US Airways Dividend Miles - Making the Switch from Delta

Starting in August, I'll make the switch from DL to US. While this was a difficult decision for me at first... The fact that I will begin traveling weekly to CLT made the decision to switch much more logical. So, here come the questions.

I've only flown US once in the past (PHL to LAX last June). This was due to a DL flight cancellation and they rebooked me on this route. While the in-flight experience was fairly average, I've read a lot of nastygrams on Facebook. Have customer service skills gone downhill since then or are things ok?

I'm STL-based. What is the customer service like here? And does anyone know when US is scheduled to move to the C Concourse?

Delta's @DeltaAssist Twitter handle has been a lifesaver many times for me. Is US's Twitter as useful?

I know US does paid status challenges. Would they match my DL Platinum status for free or is paying my only option?

Would it be wise to purchase a club membership? The DL club folks have assisted me many times during delays and cancellations. Plus, the complimentary food and drinks make delays bearable. What's the US club experience like?

I guess I just want to know what to expect, so anything would be super helpful. Thanks in advance for the info.

Yes, definitely get a US Airways Club membership. The CLT club agents are just fantastic and as nice as could be. You'll save money if you buy Club access once you're Preferred, rather than now.

I find US customer service generally fine. I am Gold and find the Gold phone agents to be much more helpful than your regular gate agent, though.

US uses Twitter?

Starting in August, I'll make the switch from DL to US. While this was a difficult decision for me at first... The fact that I will begin traveling weekly to CLT made the decision to switch much more logical. So, here come the questions.

I've only flown US once in the past (PHL to LAX last June). This was due to a DL flight cancellation and they rebooked me on this route. While the in-flight experience was fairly average, I've read a lot of nastygrams on Facebook. Have customer service skills gone downhill since then or are things ok?

I'm STL-based. What is the customer service like here? And does anyone know when US is scheduled to move to the C Concourse?

Delta's @DeltaAssist Twitter handle has been a lifesaver many times for me. Is US's Twitter as useful?

I know US does paid status challenges. Would they match my DL Platinum status for free or is paying my only option?

Would it be wise to purchase a club membership? The DL club folks have assisted me many times during delays and cancellations. Plus, the complimentary food and drinks make delays bearable. What's the US club experience like?

I guess I just want to know what to expect, so anything would be super helpful. Thanks in advance for the info.

Indeed, you should consider paying for a status challenge so that you start getting the preferred perks right away, as it is very unlikely that US will give it to you for free based on your DL Plat membership.

I'm also based in STL and fly US primarily to SNA (via PHX) and ATL (via CLT). Coming from Delta, you'll still be stuck in the crappy A terminal for the time being. *sigh*

As you probably know, we have no clubs in STL A terminal. The big club in CLT is decent but not fantastic. They have a quiet room, the quiet nature of which is occasionally respected by the people using it. Free Budweiser and soft drinks, limited food selection for purchase at the bar and usually trail mix, some apples or chips available for free. There is a changing room but no shower. Given that Charlotte has insufficient seating in the gate areas, the club membership is quite nice to have just to have a comfy place to sit.

To be honest I have not had an issue here in STL that required customer service intervention. I've done about 50 trips (in or out) at STL in the last year, most on US, some on UA and some on AC, and in general everything has been smooth, if not fast. If you check a bag it takes forever to reach the carousel. Your upgrade prospects, depending on flight times, should be good. In the past year I have NOT been upgraded on US only once travelling to or from STL, and that was during the World Series.

How soon are you looking to make this move?

Yes, definitely get a US Airways Club membership. The CLT club agents are just fantastic and as nice as could be. You'll save money if you buy Club access once you're Preferred, rather than now.

If I pay for the trial period, will I receive the discounted rate then or will I have to wait until I become a full-fledged Preferred?

US uses Twitter?

Haha! They do, but it doesn't look like any of their tweets are useful (after further review). @DetlaAssist is amazing, US should take note.

Indeed, you should consider paying for a status challenge so that you start getting the preferred perks right away, as it is very unlikely that US will give it to you for free based on your DL Plat membership.

I agree with you, but I shot them an email anyway to see if they could possibly do it for free. You never know! (but it's unlikely)

Free Budweiser and soft drinks, limited food selection for purchase at the bar and usually trail mix, some apples or chips available for free.

Only free Bud, not free booze a la Delta? I'm ok with free Bud - I am from St. Louis afterall. I was practically raised on that stuff, plus family works for Anheuser-Busch.

