FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) today will begin to align customer benefits, creating a more consistent experience for those traveling on flights operated by American Airlines and US Airways. This is the first of many actions the airlines will take over the coming months as part of the integration process.
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"We're kicking off the new year by bringing our customers the first phase of enhanced benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles when traveling across our stronger combined network," said Scott Kirby, president – American Airlines. "Our customers are ready to reap the benefits of our merger and we are pleased they'll get to experience these perks they value most so early in the integration process."
The benefits customers traveling on both airlines will begin to experience today include:
AAdvantage and Dividend Miles members can earn and redeem miles when traveling across either airline's network. All travel on eligible tickets on both airlines will count toward qualification for elite status in the customer's program of choice. Elite members of each airline can enjoy select reciprocal benefits of both the AAdvantage and Dividend Miles programs, including First and Business Class check-in, priority security and priority boarding, complimentary access to Preferred Seats, priority baggage delivery, and checked bags at no charge, consistent with the current baggage policies for each carrier. Members of the American Admirals Club or US Airways Club will have reciprocal club benefits, providing them access to the 35 Admirals Clubs and 19 US Airways Clubs. In addition, American AAdvantage Citi Executive cardholders will have access to US Airways Clubs. Airport and Web check-in timeframes will be aligned for both US Airways and American. Boarding announcements will align to accommodate elites of both carriers. Airport ticket counters and gates at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport are now co-located.
Employees at American and US Airways have undergone joint training in preparation for changes effective today. As American Airlines Group Inc. works to fully integrate operations, employees of both airlines will be armed with the tools, information and resources needed to deliver a superior level of service to the combined carrier's loyal flyers.
Additional customer benefits will roll out as both airlines continue to combine operations. While full alignment will take time, customers can expect the following benefits in the coming months:
A codeshare agreement to provide easy access to each airline's global network. The first phase of the codeshare is expected to be available in the coming weeks. US Airways' exit from the Star Alliance on March 30, 2014 and entry into the oneworld® alliance on March 31, 2014. Co-location of additional ticket counters and gates in key markets, including Miami and Phoenix, as well as other domestic and international stations is expected to completed by the end of the first quarter. Alignment of select frequent flyer program policies, including upgrades.
As American and US Airways work through the integration process, the two airlines will continue to operate separately, with individual loyalty programs, reservations systems and websites. Customers should continue to check in for flights and conduct business with the airline operating their flight just as they did before the close of the merger.
For customers looking for more information, American's new Find Your Way site, aa.com/findyourway, offers key day-of-travel information and will be available throughout the merger integration process. Additionally, aa.com and usairways.com will continue to be regularly be updated with news on any fee, policy and procedure changes.
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.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "project," "could," "should," "would," "continue," "seek," "target," "guidance," "outlook," "forecast" and other similar words. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving the Company (formerly named AMR Corporation) and US Airways Group, Inc. ("US Airways"), including future financial and operating results, the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current objectives, beliefs and expectations, and they are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and financial position and timing of certain events to differ materially from the information in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and financial position and timing of certain events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: the challenges and costs of integrating operations and achieving anticipated synergies; the effects of divestitures pursuant to the settlement with the Department of Justice and certain states; the price of, market for and potential market price volatility of the Company's common stock and preferred stock; the Company's significant liquidity requirements and substantial levels of indebtedness; potential limitations on the Company's use of certain tax attributes; the impact of significant operating losses in the future; downturns in economic conditions that adversely affect our business; the impact of the price and availability of fuel and significant disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel; competitive practices in the industry, including the impact of industry consolidation; increased costs of financing, a reduction in the availability of financing and fluctuations in interest rates; the Company's high level of fixed obligations and ability to fund general corporate requirements, obtain additional financing and respond to competitive developments; any failure to comply with the liquidity covenants contained in financing arrangements; provisions in credit card processing and other commercial agreements that may affect the Company's liquidity; the impact of union disputes, employee strikes and other labor-related disruptions; the inability to maintain labor costs at competitive levels; interruptions or disruptions in service at one or more of the Company's hub airports; regulatory changes affecting the allocation of slots; the Company's reliance on third-party regional operators or third-party service providers; the Company's reliance on and costs, rights and functionality of third-party distribution channels, including those provided by global distribution systems, conventional travel agents and online travel agents; the impact of extensive government regulation; the impact of heavy taxation; the impact of changes to the Company's business model; the loss of key personnel or inability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the impact of conflicts overseas or terrorist attacks, and the impact of ongoing security concerns; the Company's ability to operate and grow its route network; the impact of environmental regulation; the Company's reliance on technology and automated systems and the impact of any failure or disruption of, or delay in, these technologies or systems; costs of ongoing data security compliance requirements and the impact of any significant data security breach; the impact of any accident involving the Company's aircraft or the aircraft of its regional operators; delays in scheduled aircraft deliveries or other loss of anticipated fleet capacity; the Company's dependence on a limited number of suppliers for aircraft, aircraft engines and parts; the impact of changing economic and other conditions and seasonality of the Company's business; the impact of possible future increases in insurance costs or reductions in available insurance coverage; the impact of global events that affect travel behavior, such as an outbreak of a contagious disease; the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; the Company's ability to use NOLs and certain other tax attributes; and other economic, business, competitive, and/or regulatory factors affecting the Company's business, including those set forth in the filings of US Airways and the Company with the SEC, especially in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of their respective annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other SEC filings. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof or as of the dates indicated in the statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to publicly update or supplement any forward-looking statement to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting these forward-looking statements except as required by law.
