We are going to review US Airways Dividend Miles in the next issue of InsideFlyer magazine and would like your input.

If you would like to participate, please post your response in the thread with the pros and cons of membership in Dividend Miles and grade the program from A to F (A being the highest grade). You can include a plus or minus with the rating.

You can also respond directly to me at dmankell@insideflyer.com.
Thank you!

Sorry to say but I don't see any plusses in being a FF with US. I don't know if you can use that comment.

Here are a few minuses off the top of my head. If I think of more, I will return! :)

1. The diluting of elite membership by promotions such as "Everything Counts" and the ability for anyone to buy trial elite status.

2. The inability to redeem the annual Chairman's Preferred complimentary transatlantic upgrades.

3. There are "unlimited" domestic upgrades for elites, but the reduction of F seats and the increase of elites who have status by way of promotions instead of flying has decreased one's chances of upgrading.

4. No class-of-service mileage or segment bonus for Y or B full fares.

5. The increase in the number of segments for Chairman's Preferred from 100 segments to 120 segments.

My grade = C-

I give the program C-.

Trying to get award ticket to Europe virtually impossible. If you call at 330 days to hold a spot for a ticket TO Europe, by the time you call back at 330 days for the RETURN ticket, the TO ticket they were holding for you has expired. Very, very frustrating.

4. No class-of-service mileage or segment bonus for Y or B full fares.



I've gotten miles for Y/B fares. It appears as "Y B Ordinary" and is 50% of trip mileage that counts as both EQM and bonus.

I've gotten miles for Y/B fares. It appears as "Y B Ordinary" and is 50% of trip mileage that counts as both EQM and bonus.


It used to be all the time, but now it is just a promotion. I believe it ran through August 31, according to this link:

http://www.usairways.com/awa/profiles/dmpromotionsregister.aspx?promocode=YBOR&c=prefnews_07122007

I actually think DM is one of the saving graces of US. Although it certainly has been devalued as of late, it's still one of the better programs. There are few restrictions on earning miles on cheaper fare classes, and the domestic upgrade program is still much appreciated even if frequency of upgrades is lower than it used to be (I'm still at 100% out of my home city but won't always get them on connecting flights). Award availability is good compared to other Star partners like UA. Access to the Preferred reservation lines is also quite useful.

Minuses? Only 50% bonus for GP instead of previous 100%.

Overall, B+ and one of the few reasons that I stick with US.

The only feature of the DM program which is "competitive or better" than other legacy carriers is the free upgrades for all elites. But this is deceiving, since US has removed seats from the front cabin, tightened the pitch from 38" to 36", removed the closets, stuck emergency and IFE equipment in the overhead bins in first....and the quality and quantity of the food served in F is far below what other legacies serve in F. To add insult to injury, beverages are served in big plastic "party" cups, and the cutlery is heavy duty plastic (think "sporks"). If you are lucky and long overdue for an eye exam, you may not even notice the filth and grime on the plane.

In light of all of the above, US is now charging 50% more for 50% less: As of October 3, they have increased the price of a one-way domestic upgrade from 10,000 miles to 15,000 miles. The minimum fare for a transatlantic mileage upgrade is now $1,200, and there is no guarantee for that higher fare that you will be able to clear the waitlist into Envoy. Refund the fare difference? Fuggeddaboudit.

While the free elite domestic upgrades get an A+, everything else gets a solid F. I guess this brings the average down to F+.

I am a leisure traveler who travels every few months or so on USAirways. I enjoy both USAirways credit cards. I rapidly gain miles by both. I also enjoy their Skymall program. They post there miles quicker than Northwest, my other favorite airline. They also seem to post miles quicker from other partners including car rental, hotel and e-rewards. Overall, I am generally pleased. I recently became an AAadvantage member and I looked at their program and I was like what's the fuss all about. Of course, I am not a chairman's or anything.

Also, this past summer I used a 25,000 mile reward on US to Lexington, KY. I had multiple options and flights. Yea, it's not Europe, but I got a free roundtrip with no hassle.

Overall Program Rating: C

Pros:
Complimentary Elite Upgrades
All Fares Generate 100% Miles
Easy To Use Online Award Ticket Engine

Cons:
Exceptionally Limited Availability of Discounted Award Inventory
No Access To Partner Awards Online
Complimentary Elite Access To UA E+ Seats Eliminated
A/C Reconfigurations Decreasing Upgrade Opportunities

Sadly, the pros and cons of the Dividend Miles program fail to address the airline's overall failings. Although neither US Airways or America West were perfect airlines before the takeover, the "new" US seems to have all of the failings of each carrier with little of what was good.

