View Poll Results: Is an American Airlines/US Airways merger good for the traveling public?

Yes

28.19%

214

71.81%

Voters: 298. You may not vote on this poll

US/AA merger- MASTER DISCUSSION THREAD/incl 'when will US leave STAR'

Dec 8, 13, 9:45 am - Wikipost

Please read: This is a community-maintained wiki post containing the most important information from this thread. You may edit the Wiki once you have been on FT for 90 days and have made 90 posts.

Last edit by: aztimm
Wiki Link

Note:

There is an existing thread in the AA forum that may be useful to US and AA Flyertalkers:
US-AA Merger: Just the Facts thread

As facts become posted, that should be the place to look.

Merger discussion, speculation, and other questions can be directed here, or the similar thread in the AA forum:
MERGER: US and AA 9 Dec 2013 and implications for AA flyers (new)

AA - US Merger Agreement / Announcement / DOJ Action Discussion (consolidated, and now closed to new posts)

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jul 24, 13, 5:17 pm

#976

BoeingBoy

Join Date: Apr 2006

Location: High Point, NC

Programs: None

Posts: 9,171

I would think that Day 1 would be the day that all approvals are in place. Not much of anything can happen before that.

US had said at least a month ago that the first change FFers would see would be the ability to earn US miles on "new" AA flights and vice versa - a blanket code share. The DOT and European authorities would need to approve the merger for that to happen.

Jim

Jul 24, 13, 5:18 pm

#977

SOBE ER DOC

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: ORD / MDW / FLL

Programs: DL DM/1MM, AA EXP, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Platinum

Posts: 2,133

EU Regulators to AA/BA/IB JV: Drop one PHL-LHR slot to Approve US-AA Merger

My money is on the impending DL/VS JV to pick up the PHL-LHR slot pair. Thoughts?

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ir_route_.html

"US Airways Group and American Airlines have offered to give up a pair of landing and takeoff slots at London's Heathrow Airport to a competitor that would fly between Philadelphia and London. European Union antitrust regulators have one concern: that after the $11 billion merger of US Airways and American, the new American, as the airline will be called, could substantially hike airfares between London and Philadelphia.

A competitor airline would likely want an earlier time and select Heathrow slot times now used for flights from New York, Chicago, or some other city. The airport losing the arrival and takeoff slots would have one fewer flight to London. Instead, Philadelphia would get the slots, and an additional flight, to satisfy EU regulators' concerns."

Last edited by SOBE ER DOC; Jul 24, 13 at 7:08 pm Reason: I can't spell

Jul 24, 13, 5:21 pm

#978

IADCAflyer

Join Date: Sep 2000

Location: DCA/IAD

Programs: AA - Platinum; 1W Sapphire; HHonors Gold; UA dirt

Posts: 5,905

Am I the only one who got a sinking feeling in their gut when they saw the November 1 join date, went to oneworld.com, saw the tail fins of all the 1W members, and asked myself - who the hell are these airlines??????

Last edited by IADCAflyer; Jul 24, 13 at 5:45 pm

Jul 24, 13, 5:27 pm

#979

SOBE ER DOC

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: ORD / MDW / FLL

Programs: DL DM/1MM, AA EXP, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Platinum

Posts: 2,133

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITRADE

Am I the only one who got a sinking feeling in their gut when they say the November 1 join date, went to oneworld.com, saw the tail fins of all the 1W members, and asked myself - who the hell are these airlines??????

OW has a number of rather good airlines:

BA
CX
QF

QR is joining next year.

These four carriers alone are some of the finest in the sky and can get you virtually anywhere you'd want to go. Quality over quantity.

Jul 24, 13, 5:28 pm

#980

kochleffel

Join Date: Oct 2008

Location: NYS

Programs: NPR

Posts: 1,106

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITRADE

For anyone who has led a sheltered life, "these airlines" are:

airberlin
American Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
LAN
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Royal Jordanian
S7 Airlines.

Jul 24, 13, 5:34 pm

#981

BoeingBoy

Join Date: Apr 2006

Location: High Point, NC

Programs: None

Posts: 9,171

In addition to AA/BA, you've got JAL & Cathay Pacific (Asia), LAN (S America), Quantas (Australia, S Pacific/New Zealand), Royal Jordanian (Middle East) and the others.

Jim

Jul 24, 13, 5:40 pm

#982

tommyleo

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: PHL

Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt

Posts: 4,904

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITRADE

That was my first reaction, too, when the merger was announced a while back. But it's the strict award-redemption rules of AA that -- if adopted -- really give me that sinking feeling.

Last edited by tommyleo; Jul 24, 13 at 5:56 pm

Jul 24, 13, 5:40 pm

#983

BoeingBoy

Join Date: Apr 2006

Location: High Point, NC

Programs: None

Posts: 9,171

Delta is a possibility - originate in PHL with a change of gage in JFK. UA is a possibility although not as likely. The LHR slot was a divestiture required for approval of the AA/BA JV which US received from AA (MIA-LHR). It makes sense that the slot received from AA be given up.

What I find amusing is that US is fighting so hard to keep all the DCA slots but willingly gives up a LHR slot.

Jim

Jul 24, 13, 5:52 pm

#984

Captain Flush

Join Date: Oct 2005

Location: SFO ex DCA ex ALB

Programs: USAmerican AAdvantagend Miles Gold (sigh), OW Ruby (sigh), Avis First, and some random other junk

Posts: 624

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOBE ER DOC

These four carriers alone are some of the finest in the sky and can get you virtually anywhere you'd want to go. Quality over quantity.

Quality over quantity is a fine concept, but much less fine when you're looking to redeem miles for travel during a specific time window and suddenly have half as many carriers in play.

Jul 24, 13, 5:52 pm

#985

IADCAflyer

Join Date: Sep 2000

Location: DCA/IAD

Programs: AA - Platinum; 1W Sapphire; HHonors Gold; UA dirt

Posts: 5,905

Why are you amused? DCA is a gold mine - government fares, attorneys, contractors, consultants.

Jul 24, 13, 5:58 pm

#986

Air Rarotonga

Join Date: Mar 2009

Location: ZRH/SFO

Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA

Posts: 3,666

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOBE ER DOC

My money is on the impending DL/VA JV to pick up the PHL-LHR slot pair. Thoughts?

Why should DL fly in coop with VA (Virgin Australia) between PHL and LHR?

Jul 24, 13, 6:17 pm

#987

shawn67

Join Date: Jan 2013

Location: PHX

Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Marriott Rewards Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, TK M&S Elite

Posts: 289

My sinking feeling is that I have an award RTW trip in F/C on US, UA, TK, SG, and OZ booked for November 5 through November 16. Am I screwed??

Jul 24, 13, 6:25 pm

#988

3Cforme

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jun 2001

Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat

Posts: 28,192

Quote:

Originally Posted by kochleffel

There are also another eleven airlines outside of oneworld where one can redeem AA miles. Really, the sky is not falling.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/a...rtnerChart.jsp

Jul 24, 13, 6:45 pm

#989

shawn67

Join Date: Jan 2013

Location: PHX

Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Marriott Rewards Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, TK M&S Elite

Posts: 289

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3Cforme

There are also another eleven airlines outside of oneworld where one can redeem AA miles. Really, the sky is not falling.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/a...rtnerChart.jsp

I think when current DM members start seeing the fuel surcharges on award travel by OW members - they will think the sky is falling.