MrAndy1369

I've asked this question on DL, CO, and AA, so bear with me if you keep seeing similiar posts. I'm just curious since I've missed out on alot.

What was the old USAir like - pre-merger, pre-9/11, the 90's and earlier? Better meals, quality of customer service? I'm dismayed at the quick downward spiral US took this year - I actually enjoyed flying them last year, so I'm kind of surprised at how quickly they changed.

Centurion

Old US Air as in America West? America West had a 747 that flew Arizona to Hawaii and onto Japan. First Class had name tags on your seat and "silent flight attendant" who did not speak. I am not kidding she was the silent serving who wore flower lay like all the other attendants and carved beef and served you drinks on a cart that was rolled to your seat. She helped the other attendant who spoke.

EricH

If you enjoyed US last year, you have low standards.

The old US (East) started getting bad a long time ago. The old planes were already pretty filthy before 911, but the service was nice.

Pre-US, Piedmont was much beloved, but I think that may have been at least partly because they served some otherwise unserved airports (ROA for me). As for the other half of the merger that produced US, Allegheny Airlines was appropriately nicknamed Agony Air.

US AIRWAYS FAN

If you are talking USAir then you definately mean the east side of the company.

USAir is made up of many carriers and I am sure many can chime in to tell you that the service of those carriers was great. I remember Piedmont. What a great airline!! The RES agents that work in Winston-Salem are for the most part Piedmonsters. Great people.

Following USAir's history is quite interesting.

I think it was stupid of Tempe to say the "new" US Airways because of this merger with HP. US has merged with many carriers.

How old is the company now? (And I don't mean the new US). I mean counting from American Aviation days. Does US (the original) have an actual birth date?


I actually flew a Dash 8 in original USAir (pre US Airways name change) from PHX to Cedar City, UT early this spring. I was so shocked to see a USAir paint job I took a photo of it. The paint job was still in great shape considering how many years ago that livery has been gone.

Pre 9-11 the airbuses could not have been filthy. They were rolling right out of the hanger brand new.

Rick Astley

That's the retro paint job. I saw one like that in DEN recently.

CLTUSCAPTIVE

The USair I flew in the early 90's was fantastic. As a PG my upgrade percentage was about 99%. There was more legroom, more first class seats and better food. I remember flying CLT - LAX on the 767 (did this monthly for several years) and having the FA serve Mimosas in First. Breakfast usually included hot croissants. They also gave out Swiss chocolate balls prior to landing. But in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that the fare I paid for CLT - LAX was rarely less than $1500, unless I stayed Sat. nite.

craydot

I am with CLTUSCAPTIVE: I also remember the "mimosas" and very decent service on the trans-con flights from LAX. I can clearly remember the filet mignon dinner served on real china. It was actually good airline food! This was circa 1995. Post note: My (first class) dinner flight last week from Ft. Lauderdale to LA (via Vegas) was a choice of chips or a granola bar... no china!

N965VJ

Envoy won awards during the Wolfe era.


What the heck was that about? Was this part of the service, or just one individual?

SS255

I did not start flying in the front cabin until shortly after 9/11, so I definitely missed out on the "old time" service. But......from the perspective of someone who always flew Y in the "old days" (with one exception), US Airways (and USAir prior to that) was a really decent airline. PIT was a vibrant hub back then, and it made connections smooth and easy. Customer service was good. There was a classiness to the experience which permeated into the Y cabin.

The whole airline industry was so different back then, but I really miss the USAir(ways) of the 1990's far more than I miss any other airline.

Nicksta

In 1984, I flew USAir from Harrisburg to Orlando on a DC-9. If I remember correctly, we were seated at the "table" in the front of coach, where the first two rows faced each other. I was given plastic wings (I was young!) to wear on my shirt and my parents had requested children's meals be served. A child's meal was a decent sized hamburger, fries, and cookies. The other passengers were salivating at our meals! I fell in love with flying that day.

US AIRWAYS FAN

Retro paint job? Why would it be on a dash 8 on an express carrier. I want to say it was mesa.

us2

Nothing like now. Hubs at LAX, BWI and DAY. PIT hub was the biggest in the system (anyone else remember the old PIT terminal before the present one?). As others have noted, transcon F was fantastic -- mostly 757s and a few 767s out of CLT and BWI. Lots of intra-California flights -- a remnant of PSA. LAX terminal 1 was almost all US.

Upgrades were by coupon and you got tier bonus miles for flying so many miles each year. F cabin almost always got something to eat even on short flights like DAY-CLT. Upgrades for top-tier elites were easy to come by. Going back further, there were even hot meals in Y on flights like EWR-RDU and DCA-CMH (late 80s/early 90s). Great customer service -- the old Piedmont people were the best.

Cargojon

I took the exact same flight in (I believe) 1986.

The "old" US Air to me was basically the 90's....that's when I was adult enough to be flying on my own for business and/or pleasure....and I did good bit of it.

1. I remember in 1999, I flew RDG-PHL-MCI-SGF. In PHL, Air Force One was doing a takeoff, and it threw the ATC around for at least an hour or more. Then, as we were about 100th in line for takeoff, a thunderstorm rolled in. We were on the plane probably 3 hours on the tarmac. They served HOT MEALS to everyone in Y. When we got to MCI at around midnight (obviously having missed the cnx to SGF), they put us up in hotel rooms at their expense. Never would happen now.

2. I remember the PIT hub. God, what a glorious thing that was in it's heydey. I could fly MDT-PIT-MCI and not feel like I was flying east to fly west. The connections were usually much better. Even in winter they had their act together.

3. I remember in 1989, I was to fly home ERI-PIT-MDT. The day I was supposed to leave a huge snowstorm had hit ERI and the flight was cancelled. The next morning, I was reaccomodated on a ERI-BWI flight that they had make an unscheduled stop in MDT to let myself and one other distressed passenger off the plane. That to me was the best customer service I had ever received from an airline.

Zero of these things would have happened today. PIT is dead and so is customer service.

MCIFlyer

I remember flying US from ATL-PHL in the spring of '89. It was my 21st b'day and mentioned to the FA that I was buying my first "legal". She gave me my drink and said "on the house"! Not to mention our hot meal service.

I had Gold during the late 90's through '05. US had a great product back in the day. I remember receiving hot meals in F from PIT-IND and IND-MCI. (500 mi segments).

How many remember that old piccalo theme during the pre-flight briefing?

ibrandsguest

I mostly commuted LGA-CLT-and connecting to smaller airports from CLT, but with some direct flights from small cities in the Southeast to LGA.

I recall:
* Breakfast (I think in boxes) from LGA-CLT
* Small regional jet-like planes from CLT to smaller neighboring airports, with first class
* Getting paper upgrade coupons upon attaining Preferred status, with I think 4 new 500-mile coupons per 10,000 miles flown
* Upgrade certificates even for Silver members that could be used on most any fare across the Atlantic
* Tons of bonus mile promotions after 9/11