US Airways Joins Merger Partner American Airlines In Trans-Atlantic Joint Business With British Airways, Iberia And Finnair

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Apr 03, 2014, 10:00 ET

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair today celebrate a key milestone as US Airways joins the airlines' trans-Atlantic joint venture. As part of the joint business, established by American, British Airways and Iberia in October 2010, the airlines can cooperate commercially on trans-Atlantic flights. The joint venture also includes a revenue sharing agreement in which member airlines have permission to coordinate schedules and pricing on North Atlantic routes. These benefits provide customers traveling between North America and Europe increased choices and access to a more comprehensive network.

US Airways brings 28 trans-Atlantic routes to the joint business including nonstop service from the United States to 18 European destinations including Munich, Athens and Amsterdam. Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., will become oneworld's largest East Coast gateways to Europe providing customers access to more than 100 destinations throughout North America with one-stop connections from these two airports. With combined operations, the joint business will serve 29 destinations in North America and 25 destinations in Europe, operating nearly 100 routes between the two regions.

Enhanced benefits for customers of the five airlines include:

Coordinated schedules on joint business routes, providing customers with better flight choices and more convenient schedules
Dedicated support teams for customers connecting at nine of the airlines' hubs: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, New York's JFK and Philadelphia
Online check-in and boarding pass printing with either the airline operating the flight, or the website of the airline used to book travel
Lounge access and priority baggage privileges for loyalty program members
Increased opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer benefits on trans-Atlantic flights
More attractive corporate sales programs

US Airways will join the joint business as an affiliate member until it fully integrates operations with American Airlines as part of their merger to create the largest airline in the world.

US Airways also plans to implement extensive codeshare agreements with the other carriers in the coming weeks, providing easy access to the joint business' combined global network.

"Bringing US Airways into the joint business network is an important step for us as we continue to advance our collaboration with alliance partners to increase growth, market share and competition," said Doug Parker, chief executive officer – American Airlines. "Joining our entire merged company into this agreement creates a stronger and more competitive joint business, and will provide faster and easier connections for customers on hundreds of flights between North America and Europe."

"The inclusion of US Airways will not only expand the network of our trans-Atlantic family, it will also broaden the appeal of our services to new and existing customers who will have even more flexibility, added convenience and improved rewards when traveling between Europe and North America," said Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive. "This expanded partnership complements the recent inclusion of Finnair into the joint business between British Airways and Japan Airlines. It has never been a better time to plan your journey across the globe."

"We at Finnair are very pleased to welcome US Airways into the trans-Atlantic joint business, which creates even more possibilities for Finns and others in Scandinavia and the Baltic Rim to connect seamlessly to dozens of destinations in North America," said Pekka Vauramo, Finnair CEO. "Thanks to our participation in joint businesses with our oneworld partners, Finland has never been more accessible and open for business to global travelers. We welcome and invite all to come and discover our corner of the world."

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.