Your upgrade prospects, depending on flight times, should be good. In the past year I have NOT been upgraded on US only once travelling to or from STL, and that was during the World Series.

How is US's First Class product? Free drinks, food, hot meal?

How soon are you looking to make this move?

First flight out is the first week of August. Call me crazy, but I'm a bit nervous about flying a new airline. As we all know, we get a groove in the airport and this is going to throw me off completely. :p

Here's another question...
Through Delta, I became eligible for TSA's Pre-Check program and I love it. Does anyone know if there's a way to transfer that info from DL to US so I can take advantage of it when flying out of CLT? I know I can apply for Global Entry, but since I'm already an approved person I was hoping to avoid that. Has anyone had a similar situation?

Instead of a US club get an Amex Plat
200$ off incidentals on US each yr
100$ off global entry - which gets you prechek once you are an elite
Entry to US clubs as well as DL when you change your mind...

Most impt
Sign up for the Barclays cards
You get 40k miles + 2 companions each year on paid tickets
AND
10k PQMs for spending 25k all for 89$

Instead of a US club get an Amex Plat
200$ off incidentals on US each yr
100$ off global entry - which gets you prechek once you are an elite
Entry to US clubs as well as DL when you change your mind...

This works fine unless you do a lot of international travel - until you get to *G anyway.

Most impt
Sign up for the Barclays cards
You get 40k miles + 2 companions each year on paid tickets
AND
10k PQMs for spending 25k all for 89$

Also important to note on the companion tickets - it's $99 for each one but you get dinged for taxes and the call center fee for each ticket. So it works out to around $144 per ticket all in. Still not a bad deal - it's just not as good as it looks at first.

Also to the OP, for clubs, you'll get freeze booze at UA clubs (well drinks I believe), but only free Bud and some house wine in US clubs. You won't get access to UA clubs unless you're Star Alliance Gold on international itineraries or have a full fledged US club membership. If you find yourself flying thru places that have UA clubs but not US clubs, it's something to consider.

F meals are on flights > 3.5 hours between 5am and 8pm. They have a rotating meal schedule, but if you fly the same flights often, you'll likely get the same choices for that menu cycle. I flew BWI-PHX (same flight) twice in the same and got the same dinner choices both flights. The dinners are decent, but I think US needs to step up their choices a bit. They should also make meals available on more flights ... > 2 or 2.5 hours would be a lot better.

I like the snack baskets - good choices and the FAs are pretty generous with them. They'll usually bring them around a few times during the flight, and you can always ask for more.

Can't comment on the onboard liquor selection as I don't drink.

Hope that helps.

it's $99 for each one but you get dinged for taxes and the call center fee for each ticket.

This is actually incorrect. You do not pay the call center fee. US Airways has a rule that for any ticket that cannot be purchased online (such as this one or any other voucher), the call center fee is waived.

This is actually incorrect. You do not pay the call center fee. US Airways has a rule that for any ticket that cannot be purchased online (such as this one or any other voucher), the call center fee is waived.

Good to know. I used the voucher last week and the lady mentioned the call center fee. The receipt didn't have a break down of the tickets but now that I went back and figured it out ... you're right. I didn't get dinged. Cool! :cool:

I have a couple US Trial Preferred Silvers available that I have open on Coupon Connection to trade for Amex MR points - maybe one of those will be of interest to the OP to quickly gain status with US.

2nd advice for OP:
Match your Delta status to an international *A carrier and get free lounge access every time you fly US. I matched my Delta Gold to SAS Gold and now use that SAS Gold Card into the Chairman's Club each time I fly US.

Indeed, you should consider paying for a status challenge so that you start getting the preferred perks right away, as it is very unlikely that US will give it to you for free based on your DL Plat membership.

US doesn't match status unless it's through a corporate travel office (i.e. large company changing contracts from one airline to another).

A Platinum trial costs $600 + tax, though if you buy a Silver trial ($200 + tax) and fly enough segments you'll still end up with Platinum (or even Chairman's).

US doesn't match status unless it's through a corporate travel office (i.e. large company changing contracts from one airline to another).

A Platinum trial costs $600 + tax, though if you buy a Silver trial ($200 + tax) and fly enough segments you'll still end up with Platinum (or even Chairman's).

In all honestly, I'd be hard pressed to suggest buying a platinum trial unless one flies on a pretty competitive upgrade route. While you do get some perks over gold, the difference between Plat and Gold is far less than it is between Gold and Silver.

