US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - 800,000 US miles: will United honor?

Geez!
I have more than 800,000 miles on US Airways. Will United honor those after the merger? Or do I flat-out lose years and years of flying?

2d question: can any United 1k member out there spell out some of the rules on upgrades (please don't send me to United's web site--been there, it's more gibberish than anything)? As a US Airways Chairman's Preferrred member, I get automatically upgraded (certain fare restrictions) a week ahead of time on almost any flight. The way I read United's program, 1K flyers have to use paper upgrades (what's an SWU, anyway?)--and can only do so with a limited number of upgrade coupons. If that's so, it's a definite step down to United for all of us US Airways Chairman's Preferred folk.

All info appreciated. I need to know more!

Omnia

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Omnia

No anouncement has yet been made re: transferability of miles from US' program into Mileage Plus, but it is almost inconceivable that UA would not combine the programs and give full credit for US miles.

Regarding your upgrade questions, let me just say that as a UA 1K for the past three years, there has yet to be one flight, international or domestic, on which I have not been upgraded. Not one. But the secret is you have to put in for it at least 72 hours in advance or Premier Execs (50,000 mile fliers) can move ahead of you.

But even on last minute bookings, you will be upgraded most of the time.

SWU are Systemwide upgrades that are only issued to 1Ks. You get 6 of them a year (although I managed to get 14 out of them last year). They are good for a one-class of service upgrade in one direction (not just one flight segment or flight number) across the entire UA system and are good on almost any fare. For example, you could use one cert to upgrade Sydney-Los Angeles-New York-London, as long as there was not a stopover of more than 24 hours enroute.

UA's upgrades are going electronic (except for the Systemwides).

For the absolute best information, go to: http://members.aol.com/millionmileflyer/main.html All your questions should be answered there.

Welcome, OMNIA! I don't have any more info to provide that Always Flyin hasn't already mentioned, but I second his comment about the link he gave you. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Originally posted by OMNIA:
Geez!
I have more than 800,000 miles on US Airways. Will United honor those after the merger? Or do I flat-out lose years and years of flying?

2d question: can any United 1k member out there spell out some of the rules on upgrades (please don't send me to United's web site--been there, it's more gibberish than anything)? As a US Airways Chairman's Preferrred member, I get automatically upgraded (certain fare restrictions) a week ahead of time on almost any flight. The way I read United's program, 1K flyers have to use paper upgrades (what's an SWU, anyway?)--and can only do so with a limited number of upgrade coupons. If that's so, it's a definite step down to United for all of us US Airways Chairman's Preferred folk.

All info appreciated. I need to know more!

Omnia



Hi OMNIA

First let me welcome you to the Flyertalk.

Second, let me say that I think you have NOTHING to worry about. I am a Chairman's Preferred member with US and have been for a number of years now. I am also a Premium Exec with UA which is very similar to US's Gold Preferred. I, like you, am almost always upgraded to First Class on any US flight I take, except commuters for obvious reasons, regardless of fare.

I would find it extremely hard to believe that UA would not give you one for one credit in UA miles for all those you have accumulated on US. Further, I'm sure you will become a 1K in UA's MP program. If you are like me and fly 98% on business we are the bread and butter of any airlines revenue stream and they know it. They won't do anything to ruin the handsome profits they gain from our business. I of course can't guarantee this as I don't work for UA or US but I'd be completely shocked if this we did not have a smooth combination of our mileage accounts of US and UA. How they go about doing this I have no idea but I'm sure it will be done. If they piss off their top 2% of flyers they stand a big chance of loosing 80% of their revenue. Ain't going to happen in my book.

Re: UA upgrades. I am Prem Exec and I don't get that many upgrades. But I've heard that 1K's have a completely different experience, just as "AlwaysFlyin" has written previously. I hope it holds true when we become 1K's after the merger.

Good luck and don't worry. It will be fine.

James

Hello from another USAirways ChmnPref!
We almost exclusively work in the U.S. (2% in Canada), so I am not worried about the SWU upgrades. What I am wondering about are the routine Segment/Domestic upgrades and echo the original poster's sentiments that I can't fully comprehend the website's info either.

Two simple questions beg answers, and hopefully one of the United 1ks out there can help:
(1) As a United 1K, what is the 'earning' rate for upgrades? That is, how many miles does it take for X number of upgs or pts? As an example, when I was only USairways Gold, we got 4 coupons per 10,000, with an additional 4 bonus on every 20,000 point tier. As after 60,000, we had 36 coupons. (Of course CPs have unlimited upgrades, but we all know THAT'S going away. :-(

(2) As a United 1K, what is the 'burning' rate for Domestic upgrades? Is it based on total mileage, or mileage within segments??? Again, as an example, when I was only Gold, you had to burn one coupon for EVERY segment of less than 500 miles, 2 if a segment was between 501-1000, etc... So for my weekly runs between MYR & PIT, despite a total mileage of less than 600 miles, I burned two coupons each side, or 4 for a R/T. (I just HATED having to burn a coupon for that 35-minute CLT-MYR flight...)

Just wanting to see what the 'earned vs burned' ratio is on typical trips I've made or might make. Hoping some 1k can do the same kind of math I did above to enlighten me as to just how dramatically (or maybe not so dramatically?) the scene is changing.

Thanks, all, am enjoying this forum. :-)

I refer you to this topic on the United board for more information:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/002062.html

There was an FAQ on the USAirways web site a while back that clearly said members' UA and US accounts will be completely merged into one. You won't lose 1 point.

Regarding earning power:

Premier(i.e. DM Silver)
Receive 4 500-mile upgrade certs for every 10,000 miles flown. They may upgrade full fares 72 hours in advance, and discounted fares 24 hours in advance. Receive 25% mileage bonus for flights on UA and LH.

Premier exec(i.e. DM Gold)
Receive 4 500-mile upgrade certs for every 10,000 miles flown. They may upgrade full and discounted fares 72 hours in advance. Receive 100% mileage bonus for flights on UA and LH.

Premier exec 1K(i.e. DM Chairman's Preferred)
Receive 4 500-mile upgrade certs for every 10,000 miles flown. They may request upgrade when ticket is purchased, although this is automatic if seating is available. Can exchanged unused upgrade certs for 250 miles. Receive 100% mileage bonus for flights on UA and LH. No blackout dates on award reservations.


Here's my analysis:
Gold and Silver members suffer with respect to upgrading full fare tix. UA will only let Prem. and Prem. Exec. do those 72 hours in advance, whereas US lets you do it anytime. Discount tix upgrade policies seem the same. They also suffer because there is no immunity to blackout award reservations.

Silver suffers, too, because they are downgraded to 25% mileage bonuses instead of 50%.

500 point certs. mean it will take 5 to cross the country instead of 3. Hopefully that'll change - but I won't hold my breath.

Silvers suffer because they only get 25% mileage bonus instead of 50%.

CP's - automatic upgrade is nice. You won't really need certs. The award blackouts are cool. Looks like you won't get as many SWUs, either (none of us will).

I'm sure I've missed some of the smaller points, but it's clear we're all being downgraded in many ways.

Thanks very very much, PHL (& others) for your responses.

PHL, there's one part of the description about the 1K tier I'm STILL confused on, and I quote : "They may request upgrade when ticket is purchased, although this is automatic if seating is available."

Does this mean that if a 1stCl seat is available when you book the ticket, they automatically upgrade you? If so, is this the bit people in the other thread were talking about where sometimes United doesn't bother to collect "Certs" from the 1K members?

Or does it mean the REQUEST for upgrade is automatically put in if seating is available, and you're expected to burn Certs when you begin your flight.

THANKS AGAIN for all your replies and putting up with me ('Mr. Finicky USAirways CP')

I'm confused too - I thought 1K members got unlimited upgrades. But their description is somewhat ambiguous. I'm sure there's a better answer on United's board.

Welcome OMNIA. Just curious: What upgrade privileges do you get as a toplevel (Chairman Preferred) member on US international/transatlantic flights? Unlimited also, or ....?

I wouldn't say upgrading is "the same" ... it's close. For one, you can request an upgrade in advance, before the window, but it won't try to clear until the window on UA (I think, right?). For another, US uses the midnight rule (3 days vs. 72 hours exactly), so for those of us (like me) that don't mind staying up until midnight, we have a better chance of upgrading since there are invariably folks who don't stay up until midnight or have their T/A's or assistants do it, who are probably not staying up until midnight to do it either.

Originally posted by PHL:

Regarding earning power:

Premier exec(i.e. DM Gold)
Receive 4 500-mile upgrade certs for every 10,000 miles flown. They may upgrade full and discounted fares 72 hours in advance. Receive 100% mileage bonus for flights on UA and LH.

Premier exec 1K(i.e. DM Chairman's Preferred)
Receive 4 500-mile upgrade certs for every 10,000 miles flown. They may request upgrade when ticket is purchased, although this is automatic if seating is available. Can exchanged unused upgrade certs for 250 miles. Receive 100% mileage bonus for flights on UA and LH. No blackout dates on award reservations.


Originally posted by Surfrider:

Does this mean that if a 1stCl seat is available when you book the ticket, they automatically upgrade you?



There is an error here. Premier Executive 1Ks, equivalent to Chairman's Preferred, may be cleared for upgrades precisely 100 hours before flight time. Any Premier member (regular, Exec, or 1K) may request an upgrade at the time of booking. A computerized system clears requested upgrades on a schedule of:

100 hours beforehand: 1K
72 hours beforehand: PremEx
24 hours beforehand: Premier

I estimate that as a 1K I get upgraded about 75% of the time when I try this way. It is much easier to upgrade a flight under 2,000 miles with 500-mile certs than it is trying to upgrade a transcon -- particularly IAD-SFO, which I have never been able to upgrade, even as a 1K.

There is a bigger gun for upgrading a domestic one-way. It is called an HK49, a name derived from the fact that it was not valid to/from Hawaii (but this year it is). Only 1Ks are sent 2 HK49s each quarter in which they fly 10,000 actual miles on UA metal. If you qualify in Q4, you get 2 extra, for a total of 10 for the year.

Finally, there is the SWU (systemwide upgrade). Again, this is limited to 1Ks and is a relatively new program -- this is year 2. An SWU allows a passenger, namely a 1K or his designee, to upgrade international segments of a journey. Each SWU is valid one-way and may be used for an indefinite number of segments, provided the journey is not broken by more than 24 hours at any point.

Note that web special fares and E-fares (weekly specials for weekend travel) are never upgradable by any means by anybody, even 1Ks.

In sum, it is not really that easy to upgrade on United. As a 1K, I upgrade a little more than half the time, mostly because I can't be bothered playing the games necessary to secure a seat in First.

For 2001, there are a few changes. SWUs will continue to be paper, but 500-mile upgrade certs and HK49s are now electronic. HK49s can be used to Hawaii. Earning remains the same -- the 10,000 miles for 500-milers and the 10,000 per quarter for HK49s must be only on UA flights -- no codeshares or Star Alliance flights qualify toward these.

Hope this clears up a little.