Feb 14, 2013, 9:50 am
Last edit by: JDiver
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST
The AA - US merger was approved by AMR creditors and the boards of directors of both airlines on 13 Feb 2013, and announced the 14th.
There is no further speculation about whether the merger will occur; all that is pending is approval from the bankruptcy court and the regulatory authorities.
American Airlines and US Airways approve merger: just the facts, please outlines the facts we know;
AA - US Merger Agreement / Announcement Discussion (consolidated) is the thread for discussion of the announced merger.
The AA - US merger was approved by AMR creditors and the boards of directors of both airlines on 13 Feb 2013, and announced the 14th.
There is no further speculation about whether the merger will occur; all that is pending is approval from the bankruptcy court and the regulatory authorities.
American Airlines and US Airways approve merger: just the facts, please outlines the facts we know;
AA - US Merger Agreement / Announcement Discussion (consolidated) is the thread for discussion of the announced merger.
ARCHIVE: US LCC & AMR / AA Takeover / merger Rumors and Discussion (consolidated)
Feb 13, 2013, 12:26 am
#3646
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
As you say, with an aircraft with the "legs" and less capacity in a more standard configuration, who knows? Will it be the new AA? Who knows?
While the A350/787 are the best probabilities for this kind of route, LAX-SIN might just be within the range of a 747-8I...
MH flies LAX-KUL, but they make a stop (TPE previously, now NRT, iirc).
--
Hard to see US having much impact on Asia, or any other ultra-long-haul routes; US international is almost all transatlantic, and other than TLV do they extend anywhere further than AA does in that direction?
Feb 13, 2013, 12:37 am
#3647
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,229
I know that most of the posts on this board are against the merger, but if done right this merger can work out well for passengers and frequent flyers.
1. Prices - For the most part, this should stay flat. AA/US will still be competing against Delta and United for almost all major routes, which should keep prices in check.
2. Flight map - Regardless of the merger, AA was going to start adding routes. A merger with US should add new direct flights, and higher flight frequency (this may not last, but the early stages shouldn't see too many flight cuts). AA will probably focus on more profitable international routes and leverage the oneworld alliance to fill those planes.
3. Frequent flyer program - This gets tricky, as US Air's Dividend Miles as a stand alone ff program is subpar (IMHO) to AAdvantage. The AAdvantage program is a gold mine for AA, and the profit from the sale of AA miles to businesses is something that needs to remain after this merger. There are so many different ways to consolidate the programs that I can't even begin to speculate about the ramifications. History indicates that elites may be in for some pain when the programs are finally merged.
1. Prices - For the most part, this should stay flat. AA/US will still be competing against Delta and United for almost all major routes, which should keep prices in check.
2. Flight map - Regardless of the merger, AA was going to start adding routes. A merger with US should add new direct flights, and higher flight frequency (this may not last, but the early stages shouldn't see too many flight cuts). AA will probably focus on more profitable international routes and leverage the oneworld alliance to fill those planes.
3. Frequent flyer program - This gets tricky, as US Air's Dividend Miles as a stand alone ff program is subpar (IMHO) to AAdvantage. The AAdvantage program is a gold mine for AA, and the profit from the sale of AA miles to businesses is something that needs to remain after this merger. There are so many different ways to consolidate the programs that I can't even begin to speculate about the ramifications. History indicates that elites may be in for some pain when the programs are finally merged.
Feb 13, 2013, 12:54 am
#3648
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
Feb 13, 2013, 12:58 am
#3649
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
Yes - no YQ on any partner airline is subpar to YQ on awards on BAAnd the name is US Airways not US Air...
Feb 13, 2013, 1:04 am
#3650
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Houston, IAH
Programs: United Global Services,Hilton Diamond, Starwood Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 449
United / Continental did well by me...
Feb 13, 2013, 2:27 am
#3651
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,757
Yes. All of AA's 772s are 777-200ER models which can easily make CLT-NRT. Boeing Tokyo Range Chart.
Feb 13, 2013, 3:03 am
#3652
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: MSN
Programs: AA Plat 1MM, HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG GLD
Posts: 325
Well we could just call it LCC, which everyone here can agree is a little ironic. Cherry picking the unlimited upgrades and YQ issue is misleading. I would assure you that a large majority of FTers would agree that AAdvantage is a superior program Dividend Miles. The good things about DM are that they sell miles cheap, 90k in C to N. Asia, have really loose routing rules, and they are part of Star.
Feb 13, 2013, 3:17 am
#3653
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ireland
Programs: BA Gold, A3 Gold, BD..oh, wait..
Posts: 4,045
The European Commission has just rejected for the second time RyanAir's proposed takeover of Aer Lingus. Hopefully they will be pro-consumer enough to also reject the US takeover of AA.
Euro Commission is fine to intervene with two European airlines merging. Not going to have any say so about two American airlines merging. Completely invalid comparison.
Feb 13, 2013, 3:48 am
#3654
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 49,047
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B143 Safari/8536.25)
Please name a recent merger in the USA, in any industry, which benefited consumers.
That is really the bottom line - for passengers. The only real question is how bad will it be. I'm guessing horrific but hope I'm wrong. US seems to me to be Southwest with bad customer service.
