US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Geography, US Airways Style

So I call the Dividend Miles line, to book 2 award tix to Cancun for October.

I select the Domestic option. I am told the International Line needs to handle the transaction, and transfered. Afrer giving the CSR the airport & date info, he informs me that it will be 60K miles per person (of course, in F).

I point out that on the website, the Award Travel chart lists "Travel within North America" as 40K per ticket. He replies that according to what he shows, Mexico is on the list as being in the Carribean (and 60K per ticket), but I can try to book it online for 40K, if I like. Nowhere on the awards page does it list Mexico as being in the Carribean.

Maybe I have read too many threads about snotty reps, maybe I just took it wrong. I told him I would try online.

Is it me or didn't Mexico used to be in North America (NAFTA = North American Fair Trade Agreement)? Should I feel that I was just screwed out of 40K miles?

And to make matters worse, the idiot web site guy didn't bother to remove the part about:

One Business Class ticket on three-class aircraft
50,000 -
Valid August 15 - November 15, 2003
US Airways operated flights only; Excludes travel to/from Hawaii

Well, I get all excited that I can get the tix for 50K each, as I am traveling in October, which IS between August & November, and I couldn't figure why the 50K wasn't an option on the website. Took me a while to notice the 2003 part. since here it is January 2004.

US's Mexico destinations have always been classified in with the Carribean when it comes to award tickets. So the 60k for FC awards is correct.

NAFTA has nothing to do with the Div Miles Program.

However, if you are flying to Mexico/Carribean on a paid US flight and you want to upgrade - you can do so just like a domestic flight. That is to say Silver, Golds, and CP's have their usual 1, 3, and 7 day upgrade windows and would use the same upgrades they would use just as if they were flying CLT-SFO for example.

Ira-

Your post brought to mind the episode of Friends when Joey said, "Bermuda, Barbados, what's the difference? I'll just rent a car and drive from one to the other."

I always wondered why Bermuda was considered in the Caribbean. But then again, these folks think that the northern boundary of Florida is I-4. Of course, we all know that I-4 is the southern boundary of the true Florida.

Maybe they should name the destinations that you need 60K for an FC Award, "The Places You Can't Drive To (and Cancun) Division".

Geo- There is a difference if miles are used to upgrade. A US30 is needed instead of a US20. With the 75's going to F8 that is an important consideration to STT.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AtlanticBeach:
Geo- There is a difference if miles are used to upgrade. A US30 is needed instead of a US20.</font>

Good point. IMHO, unless you are coming from the west coast, the 30k to upgrade a r/t to/from the Carribean is a rip-off. I might consider it for the far off islands (the five hours PHL-BGI comes to mind) but certainly not east-coast USA to some place in the Bahamas (especially if you are Preferred and can secure exit row in advance).


And speaking of poor geographical knowledge, how about this guy who thought he'd be able to get to Australia from LGA on a regional jet!!!

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040110/security_plane_divert_4.html


[This message has been edited by geo1005 (edited Jan 11, 2004).]

And speaking of poor geographical knowledge, how about this guy who thought he'd be able to get to Australia from LGA on a regional jet!!!

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040110/security_plane_divert_4.html


An Embracer with a crew of five????


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--Wishing for you safe travels and for me Row 1 on the A330.

US's award levels are no different than any other carriers. I fail to see the logic of the higher award levels for Caribbean travel in many cases (why should a BOS-SJU flight require substantially more miles than BOS-MIA, for example). For that matter, why does it cost me $800 to fly to STT, but $200 to go to MIA? But it is what it is, and always has been this way.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BeantownFlyer:
For that matter, why does it cost me $800 to fly to STT, but $200 to go to MIA? </font>

Because people will pay it - Adam Smith, invisible hand, etc.

Where would you rather be? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif