Why are new A321's (PMUS) being delivered with this hybrid AA/US paint? The body and tail are all AA, but the old-fashioned Airbus winglets have the US blue and logo on them. Why is this? Will it be changed?
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- MesaFlyGuy
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
I thought maybe it was for rampers and ground personnel to differentiate between AA and US aircraft, but they don't all have the US winglets, so I don't know.
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
The wingtip fence was damaged and had to be swapped, and all the spares are still in US colors. Other pictures of this plane from earlier show it with the AA color wingtip.
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
All US Airbii painted in the New American logo retain their US Airways interiors, decors, and logos. The one A319 I rode on in May was operating an US Airways flight, and had a (very) small sticker under the "American" logo reading "Operated by US Airways":
Images by me, from: US Airways Envoy Suites First Class FLL-PHL-MCO (by LPDAL May 20 2014 in Trip Reports)
-LPDAL
Images by me, from: US Airways Envoy Suites First Class FLL-PHL-MCO (by LPDAL May 20 2014 in Trip Reports)
-LPDAL
TWU represented. All of my views and posted content are mine alone, and should not be viewed as official communication from my employer, its subsidiaries thereof, or any other entities or airlines.
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
The US flag logo is also on the nose gear door for ground crews.
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting UA444 (Reply 4): The US flag logo is also on the nose gear door for ground crews. |
I'd imagine it would be hard for the GC to see the sticker when the airplane is docked. I'm thinking the same sized sticker is used on the 332/333 fleets, despite the "American" logo being larger. It seems like they want the "US Airways" Sans Serif and Flag to be as inconspicuous as possible...
-LPDAL
TWU represented. All of my views and posted content are mine alone, and should not be viewed as official communication from my employer, its subsidiaries thereof, or any other entities or airlines.
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
It's a legality issue, as there are still two operating certificates and from the view of the government regulators, two airlines. They can have the overall AA paint scheme, but there has to be a legal identification of which airline owns and operates that particular aircraft. That is where the small titles near the door come from. You'll see that all the time on RJs flown in 'Express' operations for the majors. It may have a DL paintjob, but by the door it will read, 'Operated by Skywest Airlines'.
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting LPDAL (Reply 5): I'd imagine it would be hard for the GC to see the sticker when the airplane is docked. I'm thinking the same sized sticker is used on the 332/333 fleets, despite the "American" logo being larger. It seems like they want the "US Airways" Sans Serif and Flag to be as inconspicuous as possible... |
I'm not sure I get why you're sad about this. They're trying to consolidate everything into the AA brand, so what would you expect them to do? US is doing the exact same thing that NW did while merging with DL and that CO did while merging with UA.
As HAL explained, it doesn't matter how you paint and brand your aircraft, the name of the carrier actually operating the aircraft must be displayed somewhere. This is the exact same arrangement as the regional airlines currently operating under a major carrier brand. These are AA-branded aircraft "Operated by US Airways."
Just be happy that they are still using the US logo instead of a plain typeface or, as DL started doing with NW aircraft, the certificate number instead of the actual name.
I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day.
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- INFINITI329
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
I think it would be cool to have US logo'd winglet on one side and an old AA logo on the other as standard. Just to show this who we were separately and today this what we've become together. Its corny i know.
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- johnclipper
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting HAL (Reply 6): It's a legality issue, as there are still two operating certificates and from the view of the government regulators, two airlines. They can have the overall AA paint scheme, but there has to be a legal identification of which airline owns and operates that particular aircraft. |
My understanding is that UA/CO is now under one AOC. Why do the PMCO a/c still have "operated by CAL..." under the reggie?
just laziness to not have removed?
"Flown every aircraft since the Wright Flyer" (guys, if you take this literally, then you need to get a life...)
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- hufftheweevil
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting JohnClipper (Reply 9): My understanding is that UA/CO is now under one AOC. Why do the PMCO a/c still have "operated by CAL..." under the reggie? just laziness to not have removed? |
Well UA/CO actually stuck with CO's certificate (CALA014A) and got rid of the UA one. So the question is...is the name associated with CALA014A still Continental? Or has it been changed? If not, will it be changed?