Here are some examples:
Customer Service - HP staff were, almost unfailingly, friendly and helpful, while US staff were, again almost unfailingly, sparse and rude. While the rudeness and sparseness have come to Phoenix, Philadelphia hasn't miraculously become filled with helpful and friendly people. Perhaps worse, in stations where both carriers had GA teams, the "Philadelphia Effect" has taken over.

Aircraft - A bright point is that all of the carrier's planes are now much cleaner than they were in US' darkest days. On the other hand, HP's "low rent" approach to customer comfort and seating arrangements have come East with F seats being removed, rows added, etc. Obviously there's a business case for this and, frankly, most people are too oblivious to notice (witness the "gosh this is a little plane" comments from passengers that "look" like the ought to know better boarding RJs).

All told, I was a vocal advocate of HP's FlightFund program, but I switched my business to DL at the beginning of the year and I've been let down a lot less.

It used to be all the time, but now it is just a promotion. I believe it ran through August 31, according to this link:

http://www.usairways.com/awa/profiles/dmpromotionsregister.aspx?promocode=YBOR&c=prefnews_07122007

Wow, I missed that; thanks for the enlightenment me4y. :td: to US for this

I think people are confusing the ‘state of the airline’ with the DM program, which are two completely separate issues. DM itself is quite good, it’s the airline portion that needs cleaning up (better seats/cleaner planes/more F availability, etc).

Pros:
I love my CP certs and could have used a dozen more
High availability of TA upgrades
Credit card EQM bonus each year
Unlimited upgrades (silvers can get them too)
Companion upgrades easier than others
‘Everything counts’ promotion
Gold level or higher gives *Gold privileges

Cons:
Hard to locate award availability (have to use other airline’s search engines)
Inventory control is very sluggish (more of an airline problem)
Unlike most of *A, cannot upgrade on other members with miles
No credit card holder (AMEX, for example) admission to clubs
Very slow to issue cards/membership information
EQM bonuses are stingy

Overall a very good program matched to a less good airline

Grade: B+

I am writing this solely based on my unique circumstance and situation.

Having been a US GP in the past (now a CP) and now an AA Plat I have some basis for comparison to other programs. I prefer US's DM GP to AA Plat for the simple reason that I didn't have to pay for the upgrades. I fly DCA-STX, that is my one route. This is a route that on US is easy to get upgraded on so even as a GP I was 100% on upgrades, at least for the long leg of my trip (PHL-SJU). On AA I have to buy stickers which tacks on $300 to the ticket price for F. Not a bad deal but certainly not free. Further I was usually getting the Envoy size seat so while US's F service is not on par with the other majors, for me the seat was far superior to the AA 737 for a much lower price (after paying for stickers).

Why did I switch? They now only serve STX on Saturday's and only in season so I could not use my miles all the way between STX and the mainland.

Operationally US is a mess which makes it difficult to stick with them. The Shares migration and terrible website has killed customer service. Getting anything done, even on the CP line takes 5 times longer than it used to. I don't think one can overestimate the importance of that res migration to the diminished quality of the US product. And its FF'rs who feel it the most.

Oh and the CP TA upgrade vouchers are the worst part of the program by far. You are rewarded for being a CP by having to spend extra money on a ticket only to play "upgrade roulette." If you don't get the upgrade you don't get the extra money you spent back. This is a ridiculous way to reward loyalty, make the damn things confirmable at time of booking or make them valid on any fare basis, the current combination makes these things frustrating!

Overall I'd give the DM program a B-. A year ago it would've been an A-
Sean

I think people are confusing the ‘state of the airline’ with the DM program, which are two completely separate issues. DM itself is quite good, it’s the airline portion that needs cleaning up (better seats/cleaner planes/more F availability, etc).



I disagree that they are "completely" separate issues: The state of the airline is indicative of Tempe's approach towards it DM members. This administration would not know the meaning of "customer satisfaction" if it bit them in the posterior. All they care about is cramming as many seats as the FAA will allow into their planes with as little upkeep as possible, and providing the bare minimum required to get from Point A to Point B. If they can nickel-and-dime their best customers in the process, all the better. I'm surprised they have not eliminated the DM program altogether.

Those of us who came over from the East side and are longtime elites remember how the program used to be......and it used to be much better:


(Usable) transatlantic certs for ALL Preferred levels
50% bonus miles for Silver/100% bonus miles for Gold (now 25% and 50%, respectively)
50% EQM's for Y/B fares
More spacious F cabin, with more seats, 2 more inches of pitch....and closets in which to hand your winter coats.
2 more inches of pitch in Y for those times when you were not upgraded
10,000 miles for a one-way domestic mileage upgrade (vs. 15,000 miles as of 10/3)
Elimination of fare code-based transatlantic mileage upgrade qualification. $1,200 minimum fare now required to upgrade a transatlantic flight with miles.
10,000 transatlantic mileage upgrade for Y/B fares. Now Y/B fares require 30,000 miles each way to upgrade.
Ability to confirm E+ on UA in advance, for free. (I know the elimination of this perk was not US's doing, but the loss of it sure put a crimp in the DM program.)
Free alcohol in the HP Clubs. (Not officially part of the DM program, but the elimination of this perk has a tremendous impact on Preferreds.)

