US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Caribbean/Europe

I've run into some trouble trying to redeem in the past for award tickets to Europe in summer and Caribbean in winter. For obvious reasons.

I'm curious why US doesn't increase capacity on seasonal routes to destinations by leasing 767's that can fly both across the pond and down to the islands. Would make a whole lotta seats available, seasonally, which is when I want to redeem miles.

Anyone have any insight on what seems to me like a good idea (especially since US is bemoaning the lack of heavy lift to increase European flights anway)

I'd imagine that an airline just out of bankruptcy, and on the doorstep of a second bankruptcy would have trouble getting an affordable line of credit to lease and jumbo-jets.

A wet-lease (the type that AirTran uses, for example, to fly the west-coast routes and indeed to add seasonal Florida capacity) would surely violate the pilots' scope clause.

I've run into some trouble trying to redeem in the past for award tickets to Europe in summer and Caribbean in winter. For obvious reasons.

I'm curious why US doesn't increase capacity on seasonal routes to destinations by leasing 767's that can fly both across the pond and down to the islands. Would make a whole lotta seats available, seasonally, which is when I want to redeem miles.

Anyone have any insight on what seems to me like a good idea (especially since US is bemoaning the lack of heavy lift to increase European flights anway)

Aren't there hundreds of jets in storage out in the desert? If US needed to increase capacity on a given route, they could (a) redeploy from lesser travelled routes (b) resurrect mothballed aircraft of their own or (c) "lease" other airlines mothballed aircraft - there might even be some way to do this through a barter arrangement to preserve cash.

But, if you're suggesting they do this and fill the aircraft with award seats ... well I don't see that happening for obvious reasons.

Aren't there hundreds of jets in storage out in the desert? If US needed to increase capacity on a given route, they could (a) redeploy from lesser travelled routes (b) resurrect mothballed aircraft of their own or (c) "lease" other airlines mothballed aircraft - there might even be some way to do this through a barter arrangement to preserve cash.

But, if you're suggesting they do this and fill the aircraft with award seats ... well I don't see that happening for obvious reasons.


I didn't mean to imply that at all. I was just trying to say that there being so few award tickets to the islands and Europe suggests that seats are selling out to those destinations (having flown to Europe and the islands plenty lately, I can attest to this). Would make sense, since so many airlines seem to be ditching 767's nowadays, to pickup some used ones to increase capacity and, perhaps, add a handful of additional reward seats for the airline's frequent travelers. I don't understand why US doesn't try this. (I wish they would, too. I recently had to burn Delta miles for an AF award because the one US flight to FCO didn't have the seats I wanted).

The 767 really does not have any more capacity than a 757.

Currently the US 767-200 have 179 seats in Coach and 24 in First/Envoy. A US 757 has 185 seats in coach and 8 in First. Since there is little First Class demand on Caribbean flights, the 757 is actually a better fit, as it has more coach seats than a 767. In terms of total seats, the 767 only has 10 more than a 757, so there is no great capacity gained by using a 767.

The 767 really does not have any more capacity than a 757.

Currently the US 767-200 have 179 seats in Coach and 24 in First/Envoy. A US 757 has 185 seats in coach and 8 in First. Since there is little First Class demand on Caribbean flights, the 757 is actually a better fit, as it has more coach seats than a 767. In terms of total seats, the 767 only has 10 more than a 757, so there is no great capacity gained by using a 767.

You might have a cargo advantage if there is a market.

You might have a cargo advantage if there is a market.


Yes, you are correct in this regard, however I left it out of the comparison as the OP seemed to be talking only about seats.