WBTV Series on the Piedmont/USAir Merger - August 1989

During the first week of August 1989, Brian Thompson of WBTV (CBS in Charlotte) did a three-part series on the impending merger of Piedmont Airlines and USAir. The series, titled "Fasten Your Seat Belts," looked back at Piedmont's history and the challenges and problems the merger was already creating.

[@JimmySand9]

Funny how they mentioned USAir's then fortress hub in Pittsburgh, and how that city might prove to be favorite child of the combined airline and grow at CLT's expense. In the end, Charlotte had nothing to worry about. Douglas just kept growing, and is now only second in importance to DFW in the American system. Pittsburgh, AirMall and all, got dehubbed entirely.

[@friesareyummy]

Douglas International kept on going

[@BlackMan614]

Pittsburgh wasn't de-hubbed because of CLT, but because of Philly. Can't have 2 hubs so close together.

[@Lex5576]

Yes indeed, Charlotte has grown into a colossus of an airport.....6th busiest by passenger traffic.

[@jefferyrobertson7520]

I Still Have Last Farewell Piedmont Airlines System Timetable From June 1st 1989 Brings Back Memories

[@cv990a4]

Starting in 1989, USAir made six unbroken years of losses totaling $3bn. It bought Piedmont and PSA for a total of $2bn in cash. The merger of USAir with those two carriers was an utter disaster. Catastrophic.

[@CheeseTheAnimator_onGoAnimate]

Funny that they were worrying about Charlotte, now Pittsburgh is gone and I just went through CLT yesterday and it was busier then my origin city (due to COVID)

[@craigjackson2428]

Nice archive!!!! Thanks for the upload and sharing. My heart still skips a beat for Piedmont. Fond memories of a kid avgeek. Reminded of August 5, 1989, seeing a Piedmont 727 taxing with hurriedly removed Piedmont replaced with USAir. Fast forward to today. American Airlines. What a hell of a ride for those original Piedmont Airlines employees. It's my understanding American Airlines originally looked at Piedmont.

[@airpiedmont]

Thanks for commenting. I agree with everything you said. I will post the newscast from August 4, 1989, the last day of scheduled service, very soon.

[@craigjackson2428]

Looking forward. Thanks again!!!!

[@tpain5402]

4:47 I'd say those signals from the Justice Dept weren't quite strong enough.

[@flightforensics4523]

GREAT POST! Yes indeed!

[@steel_city_aviation140]

In the end, Piedmont still exists as a regional airline, and the Pittsburgh hub is no more, nor is US Airways

[@BrandonTheWarriorPrince]

I just got hired with Piedmont as A Ramp Agent

[@volsonrockytop690]

Always loved staying at the Airport Motel where the Piedmont Stewardesses stayed at the end of the day, they always ended up having quite a great time!

[@Lex5576]

Speaking from a business standpoint, this was the worst fucking day ever for US air travel. Nobody has come remotely close since, to Piedmont's level of service and professionalism. With the takeover of Piedmont, air travel in the areas involved has steadily gone downhill to the shit show it is today.

[@L.DevonWMoon]

Piedmont flight attendant, started flying in 1979…still a bitter feeling …it was NOT a smooth merger…

[@flightforensics4523]

It was NEVER a merger! Absolutely NOT the "mirror image" so often proclaimed! I HATED THOSE PIT MOTHER HUMPERS AND WISH ONLY TO $HIT ON ED COLODNY'S GRAVE. Or spit in the eye of this piece of filth that destroyed a viable and profitable company and sent so many HARD WORKING AND DEDICATED PIEDMONT EMPLOYEES PACKING! 35 years ago...and I still have the heartache and hatred for these collective PIT PIGS!

[@timwetzeltv]

This is so funny to watch now. Charlotte is now one of the top hubs for the largest airline in the world.

[@jocelynharris-fx8ho]

The Airline Deregulation Act was the beginning of the end for the "glory days" of aviation. The merger mania killed some of the best airlines and the best airlines were not always the largest . The various carriers had unique styles and that is what made flying fun. Wish we could go back to when the flight was the best part of your journey. 😢

[@krisstarring]

4:47 - "The merger this week of Piedmont and USAir may be the last one of its kind. The Justice Department is changing its view on airline mergers and signals there may have been too many and competition has suffered." Yep, that statement aged poorly. What have we seen since then? Delta and Northwest. AirTran and Southwest. Continental and United. Even USAir merged with American.

[@brianlacroix822]

LOL @4:47. amazing how people in the 80s thought they knew it all.

[@erik_griswold]

CLT could have been just like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St Louis, Memphis (for passengers at least), Kansas City, New Orleans, Reno and Cleveland.

[@stitch-xx2oo]

Great Video. sad News!

[@airpiedmont]

Sad indeed!

[@Survivor1547]

Here another sad news USAir Airlines no longer is now American Airlines.

[@erik_griswold]

LOL at 7:57

[@jamessamartini5855]

Ed Colodny sucks!!!!! USAir should have bought Eastern gained a foothold in the Atlanta market,or TWA should have Bought USAir and Eastern left Piedmont alone...Piedmont should have bought Southwest Airlines......

[@Survivor1547]

USAir Airlines is now American Airlines.

[@johnsonwaite9865]

What would it be like if the merger went the other way? Piedmont buys out USAir.

[@flightforensics4523]

OMG! GREAT CALL!

[@flightforensics4523]

​@@johnsonwaite9865NOT GOOD BECAUSE....the US AIR work force...across the board...we're lazy, antagonistic, sarcastic people. VOID OF DISCIPLINES to understand what customer service was about. They, across the board, wanted to SCREW THE COMPANY AT EVERY CHANCE AND TO HELL WITH THE COMPANY! As evidenced by the TWO SUBSEQUENT BANKRUPTCIES after the merger, Piedmont's once cherished customers learned quickly to...GO ELSEWHERE! US Air was fat and lazy and the presence of DISCIPLINED and CARING PIEDMONT EMPLOYEES wouldn't have made a difference. UNLESS THE US AIR EMPLOYEES WERE ALLOWED TO STAY AT HOME AND COLLECT FULL WAGES! 😠 😡

[@raymondhetes9783]

Usair shud had merged with Ozark,North Central,, Republic.

[@raymondhetes9783]

Uscair ruined them

[@jocelynharris-fx8ho]

USAir should have stayed Allegheny Airlines and stayed in their little corner of the northeast U. S.