Published in Phoenix Business Journal
Luckily for business and other travelers, American Airlines’ computer glitch on Sept. 17 was short-lived and only delayed a few flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Thursday’s glitch impacted some American flights in Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami and Chicago, an airport spokeswoman said.
But voyagers passing through the Phoenix airport are watchful and hopeful the consolidation of operations will avoid some mishaps of other big airline marriages and improve some historical service problems faced by Tempe-based US Airways.
Tate Willworth, a chief pilot for Leading Edge Aviation, flies with US Airways/American often for work. He said three out of five times he flies with the airline his luggage is lost.
Willworth said he hopes the merger makes things function better but added, “I see it like a pack of sled dogs, if you’re not in the lead it’s a bad view.”
Donald Thomas II was waiting for his flight to Dallas the afternoon of Sept. 17 at Sky Harbor, which was on-time. While his name was printed incorrectly on his ticket twice, Thomas said he would still fly with the airline.
“Once, all I did was give the pilot a simple thank you and he treated me to lunch,” he said.
Since American Airlines and US Airways merged in December 2013, the airlines have worked to mesh 120,000 workers, close to 1,000 airplanes and nine hubs including Phoenix, Los Angeles and New York.
A next big step is an Oct. 17 transfer of US Airways’ reservations system into the American system.
Joshua McCullough, a customer service assistant in Sky Harbor, gives a hand to those who may be confused while traveling. While he thinks it was good business to merge the two airlines, he said that he can see “the customers just want it to be over.”
“They come up because they’re confused with who to check in with or where the gates will be,” he said.
Madelaine Media 