US Airways final flight

By coincidence last night I was on the last ever US Airways flight. American Airlines bought US Airways in 2012 and the overnight flight US1939 from San Francisco to Philadelphia was the final time a US Airways flagged plan will fly before officially becoming part of AA. 

There was a party at the gate along with a load of camera crews, and twice I was asked for an interview but I politely declined. Flight US 1939 was named after the year the airline began service known then as All American Aviation. We each got a souvenir bag, a huge cake and champagne as we hit the skies, although the bloke next to me was asleep as soon as he sat down. I’ve always wanted to be able to do that!

I was fortunate to be up front, with the dignitaries, long time former chairman Ed Colodny and all the hoo-hah. One of the guys I was travelling with was meant to be in 1st class but he got bumped to the back of the plane at the gate, no doubt to make way for a hanger on. He wasn’t best pleased and I don’t blame him. 

The plane was almost entirely full of aviation geeks most of which seemed to be filming the whole journey and it was like gate crashing a school reunion as everybody appeared to know each other. 

The flight landed in Philadephia at 6.18am ET, and was met by a big group and more cameras and it may well have been the first time I have been clapped off an airplane. 

I suppose it was nice to be part of a little bit of history but the aged Airbus, patchy service and dodgy sustenance went a long way to explain why US Airways no longer exists.