American Airlines Will Remind Customers Nonstop About All Its New Post-Merger Changes

(zonaphoto/zonaphoto)

Moving in with your significant other means creating new rules and getting rid of excess. The same goes for the $17.7 billion merger between American Airlines and US Airways, only on a much larger scale. But it’s all for the good of the consumer, right?

American Airlines announced a plethora of changes customers will begin seeing as the first stage of the merger, named “Customer Day One”, takes off Tuesday, reports the Dallas Morning News.

The marriage between American and US Airways became official in December after a long courting period.

Officials with American said customers will see an “overcommunication” of changes. They call the changes “taking care of customer needs,” but some are less convenient than others.

Traveling with a little one? You’re no longer going to be able to board early anymore.

Connecting to a US Airways flight from an American flight? No problem, eventually. The airlines will soon share terminals, although, it’s going to be a slow moving process.

Here’s a rundown of the American/US Airways first stage, customer-centric changes:

• Letting customers earn and redeem miles on both carriers. You’ll have to choose to bank miles with either American’s AAdvantage program or US Airways’ Dividend Miles program for each flight.


• Relocating the US Airways’ and American Airlines to the same terminal. They’ll start with hub airports in New York, Phoenix, Miami, Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth.


• Military members will no longer board before first class, instead the two groups will board together. Again, families won’t be able to board early. The boarding changes are in line with American’s policies.


• The maximum age of unaccompanied minors changes to age 11, three years younger than US Airways’ current policy of up to 14 years of age.


• Members of US Airways and American Airlines can use both airlines’ lounges. The clubs will combine at a later date.


• Wi-Fi passes purchased on Gogo, daily or monthly, can be used both airlines.

Most importantly, they promise improved communications with customers. Customers can follow changes on aa.com/findyourway.

Look for more changes, including a code-sharing agreement for customers to use both airlines’ networks, in the next several weeks. The entire merger process is expected to take two years.

American Airlines unveils customer-focused changes [Dallas Morning News]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist