US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Silver status for $375 + free club for 1 year

Automatic Upgrade to
Silver Preferred Status with US Airways Club



Enjoy Silver Preferred status through February 2005 when you join the US Airways Club at the low annual membership rate by July 30, 2004.*

As a Silver Preferred member, you can enjoy many exclusive benefits such as unlimited E-Upgrades; 50% mileage bonus; Preferred check-In, boarding and seating privileges; Star Alliance Silver status on Star Alliance network member airlines, and no blackout dates for award travel.

Plus, when you join the US Airways Club for as low as $375, you can relax in any of 24 Club airport locations across the United States and the UK.

http://www.usairways.com/dividendmiles/3879.htm

They're getting pretty desperate. After telling the CPs to bend over and pay more for less, I guess renewals are slacking off. An insult to those who went out and actually flew the miles for Silver.

They should bump the silvers who actually have flown the miles up to gold :D
-howie

Read the T&C:

Offer valid for Silver Preferred status until 2/28/05 with the purchase of a new, one-year US Airways Club Membership by 7/30/04

So in essence this will "buy" a SP membership for the rest of the year, and that's it. hmmm...

OK, it makes them US3 for the next 7 months. Will they be taking seats away from US1's or US2's? How about US3's who know the system? Probably not.

But, what if people like being elites? They'll fly more with US and the investment by US, which does not cost the company anything, will result in greater income during future years.

IIRC, American allowed people to buy or retain status a couple of years ago. High end Amex cards result in CO/NW Club membership and very high end cards result in elite status.

My take is different than the OP. They are trying different things. Some may work, some may not. I do agree that they should not, however, alienate their best customers.

"Hell hath no fury like a Chairman in coach."

"Hell hath no fury like a Chairman in coach."
Were you on my flight last week? :p

FT signatures have been disabled and mine used to be l4pi - a cockroach.

I'm changing it to l4pi - a coach roach. :D

My take is different than the OP. They are trying different things. Some may work, some may not. I do agree that they should not, however, alienate their best customers.


Ummmm - I am the OP (doesn't that stand for Original Poster?) - and I didn't state an opinion on this one way or another. That was the SP (Second Poster) who weighed in against the move....

IMHO it is a good experiment. No way an SP is taking an F seat from this CP, what with me having a 7 day window and he a 1 day window on discount fares.

BTW AtlanticBeach is right about the having tasted elite status bit. After 9/11 Marriott had a deal where stays from Oct 2001 to March 2002 counted as double nights - and stays in the first quarter 2002 counted toward both 2001 and 2002 status. I made Gold for the first time - and liked it so much that I've been Gold ever since. Good for Marriott, bad for Starwood and Hilton and the B&Bs who hardly see me anymore.

Ummmm - I am the OP (doesn't that stand for Original Poster?) - and I didn't state an opinion on this one way or another. That was the SP (Second Poster) who weighed in against the move....


My apologies. I stand corrected.

"Hell hath no fury like a Chairman in coach."

SO true! Oh man was I perturbed when I thought I would be in 22E for my the 7 hr LAX-DEN-LGA flight on Friday! I'm definitely getting spoiled. Luckily haven't been in coach on a US metal flight in quite a while...It was UA so I had to settle for (the much more acceptable) 9A.

Thanks

Greg

OK, it makes them US3 for the next 7 months. Will they be taking seats away from US1's or US2's? How about US3's who know the system? Probably not.

The DM members who take advantage of this offer and fly somewhat infrequently but on on full-fare tickets now have unlimited free upgrades at the time of purchase. If they had to pay for the upgrades as a regular old DM member they might not have bought them. If they're free why wouldn't the new silver member take advantage. This may not affect the CPs too much due to the oft availability of nonfull-fare tickets available at 7 days prior to a flight. Golds will likely be more affected. At 4 days out, most fares I have purchased are Y/B/U and thus the member with a newly purchased US3 card will get the upgrade before it is available to the US2.

The DM members who take advantage of this offer and fly somewhat infrequently but on on full-fare tickets now have unlimited free upgrades at the time of purchase. If they had to pay for the upgrades as a regular old DM member they might not have bought them. If they're free why wouldn't the new silver member take advantage. This may not affect the CPs too much due to the oft availability of nonfull-fare tickets available at 7 days prior to a flight. Golds will likely be more affected. At 4 days out, most fares I have purchased are Y/B/U and thus the member with a newly purchased US3 card will get the upgrade before it is available to the US2.

Point well taken. But they still have to come up with the $375. If the company can get financially healthy because they are selling more Y/B/U fares, good for them. We just won't teach those fellow passengers the secret Cockroach handshake. :D

Point well taken. But they still have to come up with the $375. If the company can get financially healthy because they are selling more Y/B/U fares, good for them. We just won't teach those fellow passengers the secret Cockroach handshake. :D

Da*n right, no handshake for them!!

Honestly, I'm a gold and am somewhere between, not worried and don't care about this promotion. Most passengers who don't have status don't know how to work the system. Since half the reservation agents (non-chairmans line) don't bother to put you on the upgrade list unless you ask, most of these folks will not make it up front anywho.

Did this arrive via US Mail. I wouldn't have known about it if it wasn't for FT.

Wait...there's a handshake?!? Why am I always the last to hear about these things?!? :D

Does anyone know how many miles it takes for a membership?

Can you use more miles to get a membership with *A access?

Does anyone know how many miles it takes for a membership?

Can you use more miles to get a membership with *A access?
I believe it is 40,000 miles (regular membership) but from the web....

To use Dividend Miles to purchase a Club membership, or purchase a three-year membership, call 800-828-8522.

But, what if people like being elites? They'll fly more with US and the investment by US, which does not cost the company anything, will result in greater income during future years.

I'm a case in point - not with US, but with NW. Actually, I hopped on the free trial CO Silver Elite last summer - flew 2 transcons from DC to PDX & SAN, got upgraded to F & had switch my CO number to my NW number at the last minute on all the flights. Got to keep my upgrades to F & had the miles creditted to NW (my primary airline) - had an issue from PDX-EWR-DCA on one of my flights - got rebooked on a different EWR-DCA flight with no hassles whatsoever - since I experienced what elite flying was like versus non-elite & the mileage bonuses, I'll now be a NW Gold by the end of the year (of course, since I'm an FT'er, it was probably cheaper overall than it would have been without FT - but NW is still getting the majority of my revenue). I think US is making a pretty wise decision - for those that are on the fence as to stay or not to stay, it may not be a wise decision, but chances are, someone that values club membership would probably be flying enough on various carriers that they may stick to US & keep them on.

I think this sends a clear message that the new ponzi scheme that is US club membership has resulted in more than a few members canning their membership. So instead of fixing the problem with the new mutli-layered gotcha-here, gotcha-there, US Club membership they should make it comparable to UA membership and stop nickel and diming their Members.

BUT noooo. . .they see fit to flood the ranks of SP which is already further devalued by the Aluminum Preferred Signature Card holders. I don't fear losing my upgrade seat to a SP. I take exception for those members that actually went out and flew those miles to make SP.

Wait...there's a handshake?!? Why am I always the last to hear about these things?!? :D

Dont feel bad I didnt know either...