INTEGRATION CONTINUES AS AMERICAN BEGINS CODESHARING ON TWA FLIGHTS

The integration of TWA into American Airlines will take another step forward this week when American begins codesharing on TWA flights.

Starting Aug. 1, American will begin marketing certain TWA flights as its own by placing its "AA" code on them in computer reservations systems and assigning them American Airlines flight numbers.

The flights will also carry the "TW" code with TWA flight numbers and will be operated by TWA pilots flying TWA aircraft. TWA flight attendants will provide cabin service and look after customers.

"This is another milestone in our efforts to make the two airlines one," said Mike Gunn," American’s executive vice president for marketing and planning. "We still have more work ahead, but this is another example of how customers can see tangible evidence of the progress we are making."

In June, the airlines unveiled a new American Airlines-style TWA livery and began the conversion of TWA’s aircraft to American’s More Room Throughout Coach seating configuration -- a project now more than 25 percent complete.

Under codesharing arrangements, one airline places its two-character code on flights operated by another airline. For example, American places the "AA" code on all flights operated by American Eagle, its regional affiliate. It also places its code on select international flights operated by its alliance partners, such as LanChile, Finnair and Qantas Airways.

In the first phase of codesharing, American will place its code on approximately 80 TWA flights between St. Louis and the following nine cities:

Charlotte, N.C.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Columbus, Ohio
Detroit
Los Angeles
Louisville, Ky.
Portland, Ore.
Sacramento, Calif.
Vancouver, Canada

In a second phase that begins Sept. 19, American will expand the codesharing to include flights between St. Louis and both Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago.

Eventually, American will place its code on all TWA flights and the "TW" code will be retired.

Customers traveling on American’s codeshare flights will be able to check in and obtain boarding passes for their entire journey from an American or TWA airport agent, and their bags will be checked through to their final destination. For example, a customer traveling from Chicago O’Hare to Colorado Springs, with a connection in St. Louis, will be able to check in with an American agent at O’Hare and obtain a boarding pass for both American’s Chicago-St. Louis flight and American’s St. Louis-Colorado Springs codeshare flight operated by TWA.

In coming months, customers will see further signs of the Americanization of TWA. The airlines plan to roll out an automated program for issuing upgrades to AADVANTAGE members traveling on TWA flights, as well as electronic ticketing for trips that involve connecting flights between the two airlines.