Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Discontinued Programs/Partners > US Airways | Dividend Miles (Pre-Consolidation with American Airlines)
Reload this Page >

US/AA merger- MASTER DISCUSSION THREAD/incl 'when will US leave STAR'

View Poll Results: Is an American Airlines/US Airways merger good for the traveling public?
Yes
84
28.19%
No
214
71.81%
Voters: 298. You may not vote on this poll

Old Nov 12, 2013, 2:24 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: aztimm
Note:

There is an existing thread in the AA forum that may be useful to US and AA Flyertalkers:
US-AA Merger: Just the Facts thread

As facts become posted, that should be the place to look.

Merger discussion, speculation, and other questions can be directed here, or the similar thread in the AA forum:
MERGER: US and AA 9 Dec 2013 and implications for AA flyers (new)

AA - US Merger Agreement / Announcement / DOJ Action Discussion (consolidated, and now closed to new posts)
Print Wikipost

US/AA merger- MASTER DISCUSSION THREAD/incl 'when will US leave STAR'

 
Old Jul 25, 2013, 2:24 pm
  #1036  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 30,959
Originally Posted by DCdeacon
What makes you say this? I also have a *A award ticket booked in late November.
Past history with every other merger that has occurred, AFAIK
And the fact that you already have tickets/seats on multiple airlines and undoing that would be way more trouble than it's worth in the scheme of a multi-billion dollar merger integration effort.
Customer relations
etc.

Dealing with in-flight disruptions would pretty much be as it is today. Have a cancelled UA flight? UA looks to rebook you, with options on their metal, then their partners, then other airlines. US falls down the list of potential rebooking, but that's about it, IMHO.

I am curious though - if someone replied with "yes, you may have trouble" - what are you going to do?
CPRich is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2013, 2:57 pm
  #1037  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.
Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.
Posts: 22,307
Originally Posted by UA Fan
BA & IB does not even come into consideration because of it's YQ. Take that away and you have hardly anything. Plus add LHR's high taxes. Include them and you have carriers at the edges of the continent, not in the center.
I've connected on IB to/from AA at MAD and have never been charged a YQ fee. As for LHR, it only costs a couple of dollars more to connect through there than it does at FRA. The high taxes exist only on flights originating out of there, or on stopovers longer than 24 hours. But that would apply to any alliance carrier. And more importantly, not everyone is using their FF miles to go to Europe or Asia. For people really stuck on Star, they should be crediting to UA or LH. Because as long as that alliance exists, those two will be in it.

As for this merger, I'm still waiting for the announcement regarding Main Cabin Extra. DP has been silent on this matter. UA and now DL both offer a Y+ product. Without it, AA/US would be at a competitive disadvantage.
Fanjet is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2013, 3:09 pm
  #1038  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.
Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.
Posts: 22,307
Originally Posted by Air Rarotonga
For changes outside the 14 days before departure, the issuing carrier of the ticket is responsable. After the involving ticketing carrier.
Exactly. If the airline has a schedule change, and your connection time is no longer valid, you are US's problem to deal with since the ticket is issued on 037 stock. Foreign carriers tend to have less "after-the-fact" schedule changes. But carriers like UA are famous for it. Then there are external causes to a schedule change. Like the grounding of a 787 fleet. I would shy away from booking Star awards for travel in 2014. Unless you are sticking to one carrier on the itinerary in each direction.
Fanjet is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2013, 7:25 pm
  #1039  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Originally Posted by UA Fan
Refused because of a lack of published fares? That drives me nuts and I hope this stops if a merger happens.
Exactly. Anyone who hasn't dealt with this AA issue should peruse the thread in the AA forum for a real eye-opener.

If USdbaAA ditches the AA published fare rule, keeps AA's true one-way awards, and removes US's online award booking fee, that would help ease the pain of losing *A somewhat. But who knows, I'm not holding my breath for too many customer-friendly post-merger enhancements.
84fiero is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2013, 7:42 pm
  #1040  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,888
Originally Posted by belfordrocks
Ahahahahahahaha... oh you're serious.

So let's see... Air Tahiti Nui is a partner of AA and I see award space, what if I fly them from LAX to CDG then connect to BA on CDG-LHR? Oh wait, can't do that.

I know, I want to take advantage of Oneworld's tremendous route network and fly CX on their new route from LA to Hong Kong to Male... oh sorry, can't do that either.

Oh, well at least I can book a simple round trip from Beijing to Sydney via Tokyo Narita on JAL, right? Wrong again...

