Feb 26, 2013, 12:45 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
US Airways / Barclays $99.00 Companion Certificates
As indicated in post #1254 & 1255, the last date to book has been EXTENDED
to October 12, use by 31 Dec 2015, on AA.
to October 12, use by 31 Dec 2015, on AA.
US Airways Companion Certificate
Purchase a roundtrip ticket of $250 (before any taxes) or more with your US Airways Dividend Miles MasterCard and have up to two companions fly with you for $99 each (plus tax on the amount of the equivalent full-fare ticket).
The price of the full-fare ticket is determined by the lowest "bucket" for which two Y seats are available if you have one companion and for which three Y seats are available if you have two companions.
Systemwide blackout dates (2015):
Jan 3, 4, Feb 13, Mar 15, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29, Apr 2, 3, 6, 12, May 21, 22, Jun 25, 26, Jul 5, 6, Oct 18, Nov 20, 29, 30, Dec 18, 19, 26, 27
Additional Blackout Dates for specific cities (2015):
- Jan 15 from Dallas
- Jan 29, 30 to Phoenix
- Feb 2, 3 from Phoenix
- Feb 13 to New Orleans
- Feb 18 from New Orleans
- Apr 7 from Indianapolis
- Apr 30, May 1 to Louisville
- May 3 from Louisville
Routing:
Certificate valid for use when travel originates in the contiguous 48 United States for service to the contiguous 48 states or Canada.
Not valid for travel to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, Mexico, Central/South America, or Europe. Not valid on stopovers, open jaws, open returns, or circle trips.
Valid Carrier
Valid on flights operated by US Airways and US Airways Express. Not valid on codeshare flights operated by partner airlines such as United.
Valid for travel on American flights with a departure date after October 18, 2015.
Dividend Miles Accrual and Upgrades
Travel is eligible for Dividend Miles accrual, accrual in other airline programs not permitted. Dividend Miles Preferred upgrades are permitted subject to the rules of the upgrade being used. All Dividend Miles Terms and Conditions apply.
Additional guidelines for booking
1) You must call US Airways reservations; you cannot book this type of ticket on line.
2) The certificate must be used by YOU, you cannot have someone else and two companions use it.
3) You must book you and any companions at the same time as you on the same routing and PNR as you. One companion cannot break off and go a different direction for one segment.
4) You must use your US Airways Mastercard to make the purchase.
5) You must mail in the certificate after you make the purchase. The address is printed on the certificate (US Airways office in Winston-Salem, NC). (They insist that you retain proof of mailing within 24 hours of booking)
6) There should NOT be a telephone booking fee for this as you can't book this type of fare any other way.
7) It should be possible to split the PNR after booking (this may be beneficial for those hoping for an upgrade as a preferred member, or if the card holder can no longer travel on the days originally booked) YMMV.
8) Any changes to the tickets after booking are subject to the current change fees listed on the US Airways website.
9) Ticket must be booked at least 14 days in advance of travel. (Agents may try to tell you that it needs 15 days because the day of travel is not counted. Even supervisor will insist on it. Do not buy that. Hang up and redial. You need usual 14 days advance booking)
10) You can cancel within 24 hours of booking and you will retain the certificate if you have not mailed it. But they will not make any changes to reservations even within 24 hours due to the third sentance under the Change/Refunds section in the T&C.
Contact Phone Number for post October 18 travel: The American Airlines Meeting and Group Travel Desk is handling the post-October 18, 2015 US Companion Certificates travel reservations- 1-800-433-1790
Related thread:
Benefits of US Airways MasterCard
ARCHIVE: LUS: US Companion Certificates [use by 31 Dec 2015]
Mar 11, 2014, 12:34 pm
#556
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA EXP; 1W Emerald; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold; UA dirt
Posts: 7,846
Mar 11, 2014, 4:13 pm
#557
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Phoenix Desert
Programs: Hilton Cubic Zirconia, Marriott Fools Gold
Posts: 1,692
Mar 13, 2014, 5:16 pm
#558
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Grey areas and blue zones
Posts: 428
Got an email containing a credit card offer (for the Barclay US Premier World Mastercard with $89 annual fee). It mentions that one of the future benefits will be free first checked bag (for up to 4 companions) but there is no mention of the $99 companion certificates. I wonder whether this benefit is going to disappear.
