CHICAGO, Oct. 16 (UPI) — American Airlines has asked passengers to arrive at airports early this weekend as the company’s booking system is merged with that of US Airways.
On Friday, US Airways is scheduled to make its last flight, a red-eye from San Francisco to Philadelphia, before being rebranded as part of its merger with American Airlines.
During the 22-month transition the two airlines have joined their frequent flier plans, cargo, accounting and other functions. The biggest test, though, comes Saturday when the companies combine their passenger ticketing systems.
American Airlines said it expects a smooth transition, but asked passengers traveling Saturday and Sunday to arrive early at airports, with itineraries and boarding passes in hand in case of any hiccups. Travelers have also been encouraged to check into their flights 24 hours in advance online.
At airports in Charlotte, Phoenix and Philadelphia, each a US Airways hub, 200 flights, or 11 percent of the company’s regular flights, were eliminated from the schedule Saturday to help ease the transition. American Airlines has upgraded its computer and personnel capability with 1,500 new reservation agents, 600 new airport agents and 1,300 new computer kiosks since the merger was announced in 2013.
“We have really tested the heck out of everything,” said Maya Liebman, American Airlines’ chief information officer. “This is a wildly complex process.”
Airline merger transitions has a checkered history. A 2010 union of American and United Continental Holdings Inc. disrupted passengers for weeks, and a 2005 merger of US Airways and America West Airlines resulted in a poor blending of the companies’ information technology functions.
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