Heretic Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Flew them once from Toronto to Philadelphia - was the worst time I ever had on a flight. I was sitting right over the wing - I could see loose rivets vibrating and oil leaking from the engine. At the time I worked for Canadian Airlines - so I was some crazy passenger - I knwe something was wrong with that engine. Flight attendant gave me the calm the passenger story "o, the captain says that's normal"....wasn't fooling me. I was so thankful that we landed safely. Through my airline contacts, I asked them about that plane and sure enough - after it landed it was tagged for maintenance. RIP US Air.....RIP... US Airways' final flight closes curtain on another major airline It’s time to say farewell to US Airways. One of the USA’s most storied airline brands fades away Friday night with Flight 1939. The overnight red-eye flight from San Francisco to Philadelphia marks the last ever departure under the US Airways name as the carrier’s merger with American nears completion. Shortly after the flight departs San Francisco at 9:55 p.m. PT, American will unify its own reservations systems for the flights of both airlines. There will be no more US Airways flights once the plane lands in Philadelphia, scheduled for 6:18 a.m. ET. US Airways’ fade into the history books will be a nostalgic one. Flight 1939 is scheduled to begin Friday morning in Philadelphia, a traditi onal US Airways stronghold. From there, the Airbus A321 – still painted in US Airways’ colors – will continue to Charlotte, which grew to become the airline’s busiest hub during the past decade. Next is Phoenix – the former headquarters to 2004 merger partner America West. From there, Flight 1939 heads to San Francisco, then returns to Pennsylvania as the last-ever US Airways flight. USA TODAY Era of airline merger mania comes to a close with last US Airways flight This photo provided by Harrisburg (Pa.) International Airport shows a ticket cover and letter from US Air on its first day of flying under that new name in 1979. (Photo: Harrisburg (Pa.) International Airport) American will commemorate the last day with gate-side festivities at each stop. And passengers on the final departure from San Francisco will cheer the US Airways’ name with an onboard champagne toast. “We definitely wanted to give a nod to US Airways and everyone that helped us build this airline,” American Airlines spokeswoman Martha Thomas told USA TODAY. “We wanted to make it a special experience for employees and customers." Even the flight number is rooted in history. Initially the San Francisco-to-Philadelphia red-eye was to operate as Flight 434. But in August the carrier switched the flight number to 1939. That was the first year of operation for All American Aviation, a small Pennsylvania-based airmail outfit that would grow to become a regional player known as Allegheny Airlines. TWITTER: Follow Today in the Sky report Ben Mutzabaugh at twitter.com/TodayInTheSky USA TODAY October's #avgeek gallery: 30 cool aviation photos Allegheny changed its name in 1979, adopting USAir to reflect the expanding footprint of the airline after growing in previous mergers with Mohawk and Lake Central Airlines. Bigger mergers with Piedmont and Pacific Southwest (PSA) followed in the 1980s. The company underwent one last name change, adopting its current US Airways name in 1997 before yet another merger in 2005 – this time with America West. Now, the US Airways name is on the verge of disappearing. US Airways’ reservation system will go dark Saturday morning just after midnight. US Airways’ website will follow. And at airports across the nation, airline staff will begin removing US Airways branding after the company’s last flights on Friday. The goal is to have American Airlines signage up in its place by the time flights begin again on Saturday morning. USA TODAY Pope Francis flies American Airlines on U.S. visit Certain pieces of US Airways will hang on a bit longer. It will take American until “late 2016” to repaint all of its planes in the colors of the new American. And US Airways flight attendant uniforms will remain until update uniforms for all the cabin crews are introduced, also expected to come next year. American spokeswoman Thomas cautioned the airline still has some “behind the scenes” work to do even as the US Airways brand fades away. “It’s done for customers, but there’s still a lot of integration work left for us to do behind the scenes,” Thomas says. As for Flight 1939, American spokesman Ross Feinstein says the airline has had “strong demand” from customers wishing to be on the flight – especially the San Francisco-Philadelphia leg. Coach class is near capacity and first-class seats have been sold out since July. Feinstein says the “vast majority” of people on the flight appear to be aviation enthusiasts and “avgeeks” wanting to witness US Airways’ final flight. A file photo of a USAir Boeing 727 at Washington's National Airport in 1995. (Photo: USA TODAY file photo) For passenger Mark Littell, Flight 1939 will have special meaning. Littell grew up in the shadow of the Pittsburgh airport when it was still a hub for the airline in the 1990s. ‘I grew up