Unlimited Free First Class Upgrades

[MarkMyWords]

US AIRWAYS DIVIDEND MILES PREFERRED MEMBERS TO RECEIVE
UNLIMITED FREE FIRST CLASS UPGRADES BEGINNING MARCH
2004

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 19, 2003 -- US Airways announced
today that with travel beginning March 1, 2004, all of
its Dividend Miles Preferred members will be able to
upgrade to First Class free when traveling in the U.S.,
Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, which is a
program currently offered only to its Chairman's
Preferred members.

Preferred members ticketed on full Coach fares (classes
Y, B, and U) are able to reserve upgrades subject to
availability any time before departure. Members
traveling on qualifying discount fares can reserve a
First Class seat according to their Preferred level.
Chairman's Preferred members can request an upgrade on
this type of fare at least seven days before departure.
A Gold Preferred member can request to reserve the
First Class seat three days before departure and a
Silver Preferred member can make the request one day
prior to departure. As always, any Preferred member
can upgrade one traveling companion.

Full information on these changes, as well as other
Dividend Miles Program terms and conditions, is
available online at usairways.com. Members also can
sign up for E-statements and they will receive new
information via E-mail, in addition to earning 1,000
bonus Dividend Miles for signing up.

US Airways is the nation's seventh-largest airline,
serving nearly 200 communities in the U.S., Canada,
Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways,
US Airways Shuttle and the US Airways Express partner
carriers operate almost 3,300 flights per day. For
more information on US Airways flight schedules and
fares, contact US Airways online at usairways.com, or
call US Airways Reservations at 1-800-428-4322.

 

[Colby]

Hey why not..... Remember all the Free upgrade employees got expire on December 31 2003.... I'm still trying to use my last one but everywhere I go is Express !!!!

 

[mbmbbost]

...and my final CP qualifying miles posted last night! Did an extra transcon last week just to make sure I was set.

 

[AKA_trvlr64]

How is this a positive thing? As a US1 that flies more than the 100 segments/100,000 miles a year to obtain my US1 status, I get to those unlimited upgrades. Now I get to possibly be displaced by a US 2 or 3 because they checked in before me? Or will my US1 status override theirs? I don't mean to sound elitist but I spend a lot of time on a US plane and the ranks of the US1 is oversaturated as it is with the preferred challenges that marketing provides once in a while.

I just don't get it.

 

[USFlyer]

How is this a positive thing? As a US1 that flies more than the 100 segments/100,000 miles a year to obtain my US1 status, I get to those unlimited upgrades. Now I get to possibly be displaced by a US 2 or 3 because they checked in before me? Or will my US1 status override theirs? I don't mean to sound elitist but I spend a lot of time on a US plane and the ranks of the US1 is oversaturated as it is with the preferred challenges that marketing provides once in a while.

I just don't get it.

Huh? I'm a US1 (flying in excess of 300,000 miles this year) and don't see how this is bad in any way, shape or form. The only thing that changes is that US2s and US3s no longer need e-upgrades. They've always been able to upgrade at time of booking on Y/B fares, and the upgrade windows are not changing for all other Coach fares.

 

[TomBascom]

This is a very good thing.

This should improve productivity by eliminating a lot of silliness in the background. No more tracking upgrade banks and handling complaints about them. That should allow people to spend more time performing higher value work.

It does not devalue the US1 upgrades except, perhaps, in that a US2 or 3 on a full Y who might have not spent an upgrade in the past will now potentially take inventory ahead of the US1's 7 day window -- but I can't begrudge that and don't expect it to have much impact.

This is an excellent customer relations move that should benefit the airline in multiple ways. Good job BBB.

 

[firstamendment]

How is this a positive thing? As a US1 that flies more than the 100 segments/100,000 miles a year to obtain my US1 status, I get to those unlimited upgrades. Now I get to possibly be displaced by a US 2 or 3 because they checked in before me? Or will my US1 status override theirs? I don't mean to sound elitist but I spend a lot of time on a US plane and the ranks of the US1 is oversaturated as it is with the preferred challenges that marketing provides once in a while.