Mar 13, 2014, 8:09 pm
#559
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,517
2 adults traveling SAN-MSY Oct 30 - Nov 2, planned to use new companion certs expected in a couple of weeks at annual renewal. While there are several options on US metal for the outbound, website only shows AA codeshares on the return. Does that mean that there are NO FLIGHTS available on US metal - I find that hard to believe. Kayak shows a few flights on US metal, but they are EXPENSIVE - over $1k OW.
Has anyone attempted to book a companion cert on an AA codeshare?
Has anyone attempted to book a companion cert on an AA codeshare?
Mar 14, 2014, 5:24 pm
#560
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 4,843
This sounds like what happened to me a little bit up-thread. I could get two tickets online, but when I called in to use the certificate, the fare for the primary ticket jumped several hundred dollars and the reason was that the fare I could see on the website was a "web-only fare". But nobody could tell me exactly what that meant, except for: you can see it on the internet, but I can't book it. Grrrr.
Today is 14 days before travel so I had to bite the bullet. What should have been $370 + $140 (price 2 weeks ago when they first wouldn't give me the online price) was now $580 + $140. But the agent couldn't even get the $580, they said it was $680. But at least she checked the price online, verified that it should be $580, and got a supervisor. I'm not sure what they did in the background but they were able to figure out the $580 price.
So US Airways' incompetence and lack of caring (the first agents I spoke with said that this is a known issue but that management has directed them to not care) ended up costing me $200, plus a bunch of time, and I ended up on a slightly worst flight time.
But apparently if you get the right person, and push hard enough, they can override whatever ridiculous constraint their 16 year old IT intern implemented.
Good times.
Mar 15, 2014, 11:35 pm
#561
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 49
Could you call and ask them to expedite it? Given the couple data points above, it doesn't seem like they have a super rigorous policy about when they send it out.
(I may try this -- anniversary in May, and there's a June Canada trip I'd like to take for which this would be useful...)
(I may try this -- anniversary in May, and there's a June Canada trip I'd like to take for which this would be useful...)
Mar 16, 2014, 6:39 pm
#562
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: MRY
Posts: 430
Packet from 1/31/14 arrived on 3/13/14. Still waiting on the two with 2/28/14 annual fees.
Mar 16, 2014, 7:34 pm
#563
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 6,014
Got an email containing a credit card offer (for the Barclay US Premier World Mastercard with $89 annual fee). It mentions that one of the future benefits will be free first checked bag (for up to 4 companions) but there is no mention of the $99 companion certificates. I wonder whether this benefit is going to disappear.
Mar 17, 2014, 1:57 pm
#564
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: PHL
Programs: US DMS, UA, AA, SW, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold Plus, Amtrak
Posts: 11
"1) You must call US Airways reservations; you cannot book this type of ticket on line."
Does this mean I have to personally call and book the flights to be able to use the companion certificate? Or can a travel agent do this?
Does this mean I have to personally call and book the flights to be able to use the companion certificate? Or can a travel agent do this?
Mar 20, 2014, 10:49 am
#566
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: PIT
Programs: AA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 35
Interesting note I wanted to point out. I could be wrong but I didn't see this posted anywhere.
I want to use my companion pass for July travel. The problem is my current companion pass I got on my last anniversary (may 2013) has to be used for travel by 4/30. I was expecting I would have to wait 4-6 weeks after my mid-may anniversary date until my new companion cert arrives in the mail. Meaning I could only book my flight a couple weeks in advance, which given the time of year I would prefer not to do since flights are filling up.
To my amazement I called Barclays and they are re-issuing me a new companion pass so I can book it when it arrives in the mail (in 2-4 weeks). They said when my "regular" cert comes around my anniversary date that it would be "inactive" and not to use it. I'm the first person to bash these companies for not being flexible but I was shocked they actually accomodated this. My guess is they let me do it because I haven't used the "old" cert from may 2013 anniersary yet and won't be doubling up, but nonetheless this was an unexpected perk. Has anyone else heard of them doing this for people?
I want to use my companion pass for July travel. The problem is my current companion pass I got on my last anniversary (may 2013) has to be used for travel by 4/30. I was expecting I would have to wait 4-6 weeks after my mid-may anniversary date until my new companion cert arrives in the mail. Meaning I could only book my flight a couple weeks in advance, which given the time of year I would prefer not to do since flights are filling up.
