US Airways OneWorld Update

I wouldn't read into that American award chart reference just yet. That looks like it's been up for a while and is in reference to travel on American Airlines.

Tricky issue for them -- it's not really that there are a US Airways chart and an American Airways chart but rather that there are now two different American Airways charts -- AAdvantage and Dividend Miles.

So what, they aren't even going to allow you to transfer the miles over to American eventually? Hilarious. Sounds like Airscam and south"I like to dance a lot" all over again.

Complete nonsense as always. When airlines complain about customers, they have absolutely no right to do so. These folks will pursue any means necessary to game the system themselves and feel that they are beyond reproach. Great stuff. Oh you didn't read that? You haven't been at this long enough I guess.

There's no "tricky" issue. They are one company. Now loyalty programs being ancillary benefits since your contract is for the travel not for the ancillary benefits. Yes they have a legal right to separate the two and god knows there's some clown out there who has figured out a way to bank a whole bunch in his or her account using simply the computer technicalities of the omnipresent merger. But why would there be a need to operate two separate programs after they are all OW, frankly I don't even see the need to fly as two separate carriers but everybody's entitled to their opinion.

Hey Ben, any idea as to when we should be able to combine miles between accounts? Summer? Fall? Next year? Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks!

I'm with @Greg. The chart they link to is the Dividend Miles chart for travel involving AA (possibly in combination with US). It sounds like that will be their "oneworld partners" chart instead of their "AA" chart come Monday. 90K to N Asia in J still on there…for now.

I read it the same way as others - I didn't think it was confusing, really. When they say "American Airlines award chart" they mean the Dividend Miles chart for redemptions on AA. If they'd meant that to refer to the AAdvantage chart, they'd have said so more clearly.

They also make it clear that the two FF programs will stay separate, at least for now, so even if they intended to align the Dividend Miles chart to the AAdvantage chart, I have to think they'd create a new chart with the US logo at the top, rather than simply referring people to AA's website.

I agree with you Ben that this is about as clear as mud. In fact when I first read the e-mail and links I was convinced that the USAir chart was gone at the end of this month. Then when I went back and reread, I concluded that its not clear what they are trying to say.

@ Jon -- It's anyone's guess. I would guess it'll be close to the end of the year before that's possible, but I could be wrong.

@ LarryInNYC -- Hmm, I interpret it a bit differently. While they're officially one company, they're still operating the programs separately and running the airlines under different names, so I don't think we're quite at the point where we'd call the US Airways chart the American chart. I could be wrong, though.

I have a question about timing...I have a flight booked for October in Envoy on US as a result of UA MileagePlus miles. I recently found out I can't take that flight. Will US allow UA redemption tickets to be rescheduled?

@ Adam -- You can make a change till March 30, at which point US Airways is leaving the Star Alliance and you won't be able to redeem United miles for travel on US Airways anymore.

I am in somewhat of a pickle......By family has award tickets this where my boys branch off from us to Barcelona for 8 days.....Even flying back to SFO on Lufthansa......one of the boys has a camp counselor inteerview with one of the best summer camps I have ever seen....if selected he MUST be there on 16 June. His ticket is for 17 June. US Air says the ticket can't changed after March 30........he has pleaded to have his interview next week and then the real fun begins with trying to change the US Air ticket up two days where nothing other than a 3 leg flight is available on AC.........

Lucky, with the current US Air 100% buy miles promo, wondering what you think of speculatively picking up 100,000 miles at a good price? Worst case scenario, redeem for 90K North Asia trip, I figure...

@ Matt -- If you have the cash there's limited downside, in my opinion. I assume they'll give at least some advance notice before any potential award chart devaluation, so I'd go for it probably.

Technically US Airways is a subsidiary of American Airlines. When I talk with backoffice employees of US Airways they very regularly identify themselves as American Air representatives (while the caller ID says US Airways in Tempe), which is correct. Not surprising for the AA name being thrown around and keeping you on your toes.

Simple really - book DM partners with DM chart. Book one world partners via aa chart. No mixing.

I agree with Greg's interpretation, but not having an official statement in this announcement about award chart staying the same (which would have been a good time to communicate) is not encouraging.

I think Tom is right. After March 31;

use existing US DM chart for:
US metal, AA metal, select *A partners that US has ongoing relationships with (90K in J return to 'North Asia' via Europe possible)

use existing AA chart for:
new OW partners (50K one way to 'Asia 1' via Pacific only)

The one thing I'm most interested in is will USAir up their chairman's certificates for international travel to match AA's executive platinum.

Loosing the star alliance is devastating for anyone that travels to Asia regularly. For now, being a PHL based flyer, I'm going to EWR to fly United.

USAir did a poor job keeping the Chairman's preferred clients abreast of their plans. It will at least cost them the 50k a year I spend with them.