From Travel Daily

US Airways to join oneworld in March

American Airlines Group has been formed

American Airlines and US Airways have legally completed their merger, with the latter to slowly dissolve during the next few years.

The merger has been fully approved legally to make the world’s largest airline and will retain the American Airlines name with headquarters in Dallas-Fort Worth and an operational presence in Phoenix.

In a letter on US Airways’ website, its president Scott Kirby said the pair will continue to operate as two separate airlines “for quite some time” with no changes to be made ahead of the travelling season this Christmas and New Year.

Changes will then start in the new year with reciprocal benefits for frequent fliers and lounge access from January. Codesharing agreements will also come into effect.

Then on 31 March 2014, US Airways will move from the Star Alliance to oneworld alliance with American Airlines meaning more routes that oneworld’s frequent fliers can earn and burn miles on.

The airlines will also introduce a new uniform for crew and no doubt offer a similar in-flight service later down the line.

In the UK, the pair will launch two new routes, from Edinburgh to Philadelphia and from Manchester to Charlotte, North Carolina.

The merger is expected to save US$1 billion a year by 2015, offering nearly 6,700 daily flights to 330 destinations in 54 countries.

Together the airlines carried 190 million passengers in 2012 with revenues of US$38bn (GBP23bn).

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