Am I missing anything?

With the exception of E+ and the loss of transatlantic certs for all Preferred levels, these are all decisions which were made by current US Airways management, and which have de-valued the overall program.

Here are a few minuses off the top of my head. If I think of more, I will return! :)

1. The diluting of elite membership by promotions such as "Everything Counts" and the ability for anyone to buy trial elite status.

2. The inability to redeem the annual Chairman's Preferred complimentary transatlantic upgrades.

3. There are "unlimited" domestic upgrades for elites, but the reduction of F seats and the increase of elites who have status by way of promotions instead of flying has decreased one's chances of upgrading.

4. No class-of-service mileage or segment bonus for Y or B full fares.

5. The increase in the number of segments for Chairman's Preferred from 100 segments to 120 segments.

My grade = C-

I give it a D- for the reasons posted here and on several of the other responses. One more to add is all of the people that got free gold last year, many that took zero to a few flights, for no explained reason.

(I'm going to do my best to focus only on the state of DM here, not of US as a whole)

Pros:
1. Unlimited upgrades for preferred members - I'm scoring almost 100% as a CP
2. The preferred phone number for CP tends to be fantastically helpful
3. 100% mileage for every revenue based fare class regardless of where the ticket was booked
4. *A Gold status which is fantastic when traveling ex-North America
5. I enjoy the DM shopping mall - I like getting miles for all my orders at wine.come

Cons:
1. No more bonus miles for Y/B fares (not counting the random promotion)
2. No more E+ access on United (though this is UA's fault, it does detract from DM)
3. No more preferred bonus miles when flying Lufthansa
4. You generally have to buy very expensive fares in order to use your transatlantic upgrade certificates which makes them almost useless
5. There is dismal availability for the discounted mileage awards - almost zero
6. Unless you're an FTer and know the tricks, you are at the mercy of a phone agent when it comes to *A options
7. No Gold lounge access unless you're leaving North America. They don't seem to realize that Canada, Mexico and many islands in the Carribean are actually foreign countries!
8. No participation in the Star Alliance upgrade awards program

Overall score: B-

My Pros and Cons as a lowly Silver:
PRO:
Unlimited free upgrades for elites (in theory)
Star Alliance Award possibility (in theory)
Earn full mileage regardless of fare

CON:
Greatly Reduced upgrade inventory (in reality), the worst I have seen it in 17 years as a Silver or Gold Preffered
Greatly reduced award inventory (in reality), again, worse than I have seen in 17 years
Can't use Dividend miles to upgrade on United
Website that crashes about 1/3 of the time RIGHT AT THE POINT OF TICKETING!!! (ARGH!! Do I have a reservation??!!)
No lifetime Elite membership for 1,000,000 mile flyers
And of course, the widely known degradation in service, especially in First class. OVERALL GRADE: D

F- for me.

After 10 years at CP, they have abandoned my home airport, and getting award miles for less than the "anytime" double points level is nearly impossible.

Compound that by the fact that once you do manage to, or have to, fly on US, you have to deal with poorly maintained equipments and inept operations, ensuring a lower-than-average probability of getting where you want to go, when you want to get there, with your luggage.

ALL airlines screw you - just some are more gentle than others and some at least try to give you a happy ending.

Pros:
The unlimited upgrades for preferred members are fantastic - US F may not be great, but it's better than anyone else's coach. On almost any other airline you have to pick and choose your upgrades with mileage certs or other instruments.

People complain about award availability but I've never had that problem. Just the other week I booked a 25,000 mile round trip ticket BOS to LAS for a weekend trip! And when 25,000 mile tickets aren't available, you can usually do 37,500 (half first at reduced level and half coach) or all F at 50,000 miles. I have miles on NW, CO and AA that I haven't been able to use because they never have tickets for less than 50,000 miles.

The old America West system still has some of the best people in the air. I wish it were contagious to Philadelphia, but when I can I will fly HP metal. Granted, that's not a DM perk, just a truth about the airline.

I almost always get great service on the plat line and they will spend time trying to help me.

Biscoff cookies in F - I love them. Only US and DL seem to have them. If I tell a coach FA "I'm sorry I wasn't upgraded to F so I could get Biscoffs" they will usually bring me a bunch (and possibly get an A&B)

A&Bs are a great perk because they allow you to recognize and value service. It makes me feel good to make someones day like I did to the TA at Columbus who went out of her way to help me and got an A&B in return.

