US Airways Expands Customer Access To Central And South America With Avianca Codeshare Agreement

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- US Airways (NYSE: LCC) and Avianca today announced a new bilateral codeshare agreement after receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The airline also announced an expansion of its codeshare with TACA. US Airways customers will enjoy new access to destinations throughout Colombia with Avianca and expanded access in Central and South America with TACA, along with the convenience of a single-ticket purchase for a seamless travel experience and the ability to redeem status Dividend Miles for travel. Customers traveling on Avianca and TACA will also receive expanded access to the United States.  Both Avianca and TACA are subsidiaries of AviancaTaca Holdings.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120103/LA28814LOGO)

"US Airways' new codeshare agreement with Avianca and expansion with TACA will provide our customers with expanded travel options and additional ways to earn and redeem status Dividend Miles," said Andrew Nocella, US Airways' senior vice president, Marketing and Planning. "With a long-standing relationship with Taca as a Star Alliance and codeshare partner, we look forward to enhancing this relationship with Avianca."

"Through the expansion of this agreement we can deliver more travel options for our passengers, as well as better serve US Airways customers flying on our route network," said Alex Benitez, AviancaTaca's vice president, Planning, Network and Alliances. "We are driven by a strong focus on our clients' needs and look to take actions that improve client satisfaction."

US Airways customers will be able to connect to the Colombian cities of Bogota, Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin on Avianca. Conversely, Avianca customers in these cities will have access to US Airways' hub cities of Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, Phoenix and the airline's focus city at Washington's Reagan National Airport. All fights are available for sale starting Dec. 21 on www.usairways.com for travel beginning Jan. 7, 2013.  Specific connection information is as follows:

US Airways will also be expanding its codeshare with TACA. With the expansion US Airways customers will now able to reach San Salvador, El Salvador and Guatemala City, Guatemala. TACA customers will have access to the US Airways' hub cities. Specific codeshare information is as follows:

About US Airways
US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates nearly 3,200 flights per day and serves more than 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 32,000 aviation professionals worldwide, operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,500 daily flights to 1,356 airports in 193 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Phoenix, and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Aviation Week and Overhaul & Maintenance magazine presented US Airways with the 2012 Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the Year Award for demonstrating outstanding achievement and innovation in the area of technical operations. Military Times Edge magazine named US Airways as a Best of Vets employer in 2011 and 2012. US Airways was, for the third year in a row, the only airline included as one of the 50 best companies to work for in the U.S. by LATINA Style magazine's 50 Report. The airline also earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality index for six consecutive years. The Corporate Equality index is a leading indicator of companies' attitudes and policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. For more company information visit usairways.com, follow on Twitter @USAirways or at Facebook.com/USAirways. (LCCG)

About AviancaTaca Holding  
Avianca, TACA, AeroGal and Tampa Cargo, along with other regional airlines constitute AviancaTaca Holding SA. The conglomerate provides air services in a range of countries in Latin America, the United States and Europe, with a modern fleet of 150 short, medium and long haul aircraft and an exceptional team composed of more than 17,000 employees. Avianca, TACA, Aerogal and Tampa Cargo directly serve more than 100 destinations in 25 countries, which connect more than 750 cities worldwide through its partner airlines around the globe. With over 4.4 million members in their frequent flyer program: LifeMiles , the multi-hub operating model offers passengers multiple flight options through their hubs in Bogota, Colombia, San Salvador, El Salvador, Lima, Peru and San Jose, Costa Rica. The airline group also offers a broad portfolio of aviation products and services, including cargo, courier, specialized aviation support and tourism packages. After receiving the most prestigious awards for the rigor and quality of their air and ground services, all the group's airlines continue to identify and exploit synergies in benefit of its customers. For more information about the airlines visit www.taca.com, www.avianca.com, www.tampacargo.com, and www.tacacargo.com, contact us on facebook facebook.com/AviancaFanPage, facebook.com/tacaairlines and facebook.com/LifeMiles or follow us through twitter.com/avianca_com and twitter.com/taca_com.

-Fly With US-

SOURCE US Airways