Seems silly for a fully merged airline to have a different brand name than their "official" name.
Huff
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- boberito6589
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting dcaord (Thread starter): Why are new A321's (PMUS) being delivered with this hybrid AA/US paint? The body and tail are all AA, but the old-fashioned Airbus winglets have the US blue and logo on them. Why is this? Will it be changed? |
Looking at pictures on XFW Spotter I think that they are being delivered in the proper grey color, but the spare wingtip fences in stock are already painted in the old US Blue with logo. So if a new delivery needs its fence replaced, it winds up looking like a hybrid when an old fence is put on?
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting JohnClipper (Reply 9): My understanding is that UA/CO is now under one AOC. Why do the PMCO a/c still have "operated by CAL..." under the reggie? |
It's been a long time since I've seen "Operated by CALA014A" on the side of a plane. Have you seen this recently?
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
Aren't the winglets installed after they are delivered to the airline? That would explain why they have the US air thingy on them.
[Edited 2014-10-05 10:54:49]
[Edited 2014-10-05 10:54:49]
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting hufftheweevil (Reply 10): Well UA/CO actually stuck with CO's certificate (CALA014A) and got rid of the UA one. So the question is...is the name associated with CALA014A still Continental? Or has it been changed? If not, will it be changed? Seems silly for a fully merged airline to have a different brand name than their "official" name. |
A quick search on the FAA reveals this: http://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DS...&OPER_NAME=UNITED+AIRLINES%2C+INC.
So the United name is on the CAL certificate, along with the old CO names.
I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day.
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
Guys. The original wingtip fence was damaged . So it was replaced with a A wingtip,fence in the old US color . Simple as that . It was not delivered that . None of them are delivered that way . If the nose cone on this particular LUS 321 gets damaged . Chances are you will see it replaced with a nose cone in old US paint . Same concept here .. Much to do about notihing .
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting JBo (Reply 7): |
DL did have "Operated by Northwest Airlines, inc" on the planes but it was placed on the back. Starting in Decembet 2009, the last month before they merged certificates, they moved the "operated by" sticker to the 1L door but only had the certificate number, not the words "Northwest Airlines".
RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
To contrast, N752US, a 319 in US colors, is flying around with a right wingtip fence in the new gray color. All depends on what replacement is available.
[Edited 2014-10-05 17:52:36]
[Edited 2014-10-05 17:52:36]
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- deltal1011man
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting dcaord (Thread starter): |
Normally you see things like when changing of branding. Something happens to the wingtip fence and US has to replace it. Most of the spare parts on head are probably is in old US paint which is why you have this.
I imagine the next time it gets some extended down time they will paint the fence. Fairly normal for that to happen with things like winglets/radomes/rudders too. They get replaced on the line and the company doesn't want to wait for painters to come out and paint the part over. Wait for the next hangar visit to do small stuff like that. (or even sometimes wait for the next re-paint, but this being a new bird I don't think that will happen here.)
Of course we have also seen in the past airlines loaning parts to others that have the loaning airlines branding on them. Westjet not to long ago had to barrow a WN 737NG winglet in MCO. NW had a 757 running around with a UPS rudder for a little bit too.
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- tristan7977
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
Some aircraft don't have the hybrid livery, like the wingtip fences. It's just the sticker and interior, do the newly delivered US A321s still have the US cabin or did they change it?
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- Braniff747SP
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting brilondon (Reply 14): Aren't the winglets installed after they are delivered to the airline? |
That's an option on 737s--not on the A32X (sharklets excepted).
| Quoting tristan7977 (Reply 20): Some aircraft don't have the hybrid livery, like the wingtip fences. It's just the sticker and interior, do the newly delivered US A321s still have the US cabin or did they change it? |
If you scroll up on the thread, you'll see that they're still running around with the US cabin.
| Quoting etops1 (Reply 16): Guys. The original wingtip fence was damaged |
Its amazing how many people don't read...
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- tristan7977
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RE: Hybrid AA/US Livery On 321
| Quoting Braniff747SP (Reply 21): |
That's an OLDER A319, I'm talking about the new ones.
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