Originally Posted by travelinmanS
I know that most of the posts on this board are against the merger, but if done right this merger can work out well for passengers and frequent flyers.
1. Prices - For the most part, this should stay flat. AA/US will still be competing against Delta and United for almost all major routes, which should keep prices in check.
2. Flight map - Regardless of the merger, AA was going to start adding routes. A merger with US should add new direct flights, and higher flight frequency (this may not last, but the early stages shouldn't see too many flight cuts). AA will probably focus on more profitable international routes and leverage the oneworld alliance to fill those planes.
3. Frequent flyer program - This gets tricky, as US Air's Dividend Miles as a stand alone ff program is subpar (IMHO) to AAdvantage. The AAdvantage program is a gold mine for AA, and the profit from the sale of AA miles to businesses is something that needs to remain after this merger. There are so many different ways to consolidate the programs that I can't even begin to speculate about the ramifications. History indicates that elites may be in for some pain when the programs are finally merged.
1. Prices - For the most part, this should stay flat. AA/US will still be competing against Delta and United for almost all major routes, which should keep prices in check.
2. Flight map - Regardless of the merger, AA was going to start adding routes. A merger with US should add new direct flights, and higher flight frequency (this may not last, but the early stages shouldn't see too many flight cuts). AA will probably focus on more profitable international routes and leverage the oneworld alliance to fill those planes.
3. Frequent flyer program - This gets tricky, as US Air's Dividend Miles as a stand alone ff program is subpar (IMHO) to AAdvantage. The AAdvantage program is a gold mine for AA, and the profit from the sale of AA miles to businesses is something that needs to remain after this merger. There are so many different ways to consolidate the programs that I can't even begin to speculate about the ramifications. History indicates that elites may be in for some pain when the programs are finally merged.
Feb 13, 2013, 3:50 am
#3655
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 49,047
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B143 Safari/8536.25)
Because US's route structure, hubs, customer base, and revenue stream called for something different - a point that Doug Parker has clearly articulated.
I promise I will change! 
Originally Posted by sts603
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If so why didn't he run the old airline that way? This sounds a bit like " I'm sure after we're married they will be a totally different person."
If so why didn't he run the old airline that way? This sounds a bit like " I'm sure after we're married they will be a totally different person."
Feb 13, 2013, 4:43 am
#3656
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, AA 1MM LT GLD, SPG PLAT, National Exec Selc, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver
Posts: 8,278
Are you going to refute the points we have made to disagree with your viewpoint for just spout out one liners?
Feb 13, 2013, 6:05 am
#3657
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Bonvoy Amb LTT, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPlat, United Silver
Posts: 642
Is Today The Day?
Does anyone know what time the respective board meetings are scheduled?
The announcements may not formally happen today, but with the number of people involved, a leak would not be a surprise.
The announcements may not formally happen today, but with the number of people involved, a leak would not be a surprise.
Feb 13, 2013, 6:28 am
#3658
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
The Delta/Northwest merger sought and received European regulatory clearance. Doing business in the EU subjects (even non-EU) firms to many EU regulations, just as the DOT can fine European carriers for advertising violations.
Feb 13, 2013, 6:48 am
#3659
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
Glad to see you did well. If you can come off your perch as a GS for a moment, take a look what has happened to 1ks, and especially Plats, Golds, and Silvers. All tiers get less benefits now than they did before the merger and the benefits that remain are watered down (like "complimentary upgrades" for Silvers...read "you never get upgraded"). Just because you haven't done too badly doesn't mean there have been tens of thousands who receive less benefits. And then there's the small matter of airfares, which have generally gone up since the merger since there is now less competition...
.
Feb 13, 2013, 7:05 am
#3660
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, AA 1MM LT GLD, SPG PLAT, National Exec Selc, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver
Posts: 8,278
So true. I can't think of a single one.
Glad to see you did well. If you can come off your perch as a GS for a moment, take a look what has happened to 1ks, and especially Plats, Golds, and Silvers. All tiers get less benefits now than they did before the merger and the benefits that remain are watered down (like "complimentary upgrades" for Silvers...read "you never get upgraded"). Just because you haven't done too badly doesn't mean there have been tens of thousands who receive less benefits. And then there's the small matter of airfares, which have generally gone up since the merger since there is now less competition...
A leak? Nah...we've not had any leaks in this saga so far.
Glad to see you did well. If you can come off your perch as a GS for a moment, take a look what has happened to 1ks, and especially Plats, Golds, and Silvers. All tiers get less benefits now than they did before the merger and the benefits that remain are watered down (like "complimentary upgrades" for Silvers...read "you never get upgraded"). Just because you haven't done too badly doesn't mean there have been tens of thousands who receive less benefits. And then there's the small matter of airfares, which have generally gone up since the merger since there is now less competition...
A leak? Nah...we've not had any leaks in this saga so far
.And this is just a curiosity question - what benefits did 1Ks lose? I'm aware of the terrible system integration, bad customer service, and issues with Tens of Dollar upgrades post-merger but I wasn't aware that 1Ks actually had tangible benefits cut.