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 traditional 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.
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.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/
