But individually, three of the five biggest carriers -- Delta, American and US Airways -- have come out against it.
Since US Airways' route network is made up largely of short-haul routes, US Airways customers typically redeem awards on partner airlines with more flights to domestic and international hot spots.
Jeannard, who was wearing a shirt with an Air France logo and captain's epaulets on his shoulder, had a ticket for a Florida-bound US Airways flight Wednesday and asked at the check-in counter for an upgrade, authorities said.
Following this theory, the American Airlines-US Airways merger will bring about less competition, less choice and higher prices.
But after some initial turbulence, we expect the American Airlines-US Airways marriage will be a healthy union in the long run, with benefits for both the airline industry and consumers.
"There are definitely routes where competition will be significantly eliminated, " said Diana Moss, director of the American Antitrust Institute, a nonprofit group that aims to promote competition, at a March 19 Senate hearing on the American-US Airways deal.
Like other recent large airline mergers that have helped U.S. carriers compete more effectively in global markets, the American-US Airways combination was, in several important respects, made possible by Chapter 11 and the legal and financial tools it offers to companies in need.
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The next day I follow a US Airways Philly-bound commuter into the sky and get ready for 11 more hours of flying, determined to make North Platte, Nebr.
United is already by some measures the world's biggest airline, and a takeover of domestic-focused US Airways could have given it unhealthy dominance in certain regional markets, regulators feared.
But once the FAA in the early 1990s granted airline operators permission to use it on over-water routes, carriers including American, Northwest, US Airways and Continental found the 757 a fuel-effective way to serve cities in Western Europe that had previously been reached with larger, more costly wide-body planes that consume more fuel but have greater range.
Without being able to dramatically increase its size, many questioned the long-term viability of US Airways.
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What marred the day was the gagger of a choke of a so-called performance by US Airways.
Another route that will be dominated by the planned merger is between Philadelphia, a big hub for US Airways, and Dallas-Fort Worth, American's biggest hub.
Also on Oct. 31, a non-disclosure agreement with US Airways ends.
Meanwhile, a small group of pilots has publicly raised objections to a merger, largely by suggesting that American pilots would lose seniority in a post-merger integration with US Airways.
Both Delta and US Airways have a three-tier redemption structure, offering seats at the basic level, a midtier level at around 40, 000 miles for a domestic coach ticket and a full-fare level for as many as 60, 000 miles for domestic coach round trips.
Continental and US Airways have gone the low-cost route before, without success.
United, American and US Airways all had lower availability close-in than they did in the regular advance-purchase test.
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"We're focusing on this because on-time departures give you a better chance of an on-time arrival, " says US Airways spokeswoman Michelle Mohr.
The major carriers have as a group raised concerns about the move with three - Delta, American, and US Airways coming out in opposition.
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But two months ago US Airways and American signed a non-disclosure agreement, bringing an end to the information flow and to discussions about the memorandum of understanding.
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Partially because of its boarding practices, US Airways has been a leader in on-time performance in recent years.
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Let's hope Mr. Parker's American will continue American's new extra-legroom strategy and deploy it in US Airways aircraft.
Carriers like AirTran and US Airways are also experimenting with selling last-minute deals on upgrades, a practice likely to become more commonplace.
That 2, 521-mile route is dominated by United and US Airways, who are competitors but also partners in the Star Alliance.
The US Airways case involved the greatest number of planes -- eight.
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The MOU is stacked with benefits for the US Airways pilots, who have worked for below-standard wages ever since signing a bankruptcy contract in 2004.
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Spirit says it decided to enter the Philadelphia-Dallas market last year before American and US Airways announced their combination because fares were already high on that route.
Seniority integration, which represents a still-unresolved bugaboo following the 2005 merger between US Airways and America West, is the next hurdle for the two United pilot groups.
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American Airlines was the first to announce checked bag fees, which have since been employed by US Airways and UAL (nasdaq: UAUA - news - people )'s United Air Lines.
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