FORT WORTH, Texas, April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- American
Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair today celebrate a key
milestone as US Airways joins the airlines' trans-Atlantic joint
venture. As part of the joint business, established by American,
British Airways and Iberia in October
2010, the airlines can cooperate commercially on
trans-Atlantic flights. The joint venture also includes a revenue
sharing agreement in which member airlines have permission to
coordinate schedules and pricing on North Atlantic routes. These
benefits provide customers traveling between North America and Europe increased choices and access to a more
comprehensive network.
US Airways brings 28 trans-Atlantic routes to the joint business
including nonstop service from the United
States to 18 European destinations including Munich, Athens and Amsterdam. Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., will become oneworld's
largest East Coast gateways to Europe providing customers access to more than
100 destinations throughout North
America with one-stop connections from these two airports.
With combined operations, the joint business will serve 29
destinations in North America and
25 destinations in Europe,
operating nearly 100 routes between the two regions.
Enhanced benefits for customers of the five airlines
include:
- Coordinated schedules on joint business routes, providing
customers with better flight choices and more convenient
schedules
- Dedicated support teams for customers connecting at nine of the
airlines' hubs: Charlotte,
Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, London Heathrow,
Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, New
York's JFK and Philadelphia
- Online check-in and boarding pass printing with either the
airline operating the flight, or the website of the airline used to
book travel
- Lounge access and priority baggage privileges for loyalty
program members
- Increased opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer
benefits on trans-Atlantic flights
- More attractive corporate sales programs
US Airways will join the joint business as an affiliate member
until it fully integrates operations with American Airlines as part
of their merger to create the largest airline in the world.
US Airways also plans to implement extensive codeshare
agreements with the other carriers in the coming weeks, providing
easy access to the joint business' combined global network.
"Bringing US Airways into the joint business network is an
important step for us as we continue to advance our collaboration
with alliance partners to increase growth, market share and
competition," said Doug Parker,
chief executive officer – American Airlines. "Joining our entire
merged company into this agreement creates a stronger and more
competitive joint business, and will provide faster and easier
connections for customers on hundreds of flights between
North America and Europe."
"The inclusion of US Airways will not only expand the network of
our trans-Atlantic family, it will also broaden the appeal of our
services to new and existing customers who will have even more
flexibility, added convenience and improved rewards when traveling
between Europe and North America," said Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive. "This
expanded partnership complements the recent inclusion of Finnair
into the joint business between British Airways and Japan Airlines.
It has never been a better time to plan your journey across the
globe."
"We at Finnair are very pleased to welcome US Airways into the
trans-Atlantic joint business, which creates even more
possibilities for Finns and others in Scandinavia and the Baltic
Rim to connect seamlessly to dozens of destinations in North America," said Pekka Vauramo, Finnair
CEO. "Thanks to our participation in joint businesses with our
oneworld partners, Finland
has never been more accessible and open for business to global
travelers. We welcome and invite all to come and discover our
corner of the world."
About American Airlines Group
American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) is the holding company for
American Airlines and US Airways. Together with American Eagle and
US Airways Express, the airlines operate an average of nearly 6,700
flights per day to 339 destinations in 54 countries from its hubs
in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort
Worth, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The American Airlines
AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs allow members to
earn and redeem miles for travel and everyday purchases as well as
flight upgrades, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and
other retail products. American is a founding member of the
oneworld® alliance, whose members and members-elect serve
981 destinations with 14,244 daily flights to 151 countries.
Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at
Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines, and follow US Airways on Twitter
@USAirways and at Facebook.com/USAirways.
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SOURCE American Airlines