Cons:
Yes, the planes are tired, dirty and delayed. So are most other planes out there. Fly an AA MD80 for tired and dirty.

Yes, they have devalued preferred status by selling or whoring access to premium levels. I've taken advantage as have many of the complainers - how many people have gotten their 10,000 preferred miles for using the credit card? Maybe 20,000 for using BOTH credit cards? So what if other people want to take advantage - when determining upgrades it's (at least in theory) your status level PLUS your miles towards preferred for next year. Late year promotions or bought access doesn't provide those miles for upgrades in a meaningful way. For those who complain, United does the SAME THING, but on a year round basis! You can buy E-Plus Acess AND Fast Track to Preferred Status.

The biggest con is not having E+ access on UA. However, that means that on occasion, if the price is right, I will forgo the direct flight for one with stops and lots of F availability. From this decision United lost a chunk of my business, it didn't gain.

Overall? I'm as frustrated as many other people with some of the service declines on US. I will, however, look at DM flying objectively. I would give US a solid B to B-.

I have heard that CO is better, DL has some perks, and other airlines do some things better and some worse than US. Overall, my flying is partially DM driven, but also driven by home airport. Unless I had to do a lot of flying to one hub, here in Boston you have a choice of AA, US, B6 and DL for the most non-stops. US fits my bill best right now - they get my business.

We are going to review US Airways Dividend Miles in the next issue of InsideFlyer magazine and would like your input.

If you would like to participate, please post your response in the thread with the pros and cons of membership in Dividend Miles and grade the program from A to F (A being the highest grade). You can include a plus or minus with the rating.

You can also respond directly to me at dmankell@insideflyer.com.
Thank you!

No other US airline has the audacity to charge 30,000 miles for a one-way upgrade on transatlantic Y and B fares, especially when Envoy Class is a joke. 120 segments for CP is also outrageous... UA is a nicer airline and yet it only requires 100 segments for 1K. Alas, the list goes on. In sum, I'd rate Dividend Miles as D+.

We are going to review US Airways Dividend Miles in the next issue of InsideFlyer magazine and would like your input.

If you would like to participate, please post your response in the thread with the pros and cons of membership in Dividend Miles and grade the program from A to F (A being the highest grade). You can include a plus or minus with the rating.

You can also respond directly to me at dmankell@insideflyer.com.
Thank you!

Program Overall Grade: C-

PROs

Unlimited Elite upgrade
Different phone numbers for different elite levels
TATL upgrade certs
Free US Club membership if you clock 150K miles or more
Bonus miles on US flights
Complimentary companion Elite status
Complimentary companion upgrade


CONs

Domestic F product is one of the worst in US so upgrade value is low
Free tickets are borderline impossible to redeem
US Club is often worst than the Burger King next door (and has fewer seats)
Reduced number of F seats in new plane configurations = less upgrades
Elite program devalued with various random promotions and/or cheap buy-ups
Priority baggage is meaningless when it takes an hour to get on the carousel and often with or behind "regular" baggage (works much better with Star Alliance carriers, US doesn't do anything for elites)
MOSTLY no priority/elite lane at customer service centers past security (for missed connections, changes, etc...)
No elite lane at gates so if missed pre-board, you queue behind everyone else; no getting in directly like CO, NW, etc... unless you push your way past coach passengers (who don't like to give way to elites)
Poor service and/or indifference from service agents on Chairman Preferred number
RARELY ever acknowledge by ticket, gate or flight crew for being a very frequent flyer; forget better treatment
US reps argue about waived standby fee for elites
US CEO and other senior management make it very clear they do not value very frequent flyers and would pick making a quick $ over customer service anyday - and they repeat it at every opportunity
Feedback (honestly, just plain constructive feedback on issues encountered or weaknesses) and valid complaints are ignored like the rest though generally, elites clearly fly a LOT more on US than the non elite passengers and "might" just have a good point to make
Mostly no benefits with other airlines beyond standard Star Alliance elite (for example, NW provides upgrades on CO, AS and DL)


Tried real hard to focus purely on the program and not with how the airline as been performing or how they've been treating elite members.

Priority baggage is meaningless when it takes an hour to get on the carousel and often with or behind "regular" baggage (works much better with Star Alliance carriers, US doesn't do anything for elites)

That is a function of the airport baggage handling. Same ignoring priority domestic US, and honor them abroad.

That is a function of the airport baggage handling. Same ignoring priority domestic US, and honor them abroad.

I respectfully disagree. AFAIK, airlines are responsible for their baggage handlers. Some have their own, others contract it out (e.g. Menzies is pretty big in this industry).

