US Airways Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), ratified a single contract with double-digit pay increases, job protections and work rules, and a seat at the table as full partners in the merger with American Airlines. The contract, reached with the assistance of the National Mediation Board, sets the stage for additional improvements, uniting both groups under one agreement and positioning Flight Attendants for future improvements. With an overwhelming number of Flight Attendants participating, the contract was ratified by 80%. The contract requires four-party discussions with management from American and US Airways, along with American Airlines' Flight Attendant representative, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA). These discussions will develop a framework for integrating the two Flight Attendant groups, including contracts -- and protections that would apply until integration takes place.

US Airways and Avianca have announced a new bilateral codeshare agreement after receiving approval from the US Department of Transportation. The airline has also announced an expansion of its codeshare with TACA. The US Airways customers will avail new access to destinations throughout Colombia with Avianca and expanded access in Central and South America with TACA, along with the convenience of a single-ticket purchase for a seamless travel experience and the ability to redeem status Dividend Miles for travel. Customers traveling on Avianca and TACA will also receive expanded access to the US. Both Avianca and TACA are subsidiaries of AviancaTaca Holdings.

The unions representing US Airways and American Airlines Inc. pilots will seek to negotiate together for a joint contract as the airlines move closer to a possible merger, officials from both unions said in Charlotte. USAPA said it would be in both unions' best interest to work together. USAPA represents about 4,300 active US Airways pilots, 1,463 of them in Charlotte. Coming to an agreement for a joint contract with the APA's 8,000 active pilots could smooth the path for a US Airways-American merger, which US Airways has been pursuing since American sought bankruptcy protection last year. The unions would have to agree to a collective bargaining agreement, approve a transition agreement, decide who will represent the combined pilot group and integrate their seniority lists. If they fail to do so and a merger happens, they could end up in arbitration.