Doug Parker talks 2015 AA-US merger timeline in Washington, D.C.
During a luncheon address in Washington, D.C., Doug Parker, CEO of American Airlines, cited these merger achievements:
- American and US Airways have created the world’s largest code-sharing arrangement;
- US Airways has joined the Oneworld airline alliance, of which American is a founder and leading member;
- US Airways has joined the alliance of American, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair on flights, scheduling and marketing across the North Atlantic;
- American has “rebanked” its Miami hub in August, with Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to undergo the same schedule revamp next year. Rebanking means timing flights to arrive together more closely;
- American has begun construction of a new operations center in Fort Worth;
- US Airways and American have located their facilities together at 80 airports;
- American and unions are negotiating for new contracts covering workers from both carriers;
- Cargo of US Airways and American will be fully integrated in October; and
- “And, oh yeah, we’re producing record profits.”
Parker noted that American and US Airways have to combine 700 different systems. Parker gave the following (estimated) timetable on the biggest system integrations:
- Early 2015 –American’s AAdvantage and US Airways’ Dividend frequent-flier programs will be combined.
- By mid 2015 – American and US Airways will have a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.
- By late 2015 – American and US Airways will have a single reservations system.
Source: Dallas Morning News, Terry Maxon
