Jennifer

I have saved for years to go to Hawaii free with US Airways, and now they have dropped all of their partners and say I can not use my miles to go to Hawaii! The best they can do is fly me first class to Las Angeles, then I'm free to book my own flight to Maui from there. Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions on what I can do, if anything? I guess pray that I can get a really cheap airfare to Maui from LAX is all I can do? Anyone an expert on mile usage, I heard that if US Airways goes under, they have to transfer my miles, maybe I should pray for this?

Dan

Good news! Just today, USAirways announced plans for a codeshare partnership with United. You'll be able to go to Hawaii after all, probably USAir to LAX and then United to HNL.

USAirways is a long way from going under. First would be a bankruptcy reorganization, which can literally take years.

Dan

Didn't read your post correctly, Jennifer. I should have said "LAX to Maui" rather than HNL. I do realize they are two different airports!

Jennifer

Oh thank you Dan, there is hope, now only if it can happen before my trip in October of 2003, my 10 year anniversary, I've been saving for this trip FOREVER. thanks again

gail

I hope, for your sake, that what Dan says is true (no reason to believe it is not - just have not heard anything and my husband gets emails from them on all sorts of promotions because of the frequency of his travel with them). Many of us are having same concerns about accumulated US Airways miles - we hope to go to London next summer with 4 tickets, and hope we still can.

If US Airways goes under, there is no law, rule, regulation that says the "have to" transfer miles to anyone. The fine print in all the FF mile programs basically say they can change the rules to do whatever they want whenever they want. Obviously, in an airline with a future, it would be dumb to annoy their frequent travlers.

My best guess (and it is only that) is that if US Airways were to dissolve, if an airline bought them intact, they would transfer at least some miles. However, there is a real possibility that if the airline folds, it will be sold in pieces, and then all bets are off.

Jennifer

Gail, I just got off of usair.com, go under news and the July 24th press release is there to read. It looks really, really promising. As to the miles going away is USair goes under, I wasn't clear. All of my miles are on the $50 per year USairways visa card, therefore, a lawyer friend told me that since my miles are accumulated on the visa card, they can not "disappear". Usair must either pay me or transfer them if they go under. But, I am feeling better about this United thing, I'll hope for London for you!

FlyerTalkFan

This site may have a discussion of the ramifications of the codeshare:
http://www.flyertalk.com/

gail

Jennifer - Thanks, now I feel better too about our future trip. Now if the airline just stays flying for another year, we will both be happy. I really like the part about being able to add United miles to USAirways FF accounts.

Yaz

Gail, if all works as well as hoped it will be great for both carriers! I fly frequently to Amsterdam for work and am thrilled that I can now use Continental miles for travel on KLM!

Dick

Jeniffer,

I too have USAir miles that I earned through their Visa card.

I was under the impression that since the bank lived up to their end by depositing the frequent flyer miles into my account monthly...that they lived up to their obligation.

Did you tell your lawyer that the miles now appear on your frequent flyer statement?

I think your lawyer is wrong..the bank gave you the miles already. If USair goes under, you become (at best) an unsecured creditor. While another airline might, out of goodwill, transfrer your miles, I don't see you having any recousre.

If USAir goes out of business(which I don't think will happen any time soon), who would he sue?....you can't sue a company with no assets or hope of recovery.

Jennifer

Dick, You may be right. The lawyer was just a friend, he may be totally wrong. All I can do is hope that the United thing goes thru, use all of my miles to go to Hawaii, then cancel the card and save the 50$ per year on the annual fee. After I use all of my miles I don't care what happens, because it would take me years to build up a bunch again. If I can't go to Hawaii free, then I'll use my miles to fly to LAX first class free, at least I won't get stuck with miles I can't use.

perry

Jennifer, you better tell your "lawyer friend" to think about changing careers. In a bankruptcy declaration, a company essentially says, "WE CAN'T PAY OUR OBLIGATIONS."

So, exactly how do you "make" them pay you for FF miles when they have nothing to pay you with?

Maybe Shakespeare was right.

Jennifer

I don't think I'm hoping to get paid for the miles, I'm hoping that another airline will honor them, because it would be rare for USair to just disappear, more than likely another airline may take them over someday. It's all just speculation. It doesn't matter, If I get to go to Hawaii for free then it's a moot point. If I can't I'll use them all to go to LA, there isn't a chance that USair would go comepletely away by next year, and if they do, I'm wrong, oh well, It was just a discussion with a lawyer friend, without any research, no big deal

LA

It only becomes a big deal when you give out that type of (false) info on this forum and lead people to believe it's true ("A lawyer said ...")

Or, as the saying goes, it's not always about you.

Minni

Spoiled sport, it's just a conversation, nothing on Fodor's should be taken as fact, or in your case "the law", the post wasn't stated as fact, it was stated that she talked to a lawyer friend about the possibilities. She wasn't offering any legal advice by no means. Anyway, I don't know why I'm sticking up for her, but I get sick of every post I read getting ugly by the end, there's a reason they call it "chat", so sue me!

janetreno

Minni is right. Therefore:

My friend who used to work for USAir as a janitor told me that you can get double FF miles if the company goes bankrupt. So don't worry about losing your FF miles. In fact, my cousin, who washed pots and pans in the cafeteria at the Harvard Law School told me that if you have FF Miles and USAir goes bankrupt, you can make them give you a plane (but you have to provide the fuel).

Jennifer

Hey Minni and Janetreno - thanks for sticking up for me, - did I mention that my lawyer friend graduated from Mickey Mouse University with a minor in shoot from the hip answers? Next time I ask ANYTHING on Fodor's, I'll just stick to the facts, and leaving the chatting behind. Lord knows I wouldn't want to chat in a chat room!