And I'm saying that as a Plat. :)

Sorry I forgot to come back to the thread for followup...

Only free Bud, not free booze a la Delta? I'm ok with free Bud - I am from St. Louis afterall. I was practically raised on that stuff, plus family works for Anheuser-Busch.

In the US club, its just free Bud or Bud Light. There are other beer options for purchase.


How is US's First Class product? Free drinks, food, hot meal?

Free drinks (Glenlivet scotch, Jack Daniels bourbon, Canadian Club whiskey, gin, vodka.. ??, soft drinks, wine) in First. I actually haven't flown a flight long enough to get a hot meal, but there's always been the snack basket, the contents of which seems to change every six months or so.


First flight out is the first week of August. Call me crazy, but I'm a bit nervous about flying a new airline. As we all know, we get a groove in the airport and this is going to throw me off completely. :p


I'll be heading the other direction that week, otherwise I'd be happy to guest you in to the club so you can check it out.


Here's another question...
Through Delta, I became eligible for TSA's Pre-Check program and I love it. Does anyone know if there's a way to transfer that info from DL to US so I can take advantage of it when flying out of CLT? I know I can apply for Global Entry, but since I'm already an approved person I was hoping to avoid that. Has anyone had a similar situation?

I don't think its possible to force participation in the program. I was notified by US that I was selected to participate in their Pre-Check program automatically, the same week that I had already paid and applied for GE. Getting to a GE interview office was a challenge considering most of them are at true international airports, the closest to STL being ORD, and most are not open weekends. I ended up doing my GE interview at LAX prior to a leisure trip.

Pre-check won't help you here in STL, since they don't seem to have it set up at the A terminal. Also if you fly from ATL, the US counter staff doesn't even know its running for US and DL at the South terminal checkpoint ( which it is according to the TSA website). They keep telling me to go to the North checkpoint. I'll try the south checkpoint during my august trip.

How is US's First Class product? Free drinks, food, hot meal?

As Camarones said, food and drinks are free in US F. However, to get an actual meal, the scheduled flight time needs to be at least 3.5 hours. None of the flights out of STL will get a full meal. Even though at least one of the STL-PHX flights is listed over 3.5, some of them are listed at 3.25 hours and thus no hot meal. However, there is the snack basket, and that's not terrible.

Well, I just signed up for Gold Trial Preferred. First flight is Sunday. Wish me luck!

Well, I just signed up for Gold Trial Preferred. First flight is Sunday. Wish me luck!

Good luck!

Just be prepared, due to US's wonder IT infrastructure, things may not go quite right on the first trip.

Some tips:


Take a print out showing your DM status
Don't assume you're on the upgrade list automatically. If you DON'T get an email at your upgrade window, call in immediately to see if it's confirmable. Phone CS will confirm the upgrade if it's available.
If you're not upgraded at your window, don't assume you're on the upgrade list at the airport. Check to make sure you're on the upgrade list. You can do this at web check-in. However, if it' doesn't give you the option, be sure to add yourself at the airport. Otherwise, you won't be on it.
If the kiosk shows you as a Gold but tries to charge you anyway, you can finish checking in and a TA can fix the rest for you.


Can you tell what problems I had on my first trip? :D

All trips beyond that were fine though.

Let us know your thoughts coming over from DL.

Well, I just signed up for Gold Trial Preferred. First flight is Sunday. Wish me luck!

Did you sign up for the trial after purchasing your ticket? If so, you should ask one of the phone agents to delete your DM# from the reservation and then re-add to make sure status is listed.

Good luck, and make sure you book your flights on actual US metal during the trial, not codeshares, etc. to get proper credit towards keeping your status.

My spouse did the trial thing last year and it was a challenge in some cases getting the right flights.

Jimbo, go to the Turkish thread. You can get Star Gold with them with your ST Elite Plus status. It might take a month to get the card, but then you will get access to all US and UA clubs with your US tickets because your Star Gold status is through a foreign carrier.

Sorry folks for the delayed trip report. Plans changed and I ended up flying to Seattle via Phoenix on US instead of the originally-planned STL>CLT. Anyway, here are my thoughts of the US product compared to Delta.

First off, I purchased the Gold Preferred Trial - and it has already paid off. Not only did I get upgraded to F on every segment, I was able to utilize the no-fee Move Up perk. I do have one complaint about Move Up: it has to be done at the airport. With Delta's same-day confirm, you're able to make your changes over the phone - a HUGE convenience.

