US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Finally, Priority lanes for elite members

Just got an email from Mike Isom, Marketing Director of US Airways, saying that US will offer priority lanes for elite members and first/envoy class passengers in PHL, CLT, PIT, BOS, and LGA.

For a long time US had no elite lines, then they opened one in PHL-C. I'm glad to see the program expanding.

Here's the text:

Dear XXXXXX,

As a frequent customer of US Airways, we want to advise you that we are introducing Priority Lanes at selected security checkpoints at your local airport and at several other airports in our system. Priority Lanes are provided to help expedite the time it takes our top customers, like you, to get to security.

Priority Lanes were recently introduced by US Airways in Philadelphia for the B and C concourses. Signs are located at the ticket counter and near the moving sidewalks directing Preferred customers to the Security Priority Lanes manned by US Airways Passenger Service Representatives.

Tomorrow, April 19, 2002, US Airways and US Airways Express will introduce Priority Lanes in Charlotte Douglas International Airport at the security checkpoint closest to concourses C, D and E. All Preferred or First Class and Envoy Class customers flying on US Airways or US Airways Express can also use Priority Lanes at security points in Boston Logan, New York La Guardia and Pittsburgh International airports. You should already have minimal wait times at security for US Airways Shuttle departures in Boston and New York.

Priority Lanes are available to Chairman's Preferred, Gold Preferred and Silver Preferred members as well as other First Class and Envoy Class customers. Access to the designated lanes will be gained by presenting a current Preferred card or First Class/Envoy Class boarding pass accompanied by a valid ID.

US Airways is continuing initiatives to enhance the airport experience, including introducing E-Ticket Check-In Kiosks in many more airports this year.

We hope you are pleased with these enhancements and we will keep you informed as more products and services are introduced in the future.

Sincerely,

Mike Isom
Director of Marketing

And tomorrow, I'll find out if you can run the priority line at PIT with a US Silver card and an AA flight http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.



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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

I don't think PIT has a priority line. At least they didn't the other day.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ClueByFour:
And tomorrow, I'll find out if you can run the priority line at PIT with a US Silver card and an AA flight http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.</font>


Well ClueByFour, you should be able to...based on the wording of the e-mail:

"Access to the designated lanes will be gained by presenting a current Preferred card or First Class/Envoy Class boarding pass accompanied by a valid ID."

Looks like one or rhe other will do. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

What about DCA???

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by safetymom:
I don't think PIT has a priority line. At least they didn't the other day.</font>

They have had a line set aside for "crew" for some time. A friend of mine (albeit running the risk of getting arrested) simply gets into that line every time thru, after having his IDs checked. The huntleigh folks complain, but now that the _checkpoint_ is under federal control, you are free and clear once you clear the folks checking IDs (or so the theory goes).

Disclaimer: I have heard this second hand and not actually witnessed it. That said, the individual in question is just screwball enough to try it.

I'll report back after this weekend, or perhaps from the US club later today (if time permits).

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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

I flew out of PIT Wednesday night. They seemed to be very strict with the crew lane. However, I have to say that I have never had a wait of more than five minutes at PIT. It's probably due to those low wait times that US is not in a hurry to add another line at PIT.

Flew out of Boston this morning - the priority lane at the main security line was not open at 6 am when I went through. I doubt it was an ITS staffing issue, as all three metal detector lanes were open.

There was no priority lane at 6:30 AM on Saturday morning here in CLT, and there were fair size lines for CLT at the C/D/E checkpoint.

Ms. rtpflyer and I used the BOS Priority lane at approximately 5:00 PM Sunday. At first it didn't appear staffed, so I started to walk back to the regular lane, but then someone showed up to let us (and a couple of others) through.

Flew out of PHL Saturday AM. PHl-C elite line was closed (no staff yet was the reason claimed) but the regular line moved quickly enough that it wasn't worth heading to the D or express gates.

[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 04-22-2002).]

US Elite Security Line was up and running in PIT this weekend.

Beckles,

I used the priority line in Charlotte at 6:45 and got through in 15 minutes. My fiance, who was not travelling with me nor does she have status, was able to use the priority line as my companion.

It worked great. I can't believe it took them seven months to implement. Let's get it together a little quicker next time guys.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CharlotteConsultant:
I used the priority line in Charlotte at 6:45 and got through in 15 minutes... It worked great. I can't believe it took them seven months to implement.</font>
15 minutes??? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/eek.gif

My Lord, at the 1K line in SEA (which has been open since OCT) my longest wait has been 15 seconds and that was only b/c I couldn't locate my passport.

