US Airways Dividend Miles - Question about Buying upto Preferred

I'm going to be flying from GSO to SEA, every week for the next year. The flight come with 4711 miles. It will take me about 1.5 months to reach preferred silver status.

I'd like to have that status quicker so I can get complementary upgrade to business, etc..

I just wanted to be clear, if I pay the $ to "buy up" will I immediately have these benefits?

It would make sense just to wait for the month or so until I've received enough miles to upgrade, but I'm not sure I can stand coach for that long..

Thoughts?

...I just wanted to be clear, if I pay the $ to "buy up" will I immediately have these benefits? ...

Welcome to FlyerTalk, xdennis ^:)

As for the Buy Up to Preferred (http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/preferred/buy-up-to-preferred.html), your DM account should reflect your elite status within a day or two, if not immediately.

With the amount of flying you have, the Trial Preferred (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-airways-dividend-miles/1161246-trial-preferred-status-merged-master-thread.html) would appear better for you. You'd get immediate status like Buy Up. Just pay for Silver Trial and you can select a good exit row seat, maybe an upgrade now and then. You'd be Chairman's Preferred within 2 months with your planned travels!

Be aware that US doesn't do comp upgrades into C internationally though. CP gets 2 SWU's and 2 companion certs, but that's as far as that goes.

Welcome to FlyerTalk, xdennis ^:).. Just pay for Silver Trial and you can select a good exit row seat, maybe an upgrade now and then. You'd be Chairman's Preferred within 2 months with your planned travels!

Thanks for the warm welcome:D

I'm on hold now with customer service to ask about the trial. Id like to know when it will take effect, as well as a few other misc questions. I've been on hold for about 30minutes.. I'm not impressed with their CS so far :(

Within 90 days (by the end of the program) I'll have enough for chairman, which is cool.

Do you think CLT-SEA will be congested with elites making it harder to upgrade to first? Should I buy the gold trial to give me an extra day to upgrade?


Be aware that US doesn't do comp upgrades into C internationally though. CP gets 2 SWU's and 2 companion certs, but that's as far as that goes.

I'm a nube to all of this.. I'm not totally on board to what you're saying:( Could you clarify a little?



edit: I now have been on hold for about an hour.. I have not been on hold this long in years.. is this typical of US? I guess AMEX has gotten me spoiled with virtually no hold times - ever.. but c'mon, an hr to speak to someone in "Sales"? Strange..

Thanks for the warm welcome:D

I'm on hold now with customer service to ask about the trial. Id like to know when it will take effect, as well as a few other misc questions. I've been on hold for about 30minutes.. I'm not impressed with their CS so far :(

Do you think CLT-SEA will be congested with elites making it harder to upgrade to first? Should I buy the gold trial to give me an extra day to upgrade?

I'm a nube to all of this.. I'm not totally on board to what you're saying:( Could you clarify a little?

I've always disliked the staff that took calls for Trial Preferred sign-ups. I swear they were offshore when I last called (a long while back) because they had an accent and there was a delay in the line and I did wait a while. FYI - The last time I bought a Trial Preferred, the status reflected on my account within 5 minutes.

I've not done the CLT-SEA route myself but I can imagine that as a transcon flight it can only help to have a higher status. If you have the money, you're just increasing the odds of an upgrade the more you spend (unless you're booking impossible CP-heavy routes/days to start with).

In your original note, you said complementary upgrades to "business" which would imply "Envoy" which is US's International Business Class. I think the previous poster was simply clarifying that you aren't guaranteed any free upgrades to Envoy when traveling internationally but that as CP you will get 2+2 upgrade certs that you can use on international flights.

...I now have been on hold for about an hour.. I have not been on hold this long in years.. is this typical of US? ...

That strikes me as unusual (unless there are weather issues causing delays/cancellations elsewhere in the country I don't know about)

Call back, or maybe use the online application (https://www.usairwaystrialpreferred.com/usairways/authenticate.action)?

Much better when you get to Chairman's Preferred ... I start mumbling to myself when they don't pick up the Chairman's call within 3 rings :)

Dang,
You know I hung up after about hr 20mins and just went on and purchased the silver trial. (online) Maybe I'll try to contact customer service again and upgrade to a higher level to give me more days for an upgrade!

Sorry, when I said business class I meant first class. All of my flights for work will be domestic. GSO-CLT-SEA . . the GSO-CLT leg is pretty short, so I don't care about that, however CLT-SEA and SEA-CLT, I'd rather be in first.

Much better when you get to Chairman's Preferred ... I start mumbling to myself when they don't pick up the Chairman's call within 3 rings :)

Thanks for rubbing it in! :)

I was able to change my current seats to "preferred" seats. Is there more legroom in the preferred seats in the front of the cattle car, or just closer to the front to avoid the rush?

I'm hoping to be Chairman in about 6 weeks!

I was able to change my current seats to "preferred" seats. Is there more legroom in the preferred seats in the front of the cattle car, or just closer to the front to avoid the rush?