Yeah, I can definitely see how AA miles are so much easier to use.
Are these actual experiences? I thought an all-partner would cover #1. I don't understand #2 and #3.

p.s. If you don't like the all-partner award you can circumvent it with a distance-based explorer award with different rules.
rrgg is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2013, 8:38 pm
  #1041  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Originally Posted by rrgg
Are these actual experiences? I thought an all-partner would cover #1. I don't understand #2 and #3.

p.s. If you don't like the all-partner award you can circumvent it with a distance-based explorer award with different rules.
AA's published fare rule is the problem on #1 - doesn't matter that it's an all-partner award, the routing isn't allowed based on that.

#2 and #3 won't be allowed, as (with certain exceptions not applicable here) you aren't permitted to transit a 3rd region when traveling between two regions, and AA's region classifications mean those routings would violate that rule.

It's not as simple as just booking the same trip under the Explorer award. The Explorer award has its own set of rules - some better, some not, depending on what one wishes to accomplish. Just two basic examples - it can only be used with oneworld partners and you have to work in at least two carriers. Plus it normally is more expensive than the all-partner awards, if you're talking about fairly simple trip like those above.
84fiero is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2013, 9:23 pm
  #1042  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,888
I didn't mean to imply you could simply switch to an explorer award. I just meant in some cases it may help.

I do know the 3rd region transit rule is a problem, but typically the complaint is for something like US-SYD via Asia. That Male example is crazy, and it seems like AA should make some exception.
rrgg is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 3:40 am
  #1043  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,504
If I book a flight with US now, before the closing, but the actual flight is after the closing (mid-November), can I still collect Miles&More miles when I fly?
sokolov is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 6:27 am
  #1044  
Community Director
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,449
Originally Posted by sokolov
If I book a flight with US now, before the closing, but the actual flight is after the closing (mid-November), can I still collect Miles&More miles when I fly?
If US has left *A by the time you fly, and there are no temporary continuing arrangements to credit to *A programmes (as happened with BD, but they were technically in a position where they weren't in any alliance), then you will not be able to collect on M&M.

Presumably, if US is in OneWorld by then, you will be able to credit to any of their schemes instead.
NWIFlyer is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 10:06 am
  #1045  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 462
Along the same lines, and sorry if this has been previously covered, if I fly UA 9/30-10/3 should I still be able to get US miles? It sounds as if I should be safe but with no concrete information I'm not sure if I want to take the risk.

I can also fly American but can't fly US unfortunately, which I'd prefer to do during this transition period.
lizs is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 10:06 am
  #1046  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,437
Originally Posted by 84fiero
It's not as simple as just booking the same trip under the Explorer award. The Explorer award has its own set of rules - some better, some not, depending on what one wishes to accomplish. Just two basic examples - it can only be used with oneworld partners and you have to work in at least two carriers. Plus it normally is more expensive than the all-partner awards, if you're talking about fairly simple trip like those above.
And one cannot make routing changes after departure. Explorer awards can be awesome is some situations, which is why even after BA imposed it's wretched YQ, I still don't hate AA. My use of Explorer awards is going down since it is useful for long trips which need long vacations.

The loss of BA was HUGE especially for those who need to go to India. I'd rather have the old agreement back.
UA Fan is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 2:11 pm
  #1047  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 480
During their earnings call, Kirby stated "we plan to be transitioned to oneworld by the beginning of next year"
McSam18 is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 5:53 pm
  #1048  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: EWR
Programs: AA Exec Plat, United MM Gold, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Platinum, Packer Owner
Posts: 262
Crediting UA flights to Dividend Miles

(I apologize if this was referenced elsewhere in this thread.)

Is there any sense as to when UA flights can no longer be credited to US Dividend Miles? Perhaps as of 1/1/14? Or is all this just speculation at this point?
NJTraveler is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 6:19 pm
  #1049  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 480
Originally Posted by NJTraveler
(I apologize if this was referenced elsewhere in this thread.)

Is there any sense as to when UA flights can no longer be credited to US Dividend Miles? Perhaps as of 1/1/14? Or is all this just speculation at this point?
It's all speculation at this point.
McSam18 is offline  
Old Jul 26, 2013, 8:11 pm
  #1050  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: AA-Gold 0.425MM), AS MVP Gold, National EE, Marriott Titanium (LT-G), UA Silver
Posts: 1,136
What about club memberships post-1/1/14?

I know there's no answer yet, but I'm curious if anyone has any educated guesses or speculation on what happens to paid club memberships after we leave? Do you'll think there will be AC access as well as UA/MLL? Thoughts?
PaceLaw2012 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.