seeing and hearing (then) USAir's planes land all the time,” he says. “Most families in my community were directly impacted by the hub there, and I eventually worked in concessions in the airport's US Airways terminal by the time I was in high school.” That led to a connection with the airline that’s lasted to this day. Littell moved away from Pittsburgh as an adult, traveling full-time for his job in the medical profession. He flies more than 100,000 miles a year, mostly on Delta. But once he saw Flight 1939 announced as US Airways’ final flight, he booked a ticket “to fly (them) one final time.” He’ll be among those on Friday night’s San Francisco-Philadelphia leg. Littell says he’s happy to see US Airways become part of the world’s biggest airline, but concedes it “will be sad to see the memories of the US Airways name fade." Despite that, Littell says “it really is the employees who make an airline, and I know US Airways employees will be a great addition to the new American.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/10/15/us-airways-final-flight-american-merger/73922874/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brilac Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Are they merging with another airline? I flew with another airline when I was a child, and they had to make an emergency landing. There was something wrong with the wing, and they noticed it half way there, and everyone seated on that side of the airplane was staring at the wing. When we were landing, many were praying, and there were fire trucks lined up on the runway. I remember looking around looking at everyone reactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaBamba Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Flew them a lot working in the USA, an absolute nightmare. Philly was actually one of their major hubs and for anyone who has been to that scattered mess of an airport you'll easily understand how this could happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzy Desjardins Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Alegiant is next I bet. Last time I went to Vegas the entire cabin was cheering when we landed, as soon as we started ascending to land there was these loud mechanical jamming noises... clearly a landing gear issue. Luckily nothing happened. 2 days after I got home I seen the story about them cutting corners on safety.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Its just another merger. Like Continental and United recently. its actually bad for customers as mergers mean less competition, higher prices. When Continental and United were battling in a price war 4 years ago I got a flight Bellingham to Orlando for $169 return. Now it costs at least 3 times that. Alegiant is next I bet. Last time I went to Vegas the entire cabin was cheering when we landed, as soon as we started ascending to land there was these loud mechanical jamming noises... clearly a landing gear issue. Luckily nothing happened. 2 days after I got home I seen the story about them cutting corners on safety.... Ive flown Allegiant maybe half a dozen times. Usually Bellingham to Las Vegas direct. Ive never had any problem on the plane. Theyve never been late, no cancellations, no mechanical problems ( that we were aware of), Its been fine. Choice between Alaska and Allegiant Ill take Alaska if the price is the same but it never is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rounoush Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I read the title as if another airline went missing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Meh.... traveled once on it with the now wife to Cancun. So bare and uncomfortable. Not enough close to the comfort of flying on JAL or ANA. Heck, I'd maybe even prefer flying on Eastern China Airlines.... and that airline is a POS, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradyBoone Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I read the title as if another airline went missing. Ok, this cracked me up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red&white Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Its just another merger. Like Continental and United recently. its actually bad for customers as mergers mean less competition, higher prices. When Continental and United were battling in a price war 4 years ago I got a flight Bellingham to Orlando for $169 return. Now it costs at least 3 times that. I wouldn't be too concerned. America West, Northwest, Continental, TWA and Air Tran among others have all been swallowed up, yet we are still historically paying the lowest fares at this moment when you factor in inflation. With the likes of Allegiant, Southwest, and Spirit down in the states able to operate on low margins and able to lower their operating costs the bigger airlines have had to follow suit and will continue to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromotacanucks Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Flew them once from Toronto to Philadelphia - was the worst time I ever had on a flight. I was sitting right over the wing - I could see loose rivets vibrating and oil leaking from the engine. At the time I worked for Canadian