The corporate types at US Airways continue to dismantle the Dividend Miles Program - While the company claims it is enhancing the program - it is a smoke screen - it is in fact enhancing it at the customer's expense

In 1997, the 1125 mileage credit was eliminated for full fare upgraded seats - US*A dropped to 750.

In 1998 - US*A eliminated the 10,000 miles threshhold Bonuses from 35,000 - 75,000 thresholds - while it "claims" it would enhance the program in other ways after eliminating this feature, it has not - in fact - just the opposite occurs.

In 1999 - the monthly bonuses are posted at the time of each flight segment - No one ever let the customer know - and it is confusing and twice as hard to track your miles and segments

In 1999 - US*A eliminate partial bonuses on full fare tickets upgrade to "F" class - In the previous year, your received the monthly bonus on the upgraded mileage - Not any more

For example - if you fly from DCA to CLT at full fare/upgraded to First Class you would receive 750 miles - At the end of the month would would receive a 750 mile bonus

US*A now provides you with the 750 miles
but only gives you 500 miles as a bonus at a loss of 250 miles

US*A now syas it will eliminate the 10,000
25% off coach fare awards and 20,000 50% off discount awards - because they are not widely used - Many of us who travel on business at the last moment need the flexibility of a 25/50% reduction

The company rather you use your awars for free travel instead of generating revenue - What genius figured this out -

There appears to be a concerted effort to alienate and screw the customer at US*A -

But wouldn't it be nice to ask the customer for once what changes they would like to see????

US*A you are trying my patience

the automated posting of bonus and real mileage at the same time is a function of the sabre conversion. it is very confusing. what's more of a problem is the lag in actual posting on the automated phone line. in the past, these appeared normally within 24 hours of a flight. they now take 5 to 7 days. this is causing members to call repeatedly over the course of that time, which in turn is jamming up the phone, making it very hard to get through. as for reduced benefits, most of this is the result of watching what other carriers are doing, and conforming the program. it will just keep going on.

Deel- It is a real shame the way the system has been screwed up - Moreover, I've been told by agents that the version of the sabre system US*A is using is not even the same that American Uses - Apparently AMR uses a system called Sabre Plus

I'm very disappointed

I posted elsewhere that mailings have slowed drastically. I still have not received the following:
1. My 1999 Preferred package
2. My December statement (last statement was thru 11/30/98)
3. Four upgrade certificates I claimed with mileage (2 were claimed exactly one month ago, the other 2 about 3 weeks ago). I used to get these in under 10 days. I've been told by two US Air reps. that they have a new "process". Some process!

They now permit electronic upgrades which is great, except for one problem - the service center is not open on the weekends and closes at 6 PM on Fridays! Therefore for a Monday morning flight on a restricted ticket I either have to have a certificate beforehand or I don't get upgraded!

I'm really ticked at US right now. I was very happy with them until the end of the year.

I am a Chairman's Preferred - Have been since the program started - was Priority Gold when that was the only level and PG Plus when they issued that -

US*A's answer to customer relations is let's do it and see if we get complaints -

I would appreciate all Dividend Milers especially in the premium levels to e-mail and let's start a campaign to stop this crap
and get US*A to talk with its most loyal customers

Well, after my earlier posting today, what should appear in the mailbox but my Preferred Package plus 2 of the 4 upgrades I'm due! The changes to Preferred:

1. They have upped the bonus to 50% (from 25%) but have eliminated the additional 50% bonus when upgrading from full fare coach. As I fly on full fare more than most, this is a negative.
2. The limited controls on award seat availability have apparently been eliminated. These were listed in last year's package, but nothing there this year. Again, not good.
3. They have added more complimentary upgrades; 4 after each 10,000 miles plus an additional 2 after each 20,000. This is good.

All in all, nothing great here and a few negatives. As an aside, I've been told US Air is working on providing FF account info. on their website and it should be available in the "near future" (I believe they are the last of the majors to offer on-line access).

Not having to use upgrades anymore - I forgot what the other levels have to do -
I especially distressed about the pending iscontinuance of the discount award - I have to travel to San Diego regularly and the full coah "A" fare is $1850 - the 50% off awards for 20,000 is helpful and I pass the savings off to the client - But if US *A thinks I'm going to spend that - straight up - well they have another thing coming - I keep the miles - buy the cheapest discount fare for $300 - Not a smart way to do business US*A!!!

Sorry for spelling mistakes - my computer is still learning how to spell -

That was "discontinuance"

I am a little confused. I have flown US Airways in 1999 on full-fare coach upgrade "A4Coach" fares, and have received the 50% bonus.

What is the effective date of this change ?

JGILL - You get the threhhold mileage Bonus - but you don't get the bonus for the 100%/50% - whatever level you are at - you simply get the coach miles bonus

JGill, the 50% bonus you mention might be the Preferred 50% bonus, not the old 50% upgrade bonus. Last year if you flew on full Y tickets and upgraded, you would receive a 25% bonus for Preferred status PLUS a 50% bonus for upgrading a full fare. According to the new program literature the Preferred bonus is now 50% and there is no bonus for upgrading on full fares. I'm not sure when this take effects (maybe March 1?).

I am not Preferred on US (Prem Ex on UA and Gold Medallion on DL), but I will fly enough this year to get minimum status.

I have flown A class fares in 1998 and 1999 and received the 50% first class bonus. Last flight was a couple of weeks back.

I was thinking about making the jump from DL Gold Medallion to US and having read this thread, I think it's definitely no way. Here's my reasoning:

1) Even with DL's current partner upheaval - the continuance of the Qualiflyer partnership or the new Air France alliance - DL defintely has the edge over US. This is especially the case since DL allows OS / SN / SR miles to count towards elite qualification. As far as I am aware, US does count foreign partners' flights for elite qualification.

2) On-line ff tracking. Delta posts all activity on the internet as soon as your flight takes off! New domestic upgrades are automatically added to your account and systemwide upgrades usually arrive within a week to ten days. Apparently, US's on-line ff services are lacking and its upgrades are changing.

3) DL has more frequent flights espcially to the north-east. Hourly flights from ATL to LGA, EWR, PHL, DCA, BOS and ORD as well as the Delta Shuttle which in my opinion is superior to that of the US Airways Shuttle.

So, thanks for your insight. I'm almost certainly sure that I'll stick to Delta Air Lines.

Sorry - reason 1 should read that US does NOT allow foreign partner mileage to count toward elite qualification.

Also, the new award structire effective for travel after 9/1/99 requires a Saturday night stay for the 25,000 mile award, only by using the 50,000 mile award (which also has no capacity controls) do you avoid the Saturday night stay rule.

United tried the same stunt (sat night stay req) two years ago with MP but dropped it before it ever became effective because of user protests.