I just don't get it.

Huh? I'm a US1 (flying in excess of 300,000 miles this year) and don't see how this is bad in any way, shape or form. The only thing that changes is that US2s and US3s no longer need e-upgrades. They've always been able to upgrade at time of booking on Y/B fares, and the upgrade windows are not changing for all other Coach fares.

Great news. I have always said if you want the biz travelers to come back to you, you gotta give em a reason to come back. Now how about lowering those ridiculous bix fares.

 

[ClueByFour]

How is this a positive thing? As a US1 that flies more than the 100 segments/100,000 miles a year to obtain my US1 status, I get to those unlimited upgrades. Now I get to possibly be displaced by a US 2 or 3 because they checked in before me? Or will my US1 status override theirs? I don't mean to sound elitist but I spend a lot of time on a US plane and the ranks of the US1 is oversaturated as it is with the preferred challenges that marketing provides once in a while.

I just don't get it.

Well, the current pecking order is:

Full fare can upgrade at purchase.

Discount fare goes 7/3/1 days out.

Day of departure: US1 then US2 then US3. Within a given status level, time of checkin breaks the tie. A US2 checked in at 3.30 for a 6pm departure beats the US2 checked in at 4.00, but they are both trumped by a US1 who checks in at 5.15.

Moral of the story? Check in online 24 hours prior. In my experience, time of checkin is what matters, not the time you asked to be added to the waitlist (nothing like bumping the guy who has been sweating it at the gate for 3 hours 45 minutes before the flight because you checked in yesterday online. Not a good way to make friends ).

As an aside, I don't believe that BBB has gotten any more customer friendly. I believe that they (US marketing) is very afraid of getting killed by the competition who either have done this (NW/CO) for years, or who are going to do it next year and announced as such last week (DL). US also lacked an E+/MRTC product (which is why UA and AA can get away with not offering unlimited upgrades).

I don't fly domestically a whole lot anyway, anymore. It might make dropping to Gold a bit easier to swallow, especially if they don't monkey with the qualification rules again.

 

[ringmaruf]

I think this is a good move. It clearly helps the US3's the most. As a US2, unless you're flying all transcons, you shouldn't run out of upgrades. Still, I think this does help the US2's somewhat, and, more importantly, it makes the US2's and US3's feel like they're wanted by this airline for a change.

 

[marco90821]

Exactly, it will be in preferred order as to whom obtains first class, it is a great system for US' best customers.

 

[deelmakur]

It just means Gold and Silver are no longer required to use earned certs, or pay extra. A last minute booking can be affected, by virtue of more inventory being used than before, however that is presumably taken care of by restricting the amount of seats available for upgrade. US 1 still bumps US 2, and so on. The real problem is the removal of seats (757 aircraft) and substitution of Express for Mainline on many routes.

 

[mbmbbost]

Now if US comes out with more reasonable unrestricted fares (upgradeable at time of booking), they'll make a lot of friends.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Given the management ability of our CCY nitwits, in 30 days they will then announce that USAirways will be moving to an all-coach configuration to compete with SWA and JetBlue.

 

[Colby]

NYC... Good one...For some reason I could see that happening !!!!

LOL CB

 

[ClueByFour]

I think this is a good move. It clearly helps the US3's the most. As a US2, unless you're flying all transcons, you shouldn't run out of upgrades. Still, I think this does help the US2's somewhat, and, more importantly, it makes the US2's and US3's feel like they're wanted by this airline for a change.

Maybe. Consider though that a silver who might have upgraded PIT-MSY because some golds decided to save some e-upgrades will not get it now, as all golds will upgrade.

I think golds benefit the most. Outside of monday and friday morning flights (particularly transcons), golds should be in pretty good shape.