings" was merged into "Barbell Acquisition Corporation", a subsidiary of the new "US Airways Group", on September 27, 2005; through this transaction, "America West Holdings" became a wholly owned subsidiary of the new "US Airways Group". The "America West Holdings" stockholders were required to authorize these changes. Upon completion, 37% of the new "US Airways Group" would be owned by "America West Holdings" stockholders, 11% by
6596-459: The new livery could be short-lived, stating that "[the] only reason this is an issue now is that they just did it right in the middle [of the merger], which kind of makes it confusing, so that allows us, actually, to decide if we are going to do something different because we have so many airplanes to paint". The current logo and livery have had mixed criticism, with Design Shack editor Joshua Johnson writing that they "boldly and proudly communicate
6693-542: The next few years USAir closed down PSA's hubs in California and Piedmont's hubs in Dayton and Syracuse , though both remained focus cities. By 1990, the airline had consolidated its headquarters, moving from Washington National Airport to a new building at Crystal City , in Arlington County, Virginia , near the airport. Maintenance and operations headquarters remained at Pittsburgh International Airport. In
6790-441: The old "US Airways Group" debtholders and 52% by new equity investors. The result was the fifth largest US-based airline in terms of revenue. The merger was completed on November 4, 2007. While America West was the nominal survivor, the merged airline retained the US Airways name, since studies indicated that "US Airways" had better brand recognition worldwide than did "America West". In early 2003, US Airways management liquidated
6887-524: The only US airline flying between New York City and Tokyo and the joint venture the leader in frequencies offered between New York City and Tokyo's primary airport. In 2019, American Airlines received regulatory approval to enter into a joint business relationship with Qantas covering flights between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. As of September 2024, the American Airlines fleet consists of 971 mainline aircraft, making it
6984-441: The opening of LaGuardia Airport. During the airport's construction, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia had an upper-level lounge for press conferences and business meetings. At one such press conference, he noted that the entire terminal was being offered for lease to airline tenants; after a reporter asked whether the lounge would be leased as well, LaGuardia replied that it would, and a vice president of AA immediately offered to lease
7081-548: The parent company of Air Canada . The merged airline retained the US Airways name to emphasize its national scope, as well as to capitalize on US Airways' worldwide recognition, Dividend Miles frequent flyer program , and Star Alliance membership. On September 13, 2005, America West shareholders voted to approve the merger agreement and three days later the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia approved US Airways' emergence from bankruptcy, allowing
7178-439: The parent company of United Airlines , the world's largest commercial carrier at the time. The complex deal drew immediate objections from labor unions , consumer advocates and antitrust regulators. Negotiations stalled; with both airlines losing money and the deal all but certain to be blocked by the federal government, UAL withdrew its purchase offer on July 27, 2001, paying US Airways a $ 50 million penalty for withdrawing from
7275-501: The passage of the Airline Deregulation Act , Allegheny Airlines changed its name to USAir. A decade later it had acquired Piedmont Airlines and Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), and was one of the U.S.'s seven transcontinental legacy carriers . In 1997, it rebranded as US Airways. The airline had an extensive international and domestic network, with 193 destinations in 24 countries in North America, South America, Europe, and
7372-518: The pensions of its 6,000 pilots by releasing their pensions into the federal pension program Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation . The company was one of the first major airlines to eliminate pilots' pensions in order to cut costs. Following a trial run of selling in-flight food in 2003, US Airways discontinued free meal service on domestic flights later that year. In late 2003-early 2004, US Airways lobbied for lower operating fees at Pittsburgh International Airport , citing its economies of scale as
7469-437: The practice is uncommon for major airlines, it greatly simplified the process for passengers connecting between historically US Airways-operated flights and former America West-operated flights. In the summer of 2007, US Airways began upgrading its in-flight services, from food and entertainment to the training of flight attendants. The airline was planning to test-market a new seatback entertainment system in early 2008, however,
