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Airlines slowly growing into one

The merger of US Airways and America West is relatively seamless at Tampa International Airport.

By STEVE HUETTEL
Published October 6, 2005

TAMPA - Day One for the new US Airways at Tampa International Airport started with a few hiccups.

A passenger showed up Wednesday morning with her dog, unaware of the airline's new policy against flying pets as cargo or checked luggage. Check-in moved slowly at the relocated America West Airlines ticket counter as agents navigated a still-unfamiliar computer system.

But the first day of combined operations at Tampa International for US Airways and America West, which merged last week under the US Airways name, was relatively seamless for customers.

The most obvious signal: temporary canvas signs behind the ticket counters declaring "US Airways & America West Airlines/Joining Together to Create the World's Largest Low-Fare Airline."

Each airline will operate separately for about two years - flying the same planes on the same routes they did before the merger - as the company slowly integrates employees, aircraft, marketing efforts and various procedures.

Some changes for passengers have kicked in. The most significant requires customers to spend more frequent flier miles for a free ticket.

A coach-class domestic flight costs 25,000 miles, up from 20,000 for US Airways Dividend Miles members and 15,000 for America West's FlightFund members. Customers in both programs can use their miles for award tickets on either airline.

The upside is that frequent fliers will find more free seats available and a wider choice of destinations, said Phil Gee, a US Airways spokesman. FlightFund members can use miles to fly to the Caribbean, for example, and Dividend Miles members can fly free to Hawaii.

Customers on Wednesday could start counting flights on both airlines to qualify for elite status for next year. That status - earned by flying from 25,000 to 100,000 miles per year - gives members free first-class upgrades, multiple frequent flier miles and other perks.

More changes are in the works as the new company, run largely by America West executives from its headquarters in Tempe, Ariz., undertakes the tricky business of combining two very different carriers.

US Airways struggled for the last decade as a high-cost, full-service airline under attack from discount carriers. The airline was going through its second bankruptcy and had bleak prospects for survival when a financially stronger America West, a low-fare carrier itself, proposed a merger last spring.

It's a marriage of opposites. US Airways flies mostly on the East Coast, America West in the West. US Airways has lots of veteran employees and a buttoned-down attitude. America West workers are younger, and preferred dress even at headquarters is golf shirts and khakis.

When the merger became official last Tuesday, the company encouraged workers to celebrate by decorating ticket counters.

Tampa International workers adopted a wedding theme, with cake, punch, a "registry" for passengers to sign and an employee in a friend's wedding dress. At the gates, agents spun a Wheel of Fortune and gave customers prizes including first-class upgrades.

Still, the merger faces sticky issues. The toughest: combining pilot and flight attendants on a seniority list. Seniority determines who gets the best schedules and highest pay rates. America West's more junior crews don't want to end up behind their US Airways counterparts.

Executives also must standardize thousands of operating policies. Passengers are noticing changes to previous US Airways rules to match those on America West.

Last Saturday, US Airways stopped flying pets as cargo or checked baggage. Customers can still carry small pets on board in containers for $80. US Airways rebooked the woman with a pet at Tampa International on another airline and paid the difference in her fare, said station manager Robert Conwell.

Getting ready for Wednesday's launch of combined operations involved lots of behind-the-scenes work. America West's ticket counter was moved next to US Airways' counter and staffed by US Airways workers trained on the other airline's computer system. America West flights were switched to Airside E, beside gates used by US Airways.

Tampa International employees worked overnight to swap out about 60 directional signs for America West in terminals and elevators and along airport roads. Voice messages in shuttles at Airside E were changed to include directions to America West's new baggage claim location.

"For the customer, it's transparent," said Conwell. "The result (for them) is the plane takes off safely and lands safely."

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or 813 226-3384.

[Last modified October 6, 2005, 01:13:15]