Airlines - so I was some crazy passenger - I knwe something was wrong with that engine. Flight attendant gave me the calm the passenger story "o, the captain says that's normal"....wasn't fooling me. I was so thankful that we landed safely. Through my airline contacts, I asked them about that plane and sure enough - after it landed it was tagged for maintenance. RIP US Air.....RIP... US Airways' final flight closes curtain on another major airline It’s time to say farewell to US Airways. One of the USA’s most storied airline brands fades away Friday night with Flight 1939. The overnight red-eye flight from San Francisco to Philadelphia marks the last ever departure under the US Airways name as the carrier’s merger with American nears completion. Shortly after the flight departs San Francisco at 9:55 p.m. PT, American will unify its own reservations systems for the flights of both airlines. There will be no more US Airways flights once the plane lands in Philadelphia, scheduled for 6:18 a.m. ET. US Airways’ fade into the history books will be a nostalgic one. Flight 1939 is scheduled to begin Friday morning in Philadelphia, a traditi onal US Airways stronghold. From there, the Airbus A321 – still painted in US Airways’ colors – will continue to Charlotte, which grew to become the airline’s busiest hub during the past decade. Next is Phoenix – the former headquarters to 2004 merger partner America West. From there, Flight 1939 heads to San Francisco, then returns to Pennsylvania as the last-ever US Airways flight. USA TODAY Era of airline merger mania comes to a close with last US Airways flight This photo provided by Harrisburg (Pa.) International Airport shows a ticket cover and letter from US Air on its first day of flying under that new name in 1979. (Photo: Harrisburg (Pa.) International Airport) American will commemorate the last day with gate-side festivities at each stop. And passengers on the final departure from San Francisco will cheer the US Airways’ name with an onboard champagne toast. “We definitely wanted to give a nod to US Airways and everyone that helped us build this airline,” American Airlines spokeswoman Martha Thomas told USA TODAY. “We wanted to make it a special experience for employees and customers." Even the flight number is rooted in history. Initially the San Francisco-to-Philadelphia red-eye was to operate as Flight 434. But in August the carrier switched the flight number to 1939. That was the first year of operation for All American Aviation, a small Pennsylvania-based airmail outfit that would grow to become a regional player known as Allegheny Airlines. TWITTER: Follow Today in the Sky report Ben Mutzabaugh at twitter.com/TodayInTheSky USA TODAY October's #avgeek gallery: 30 cool aviation photos Allegheny changed its name in 1979, adopting USAir to reflect the expanding footprint of the airline after growing in previous mergers with Mohawk and Lake Central Airlines. Bigger mergers with Piedmont and Pacific Southwest (PSA) followed in the 1980s. The company underwent one last name change, adopting its current US Airways name in 1997 before yet another merger in 2005 – this time with America West. Now, the US Airways name is on the verge of disappearing. US Airways’ reservation system will go dark Saturday morning just after midnight. US Airways’ website will follow. And at airports across the nation, airline staff will begin removing US Airways branding after the company’s last flights on Friday. The goal is to have American Airlines signage up in its place by the time flights begin again on Saturday morning. USA TODAY Pope Francis flies American Airlines on U.S. visit Certain pieces of US Airways will hang on a bit longer. It will take American until “late 2016” to repaint all of its planes in the colors of the new American. And US Airways flight attendant uniforms will remain until update uniforms for all the cabin crews are introduced, also expected to come next year. American spokeswoman Thomas cautioned the airline still has some “behind the scenes” work to do even as the US Airways brand fades away. “It’s done for customers, but there’s still a lot of integration work left for us to do behind the scenes,” Thomas says. As for Flight 1939, American spokesman Ross Feinstein says the airline has had “strong demand” from customers wishing to be on the flight – especially the San Francisco-Philadelphia leg. Coach class is near capacity and first-class seats have been sold out since July. Feinstein says the “vast majority” of people on the flight appear to be aviation enthusiasts and “avgeeks” wanting to witness US Airways’ final flight. A file photo of a USAir Boeing 727 at Washington's National Airport in 1995. (Photo: USA TODAY file photo) For passenger Mark Littell, Flight 1939 will have special meaning. Littell grew up in the shadow of the Pittsburgh airport when it was still a hub for the airline in the 1990s. ‘I grew up seeing and hearing (then) USAir's planes land all the time,” he says. “Most families in my community were directly impacted by the hub there, and I eventually worked in concessions in the airport's US Airways terminal by the time I was in high school.” That led to a connection with the airline that’s lasted to this day. Littell moved away from Pittsburgh as an adult, traveling full-time for his job in the medical profession. He flies more than 100,000 miles a year, mostly on Delta. But once he saw Flight 1939 announced as US Airways’ final flight, he booked a ticket “to fly (them) one final time.” He’ll be among those on Friday night’s San Francisco-Philadelphia leg. Littell says he’s happy to see US Airways become part of the world’s biggest airline, but concedes it “will be sad to see the memories of the US Airways name fade." Despite that, Littell says “it really is the employees who make an airline, and I know US Airways employees will be a great addition to the new American.