US Airways Group Inc. entered the weekend in a near-frantic rush to reach new deals with its employee unions, hoping to prove to its creditors and the federal government that it is an airline worth saving.

The Arlington, Va.-based carrier is expected to negotiate through the holiday week with its major employee groups, in hopes of extracting $950 million in annual savings, mostly by cutting salaries and benefits. Those savings would then be offered up as evidence that the airline is reforming and that it is a worthy candidate for restructured debt and a government-backed bailout loan.

Yesterday was the deadline to apply for a share of the $10 billion in loan guarantees that Congress authorized for the struggling airline industry. While US Airways applied for a $900 million loan guarantee on June 10, there was concern earlier in the week that the airline needed to reach deals with its unions before yesterday's deadline.

But Chief Executive Officer David Siegel said in a message to employees yesterday that the airline had met all of the government's application requirements and planned to focus the next few weeks on restructuring the company and persuading the government to approve its loan guarantee request.

"It's much more likely our debt holders will come along and agree to restructure our debt when they know that our labor groups are onboard," Siegel said. "And certainly that greatly enhances our chances with the [federal government]."

US Airways, the second-busiest carrier at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, posted a record $2.1 billion loss last year and hopes to use a loan backed by the federal Air Transportation Stabilization Board to avoid filing for bankruptcy. The carrier also is trying to restructure its service with more small jets and to reach an agreement with a competing airline to share some routes.

The company's relationship with its unions seems to be changing as well. While past negotiations have been contentious, with strikes threatened routinely, management now has given the unions full access to company records, and some workers have offered to take pay cuts of 25 percent or more.

"The company basically said, 'We're going broke and we need some cost savings or we'll be out of business,'" said Jeff Zack, a spokesman for the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents 10,000 US Airways employees. "Well, we've heard that from them before. But this time, when we asked them to show us, they did."

The flight attendants have been asked to take a 15.5 percent pay cut, and all employees are being encouraged to enroll with a new health plan that would cost the company less. The airline's pilots have offered to make concessions, including giving back their last two salary increases, that would be worth about $400 million annually.

"Our contract is not amendable - we don't have to change anything," said Roy Freundlich, a spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Association. "But our members are very committed to this airline, and I think everyone understands that we need to work together right now."

Shares of US Airways lost 2 cents yesterday to close at $3.70 on the New York Stock Exchange.