In the remote possibility that it were the case, why does it take that long for my US bags to arrive from a domestic flight but my bags from BR, SQ and BA arrive in under 30 minutes for an international flight? Though not 100% priority bags only, most of the first batch rolling off the conveyor belt have the very visible priority tags.

These are not isolated incidents. My experience with them has not changed over the past 8-10 years (since HP) though there are the occassional quick deliveries. Also, it does feel like things have gotten worse post merger.

Not sure what you mean by
.....
Same ignoring priority domestic US, and honor them abroad.
If it's about priority baggage, I was referring to other carriers (*A is just an example) actually delivering priority tagged bags first and doing it quickly.

My husband has been a FF silver or gold for at least the past 6 years. I "manage" his miles and have seen the program go downhill.

I give it a C-.

Pros: The Star Alliance. Without these carriers, we would have never made it to Europe on FF tix.

Cons: Devaluation of bonuses (gold from 100% mileage bonus to only 50%)

So much more difficult to redeem FF award tix! I never used to have a problem 3-4 years ago calling at 330 days out. Now it seems some routes never have availability and generally it is getting harder and harder to redeem miles.


I could live with the devaluation of miles if there was also not a change in ther redemption of 25K domestic and 50K international FF award tickets.

I'll drift slightly off question by first saying that prior to Tempe getting their hands on the product, I would have rated DM a solid B+ / A- program, especially for the CP and Gold elites. You stood a good prospect of getting the UG, and you could enhance your possibility for TA UGs by purchasing a B fare at a usually reasonable price well below that of a Y. You also earned a 100% mileage bonus with those levels of status.

To answer the OP's question.

I rate the present DM program under Tempe a solid C- / D+

Pros


Gold level membership confers Star Alliance Gold with international lounge access. Much appreciated!
Companion UGs
Preferred boarding
Special phone numbers for elites
Electronic CP certs a good idea


Cons

Devaluation of DM with too many tiers, & reduction of tier FF mileage bonus for Gold level
Cabin reconfigurations greatly decrease UG possibilities. Yet Tempe continues to tout DM as "most generous in the industry" -- we can smell a skunk. Stop overstating your product and be honest with your elites!!
CP certs impossible to redeem


Sorry to say it, but aside from Star Alliance Gold for my TA flying, I don't feel DM offers me much of anything as a DM member. GoEnvoy & UG for non M/H/Q on TA flights for non-elites makes me doubt if it is worth my time and money to strive for CP or Platinum or to purchase upscale tickets which have no real chance to pull the UG at the gate.

Tempe has executed badly with the entire US product and it is no suprise that DM suffers the same malady.

Barry

Purely from a redemption standpoint (as I am just spending miles out now...):

Pros:
-very good award availability on *Alliance carriers internationally, particularly within Asia. Award availability generally maps to ANA award tool availability (unlike UA award availability)
-some good values in award redemptions compared to other programs (N Asia to Australia/NZ in C is only 60k miles and within S/Central Asia only 30k miles in C)
-award reservations agents are pretty good with booking complex international awards

Cons:
-US can only eticket for a few of the *A carriers, so you need paper tickets for many awards and US doesnt have many ticket offices outside US who can issue paper award tickets
-booking problems with awards on *A carriers, although these are largely getting fixed
-some poor redemption levels (S/Central Asia to NAmerica) and some confusion on award chart (where is Singapore?).

We are going to review US Airways Dividend Miles in the next issue of InsideFlyer magazine and would like your input.

If you would like to participate, please post your response in the thread with the pros and cons of membership in Dividend Miles and grade the program from A to F (A being the highest grade). You can include a plus or minus with the rating.

You can also respond directly to me at dmankell@insideflyer.com.
Thank you!

Having been a platinum on NW World Perks for over 10 years (92-04), the Dividend miles program is so much easier to navigate and reserve a seat.
The NW search engine was EXTREMELY slow and never had availability.
I'm trying for WBC to Europe next fall...I'm not getting my hopes up and I have over half mil miles...I end up giving them to friends/family for domesic Y whenavailable...never a first class tkt available. The D/M is much easier to move around and check other options. I give it a "B".

If it's not too late, here's my two cents as a CP.

Overall - D (down from a C last year).

Instead of listing pros and cons, I'm going to do this a different way and place the published benefits of being elite next to the reality, in my perception of the situation.

Benefit: unlimited domestic first class upgrades
Reality: as a CP, on many routes, it's not difficult to get an upgrade - especially with the product where it is, not many are willing to pay for it. Before I jumped ship in May I was averaging about 65-70% upgrades, which isn't bad considering the routes I fly. If you're paying a coach fare, F on USAirways is just fine. If you're not, in the words of another member, you get the feeling of wanting to punch someone. F on US buys you more room and not much else. E+ on UAL does the same, and is almost guaranteed for elites.