Chexfan,

Charlotte is a b**** on Monday mornings. The security lines are limited and most people do have status. Most Mondays it usually takes me 30 minutes to clear security. That is only the security line, as I pass through with an itinerary and carry on my bags. On the Monday after Easter I was in the security line for an hour and missed my flight. Last Monday it appeared as if some consultants were monitoring the flow, so hopefully something will change for the better.

As for Philadelphia, my experience with the priority line has been nothing but great on Thursday afternoon.

Saw the priority line in BOS Terminal B this morning but it was closed, probably because the regular line was too short in the early morning.

One interesting observation in BOS Terminal B is that Delta Shuttle moved to this terminal two weeks ago. US used to occupy the entire Terminal B but it now has to share it with Delta Shuttle and Alaska.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ClueByFour:
And tomorrow, I'll find out if you can run the priority line at PIT with a US Silver card and an AA flight http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.

</font>

did it work?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by chennaibug:
did it work?</font>

Yes. After the line was up and running, a US Elite-DM card and any airline's ticket will get one thru. Now, the elite line is posted for both US Elites and AA/Oneworld elites, as well. Fortunately, I have both http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.



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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

Question on this topic, ClueByFour says that you can get through with an elite card and anyone's airline ticket. I have not had this experience. Am CP on US and no status on AA. Flew AA a couple of weeks ago and tried to get through PHL terminal B's preferred line. The attendant checked my ticket and would not let me through because I was CP and was not flying on US. In order to get through I would have to go all the way to terminal A to get through. This makes no sense to me that I had to do this, however, I'm not the only one who has had this experience.

They should state on the signs that if you are preferred, you have to be flying on US to get through the security line.

Either this is the case or I just had a "not so nice" person at the security line.

Couple of notes:

At Pittsburgh (which is where I most often use an elite line from one airline or another) they have a single line which has both US and AA/OW signs leading up to it. Before they put up the AA/OW sign, I was successful in getting thru with an AA ticket and a US elite card (very early on in the line's existance, I got into a slight tizzy with the agent and subsequently the GSC). Since, I've done "any ticket, any elite card" without any problems on several occasions. Note that this is at PIT, mind you (where most of the folks are generally friendlier than PHL as a rule).

If you are taking guff from the people checking tickets/ID/elite card, I'd print off a copy of the email that US originally sent out, and highlight the portion that reads:

"Priority Lanes are available to Chairman's Preferred, Gold Preferred and Silver
Preferred members as well as other First Class and Envoy Class customers. Access
to the designated lanes will be gained by presenting a current Preferred card or
First Class/Envoy Class boarding pass accompanied by a valid ID."

As I mentioned, I ran the (at the time) US only line in PIT on an AA ticket early on in the process, and had said email (appropriately highlighted) in my posession. I escalated the matter to the GSC, who let me thru and promptly saw to it that every orafice of my person and my baggage was gone thru. I did this out of principle--there is rarely a line long enough at PIT to make me worry. At someplace like PHL, however, I'd be willing to run the risk of getting secondaried rather than walking all the way over to another terminal. YMMV, of course.

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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RSMC:
Flew AA a couple of weeks ago and tried to get through PHL terminal B's preferred line. The attendant checked my ticket and would not let me through because I was CP and was not flying on US.</font>

Since I have not had the chance to use a preferred line, I assume the BP checker is an US employee. I thought it was the airlines who get you to security and then the TSA employees and contractors check or is it the TSA out front of the security area at the preferred lines?

The reason I ask is that right after Sept. 11 I was refused entry into the north end of RDU terminal A by a WN employee which I thought was weird because it is all one terminal. I recently inquired when the south end line was long and found out that US pax can use the north entrance which is convienent since it is closer to the US gates and a lot shorter at times. I think the change is because the TSA runs the screening now instead of WN. Also, DEN is supposed to have a preferred line for all carriers. Therefore, if the person checking is an airline employee then the carrier maybe setting the rules on who uses the line and maybe BOS allows by agreement both AA and US elites to use it while PHL only allows US elites on US metal.

Actually, I asked the person at security in PIT prior to this flight out of PHL and he said it shouldn't be a problem. I equate it to this...just because you are flying on a different airline on the day of travel, they should not deny you access to a US club because you are not flying on US that day. Because you are a member (or in my case a CP), you should have the priveldges of membership.

Maybe it is that the people are at PIT are just nicer...