America West Airlines

No Higher Bid: Developer Donald Trump is not prepared to bid more for Eastern Airlines' Northeast shuttle operation, even though America West Airlines Inc. has topped his offer, an associate of Trump said. "We have no intention of increasing our offer," said Bruce Nobles, president of Trump Shuttle, the company formed to run the shuttle linking New York, Boston and Washington. "We think we have already offered a full, fair price," he said. America West of Phoenix said it is willing to pay $415 million for the operation, considered to be one of Eastern's most lucrative assets.

A global recession and a surge in fuel prices sparked a frenzy of airline mergers and acquisitions over the last decade, as carriers joined forces to stay airborne amid economic turbulence. Merger mania is not over. The biggest yet may now be in the works, combining American Airlines and US Airways into the nation's largest airline with up to 1,500 planes in its main line and regional fleets and more than 120,000 employees. Analysts say a merger between Fort Worth, Texas-based American and Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways could be announced as soon as January.

America West Airlines, a growing regional airline making a push into East Coast markets, was a big winner Monday in a government drawing for airport slots left open because of the Eastern Airlines strike. The Federal Aviation Administration lottery allocated 86 temporary slots at four of the nation's busiest airports: Washington National, O'Hare International at Chicago and LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International, both in New York. The FAA said Eastern has the right to take back all the slots if it resumes full service.

The skies above Austin, Texas, were partly cloudy with temperatures in the high 60s and yet Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reported delays last weekend because of snow and ice. The waits, as it turned out, were actually fallout from the snowstorm that had enveloped much of the East Coast, delaying and canceling flights at some of the busiest airports in the nation. Last weekend's snowstorms demonstrated how snafus in one or more of the nation's largest airports can trigger a ripple effect throughout the nation's air transportation system.

America West Airlines has launched a sale that offers a coast-to-coast fare of $338 from Orange County's John Wayne Airport. The seven-day advance purchase, non-refundable tickets offer the fare to any of 14 Eastern cities. The sale includes a $268 round-trip fare between John Wayne and Chicago or three other Midwest destinations, and $228 to Dallas and seven others. Tickets must be purchased by next Monday. Travel must be completed by April 30.

When America West Airlines fell into bankruptcy 2 1/2 years ago, the Phoenix-based carrier that had become a major player in the Southwest was written off by many observers as yet another victim of a vicious industry slump. But America West has been able to foil its critics by slashing costs, dumping unprofitable routes and ousting its top executives. It even generated a profit last year.

UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, looking to protect its turf in the West, said late Wednesday that it has approached America West Airlines of Phoenix about buying the smaller airline in a deal likely to approach $1 billion. If completed, the takeover of America West and its parent company, America West Holdings Corp., would escalate a small but growing merger trend among the handful of remaining major U.S. airlines. And the trend is fueling critics' assertions that the airline industry is increasingly becoming anti-competitive and harmful to airline travelers.

A global recession and a surge in fuel prices sparked a frenzy of airline mergers and acquisitions over the last decade, as carriers joined forces to stay airborne amid economic turbulence. Merger mania is not over. The biggest yet may now be in the works, combining American Airlines and US Airways into the nation's largest airline with up to 1,500 planes in its main line and regional fleets and more than 120,000 employees. Analysts say a merger between Fort Worth, Texas-based American and Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways could be announced as soon as January.

The financial problems of America West Airlines will not affect completion of the $84-million arena where the Phoenix Suns will begin play in October 1992, city and airline officials said.

US Airways Group Inc. said it would take a $622-million accounting charge in its second quarter to reflect the effect of soaring fuel prices. US Airways said in a regulatory filing that it decided to write down the amount of goodwill -- an accounting term referring to intangible value -- that it had on its books since combining with America West Airlines in 2005. The Tempe, Ariz., carrier said it would book an $18-million charge to reflect the declining value of spare parts for its Boeing 737 aircraft.

Two small airliners on the ground at Los Angeles International Airport came within moments of colliding earlier this week after a malfunctioning system designed to alert controllers to potential collisions was partially disabled. The pilot of one of the planes, which was taking off, averted disaster by pulling up suddenly -- risking a stall -- to avoid a regional jet that had just landed and strayed onto its runway.

THE SKY IS FALLING, HELL IS freezing over -- and Southwest Airlines is assigning seats. Until last week, the last possibility seemed the least likely. Reviled as it may be, "cattle-car" boarding has been the norm at Southwest since its first flight in 1971, and it has become part of the airline's legendary efficiency. Southwest's experiment will be limited to a handful of flights from San Diego, and any major changes to its boarding policy aren't likely until at least 2008.

The Sacramento Kings were fined $30,000 by the NBA on Monday for showing derogatory images of Detroit on video screens before their home opener against the Pistons. When the Pistons were introduced Nov. 8, the Arco Arena scoreboard flashed pictures of abandoned buildings, burned-out cars, piles of rubble and other negative images of Detroit. The Pistons won the game, 102-88.

The federal government will pocket $116 million from the sale of stock options it received for guaranteeing an emergency loan package to the former America West Airlines after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. That's in addition to the interest and principal payments it will collect on the $429-million loan package the airline received as it struggled with a drop in travel after the attacks. The carrier and US Airways Inc. merged last month under the US Airways name.

US Airways and America West Airlines completed their merger Tuesday, creating the new US Airways that plans to mix low-cost efficiency with the reach and service of the biggest carriers. "Today we start a new chapter in aviation history," said Douglas Parker, the America West chief executive who will lead the fifth-biggest domestic carrier by passenger volume.

America West Realigns Service: America West Airlines announced route changes designed to strengthen its system and return the airline to profitability. Effective Sept. 7, the airline plans to eliminate service to the following airports: Bakersfield, Palmdale, Santa Barbara, the Grand Canyon, LaGuardia and Edmonton, Alberta. Among cities due for added service are St. Louis, Atlanta and Las Vegas.

Phoenix-based America West Holdings Corp. said it reached a tentative deal with the Assn. of Flight Attendants on a contract that offers higher pay and work flexibility for America West Airlines' more than 2,000 attendants. Terms of the five-year contract agreement, reached late Friday, weren't disclosed and must be approved by the union's leaders and ratified by its members, the company said. The rank-and-file vote is expected within a month.

NEW ORLEANS, after making progress on mopping up after deadly Hurricane Katrina, was under evacuation orders early last week because of a new storm brewing in the Southeast. As of Tuesday, the Travel section's deadline, thousands of residents and tourists had also fled the Florida Keys as Category 2 Hurricane Rita lashed the region, bringing flooding and strong wind.

US Airways received final approval to exit bankruptcy protection for the second time in three years and merge with America West Holdings Corp. The ruling allows the airline to be purchased by America West, the nation's eighth-largest airline, as soon as Sept. 27. U.S.