This reminds me of the newsfootage of the last plane out of Da Nang. People were hanging out of the wheelwells trying to escape from the Viet Cong.

All the airlines are in jeopardy. One can try to guess which one is in least bad shape. Could it be possible that there will be bankruptcy and loss of frequent flyer miles? In a chaotic situation, a carrier could take over a hub using it's own excess equipment and workforce and leave the bankrupt airline (and FF miles) to dust.

What can one do? Any ideas?

I need to take a crash course and see if Hilton Honors is the best way or if another program is better to transfer miles to?

Check out http://www.privilegeflyer.com for insurance. The program is run by our own Randy Peterson.

I understand. Until recently, my miles were the only number getting higher among my assets.

Check this thread out:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/005223.html

If you really want to burn your miles, consider:

- Transfer to Hilton HHonors
- use @ www.milepoint.com
- AA miles for merchandise @ www.aolaadvantage.com



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On the road,
In the air,
I enjoy travel
From here to there.

As the Britsh would say: "Steady On"

Yes, times for the airlines look very bad at the moment. However, I believe a lot of the naysaying from the corporate suites are intended to influence Congress. At this point, it looks the airlines are about to get a good-sized payday from the government. The main question is how much and the airlines are working very hard to drive that number up as high as possible.

There's no doubt that the airlines are having financial problems and the current outlook is relatively gloomy. However, there is also a lot of PR going on too.

I agree with the above. The industry is in sad shape, but at least several airlines will weather it out.

However, I have a modest (in FT standards) quarter million miles in US which seems shaky. I redeemed all my TW miles before the AA takeover. I have the most miles with NW which is possibly safer.

Regarding ontheroads suggestions, 200,000 miles can be used like 94,000 mi in another airline (if transfered to Hilton Honors and used for domestic awards with one calculating that 85,000 Hilton points domestic awards are valued at 25,000 airline mi) or $4000 if used for milepoint.com (which is might be about $2000 if one shops at K-Mart)

Why do I choose these loser airlines to fly? Just kidding.

[This message has been edited by Skylink USA (edited 09-21-2001).]

I do think that insurance for Miles is a good thing - I've had Randy's policy for years. However it only covers certain US airlines, and not the UK version of BA Miles. Hence, if your carrier is not in the list you should think about cashing miles in for tickets on other carriers who might still be here once the big shake-up is over.

Also, if you miles in a non-US scheme perhaps cashing those in might be in order if you think the airline will fail, rather than merge.

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Yes, I'm standing for TalkBoard too!

Panic ye not! If anyone here wants to bet me a million dollars that either American or United or their flyer plans will be allowed to go broke in the next 6 months, I'll gladly take your bet.

It will NOT happen. If Dubya & Co needs to toss billions, and even more billions at THOSE airlines (and only those 2 airlines be mindful) to stop that happening, he will, and will do so in a New York minute. If Alaska or America West etc go the way of Midway, too bad, but not these 2 who had terrorists choose them simply as they WERE the worlds largest 2 carriers.

Bush will NOT, repeat NOT, repeat NOT, allow a perception, or even a HINT of a perception that terrorists allowed either of the world's #1 and #2 airlines go bust. End of rant.

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[This message has been edited by avgas (edited 09-22-2001).]

Everyone: "Take a step back, take a step forward, take a step back... now were doing the Cha-Cha." Val Kilmer in Real Genius


Really, I think the last think that we need to be doing right now to the airlines is turning contingent liabilites (FF miles) into current liabilites which means cash outflow. It is one thing to redeem miles for travel on the airline of issuance (travel on US using US miles) as this has an extremely minor impact if any on the airline (cost of additional fuel, handling food, etc. for your extra 300lbs), it is another to transfer the miles out of the program into some other program ie Hilton. These transfers will cost the airline something especially if there is a mass exodus of miles out of the program. This is exactly the situtation that happened to many of us LP million milers they restricted us to keep us from taking out too much too quickly.

Let's not have a run on the bank, instead use them for travel or insure them up with Randy. If I remember correctly nothing happened to my OP miles when Eastern went under or when CO was in and out of Chapter 11. If a program goes completely under your covered and we don't allow the herd mentality drive all of us out of our miles.

just my 2c.

BSL

The two best things you can do to protect your miles are:

1. Buy airline stock.
2. Fly.

Our economy will only crumble if we let it.

The biggest fear is if an airline continues to operate but discontinues its frequent flyer program. Scary but a possiblity. Then we don't have anything to protect us.

Sure, if an airline did away with its programs, they would eventually go out of business as others would travel on other mileage awarding carriers.

Not making any big decisions now, just watchful waiting. Hoping that USAir continues to operate or is absorbed by UA or AA.

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"Fly me to the moon and let me earn alot of miles."

worldbanker - see Randy's comment on that unlikelihood in the AwardGuard thread.

Amen!

FF miles are a liability to airlines' balance sheets. Use them if you can on non flight related items. (AOL AAdvantage is a great way to use miles for other items.) Donate them to charities. Fly!

Also patronize airport restaurants, vendors and shops. They are really hurting!

I didn't know about milespoint.com. Thanks.

Looks like $200 off at Ashford, as an example, for 10,000 miles. Once again, the magic number is 2c per mile. A reasonable value.

Mike