Non-refundable really meaning non refundable!!

US2

Member
Aug 20, 2002
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www.usaviation.com
Not allowing discount fares to count toward Preferred status is going to cost you a LOT of frequent flyers, if this rumor is in fact true. This rumor will also cause a lot of consternation over at the FlyerTalk board!! I'm hoping that this is an incorrect rumor.
 
And here's the other confirmation (also from usairways.com):

Non-refundable fares for US Airways domestic, Caribbean, US to European and US to Canadian destinations, must now be used or changed by the ticketed travel date and time, and will have no value beyond this date.

Depending on fare purchased, and subject to applicable fees, customers may make changes to non-refundable fares. Changes must be made prior to the departure of each ticketed flight segment. If not, the ticket has no further value.
 
I've been hearing rumors that something big is going down on Tuesday. Maybe this is it?!
 
Wow... I just heard tonight that a posting came out around 10pm that nonrefundable tkt are really going to mean non refundable... no more changing. Also heard H Q V K class fares are no longer going to accumulate perferred milage. Anyone hearing anything more on the subject?
 
Yep, absolutely correct:

"Effective January 1, 2003, Dividend Miles members will not receive miles or segment credit toward Preferred status for tickets purchased in H, K, V, Q and L nonrefundable fare classes."

Before we get too upset, though, let's see what else happens. It's only a matter of time before the pricing structure is revamped, so this might not be as bad a change as we're all thinking.
 
In discussing this with a co-worker, we realized both of these policies put a huge squeeze on business travelers. Basically, if we do not buy a refundable ticket (or one of the higher priced nonrefundable B or M tickets), we don't earn Preferred mileage/segments nor can we use the ticket at a later date if we don't travel. I'm thinking there's more to this, like a new pricing structure. Again, the rumor I heard was something "HUGE" was going down this week, and neither of these policy changes are necessarily huge in isolation or together.
 
I seriously doubt that US would do anything like that to their best customers. After all we are the ones keeping them afloat.

I do hear rumors of service changes on ultra low fares ie. priceline etc.

It just doesn't make sense to hurt the best customer...but then again when did anything in the airline business make sense?
 
The discount fare part is true, according to the website, which says that the change will take effect on January 1. This is sad, because you are going to lose my business by doing this and I've been a happy customer over the years. I hope that management will reconsider...
 
Anyone who has been around over 10 years will remember there was a similar policy around 1990 with having to change/use non ref tkts before the intended date of travel..I don't remember the exact details from back then but it sounds like they're resurrecting this policy.Of course this will change again as the complaints start mounting.
As for the discount tickets not eligible for preferred miles, I am guessing the other carriers will likely follow suit as they did when US initiated the stopping of 10pct sr fares . U seems to be an industry leader all of a sudden. Threatening to take business elsewhere just might not do any good. Besides which, most US 1, 2, and 3 miles are accrued using Y B and M type travel anyway, right??
 
They must be very confident about their ability to attract more full fare business than they have historically gotten. As far as I have observed (I'm US1), this airline has not had a great deal of inventory pressure on FC seats. Indeed, if one reads these threads, it would seem that lower level elites do better obtaining upgrades than their counterparts on other carriers. If this thing sticks, it will likely be seen in retrospect as one of the more thoughtless marketing changes an airline has ever performed. Continental tried it several years ago, with the result that there was a management change, and the policy was rescinded. If nothing else, they can regulate access to seats and upgrades by controlling inventory, and accomplish the same thing without offending longtime customers. On the other hand, since not much goes on in this business in a vacuum, perhaps they are all planning to do it. US better hope so, because this carrier can ill afford to offer less. I will stop short of using the word "betrayal", but springing a change like this as a footnote in some boilerplate on the website is, at best, shortsighted. As a matter of form, it certainly lacks class
 
Whats truly hysterical , to the point of wetting my pants, and assuming U stays solvent, (thats a big IF)... is that the 6.50 an hour "hopeful replacement agents" will be dealing with the backlash of these and other corporate changes within this topic..How long do you think newly hireds Fidel Vasquezo,Lumpy Rutherford,or Pinky Tuscadero will stay on the job when challenged infinitely by such lunacy and no educated or mature background in cust svc. to quell the masses?
Keep digging your graves CCY.As always I humbly bow to your smart business practices.[:praise:]
 
As for the discount tickets not eligible for preferred miles, I am guessing the other carriers will likely follow suit as they did when US initiated the stopping of 10pct sr fares . U seems to be an industry leader all of a sudden. Threatening to take business elsewhere just might not do any good. Besides which, most US 1, 2, and 3 miles are accrued using Y B and M type travel anyway, right??
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I dunno. I fell to US3 this year, but due to some newfound personal business on the west coast, I usually buy/fly two transcons a month (above and beyond anything for work) on V/K fares. I might blow thru US1 sometime next month if work travel remains solid.

US will lose this business promptly upon the expiration of meaningful status. I'll also start moving personal and work travel elsewhere, because even at work we (and lots of other folks) are starting to buy advance purchase tickets where it is possible. These two moves kill all hope of being able to do that.

I might also point out that it would make very little sense for, say, AA or UA to follow this move. As a US2 (past and present), I have a higher upgrade hit rate than some 1ks and Exec Plats on UA and AA respectively. As a US3, I have a much higher hit rate than I do as an AA Plat. Ergo, it is worth more in tangible benefits (and hence, presumed costs to US) to be elite than some of the other majors. However, without these benefits, to a very real degree, I (and, I suspect many other VFFs) will run to the larger network carriers, so that our (non-status) miles can get us to Hawaii, Singapore, etc.

This is a royally, and I do mean ROYALLY stupid move on US' part.
 
New management motto.."If we can s-*-*-t on the employees , we can do it to our customers too"..As has been said a 1000 times before, its not the working stiffs ruining the airline, its the management. Just the bad press alone, both new and recent, is potentially costing 1000's if not millions of lost revenue daily. Good job Seagull...Pleeeeeeze, Just FLY FLY AWAY!
 
Seems to be alot on confusion going on... Yes most of this is true however it is still very new.. I think everyone should get a little more details on the changes b4 posting things on here......Correction on the mileage....MEMBERS WILL EARN FULL DM MILEAGE CREDIT HOWEVER..SEGMENTS WILL NOT COUNT AS CREDIT TOWARDS PREFERRED STATUS .... SEGMENTS WILL ONLY COUNT IF YOUR TRAVELING ON Y, B,OR M CLASS FARE. Seems like we are becoming Southwest.. Think this is what the Public wanted... They are not looking for customer service just give me the the lowest fare you can possible give.. Well Surprise they come with SEVERAL restrictions!!!!
 
What were they smokin'....do they not realize we need to be consumer friendly..we are in Bk...or have those above the front lines forgotten...no value if not rescheduled before ur orig dept date..let's just transfer the customers to SouthWest..what were they thinkin'.....I can understand the no standby ..let's take the money...but the other is absurd...