To my amazement I called Barclays and they are re-issuing me a new companion pass so I can book it when it arrives in the mail (in 2-4 weeks). They said when my "regular" cert comes around my anniversary date that it would be "inactive" and not to use it. I'm the first person to bash these companies for not being flexible but I was shocked they actually accomodated this. My guess is they let me do it because I haven't used the "old" cert from may 2013 anniersary yet and won't be doubling up, but nonetheless this was an unexpected perk. Has anyone else heard of them doing this for people?
Mar 20, 2014, 11:56 am
#567
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,666
Interesting note I wanted to point out. I could be wrong but I didn't see this posted anywhere.
I want to use my companion pass for July travel. The problem is my current companion pass I got on my last anniversary (may 2013) has to be used for travel by 4/30. I was expecting I would have to wait 4-6 weeks after my mid-may anniversary date until my new companion cert arrives in the mail. Meaning I could only book my flight a couple weeks in advance, which given the time of year I would prefer not to do since flights are filling up.
To my amazement I called Barclays and they are re-issuing me a new companion pass so I can book it when it arrives in the mail (in 2-4 weeks). They said when my "regular" cert comes around my anniversary date that it would be "inactive" and not to use it. I'm the first person to bash these companies for not being flexible but I was shocked they actually accomodated this. My guess is they let me do it because I haven't used the "old" cert from may 2013 anniersary yet and won't be doubling up, but nonetheless this was an unexpected perk. Has anyone else heard of them doing this for people?
I want to use my companion pass for July travel. The problem is my current companion pass I got on my last anniversary (may 2013) has to be used for travel by 4/30. I was expecting I would have to wait 4-6 weeks after my mid-may anniversary date until my new companion cert arrives in the mail. Meaning I could only book my flight a couple weeks in advance, which given the time of year I would prefer not to do since flights are filling up.
To my amazement I called Barclays and they are re-issuing me a new companion pass so I can book it when it arrives in the mail (in 2-4 weeks). They said when my "regular" cert comes around my anniversary date that it would be "inactive" and not to use it. I'm the first person to bash these companies for not being flexible but I was shocked they actually accomodated this. My guess is they let me do it because I haven't used the "old" cert from may 2013 anniersary yet and won't be doubling up, but nonetheless this was an unexpected perk. Has anyone else heard of them doing this for people?
Mar 20, 2014, 7:02 pm
#568
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 49
Interesting note I wanted to point out. I could be wrong but I didn't see this posted anywhere.
I want to use my companion pass for July travel. The problem is my current companion pass I got on my last anniversary (may 2013) has to be used for travel by 4/30. I was expecting I would have to wait 4-6 weeks after my mid-may anniversary date until my new companion cert arrives in the mail. Meaning I could only book my flight a couple weeks in advance, which given the time of year I would prefer not to do since flights are filling up.
To my amazement I called Barclays and they are re-issuing me a new companion pass so I can book it when it arrives in the mail (in 2-4 weeks). They said when my "regular" cert comes around my anniversary date that it would be "inactive" and not to use it. I'm the first person to bash these companies for not being flexible but I was shocked they actually accomodated this. My guess is they let me do it because I haven't used the "old" cert from may 2013 anniersary yet and won't be doubling up, but nonetheless this was an unexpected perk. Has anyone else heard of them doing this for people?
I want to use my companion pass for July travel. The problem is my current companion pass I got on my last anniversary (may 2013) has to be used for travel by 4/30. I was expecting I would have to wait 4-6 weeks after my mid-may anniversary date until my new companion cert arrives in the mail. Meaning I could only book my flight a couple weeks in advance, which given the time of year I would prefer not to do since flights are filling up.
To my amazement I called Barclays and they are re-issuing me a new companion pass so I can book it when it arrives in the mail (in 2-4 weeks). They said when my "regular" cert comes around my anniversary date that it would be "inactive" and not to use it. I'm the first person to bash these companies for not being flexible but I was shocked they actually accomodated this. My guess is they let me do it because I haven't used the "old" cert from may 2013 anniersary yet and won't be doubling up, but nonetheless this was an unexpected perk. Has anyone else heard of them doing this for people?
Mar 20, 2014, 7:56 pm
#569
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SJC
Programs: AAdvantage 2MM+ Lifetime PLT; BA, CO, UA, US; SPG; HHonors Gold
Posts: 757
Do the companions earn FF mileage?
Do the companions earn FF mileage? I couldn't find this in the T&Cs on their website but perhaps I didn't search hard enough.
Mar 21, 2014, 2:47 am
#570
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,483