If American and US Airways merge, can I use Alaska Air miles on US Airways flights?

Editor’s note: This story corrects an earlier version that misidentified one of the airlines.

If American Airlines and US Airways merge, will people be able to use their Alaska Air miles on US Airways flights?

“It's our intention to offer our customers the ability to use their Alaska frequent flier miles on the new American, but we need to make an agreement with American/US Airways first,” Alaska spokesman Paul McElroy told KIRO 7 Tuesday afternoon.

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it would let the merger of American Airlines and US Airways proceed after the two carriers agreed to give up landing and takeoff slots and gates at key airports, including Washington's Reagan National and New York's LaGuardia.

With the agreement, the government hopes to increase access to the nation's busiest airports for low-cost airlines and to maintain flights to smaller cities.

United and Delta, currently the two largest airlines in the world, will face increased competition from the combined American and US Airways, which will be slightly larger. The newly combined airline will serve more cities, with easier connections than American or US Airways individually offer.

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