To use or to save miles?
 

What should I do with 52,000 US Airways Dividend miles? I haven't flown US Air for the past couple years, but am concerned that if they don't make it too long my miles might go to waste. (Hopefully they'll pull through) The only flights I have scheduled for the next few months are BOS-MCO-BOS, which I can book on Song for $130r/t n/s. Is it worth it to use my USAir miles for this trip for BOS-MCO w/stop in CLT, PHL, or DCA? Or should I just do nothing to this account as I have in the past couple of years and hope I'll have a better occasion and USair is still around?
Thanks!

Use them if you can....because that's what they're for. I wouldn't go out of my way to use them just in case they disappear. You said you haven't flown US Airways for quite a while, and the miles have been there. I assume that if you really wanted/needed to use them, you would have by now.

P.S. Welcome to Flyer Talk!

If you have miles in another account, then go ahead and burn the 50,000. Take someone on a weekend trip or just get an F ticket somewhere you wouldn't have gone if it weren't for the miles.

Since you do not fly US that much, even if they were healthy, I'd just burn the miles on an F ticket somewhere and make a nice weekend out of it. Program changes can devalue your miles with little to no warning, and added with US' current...precarious...financial state, I would not sit on a mileage balance if I did not have to.

50,000 miles = 1 economy trip to Europe. Go for the weekend!

One thing to consider is the benefit of having 50000 in the bank. That means you can do a premium award and fly on the spur of the moment anytime there is a Y class seat. There's a lot of piece of mind knowing if you're suddenly needed on the opposite coast - with the exception of a few super-busy sold out days a year - you can go for free (maybe a rapid redemption fee) but at least not the $1000 walk-up price.

Unless the bank goes bankrupt...

I would use them only if they are about to expire since there has been no activity with U for a couple of years. 50,000 miles is not alot to lose if U goes under but can save you big money (like sts603 stated) if you need to get somewhere fast and at the last minute.

Burn Baby Burn! :d :d

thanks for the opinions! I'm not sure what my decision is yet...

At one point, about two years ago from now I found myself with something on the order of a million miles in two airlines, both of which were in Ch11. And several airlines were raising redemption rates. Your miles are in uninsured savings that dont pay interest and are subject to inflation. Use them. It doesnt matter which airline.

Usage of 52,000 miles
 

If I were you, I would use those miles to fly First or Business Class on United's new premium transcontinental service from JFK to LAX and back. Many times, US Airways agents don't realize that United requires 60,000 miles for First Class since they have many 3-class aircraft opposed to US Airways 2-class aircraft, so you might end up in First Class. A final note about UnitedFirst on its new premium service, it features lie-flat seats, exactly like the ones offered by Singapore Airlines in Raffles/Business Class (several pictures available at www.airliners.net).

US Airways is in a very difficult situation, you might want to burn those miles before the end of January 2005.

Burning 52,000
 

Sorry, I forgot to mention that regardless of where you decide to fly to, you should try to fly UnitedFirst instead of First Class on US Airways. You can use your US Airways miles to fly United and any other Star Alliance partner.

Currently, US Airways' first class product is probably the worst among major carriers. UnitedFirst is much nicer, you will probably get a decent meal served on china. US Airways uses plastic cups to serve beverages on all domestic first class flights now. Horrible.

Absolutely correct. Even on a transcon business class (and first is nicer) on UA you will get a decent meal on a china. Hot towels, probably at take of and landing, etc. Far above US service. And this is in business on UA, again, first will be nicer. I think (someone correct me if Im wrong here) that on transcons you also get access to the first class lounges if you are in first. At least at JFK. Not sure how that works though.