US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Schweet!!! West coast destinations loaded

Just did a couple flight checks. SMF, OAK, SNA, ONT, PDX and others now loaded up on www.usairways.com (http://www.usairways.com) as US Airways codeshare flights. Only problem is the double connect required from DCA. But, kewl nonetheless.

I put in DEN-PDX and got a message that USAirways doesn't serve that route, so obviously not everything is loaded yet. Hope they speed it up as I'm flying that route soon.

I cant imagine DEN-PDX is high (or at all) on the code share priority list. The idea behind it is to link current customers with cities served by the other airline ideally, with one of your own flights as part of the mix (eg PIT-SFO-NRT with PIT-SFO on US).

US doesnt have lots of customers in DEN that have been dying to go to PDX on US metal.

Regardless, DEN-PDX cant be that long of a flight. Just buy a UA ticket and get the US tier miles starting 1/1/03. You can probably get E+ by asking.

-- By the way - the ORD-PDX flight is #6015. So I guess we can confirm 6xxx flights will be domestic codeshares.

Another note - the codeshare/alliance rules approved by the government limit codeshares between hubs. I couldnt remember whether it was from/to hubs entirely, but must not be since there are PIT-SNA routings via ORD on codeshare.

Still no sign of international codeshares..

[This message has been edited by hscottm (edited 12-15-2002).]

Very interesting. Seems that they'll now book you on other airlines as well. I put in BWI-ELP and it came back with US to RDU and then options on DL or AA. Not very practical, but I don't ever recall seeing any other airline's flights on US's booking engine.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MarshB:
...I don't ever recall seeing any other airline's flights on US's booking engine.</font>

All the time. I've seen them for a couple of years now (as I recall).

Try to book a flight to a city they don't serve and the other airlines pop up.

Another way to identify the codeshare flight before you get the actual schedule with the flight number 6*** is to look for the very small letter u to the right of the UA* flight.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
I cant imagine DEN-PDX is high (or at all) on the code share priority list. The idea behind it is to link current customers with cities served by the other airline ideally, with one of your own flights as part of the mix (eg PIT-SFO-NRT with PIT-SFO on US).

US doesnt have lots of customers in DEN that have been dying to go to PDX on US metal.

Regardless, DEN-PDX cant be that long of a flight. Just buy a UA ticket and get the US tier miles starting 1/1/03. You can probably get E+ by asking.

-- By the way - the ORD-PDX flight is #6015. So I guess we can confirm 6xxx flights will be domestic codeshares.

Another note - the codeshare/alliance rules approved by the government limit codeshares between hubs. I couldnt remember whether it was from/to hubs entirely, but must not be since there are PIT-SNA routings via ORD on codeshare.

Still no sign of international codeshares..

[This message has been edited by hscottm (edited 12-15-2002).]</font>

DEN is a major hub for UA offering connections to points west, just like ORD. PDX aside, there are many routes out of DEN that I would think US would like to codeshare (LAX, SFO, SLC, etc.)

Regardless, what's the advantage to taking a codeshare? Is it assumed that Preferreds will only have an upgrade opportunity if the flight carries a US number?



[This message has been edited by harold (edited 12-16-2002).]

Here's the press release and the flights involved:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021216/dcm019_1.html

Press Release Source: US Airways; United Airlines

US Airways and United Code Share Expands Networks; Flight Schedules Now Available in Reservations Systems
Monday December 16, 11:00 am ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways and United Airlines begin the next phase of their marketing partnership with code-share flights available for travel beginning Jan. 7, 2003.

Flights on United with the "US*" ticket designator became available for booking in the computer reservation systems Sunday and flights on US Airways with the "UA*" ticket designator will appear beginning tomorrow. More code- share flights will be introduced in January and beyond.

Through code sharing -- the use of one airline's two-letter designator on flights operated by the other airline -- US Airways customers will be able to travel to nine cities in the western United States initially, including five cities currently not served by US Airways. United Airlines customers will have access to 12 additional cities in the East and Southeast.

US Airways will expand its schedules initially by code sharing with United Airlines to add 88 daily flights in the following new markets: Oakland, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; San Jose, Calif.; and Sacramento, all connecting via United's Chicago O'Hare hub. In addition, US Airways' customers will be able to fly using a code-share ticket with United to Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and Orange County, Calif., via Chicago, complementing US Airways' existing service to these cities through its hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

United will add 104 daily flights through this code-share introduction. United will provide its customers access to more destinations via US Airways flights to Columbus, Ohio; Hartford, Conn.; Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; Indianapolis; Miami; Providence, R.I.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; and San Juan and St. Thomas in the Caribbean, all through Charlotte. Service in these markets will complement United's existing flights from its hubs in Denver, Washington Dulles and Chicago O'Hare.

Other benefits of the US Airways/United Airlines code-share agreement, which already have begun, include the following:

* United Mileage Plus members can accrue miles on paid, qualifying
published fares on all US Airways, US Airways Express(R) and US Airways
Shuttle(R) flights worldwide. US Airways Dividend Miles members can
accrue miles on paid, qualifying published United and United Express(R)
flights worldwide. Customers in each loyalty program earn 100 percent
of the miles flown, with a minimum of 500 miles per flight earned.
Miles for each trip can only be credited into one frequent flier
program.

* US Airways and United introduced interline electronic ticketing,
allowing customers the use of a single electronic ticket when their
itineraries include travel on both carriers, providing a simpler and
more convenient travel experience. Interline electronic tickets can be
issued by both US Airways and United through their respective
reservations centers, airports and ticket offices, and through travel
agencies operating the Sabre, Apollo or Galileo reservations systems.
Passengers who need reaccomodation can present a picture ID at each
other's ticket counter and be rebooked.


Customers should check their travel documents to determine the operating carrier and terminal for their flight when traveling on itineraries utilizing both US Airways and United. They will be provided boarding passes upon check- in for each part of their journey when checking in with either airline. For questions on policies and procedures, customers should check with the originating carrier.

US Airways, the US Airways Express carriers and US Airways Shuttle offer service to 203 destinations worldwide. United operates more than 1,700 daily flights on a route network that spans the globe.

For more information on US Airways' flight schedules and fares, contact US Airways online at usairways.com, or contact US Airways reservations at 1-800-428-4322. Information on United's flight schedules and fares is available online at united.com, or by calling United's Reservations at 1-800-UNITED1.


Source: US Airways; United Airlines

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by harold:
DEN is a major hub for UA offering connections to points west, just like ORD. PDX aside, there are many routes out of DEN that I would think US would like to codeshare (LAX, SFO, SLC, etc.)

Regardless, what's the advantage to taking a codeshare? Is it assumed that Preferreds will only have an upgrade opportunity if the flight carries a US number?

[This message has been edited by harold (edited 12-16-2002).]</font>

harald - fair enough, but my point is that they wont code-share 'DEN-PDX' as a route. Maybe PIT-DEN-PDX in the future, but not a simple route like DEN-PDX.

In terms of advantage, youre right, at this point who cares since miles accrue anyway. However price might be lower with the codeshare than it would have been 2 months ago with multple carriers (anyone check prices on routes they have flown for a while and now exist via codeshare?).