I'm hoping to be Chairman in about 6 weeks!

Just closer to the front.

Do exit rows generally have a little more leg room? It's a A320

Also, I've only flown 1st once. The seat was great, but being in A1 made it a little uncomofrtable because I couldnt stretch my legs out due to the wall being fairly close. I prefer to be a seat that has a seat in front of me, it seems like I can stretch out a little more. Is this typical for more first class, or could it have just been that plane I was on? I can't remember what type it was..

Do exit rows generally have a little more leg room? It's a A320

Also, I've only flown 1st once. The seat was great, but being in A1 made it a little uncomofrtable because I couldnt stretch my legs out due to the wall being fairly close. I prefer to be a seat that has a seat in front of me, it seems like I can stretch out a little more. Is this typical for more first class, or could it have just been that plane I was on? I can't remember what type it was..

Yes, the exit rows have more legroom. Many people complain about having less space in a bulkhead (wall in front of you) row. Get a first class seat in row 2 or 3 and you'll be fine.

Gotcha, thanks!

If you're going to do a status challenge (I think US calls it a trial), you should set it up from the beginning to be for the highest level that you can retain after the trail period. It's better for your upgrades and if you're going to do this--it might have a fee or might be once in a lifetime or have other restrictions--you should get as much value as possible from it. However, don't expect to get FC upgrades all the time, even with high status. I wouldn't do the "buy up" program if you can otherwise qualify for the status from your flying patterns.

Getting an upgrade to F on trans-cons is something of a crap shoot at all preferred levels, and some of it depends on time of the week. I'll let people who do CLT-SEA provide more details.

But don't underestimate how much it is going to help, even starting as Silver, to be able to snag an exit row on the A320s (11C, 11D) and the A321 (I like 10C and 9D; others are fans of row 22). Getting one of them lowers the discomfort in flight and the worry pre-flight and makes the FC upgrades, when they come, a bonus, not a necessity.

Welcome.

Getting an upgrade to F on trans-cons is something of a crap shoot at all preferred levels, and some of it depends on time of the week.

^I've heard of SP's getting upgraded from time to time, I hear more frequently of CP's missing them (though apparently this year upgrades on transcon routes save PHL/CLT-PHX are slightly easier).

Welcome to the USeful Airline and welcome to FT!

Getting an upgrade to F on trans-cons is something of a crap shoot at all preferred levels, and some of it depends on time of the week. I'll let people who do CLT-SEA provide more details.

But don't underestimate how much it is going to help, even starting as Silver, to be able to snag an exit row on the A320s (11C, 11D) and the A321 (I like 10C and 9D; others are fans of row 22). Getting one of them lowers the discomfort in flight and the worry pre-flight and makes the FC upgrades, when they come, a bonus, not a necessity.

Welcome.

You hit the nail on the head. I don't need to be first class.. I just want to be comfortable.

And if I can get a decent seat (Thank you for the suggestions, btw) I'll be happy. So premium boarding, + decent seat = comfortable and guaranteed overhead space. Nothing like being zone 3 and having no space. (I don't like to place bag under my seat due to leg room issues..)

I also purchased that KVS tool and see there is 1 more first class seat available for my flight monday. I'm SP status so I hope it's still there tomorrow.. if I was gold I'd have it :)

Maybe I'll have to call US and see if I can upgrade to Gold instead of silver, I'm sure they'll work with me if I call ASAP.

...I also purchased that KVS tool and see there is 1 more first class seat available for my flight monday. I'm SP status so I hope it's still there tomorrow.. if I was gold I'd have it :) ....

(emphasis mine)

While a Gold is eligible for an automatic upgrade at the 3-day window, an empty seat is not necessarily a seat available for upgrade. I've had situations where availability showed F9 (at least 9 seats available for sale) and I don't get upgraded at my window. More on this in the US automatic upgrade MASTER THREAD (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-airways-dividend-miles/1128712-us-automatic-upgrades-master-thread.html)

Bonus miles (non-Preferred qualifying miles) for Gold is 50% (while Silver is 25%); with your weekly transcons, you'd need to do the math to see if it's worth paying extra to start off at Gold Trial Preferred with the added bonus.

I've always disliked the staff that took calls for Trial Preferred sign-ups. I swear they were offshore when I last called (a long while back) because they had an accent and there was a delay in the line and I did wait a while. FYI - The last time I bought a Trial Preferred, the status reflected on my account within 5 minutes.



NOT MY EXPERIANCE!!! Did it on March 8th. Thought the agent was super professional! And yes, the status reflected Platinum in about 5 minutes. Only thing I didn't like was spend $640 for the trial )-:

BUT, having just made Chairman's a week ago Monday, what I can tell you is that it feels GREAT to once again be at the Top Of The Dog Pile (-;

NOT MY EXPERIANCE!!! Did it on March 8th. ...

Your experience was different from nethak's because all the outsourced offshore call center jobs returned to the U.S. by October last year.

BTW, congrats on making Chairman's Preferred again .... it's been too long :)