Carol

Does anyone have information from a valid source as to the fate of our frequent flyer miles if United goes Chapter 11 bankrupt? And if there is no more United, will the frequent flyer miles be valid on partner airlines such as Lufthansa?

xxx

Come on people, wake up!
An airline filing bankruptcy like United has changes nothing.
It's simply a way for them to buy time and financial leverage.

steve

I heard Tom Parsons of Bestfares.com on the radio Sunday. He stated that he knew of no instance where any frequent flyer miles have been lost in a bankruptcy where the airline contines.

Christina

I'm a mileage plus member and was sent a mass email from the United CEO last week that stated the miles would still be valid. Not much you could do otherwise...so why worry.

Jake

Carol
United Airlines filed for bankruptcy this morning at 6.08amCentral Time.They will NOT go out of business.Your miles are safe as those of millions of other United Frequent Fliers.

Adam Smith

I think they SHOULD go out of business. Let them fail.

How else are these corporate cronies going to learn the consequences of foolishly leveraging up their businesses in good times and expecting Uncle Sam to bail them out when times get tough?

I'm glad that my tax money isn't going to fund any more of their stupidity. They should have known better, done a better job of risk analysis.

RNC

Adam..with all due respect. I think 9/11 had a bit to do with the failure of United. I dont think all the risk analysis in the world predicted that one.

gordon

Their bankruptcy has everything to do the with bloated salaries and unproductive working conditions extorted by their unions and nothing to do with 9/11.

Adam Smith

Methinks that United was in trouble well before 9/11. Although 9/11 hurt Delta and Southwest as well, Delta's balance sheet is flush with cash and Southwest never lost profitablilty.

And although 9/11 in particular may have been unexpected, a 9/11-type incident should not have been. Perhaps if the greedy airlines didn't penny-pinch on security before 9/11 maybe the hijackers wouldn't have been a perfect 19 for 19 in strolling onto airliners with fake ids and nobody bat an eyelid?

xxx

Well said, Adam. I too was glad the gov't didn't fall for their business plan and bail them out. Let the free market sort out the winners and losers and the laws of supply and demand will determine airfares, not gov't subsidies.

RNC

Delta and southwest did'nt have planes flown into buildings. I agree they were in trouble before,but 9/11 put them over the top.

Rich

Great post. I agree, why do these corporate fat cats who screw up get a second chance on my dime?! If United went kaput, I'm sure that other, more successful airlines who don't depend on handouts would be happy to take over their routes.