rocket2247

I have to book flights every month for the rest of the year, and sometimes I will book through United and use my DM number. I was wondering if anyone knows when I will no longer be able to do this.

360guy

I cannot find any discussion if the new AA will honor the US Airways (America West) Club Lifetime Membership.

WiscAZ

I'm sure this has been asked multiple times in this thread but I need to book a flight to Australia for travel in August. Is it better to book United and use my DM # in hopes that US doesn't leave *A before the flight or would you book on Quantas and hope that the miles will all count towards preferred for next year. I'm most concerned with getting miles towards this year's status.

Thanks!

Superguy

US isn't going to leave *A by August. The merger has to be complete before that can even begin to happen, and then things will need to be done before US can leave *A and join OW.

I think US will start the new year in OW.

PWMTrav

I'm about to make a statement that has pretty much no basis in fact. Take it for what it is - my uninformed opinion.

August is 2 months from now. It seems like it'd be awfully fast for this merger to close AND for US to unwind it's *A membership by then. Stranger things have happened, but leaving *A and joining OW are a little more involved than just signing some paperwork. I'd be pretty surprised if they didn't choose to transition on a more natural date, like the end of the calendar or program year, rather than the day a merger closes. It'd be my opinion that you'd be safe booking on United if you're trying to requalify for this year. At least, to me, the better gamble is to book on UA for credit to US for US requalification, rather than booking on QF for AA credit, hoping for "new" AA requalification. There are fewer moving parts in the former.

FWAAA

Unless Parker plans to put US into Ch 11, where obligations could be voided fairly easily, I think you can safely assume that lifetime obligations of US will remain unaffected. AA hasn't proposed rejecting any of its lifetime club memberships, and it is in Ch 11, so it's a pretty safe bet that they'll continue as well. When corporations merge, the obligations of both become the obligations of the merged entity.

Sure, US could send everyone a letter telling them that their lifetime club memberships are cancelled, but that would invite lots of litigation and more bad publicity and ill-will than Parker could possibly gain from terminating the club memberships. For all of Smisek's very poor decisions, UA didn't go that far to anger its customers. So why, exactly, would you be concerned that Parker would attack that kind of hornet's nest?

nlkm9

on a flight from ORF to CLT today, the flight attendant in FC had a lot to say about the merger-he warned that US status will mean very little and that American has only 2 levels that get ug on regular basis, etc, etc.
I have never flown on American Airlines so i couldnt say. He said there is a one world website that explains everything he was saying...

Fanjet

????????????

Unfortunately, there will be staff from both airlines in the near future who will saying crap that is factless. Which will in turn, drive up needless confusion in the passengers who don't know any better.

AZ Travels the World

If there is one thing that is absolutely consistent with every major airline merger of the past 20 years -- it is that.

john doe iii

What are your thoughts on these flights after the merger? I frequent HNL several times a year and was wondering if you think US/AA will keep the same ol beat up planes on these routes or will they be AA 747's?

Any chances on them considering this eligible for domestic upgrades?

phlwookie

Well, AA hasn't had 747s in many, many years, and doesn't have any on order.

Too early to tell how it'll pan out. If traffic merits it, you might see AA 767-300s. You could also see reductions in nonstops out of PHX should they downsize the hub and you'd need to jump over to LAX instead. More likely, though, there won't be any appreciable change in the short term.

Often1

I would doubt that there's a market for DFW/LAX & PHX-HNL. But, the broader question of whether non-stop flight get better aircraft than the HP cr**, will likely be determined by the market for the product.

Can't imagine that the product quality goes up and the freebie UG's are part of it.

Biggie Fries

The US product remains cr** even without the freebie UG's; one must use miles (15K each segment) between PHX and HNL (or other HI stops).

Fanjet

First, there are no 747s at AA. Secondly, it is considered a domestic upgrade at AA, even on the intl configured 767s that fly DFW-Hawaii. And given the fact that AA flies to HNL,OGG, LIH, and KOA from LAX, with more daily flights than what US flies to Hawaii out of PHX, my guess is that PHX will see the fight reductions or removals, not LAX.

FWAAA

I assume you fat-fingered the keyboard and meant to type "AA 757s" or perhaps "AA 767s." As a dozen people will point out, AA has no 747s.

If the old HP (now US) 757s flown PHX-HNL are too decrepit and must be retired, then I assume that some AA 757s (domestic configuration) will fly in their place.

AA is refurbishing some of its younger 757s (the oldest 757s will be retired as A321s and 738s are delivered to replace them) so AA will have HNL-capable-757s for LAX or PHX to Hawai'i for years to come.

As the AAdvantage program considers Hawai'i flights to be domestic for "sticker" upgrades (actually electronic 500s), then I assume that PHX-HNL will be treated the same once the frequent flyer programs are integrated. At AA, all flights in and between North America (including Mexico), Caribbean and Central America are "domestic" for upgrades (don't have to use miles or SWUs, although they're permitted). Unlike UA, we even get to upgrade the premium JFK-LAX/SFO transcons without using miles, SWUs or special certs.