Unfortunately, US keeps shrinking their F cabins, so upgrades are becoming more elusive. Especially on routes like LAS, where many 8F 757's operate.

Grade: C

Benefit: TA certs

Up until they restructured this, I couldn't find one logical reason to use these in about a dozen attempts. Every time I attempted to use them, all I was doing was paying more for a chance at sitting in Envoy. And, for a cost basis, it was always cheaper to book the cheapest possible fare and then upgrade using GoEnvoy.

I saw this as a non-benefit and a source of frustration. Plus, having flown in Envoy this summer on a 767, it's nothing to write home about (unless you want to complain).

Grade: F

Benefit: Star Alliance Gold

The saving grace of USAirways is their star alliance membership. It's what kept me loyal to them for that last year. The club access is great. The leg-up it gives you in getting things like exit rows, seats blocked, etc. was tremendously valuable to me. I just wish US was more integrated into the alliance instead of being treated like the red-headed step-child (which they deserve).

Grade: B

Benefit: Using the miles

I think I'm in a minority with this, but I never had difficulty using them. The trick is doing your homework.

Grade: A

Mileage Bonus

If I was a Gold I'd be PO'ed. As a US1, I take the 100% bonus for granted.

Grade: C

Elite Customer Service - Phone

I'm a self-sufficient traveler. The only time I call is when something goes wrong or when something isn't working (i.e. website). I had occassion to call the CP desk a few times and it was hit or miss on the quality of the agent. The SHARES cutover killed the quality for a long time, which is unfortunate.

I hated that when I was stranded due to irreg. ops I couldn't get through to the CP desk. Busy signals are not acceptible.

Also, I hate that as a CP I wasn't given better access to customer relations. But, it beats the UA ICC's.

Grade: D - because when I needed them, they never came through for me.

Elite Customer Service - at the airport

This topic seems to be an oxymoron for USAirways.

Grade: F

Clubs

It's nice they give 150k EQM fliers free club access. And the PHL Envoy club is the best part of the operation. But, as a (paying) club member I found very little tangible value in my membership.

Grade: D

Overall feeling I get being a US1

That I'm an idiot. No joke. Why did I reward this company with my business and my loyalty to be treated like an inconvenience? Why have I swallowed their constant lies about improving? Why did I put up with such unreliable operations for such a long time?

Grade: F

And for anyone that thinks maybe I've set the bar too high and should be more grounded in my expecatations? My travel habits have not changed since I've left US and I have nothing negative to say about CO, my new home where I'm a Plat. They treat me like a customer, they provide a competitively consistent product, and they are reliable. Things that US can't seem to do.

If it's not too late, here's my two cents as a CP.

Overall - D (down from a C last year).

Instead of listing pros and cons, I'm going to do this a different way and place the published benefits of being elite next to the reality, in my perception of the situation.

Benefit: unlimited domestic first class upgrades
Reality: as a CP, on many routes, it's not difficult to get an upgrade - especially with the product where it is, not many are willing to pay for it. Before I jumped ship in May I was averaging about 65-70% upgrades, which isn't bad considering the routes I fly. If you're paying a coach fare, F on USAirways is just fine. If you're not, in the words of another member, you get the feeling of wanting to punch someone. F on US buys you more room and not much else. E+ on UAL does the same, and is almost guaranteed for elites.

Unfortunately, US keeps shrinking their F cabins, so upgrades are becoming more elusive. Especially on routes like LAS, where many 8F 757's operate.

Grade: C

Benefit: TA certs

Up until they restructured this, I couldn't find one logical reason to use these in about a dozen attempts. Every time I attempted to use them, all I was doing was paying more for a chance at sitting in Envoy. And, for a cost basis, it was always cheaper to book the cheapest possible fare and then upgrade using GoEnvoy.

I saw this as a non-benefit and a source of frustration. Plus, having flown in Envoy this summer on a 767, it's nothing to write home about (unless you want to complain).

Grade: F

Benefit: Star Alliance Gold

The saving grace of USAirways is their star alliance membership. It's what kept me loyal to them for that last year. The club access is great. The leg-up it gives you in getting things like exit rows, seats blocked, etc. was tremendously valuable to me. I just wish US was more integrated into the alliance instead of being treated like the red-headed step-child (which they deserve).

Grade: B

Benefit: Using the miles

I think I'm in a minority with this, but I never had difficulty using them. The trick is doing your homework.

Grade: A

Mileage Bonus

If I was a Gold I'd be PO'ed. As a US1, I take the 100% bonus for granted.

Grade: C

Elite Customer Service - Phone

I'm a self-sufficient traveler. The only time I call is when something goes wrong or when something isn't working (i.e. website). I had occassion to call the CP desk a few times and it was hit or miss on the quality of the agent. The SHARES cutover killed the quality for a long time, which is unfortunate.