7566-558: The premises. The airline then procured a liquor license and began operating the lounge as the "Admirals Club" in 1939. The second Admirals Club opened at Washington National Airport. Because it was illegal to sell alcohol in Virginia at the time, the club contained refrigerators for the use of its members so they could store their liquor at the airport. For many years, membership in the Admirals Club (and most other airline lounges)
7663-405: The president of American Airlines, George A. Spater, and James S. McDonnell of McDonnell Douglas announced American's intention to acquire the DC-10. American Airlines ordered 25 DC-10s in its first order. The DC-10 made its first flight on August 29, 1970, and received its type certificate from the FAA on July 29, 1971. On August 5, 1971, the DC-10 entered commercial service with American Airlines on
7760-422: The primary carrier and largest tenant at the airport. US Airways attempted to leverage its adverse cash position and "red ink" in the years following 9/11 to negotiate better financial terms with the airport. The Allegheny County Airport Authority rejected US Airways' demands for reduced landing fees and lower lease payments, in part due to antitrust and FAA regulations that required the airport operator to extend
7857-562: The problems were caused primarily by poor airline management. Even before the second bankruptcy filing of 2004, one of the alternatives US Airways Group explored was a possible merger with America West, as the two airlines had complementary networks and similar labor costs. The parties held preliminary discussions and conducted due diligence from February through July 2004. Ultimately, these talks ended due to issues related to labor, pension, and benefit costs. By December 2004, US Airways had cut labor costs significantly. Its investment adviser,
7954-452: The reason fees and payments were higher than average is expressly because US Airways requested the most modern and advanced airport in the world in return for basing its hub there. Katselas has also been vocal that the issue of negotiable fees and payments are irrelevant when compared to the three biggest costs of any airline: fuel, time, and labor, all of which his redesign of PIT from 1987 to 1992 helped to reduce. In fact, those changes created
8051-693: The same financial terms to all carriers if it accepted US Airways' demands. US Airways threatened to move traffic to rival hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte, and the airline made good on its threat in November 2004, reducing its flights at Pittsburgh International Airport from primary-hub to secondary-hub status. This action also resulted in the closing of the commuter terminal, also known as concourse E. The airline, led by former ExpressJet Airlines CEO David N. Siegel , continued to demote Pittsburgh International Airport in subsequent years until it became only
8148-744: The standard domestic route between New York-JFK and Boston. The airline will debut new Flagship Suite premium seats and a revamped aircraft interior for its long-haul fleet with fresh deliveries of its Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, beginning in 2024. Flagship Business is American's international and transcontinental business class product. It is offered on all Boeing 777-200ERs, Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 787-8s, and Boeing 787-9s, as well as select Airbus A321s. All Flagship Business seats are fully lie-flat. The amenities in Flagship Business include complimentary alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, multi-course meals, and lounge access. First class
8245-555: The third-largest commercial airline fleet in the world. American Airlines operates aircraft manufactured by Boeing and Airbus . Over 80% of American's aircraft are narrow-bodies from the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737 family . It is the largest A320 family aircraft operator in the world, as well as the largest operator of the A319 and A321 variants. American's wide-body aircraft are all Boeing airliners; however,
8342-528: The time of signing. The order was regarded as the largest bulk aircraft request in history. In 1998 the airline followed with an order for up to 30 Airbus A330-series wide-body aircraft , with an initial firm order for seven of the Airbus A330-300s. These orders enabled US Airways to replace its older aircraft with newer, more efficient aircraft. In 1997 US Airways bought the remains of Trump Shuttle . US Airways expanded its flights to Europe through
8439-586: Was a launch customer for the Boeing 737-300 , as the airline needed an aircraft with greater capacity to serve its growing Florida markets. USAir was the world's largest operator of DC-9 aircraft at the time and approached McDonnell Douglas to negotiate a new design. However, in the late 1970s, the McDonnell Douglas' proposed successor to the DC-9-50 did not suit USAir. After the negotiations with McDonnell Douglas broke down, Boeing came forward with