At the airport: Check-in was simple. The ticketing agent that took care of my Move Up was friendly. US has a new home at Lambert-St. Louis, so things are still neat and clean. At the gate, the boarding process went very smoothly. The gate agent was a stickler with zones and she didn’t allow people to board out of turn. Also, instead of creating the mass confusion on the aircraft when the overheads fill, the GA started (mandatory) gate checking bags about halfway through the boarding process. (I overheard conversations as passengers were boarding.) I received a pre-departure beverage and we pushed back from the gate a few minutes early.

In-flight: Things are pretty decent. The F seats are comparable to Delta's, if not a little more comfortable. The adjustable winged headrests were very nice. I was a bit disappointed that US doesn't use real glassware for beverages. It just adds to that special "premium product" feeling of sitting in front. Regardless, my drink was always full. The flight attendants were pleasant. On my STL>PHX segment, the gentleman wasn't excessively friendly, but he was attentive and professional. On the PHX>SEA segment, the FA was exceptionally friendly. Unfortunately I didn't catch her name, as I would have sent a message to customer service for her good work. On-board entertainment-wise: Well, there is none. Unfortunately I was on A319s both segments, so there was no in-flight Gogo Wifi. Heading home this week, my SEA>PHX segment is on an A321, so I’m looking forward to the Gogo (A319 on the segment to STL). Hopefully US will roll Gogo out to all of its aircraft in the not so near future. The fact that Delta has it fleet-wide (minus 50-seaters) is a HUGE selling point. Also, no meal. Delta provides meals on flights over 2.5 hours – US is 3.5+(?). While the snack basket was stocked well, it would have been nice to have something a little more substantial on that long of a flight.

Because of my changed plans, I really don’t have a need to make a switch to US any longer. But because I purchased the status trial, I’ll fly enough with US to not let it go to waste. And, honestly, I could see myself flying US more – even after fulfilling the trial challenge. US has a lot of pluses over Delta: The website is easier to use, the check-in kiosks don’t run slowly and the prices are better. So, it looks like I’ll be splitting my time between the two. You never know where I might need to fly after I’m finished in Seattle, so I like to keep my options open.

In-flight: Things are pretty decent. The F seats are comparable to Delta's, if not a little more comfortable.

You are sure you are talking about US. We only complain about US here. You do not fit;):D:p

You are sure you are talking about US. We only complain about US here. You do not fit;):D:p

I know! After reading this forum, I was expecting the worst. But I was pleasantly surprised.

I do have a question about the Preferred Trial. Because I originally was planning to fly to CLT and back, I only purchased the Gold match - the miles/segments I would fly in 90 days would get me there. But now that I'm flying to SEA via PHX, I would be able to match the Chairman's Preferred in the 90 days. If I hit that in the 90 days, but only purchased the Gold trial, would I get Chairman's Preferred? Or will I only get what I paid for? Could I pay the difference between the two Trials? Thoughts and advice are appreciated.

You get whatever level you earn, regardless of what level you paid for. The only advantage to paying for more than Silver up front is that you get to enjoy the Gold (or higher) privileges immediately rather than waiting until you earn them.

Well, ran into my first misstep with US...

A couple days ago I received an email from US stating that I was upgraded on today's flight from SEA to PHX. I check in at the airport and my BP shows coach. Well, I head to the gate and ask the agent about it. F was checked in full and I was stuck in the back. Just got an, "I'm sorry, I'll put you on the list." Well... I'm writing this from 11D. Granted this A321 is in much better shape than DL's 757, I just was expecting to sit up front. I mean, I received an email! Do I have any grounds for complaint, or is this something that frequently happens?

That should not have happened.

Did you happen to see what your seat was at time of e-mail?

That should not have happened.

Did you happen to see what your seat was at time of e-mail?

The email didn't have a seat listed and when I logged into my account, I got an error. Just assumed it'd be assigned at the airport. Ha!

Does not excuse what happened to you but also does not explain whether this was just a coincidental indignity of upgrade life (bumped for an air marshal, for example); or whether it is one of US's operational IT glitches linked to the Trial program. I'm guessing the latter, but that is just a guess. I don't think you can complain, but it would not hurt to call the Silver (or Gold) desk and tell them what happened. If it's a known problem, you might get some guidance or explanation for the future.

Hang in there. It gets better.