AWA America West Holdingsb

America West's FlightFund Frequent Flyer Program Achieves 'Three-Peat,' Named 'Best Elite Program' for Third Straight Year More and More Customers 'Get on Board' as FlightFund Also Takes First in 'Best Award' Category, Finishes in Top Three in All Airline Categories PHOENIX, May 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- America West Airlines (NYSE:AWA) announced today that its FlightFund frequent flyer program has won the prestigious "Freddie Award" for best elite-level program in the Americas for an unprecedented third consecutive year. The award, which was presented at the 17th Annual Freddie Awards by InsideFlyer magazine, distinguishes the frequent flyer program that offers the most valuable combination of benefits and bonuses for its elite-level members. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO) For the first time, America West also won the top honors in the "Best Award" category in the Americas, receiving acclaim for its bonus promotion that enabled Diners Club card members to save 20 percent of their Club Rewards points when redeeming their points for first-class tickets in the U.S. "In 2002, America West was the first low-fare airline to win the 'Best Elite-Level' award, and our first-place showing this year reaffirms the value the FlightFund program continues to create for America West customers, especially through its generous complimentary upgrade program," said Travis Christ, vice president, marketing. "We're also honored by our first-place showing in the 'Best Award' category, especially because this recognition comes from those who know us best -- the industry's most frequent flyers, who, more than anyone, appreciate the full-service amenities America West offers at low fares. "Our strong showing in these awards is further demonstration that customers are responding to our mission to upgrade customers' low-fare experience. The FlightFund program, which spans six continents, along with extensive code-share agreements, assigned seating and airport club access in nearly two-dozen locations are just some of the features we provide that truly give customers the best of both worlds." America West's FlightFund program also finished among the top three in the Americas for "Best Award Redemption," "Best Bonus Promotion," "Best Customer Service," "Best Member Communications," "Best Web Site," and "Program of the Year," rounding off a showing that boasted significant improvement over its solid performance last year. InsideFlyer magazine introduced the Freddie Awards in 1988 to allow frequent travelers to choose the best airline and hotel frequent travel programs from their point of view. The awards have grown in stature and importance and are today the most prestigious consumer-generated awards in the industry. For more information or to book a ticket, customers may go to http://www.americawest.com/?c=12270816Freddie. Customers may also purchase tickets by calling America West at 1-800-2-FLY-AWA (1-800-235-9292) or by contacting a travel agent. Travel agents are encouraged to use http://www.hpagentlink.com/, which is an online booking tool that America West designed specifically for travel agents only. For corporate travelers, http://www.awacorplink.com/ is an effective online resource that helps companies take control of their corporate-travel management needs without booking fees. FlightFund miles may be redeemed for award travel to more than 300 destinations on six continents. FlightFund offers one of the most generous frequent flyer programs in the industry, with domestic award travel beginning at 15,000 miles year-round. FlightFund has more than 50 partners to help members earn miles for award travel including rental car companies, hotels and restaurants. Approximately 60,000 customers upgrade their low-fare experience every day when they get on board America West. The airline's 13,500 employees are proud to offer a range of services including more destinations than any other low-cost carrier, first-class cabins, assigned seating, airport clubs and an award-winning frequent flyer program. America West operates approximately 900 flights daily to 95 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. This press release and additional information on America West can be accessed at http://www.americawest.com/. (AWAG) Get on Board -AWA- http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: America West Airlines CONTACT: Carlo Bertolini of America West Airlines, +1-480-693-5729 Web site: http://www.awacorplink.com/ Web site: http://www.americawest.com/?c=12270816Freddie Web site: http://www.hpagentlink.com/ Web site: http://www.americawest.com/

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