US Airways Express to add first-class cabins

Head of the class: The new US Airways Express first class cabin.

By Mark Chesnut

If business travel requires you to fly to smaller cities on even smaller planes, US Airways Express is hoping its new first-class service will help lure you on board.

By January 2012, the carrier will be adding first-class cabins to 110 of its regional jet aircraft. In addition to providing a roomier option for passengers paying tosit in the front cabin, the new feature may also be good news for elite-level members of the airline’s Dividend Miles frequent flyer program, since it will result in upgrade possibilities on 640 additional flights per day, according to the airline.

US Airways will begin installing the new sections in October, starting with the Embraer 175 fleet, followed by the Embraer 170 and Canadair Regional Jet 700 and 900 aircraft.

A network of eight regional airlines operating under a code share service agreement with US Airways, Express service is often used on low-traffic routes and to link smaller cities with larger airports, including the carrier’s hubs at Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Travelers flying first class with US Airways Express will get nearly all the same perks as when they fly in the front on US Airways — including priority check-in, priority security lines (where available), early boarding, priority baggage handling and free alcoholic beverages, snacks, pillows and blankets.

The bigger airline, US Airways, has also unveiled changes in its own domestic first class service. As of April 1, glassware has taken the place of plastic cups, and menus have evolved to include what the company describes as a more “robust” offering, with more extensive meal options.

Related resources

• Cheap Charlotte flights
• Cheap Philadelphia flights
• Cheap Phoenix flights
• Cheap Washington DC flights

Mark Chesnut is travel writer, editor, and publisher of LatinFlyerBlog.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America.

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