I hated that when I was stranded due to irreg. ops I couldn't get through to the CP desk. Busy signals are not acceptible.

Also, I hate that as a CP I wasn't given better access to customer relations. But, it beats the UA ICC's.

Grade: D - because when I needed them, they never came through for me.

Elite Customer Service - at the airport

This topic seems to be an oxymoron for USAirways.

Grade: F

Clubs

It's nice they give 150k EQM fliers free club access. And the PHL Envoy club is the best part of the operation. But, as a (paying) club member I found very little tangible value in my membership.

Grade: D

Overall feeling I get being a US1

That I'm an idiot. No joke. Why did I reward this company with my business and my loyalty to be treated like an inconvenience? Why have I swallowed their constant lies about improving? Why did I put up with such unreliable operations for such a long time?

Grade: F

And for anyone that thinks maybe I've set the bar too high and should be more grounded in my expecatations? My travel habits have not changed since I've left US and I have nothing negative to say about CO, my new home where I'm a Plat. They treat me like a customer, they provide a competitively consistent product, and they are reliable. Things that US can't seem to do.


Care to share your "homework" that is allowing you to be successful redeeming miles?

First and foremost I must say, that IMHO trying to separate US Airways from Dividend Miles or from their Preferred Elite program as part of Dividend Miles is all but impossible!


I disagree that they are "completely" separate issues: The state of the airline is indicative of Tempe's approach towards it DM members. This administration would not know the meaning of "customer satisfaction" if it bit them in the posterior. All they care about is cramming as many seats as the FAA will allow into their planes with as little upkeep as possible, and providing the bare minimum required to get from Point A to Point B. If they can nickel-and-dime their best customers in the process, all the better. I'm surprised they have not eliminated the DM program altogether.



It has now actually become impossible to separate any airline from its' frequent flyer program, and then again from its' preferred/elite flyer program. When the policies of the carrier and the condition of the airplanes and the pitch of the seats and the possibilities of upgrades and then finally how the airline is treating its' most preferred and loyal customers who have flown for the longest periods of time go down hill, what are those customers to do? Sometimes, when those customers live in a hub city, or fly frequently to a hub or focus city or geographic area, that customer is locked in. However, there is a new wrinkle! The frequent flyer programs are sometimes, if not often, worth MORE than the airlines physical operations themselves, which is why an Icelandic investment fund offered to buy AAdvantage frequent flyer program outright from American Airlines in September (http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/09/30/amr_shares_could_rise_50_pct_barrons/). Why are the FF programs worth more than the airlines themselves? Because the banks pay the airlines for the miles, the car rental companies pay the airlines, the hotels pay them, the florists pay them, and every business who has a deal with with the airlines to generate miles for your account in exchange for selling you something other than airline tickets, pays that FF program for every mile that you get credited for! So, it makes you wonder, does that mean that US Airways is charging its' business partners more now than ever before for the miles that it sells those partners to be deposited into our DM accounts, and then requires more miles than ever before for us to redeem for awards travel and upgrades? That makes the miles COST MORE, WORTH LESS, and MORE PROFITABLE THAN EVER for US Airways!


I give the program C-.

Trying to get award ticket to Europe virtually impossible. If you call at 330 days to hold a spot for a ticket TO Europe, by the time you call back at 330 days for the RETURN ticket, the TO ticket they were holding for you has expired. Very, very frustrating.


I agree here with stefanaccio. There are so few award tickets to Europe now, especially in Envoy, and since the rez department will only hold your rez for three days, it becomes almost impossible to get the return seat without losing the outbound. The saving grace here is that it is possible to use US Airways miles on a partner carrier in business class or first class. My grade in this area is C-


