Airlines merger unlikely to hijack travel plans

Worried the pending merger of American Airlines and US Airways might ground your vacation plans or reroute your frequent flier program? Those fears don’t have wings, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The AP states that the airlines have been working to make the merger go mostly unnoticed by the flying public since the merger plan was announced in February. The merger is expected to be finalized in December, but passengers shouldn’t notice any changes for months, even years, according to the AP.

Upsides to the merger include combining frequent flier programs, enabling passengers to cash in points more quickly, and more national and international destinations. Unfortunately, higher air fares are probably inevitable and customer confusion during the transition is expected. And it could be years before the newly combined carriers decide on how to repaint their planes to match.

Read more from the Associated Press.