8536-411: Was because C. R. Smith would not say he liked painted aircraft and refused to use any liveries that involved painting the entire plane. Robert "Bob" Crandall later justified the distinctive natural metal finish by noting that less paint reduced the aircraft's weight, thus saving fuel costs. In January 2013, American launched a new rebranding and marketing campaign dubbed "The New American." In addition to
8633-512: Was by the airline's invitation. After a passenger sued for discrimination, the club switched to a paid membership program in 1974. Though affiliated with the Admirals Club and staffed by many of the same employees, the Flagship Lounge is a separate lounge designed explicitly for customers flying in first class and business class on international flights and transcontinental domestic flights. The key trends for American Airlines are (as of
8730-682: Was completed on April 9, 1988, and the Piedmont acquisition on August 5, 1989. The PSA acquisition gave USAir a network on the West Coast, while the Piedmont acquisition gave USAir a strong East Coast presence and hubs in Baltimore and Charlotte , which remained hubs for USAir. The Piedmont acquisition in 1989 was the largest airline merger until then and USAir became one of the world's largest airlines, with more than 5,000 flights daily to 134 airports (plus 48 more airports on USAir Express). In
8827-613: Was designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects . The campus is located on 300 acres, adjacent to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , American's fortress hub . Before it was headquartered in Texas, American Airlines was headquartered at 633 Third Avenue in the Murray Hill area of Midtown Manhattan , New York City. In 1979, American moved its headquarters to a site at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , which affected up to 1,300 jobs. Mayor of New York City Ed Koch described
8924-624: Was expected to take until "late 2016", with new flight attendant uniforms also being introduced in 2016. US Airways traces its history to All American Aviation Inc., a company founded in 1939 by du Pont family brothers Richard C. du Pont and Alexis Felix du Pont Jr. Headquartered in Pittsburgh , the airline served the Ohio River valley in 1939. In 1949 the company was renamed All American Airways as it switched from airmail to passenger service; it changed its name again to Allegheny Airlines on January 1, 1953. Allegheny's first jet
9021-478: Was in Pittsburgh , and it operated hubs in Charlotte , Las Vegas , Philadelphia , Phoenix–Sky Harbor , and Washington–Reagan . The final US Airways flight was San Francisco to Philadelphia via Phoenix and Charlotte , operating as Flight 1939 with 1939 commemorating the birth of All American Aviation, which eventually became US Airways. Repainting of US Airways' planes into the American Airlines scheme
9118-496: Was the Douglas DC-9 in 1966; it absorbed Lake Central Airlines in 1968 and Mohawk Airlines in 1972 to become one of the largest carriers in the northeastern United States. In 1973 it was the ninth-largest airline in the free world by passengers carried (and 24th largest by passenger-miles). With expansion came growing pains: in the 1970s Allegheny had the nickname "Agony Air". Allegheny's agreement with Henson Airlines ,
9215-425: Was thus in the public domain . American requested that the Copyright Office reconsider. Still, on January 8, 2018, the Copyright Office affirmed its initial determination. After American Airlines submitted additional materials, the Copyright Office reversed its decision on December 7, 2018, and ruled that the logo contained enough creativity to merit copyright protection. American's early liveries varied widely, but
9312-485: Was to have 30 inches (76 cm) of legroom. This "Project Oasis" seating configuration has since been expanded to all 737 MAX 8s as well as standard Boeing 737-800 and non-transcontinental Airbus A321 jets. New Airbus A321neo jets have been delivered with the same configuration. This configuration has been considered unpopular with passengers, especially American's frequent flyers, as the new seats have less padding, less legroom, and no seatback entertainment. AAdvantage
9409-434: Was withdrawn on January 31, 2007, since US Airways failed to secure backing from Delta's creditors. The airline stated that it would no longer pursue a possible takeover of Delta. Aircraft were equipped with Verizon Airfone in every row of seats. Since Verizon ended this service, the airline has deactivated the service and as of 2007, has removed the phones or has covered them in all aircraft. Overnight on March 4, 2007,
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