There are many areas of service where US Airways has been treating it's elite/preferred and first class passengers extremely poorly, and must improve! In no particular order: 1) seat pitch is abysmal, in domestic First Class and domestic Coach Class, seat pitch has been reduced by 2"; 2) the size of the domestic first class and international business/envoy class seating areas needs to stop, it clearly shows lack of respect to preferred customers, as well as reducing the chances of non-preferred customers who assiduously save up miles with the intention of being able to use them on first class seating for either award tickets or upgrade tickets, but can't; 3) loyalty needs to mean something, not just for elite/preferred passengers, but also for club members, and rewarding new memberships with 2,500 tier miles, while increasing the fees for renewing memberships, but with no tier miles, is a smack in the face. (Additionally, US clubs and memberships do not stack up to CO or AA clubs or benefits in many ways to start with); 4) US Airways planes are dirty and the seats are falling apart, can't they clean them up! is that so much to ask for? Apparently it is too much to ask, because the flight attendents tell me that they are cleaning the planes now, since there are no more cleaning people between domestic flights; 5) Management needs to quit taking away preferred benefits and acting like they are not, such as transatlantic upgrade certificates for all preferred members, and even making the remaining certs that you give to CP's almost worthless; 6) charging ticketing fees to preferred members (or anyone for that matter) to book tickets with a person for complicated routings that are not ticketable online (such as an open jaw award ticket) is just plain TACKY! Charging fees to your best customers for buying your product is not the way to keep them, or any customer happy anyway. For new customers who find out about a ticketing fee, you might drive them away to a travel agent or some other kind of competitor of yours who would charge them the same fee, but who might find them a less expensive fare on another carrier! 7) Instead of offering the minimum compensation to aggrieved, mistreated, or maligned passengers, endeavor to offer the maximum compensation! Instead of being the "we don't do that here" airline, be the "what can we do for you" or "it will be our pleasure to do that for you" airline. Not only will that make your customers/passengers happier, but your ontime ratings will go up, and it will make your employee morale increase, and your satisfaction surveys, conducted by third parties, ranking all the airlines, will increase, and before you know it, US Airways will be right up there in the TOP 2 or 3, and growing, and more profitable than you could have ever imagined! 8) US Airways charges $100 for redepositing miles into an account if a mileage award is canceled! How ridiculous is that? Even if the miles are worth a generous 3 cents per mile, 25,000 miles are worth $75! Since the last time I checked with US Airways, they will sell me miles to purchase a ticket when I am just a few miles short of an award ticket, and the cost? 3 cents!

Internationally, the airline needs to clean up their filthy planes, make sure all of the Envoy seats and in-flight entertainment work all the time, stop reducing the sizes of Envoy/business class, make sure that there are always enough meals for everyone to have what they want to eat, and don't make a joke of your business class and international business (including economy class) in general by converting tired old domestic 757s that were never intended for transatlantic service and losing customers (especially business class customers) forever, or at least for years, by making them fly for 8-10 hours on sub standard airplanes! In general have a different attitude regarding customers, try being nice for once! How does this relate to the Dividend Miles program? I feel like I get ripped off when I spend my money on this airline. I am embarrassed when I take a trip to Europe and someone else is traveling with me on my recommendation, such as my partially handicapped mother, and the Envoy seat does not work. Again, it makes my miles worth less and less all the time!

Pluses? Unlimited free upgrades, companion upgrades (even if I have not gotten one in two years!), ability to use miles to buy tickets for other people, or on other airlines.

My overall grade for the airline: D
My overall grade for Dividend Miles: C

The most recent "adding-insult-to-injury" was the devaluing of our Dividend Miles by eliminating the elite level for using miles. Everybody, whether they have flown 100,000 miles or have just considered their first trip, "pays" 15,000 miles for an upgrade; up from the previous 10,000 miles.

Last in a long line of downright insulting behavior by the old America West management toward the travelers that have kept it in business.

(1) USAirways said - "our miles never expire" - they did not mean it - they do expire now;
(2) Transatlantic free upgrade coupons - worthless - not only you must buy at least $1,200 ticket it is impossible to get the upgrade anyway.
(3) They rather fly empty seats in 'envoy' rather than do a complimentary upgrade for elite members;
(4) They actually give the 'envoy' seats to non-elite pax for free rather than upgrade elite members for free;
(5) reduction of 1st and business class seats makes the accumulated miles worthless;
(6) the 50% increase in miles requirements devalues the miles already collected - just think what someone who collected 9,999 miles by flying for 5 years thinks about them changing the requirement from 10,000 to 15,000.

(5) reduction of 1st and business class seats makes the accumulated miles worthless;


My parents are flying AVP-PHL-LAX on two Wednesdays in mid-January. The seat maps show all 16 seats in F unassigned, and yet US would not release any mileage upgrade seats for them. They have all but eliminated mileage upgrade inventory.

My parents are flying AVP-PHL-LAX on two Wednesdays in mid-January. The seat maps show all 16 seats in F unassigned, and yet US would not release any mileage upgrade seats for them. They have all but eliminated mileage upgrade inventory.

It actually might depend on the fare class that they bought and paid for as well as how far in advance that they bought their tickets. How many miles would it take FOR EACH ticket for them to upgrade to first IF it were available? (IT MAY STILL BE!)

It actually might depend on the fare class that they bought and paid for as well as how far in advance that they bought their tickets. How many miles would it take FOR EACH ticket for them to upgrade to first IF it were available? (IT MAY STILL BE!)

A month ago: 10,000 miles each way
Now: 15,000 miles each way

I told them just to take their chances with Preferred upgrades. 30,000 miles apiece for a RT upgrade to US's F cabin is highway robbery!