US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Some progress reported in US AIr negotiations w/ FA's union

Some progress has been made in ongoing contract talks yet the big 3 areas of dispute remain-

compensation, work rules and pensions.

The shuttle diplomacy between each side finally gave way yesterday to face-to-face meetings between Rakesh Gangwal, chief executive of US Airways Group, and Lynn Lenosky, president of US Air's branch of the Association of Flight Attendants union.

Yet the carrier continues its preparations to shut down if there is no agreement by late tonight to avert the threatened CHAOS at midnight when FA's will be permitted to strike.

You'll recall that US Air said if it shuts down, it will activate plans for other major airlines and Amtrak to honor its PAPER tickets, but NOT electronic tickets! So convert immediately if you have not already!

And keep your fingers crossed!
http://public.wsj.com/news/personalEmail/SB953859656971157950-SB953859656971157950.html (http://public.wsj.com/news/personalEmail/SB953859656971157950-SB953859656971157950.html)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-airlines-usa.html

Addendum:

I'm hoping for a last minute settlement but even more so, hoping for a huge new DOUBLE miles promo to get the pax faith back- and to be promptly matched by ALL the carriers!

AGAIN JUST HOPING! THIS HAS NOT YET OCCURED!

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 03-24-2000).]

United has said it will honor USAirways e-tickets:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000324/il_united__1.html


-- United will have the ability to accept US Airways E-tickets.


I think I'll just stay home. <g>

I was reading US Airways website yesterday, and these things are always deceptive as to who is trying to screw who, but I thought this was interesting:

US Airways has offered the AFA guaranteed parity plus one percent with the nation's four biggest airlines . This is the same concept that every other labor group at US Airways has understood very clearly and has embraced. The AFA has not accepted the offer. However, there are many ways to achieve a cost-competitive agreement. As an alternative, US Airways has even offered to accept "as is" the contract of any one of the Big Four of the union's choice. Again, the AFA has not accepted.

(Note: Parity plus one is what the other major unions at US Airways have already agreed to).

I think "Big Four" is AA, DL, UA, and CO in this case ... but its interesting the airline said they could have anyone of those contracts ...

If this thing settles it will be right at midnight or shortly thereafter. Both sides are playing chicken, and in any case, the union folks have to go down to the wire to avoid being accused of a sellout by their more militant constituents. The whole situation, in addition to being dumb, really underscores the inherent flaw in these E- tickets all these carriers push on us (because they save so much money with them). I have travel booking software used by professional agents, and it contains a message saying that while the other carriers are accepting most US tix in case of a strike, any passenger with E-tickets is to be sent back to USAirways for handling. Hope everybody is having fun standing in line at the airports.

I always get e-tix when I can (the risk of me losing a ticket is normally more a danger than anything the airlines would foul me up on), but this is a case where, as soon as I heard, I'd have had my ticket converted to paper.

BTW, United is taking e-tickets from US. That is definitely a good thing.

(And "Big 4" as they define it includes NW, not CO.)

Beckles: A couple of things US Air isn't telling you - - -

The basket constituting the weighted average for the FA's is 52% Delta. Delta's FA's are not Unionized, so to that extent US is asking its FA's to accept something that was not even negotiated with the employees at the other airline.

The other unions at US Air got to participate in the definition of their "industry + 1%" package. The makeup of the package for the FA's was to be entirely dictated by management... until yesterday, AFAIK.

US Airways and its FA's union reached a tentative agreement yesterday morning, more than 3 hours past a strike deadline, preventing the shutdown of the nation's 6th-largest airline that would've "inconveienced" tens of thousands of pax.

Some details:

The contract extends for five years.

Employees receive a 5 percent bonus on ratification.

Employees receive a 5 percent raise when the contract is signed.

Eighteen months into the contract, employees receive a 2 percent raise.

Twelve months after that, employees receive another 2 percent raise.

Other details and story:
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/usair-deal.html

Well, here it is and it's better than I thought- The DOUBLE miles ARE ELITE QUALIFYING:

Double Miles Systemwide

Through 5/15/00
Earn double miles systemwide when you purchase a paid, qualifying ticket and fly through May 15, 2000. As an added incentive, bonus miles earned count towards Preferred status.

Registration for this offer is not required. This offer is valid on all US Airways, US Airways Express carriers, US Airways Shuttle and MetroJet flights. Qualifying tickets include all booking classes. All Dividend Miles rules apply.