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/10/15/us-airways-final-flight-american-merger/73922874/ 1ST BOLD: when you see some rivets vibrating and oil leaking from the engine no matter how "normal" it is, when a jet engine is leaking oil in flight means only one single thing... DUDE WHAT THE F#$¨$ YOU´RE DOING ON THIS PLANE?! GET THE HELL OUT OF IT! PS: for people who don´t know piston engines normally "spill" some oil during the startup (especially during cold weather) creating that dark smoke, even jet engines after a long overhaul/TBO do that too. but only during the startup and only for a few seconds. after that IT´S NOT NORMAL! 2ND BOLD: Flight attendants have the WORST EXCUSES EVERY MADE. they don´t know how convince or lie to anybody! seriously. If you gonna lie to calm passengers at least do it right. do some Actors course and learn how lie properly dammit! that "It´s super normal" doesn´t convince anyone else anymore, not even kids! US Airways had some cheap flights to Brasil (São Paulo and Rio) and was quite competitive flying to/from Philadelphia. at least here US Airways will be missed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kragar Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Flew a few times with them, and I won't miss them at all. Good-bye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Are they merging with another airline? I flew with another airline when I was a child, and they had to make an emergency landing. There was something wrong with the wing, and they noticed it half way there, and everyone seated on that side of the airplane was staring at the wing. When we were landing, many were praying, and there were fire trucks lined up on the runway. I remember looking around looking at everyone reactions. Yes merging into American Airlines. Also, this happens all the time. Regional airlines come and go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_of_the_United_States Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromotacanucks Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Yes merging into American Airlines. Also, this happens all the time. Regional airlines come and go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_of_the_United_States also the opposite. PAN-AM founded many airliners across Central and South America druing the 30s,40s and 50s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyledude Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Good riddance. Sky Harbor airport (PHX) is better off, except for that one tequila bar that closed. I feel fortunate to be alive after flying with them twice. As a consumer, it felt like a low-cost budget airline that just missed the mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmersonCha Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Next time you're on a WestJet flight look at the metal plate on the top of the door you walk in. It will say "owned" by some Japanese company. All of these planes are not the property of the company's to begin with. Air Canada charges ridiculous rates and we bail them out almost yearly. They should be let to go under like US Air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etsen3 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 God damn if what you saw on the plane was indicative if anything more than a known, minor, isolated problem your captain is either an idiot for saying it's normal, the flight attendant is an idiot for not reporting it (if that's what happened) or there was pressure from higher up to fly unsafe aircraft. Given that the crew is generally just as interested in their own safety as everyone else on the plane, the latter is the most likely. Aviation is generally safe but the race to cut costs/provide the cheapest fare is an evee-present threat and the biggest reason why the air travel experience generally sucks for everyone involved (including employees). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Next time you're on a WestJet flight look at the metal plate on the top of the door you walk in. It will say "owned" by some Japanese company. All of these planes are not the property of the company's to begin with. Many airlines do not own some or all of their planes. They lease them from a few large leasing companies like GE Capitol Aviation services ( a division of General Electric) which owns over 1800 aircraft it leases to airlines all over the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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