Technically, the airlines have been merged — on paper — for two years now but tonight is the true integration, the point at which the reservation and computer systems merge and US Airways goes away, officials said.
The new, merged airline will operate only as the new American starting overnight. This affects a lot of travelers locally with many US/American flights taking off from Dayton International Airport every day.
Tune in to WHIO TV at 5:30 this afternoon for more about the merger, and what a local expert says about what this means for us on the customer side of the ticket counter.
First report:
All US Airways flights at the Dayton International Airport starting Saturday will be American Airlines flights.
Travelers won’t see any signs of US Airways in the airport, including ticketing counters, where signage has already been removed, airport officials said.
“We are excited for this next step forward…,” said Terrence Slaybaugh, Dayton International Airport director. “We have had a long history with US Airways, and we look forward to watching the airline grow as American Airlines in the future.”
Until Saturday, the two airlines will continue to operate separately, with separate reservation systems. To book tickets, travelers can go to AA.com or USAirways.com and check in with the airline operating your flight. There will be an agent in the ticketing lobby to direct the US Airways passengers to the correct ticket counters.
The number of US Airways/American Airlines flights operating out of Dayton International Airport will remain the same, with a combined 25 non-stop daily flights to destinations, airport officials said.