AZ Travels the World

With the announcement yesterday of the new Dividend Miles program and the transition process, a lot of good questions are being raised in multiple threads in both the HP and US forums.

I know that we have a number of HP/US employees who frequent this site and given the press coverage FlyerTalk has received, I suspect some upper management folks check in from time to time as well. To make it easier for them to address our questions, I’m starting this thread and sticking it to the top of the forum.

In the past, HP management has used the Q&A format quite often for addressing customer and employee issues and concerns. My hope is that some of the insiders at the new US will point this thread to senior management so that they know what we’re wondering about. Hopefully, they’ll expand their website at some point soon to include our questions and the answers to them. Or, perhaps they could appoint an official lurker to address our questions here. Obviously we have no control over that, but I was thinking that if we make it easy for them to see our questions, we may have a better chance of getting them answered.

So, here are the rules for this thread:
I will attempt to periodically consolidate the questions into the second post below, to make it even easier.

AZ Travels the World

Questions for US Management:

-- Regarding the new day of departure stand-by policy: Is the $25 fee only applied if you want to confirm a seat on the earlier flight or is it applied any time you move to an earlier flight (within 4 hours) which has available seats? In other words, will you still be able to standby for a flight with open seats without paying the fee if you’re willing to do it on an unconfirmed basis?

-- Regarding the threshold for achieving 2006 Chairman’s Preferred benefits beyond the trial period, will current HP FF members be required to have flown 120 segments to qualify via segments (which is the new DM threshold) while the current US DM members will only have to fly 100 (the current threshold)?

-- Are upgrade award levels changing from their current structure or because they are not addressed, can we assume they will stay the same?

-- For the past several years, US has allowed CP members to roll-over miles and segments above the 100K/100 segment qualification level to the next program year. Will that be done this year?

-- A Flight Fund Platinum Elite benefit for several years has been the “nominate a friend” program that allows a Platinum member to elevate someone to Silver Elite status. Is this being continued, perhaps as a benefit of the CP level?

LAX1K to AmWest

Another question:

What happens to Flight Fund members that hit 90 segments AFTER OCT 5, 2005 (for example October 15). Do they get Platinum, Chairman's (TRIAL), or keep Gold???

sts603

1.) Are the policies on companion upgrades the same as the old US policies?

2.) Will CP's still get 2 7-day advance with companion Envoy transatlantic upgrades?

3.) With SP, GP or PP's get any transatlantic upgrade instruments?

abeflyer

As a CP who flies over 100,000 miles, will I get a rollover of miles over 100,000 that will be applied toward next year's preferred goals?

davidl

The old US allowed international passengers with full fare coach tickets (Y and B) to upgrade for 10,000 miles each way. Will that policy be continued?

Similarly, for certain discounted coach tickets, the USE3 upgrade cost 30,000 miles each way. Will that upgrade still be available?

SS255

Will the New US be eliminating the tiered pricing structure (i.e. $120 extra for RCC access) for US Airways Club memberships?

Art234

Yes, the tier structure remains, for now. Elite membership is now $300, plus the add ons, which have not changed.

I guess the long term answer depends on the future of the US-UA code share.

phillyflyer

(1) Any foreseen changes to the codeshare alliance with United?
(2) Any chance that travel on Air Canada, an investor in the new US Airways, result in mileage bonuses for elite members?
(3) Any chance the power ports will be brought back to the US Airbus fleet?
(4) Any chance that the US tradition of generous DM mileage promotions be maintained (could not resist that one either!)

29Feb

Will there continue to be no fees for redeeming miles at usairways.com?

vtmanish

I am a CM member that just hit 100 segments Monday. Does this mean I will retain chairmans next year or do I need to get 20 more segments by Dec 31. to retain the highest level.

Robertsonland

When determining upgrades between two of the same level elites will the HP model of rolling 12 month's flight activity be used or some other model?

Also on day of departure should your upgrades not clear and you are waiting for a day of departure upgrade what will be the rules for determining who is first in line when two of the same level are looking for the upgrade? 12 month rolling amount of miles or by who checked in first.

Lance

zambonisk

Any idea when *A members (UA) will be able to earn miles on America West Flights?

AZ Travels the World

One of the options to qualify for Chairman's Preferred qualification for the 2006 program year is to fly 32K miles between Oct. 5 and Jan. 31. Are these any elite qualfying miles, including airline partner miles (i.e. BA, HA, NW) that are earned during that period, or they limited to HP/US operated flights only?

PhoenixCMC

Has there been any clarification about how/when HP Elite Qualifying miles and US Elite Qualifying miles will be combined into a single account (I have 40K+ HP miles and 11K+ US miles . . . have I already made my Gold qualification for 2005)?