Gardyloo

American and US Airways are expected to announce their merger tomorrow.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/aadvan...0-am-tomorrow/

I'd say Happy Valentine's day but I'm not so sure this marriage will involve much love. Time will tell.

111op

Any thoughts if this will affect AA award travel? I haven't followed these things too carefully, but it appears in the past that mergers are typically non events when it comes to FF miles.

I guess it's a little too late to worry about this even if it does affect award travel....

Gardyloo

My opinion and $6 will buy you a pint of beer; it's way too early to know what will happen on that front. I imagine it will take at least a year, and probably closer to two, before things can be said with much finality. Parker and Horton have both said the AA brand would remain and that once merged AA will stay in Oneworld; beyond that all is hidden.

Personally I'm sitting on a couple hundred thousand US miles that I plan to use while they're still in Star; for some trips US miles are way better than AA's (e.g. round trip US < > South Africa for 110K miles in business class vs. 150K for AA, and more availability).

AAdvantage (AA's FF program) is way bigger and older than US's, so I expect that too will survive; however things like elite status levels, elite upgrades, etc. - whole 'nother thing.

Overall I'm not nearly as unhappy about this as many AA flyers; I've ridden US a little in the past couple of years and have had no issues whatsoever with them, aside from one meal in first class that I think was salvaged from the Titanic.

111op

Interesting, thanks. I rarely fly US Airways except for the shuttle, and when I do I put my miles on United (formerly CO).

I've rarely managed to upgrade domestically on AA. But I've had some good luck with complimentary upgrades on Cathay Pacific. Perhaps I should be a little more aggressive using my AA miles just in case.

Rastaguytoday

Seeing the merger coming, unfortunately, I have recently spent 200k miles on two business seats to Europe. They should hold through the summer.

I just hope my lifetime gold stays valid.

Gardyloo, taking your advice from 6-8 months ago, I deliberately am flying AA to/from Europe.

Fees for AA through LHR are $460, fees for BA through LHR are $1,100 per person.

rkkwan

Seriously, why would anybody worry about their AAdvantage points? It's the larger of the 2 current FF programs and the combined carrier will stay in oneworld, meaning there's will be zero affect in the short- to medium-term. Longterm, it will depend on the new management led by Doug Parker which direction they will lead to.

Those with a lot of Dividend Miles have much bigger concern if they spend a lot of their miles on partners. First, they'll be switching from *A, so eventually they won't be able to use them on UA and other *A partners. And if they fly a lot to Europe, they'll have to pay the high fees if and when flying BA.

Gardyloo

<i>And if they fly a lot to Europe, they'll have to pay the high fees if and when flying BA.</i>

True enough, although one of the good things about AA taking over US's routes is that the number of "AA" transatlantic seats will bump up nicely, with service to a number of cities not currently served by AA, including Amsterdam, Munich and Brussels, not to mention AA metal to Tel Aviv. So there will be more alternatives to Willy's baksheesh.

However, if memory serves, Lufthansa also charges big YQ (fuel surcharges) on redemption flights.

rkkwan

When looking up IAH-FRA using MileagePlus, fees and taxes are about the same when using LH or UA for the trans-Atlantic legs. ~$130-140.

As for more choices for flying across the Atlantic after the merger, who knows what Doug Parker think is the better way. Maybe they will decide like what AA used to think, and will only fly PHL- CLT- and PHX-LHR? Time will tell.

J62

I see this as good news for me. I used to fly AA frequently, and have a lot of AA & BA miles. (Un?)fortunately I no longer live close to an airport that AA serves, but USAir does.

laurie_ann

Announcement made overnight. More details about combined airline at www.newamericanarriving.com. Any thoughts for us AA frequent flyers about ease of connecting to Europe through PHL? (I have flown to PHL as a destination some years ago and thought it was one of the oldest and most decrepit US airports I had been to except perhaps the AA section of LGA.)

Dukey1

Laurie_ann, take a look at your OTHER thread...there's no need for two

sf7307

My daughter connected through Philadelphia SFO-PHL-AMS (on US Air) just yesterday. I'll ask her.

Rastaguytoday

I, and all the AA FF users got the usual email(s) assuring us that nothing will change with the merger.

All benefits stay, including lifetime elite status.

It's the basic placating email promising almost a pot of gold at the end of the merger.

Mara

Please forgive this dumb question - I am hoping you will be gentle...lol...
I am currently an AA FF club member - but with two AA credit cards there is not much I can do to get a lot of miles other than using the cards for my day to day expenses, etc.

I read an idea and want to know your opinion - if I get a US Air cc, I will get a bonus of quite a few thousand miles - if they just sit in the account there as I don't really fly that airline, will they eventually become joined with my AA account?
Thanks!

Gardyloo

<i>I read an idea and want to know your opinion - if I get a US Air cc, I will get a bonus of quite a few thousand miles - if they just sit in the account there as I don't really fly that airline, will they eventually become joined with my AA account?
Thanks!</i>

Most likely that will be the case, but it's too early to know how the two FF programs will be merged/aligned. But in previous mergers that's exactly what occurred. Remember, however, that you need to do something with your account - add miles, redeem miles, buy some flowers, whatever - every 18 months or so in order for the miles to remain. So if the US/AA merger takes longer than that (some have) you don't want to run the risk of the miles expiring.

Mara

Thanks so much, Gardyloo - yes, I would be using the card to make purchases....and will read the rules even the tiny print...maybe it's just me but it seemed too easy...lol....

mrwunrfl

I read that US DM changed the award redemption levels recently without giving notice. Was that to align with AAdvantage? I assume not and that DM is less generous.

Gardyloo

US did change some award levels last week; the one that got the most guff from DM members was the removal of "off-peak" business class to Europe for 60K miles RT.

US is, generally, less generous than AA, in particular the absence of one-way awards (whereas all AA's awards, including on partners, are one-way.) However there are some major exceptions, particularly using their Star Alliance partners. For example business- and first-class redemptions to Africa are <i>much</i> cheaper using DMs than with AA, not to mention there are so many Star Alliance members that fly transatlantic and to Africa and Asia compared to Oneworld.

But overall I think AA has the edge on mileage programs. But I wouldn't expect any movement on the integration front for months and months, maybe more than a year.