Art at ISP
2008-02-14, 01:54 PM
Here is an email received from the morons at US Airways this morning:
Dividend Miles program changes
As part of our continuing efforts to provide valuable benefits to our frequent flyers, US Airways is making a change to our Dividend Miles program. We're making these changes to offset record fuel prices and rising airline related expenses while maintaining the benefits you've come to expect. Beginning May 1, 2008, Dividend Miles will award the actual number of miles flown rather than a minimum number of miles flown for each segment. Also, members who redeem miles for award travel within 14-days of departure on usairways.com will be assessed a quick ticketing fee. Here's a summary of the policy changes:
Accrual
Tickets purchased on/after March 1, 2008 for travel on US Airways on/after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown and will no longer earn a minimum of 500 miles per segment.
Tickets flown on partner airlines after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown.
Tickets purchased prior to March 1, 2008 will continue to earn the 500 mile minimum for travel after May 1, 2008. Accrual on flight segments greater than 500 miles in length are not impacted by this change.
Redemption
Members redeeming miles for award travel online within 14-days of departure will be assessed a quick ticketing fee of $50 per ticket.
A quick ticketing fee of $75 per award ticket will continue to apply for award tickets purchased from US Airways Reservations. Chairman's and Platinum Preferred members booking within 14-days (both online and by phone) are exempt from the fee.
Dividend Miles members still get award travel for as low as 25,000 miles. And, we offer the most generous Preferred upgrade windows in the industry. Earn miles when you fly to any of our 230 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. You can also earn and redeem miles to the nearly 900 destinations served by the Star Alliance.
Thanks for continuing to fly with US. Not likely.
So once again, US chooses to penalize their most valuable high yield customers, and they choose not to go after the leisure market, as UA did. While distasteful, UA's move at least tries to get more revenue from people who traditionally pay less. US instead has found a new way to screw their best customers--those who provide some of the highest yields in the system.
They just handed shuttle customers to DL on a silver platter. Remember--Shuttle fares range from $400 to $600 in most cases, and BOS-PHL is around $800 or more.
Based on the emails I have received and the protests we have already heard of, I think there's gonna be a S***storm of protest over this one....and I will bet they will have no choice but to rescind the change before it takes effect.
Just when one thinks they could not do anything more stupid, they surprise you......
Dividend Miles program changes
As part of our continuing efforts to provide valuable benefits to our frequent flyers, US Airways is making a change to our Dividend Miles program. We're making these changes to offset record fuel prices and rising airline related expenses while maintaining the benefits you've come to expect. Beginning May 1, 2008, Dividend Miles will award the actual number of miles flown rather than a minimum number of miles flown for each segment. Also, members who redeem miles for award travel within 14-days of departure on usairways.com will be assessed a quick ticketing fee. Here's a summary of the policy changes:
Accrual
Tickets purchased on/after March 1, 2008 for travel on US Airways on/after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown and will no longer earn a minimum of 500 miles per segment.
Tickets flown on partner airlines after May 1, 2008 will earn the actual number of miles flown.
Tickets purchased prior to March 1, 2008 will continue to earn the 500 mile minimum for travel after May 1, 2008. Accrual on flight segments greater than 500 miles in length are not impacted by this change.
Redemption
Members redeeming miles for award travel online within 14-days of departure will be assessed a quick ticketing fee of $50 per ticket.
A quick ticketing fee of $75 per award ticket will continue to apply for award tickets purchased from US Airways Reservations. Chairman's and Platinum Preferred members booking within 14-days (both online and by phone) are exempt from the fee.
Dividend Miles members still get award travel for as low as 25,000 miles. And, we offer the most generous Preferred upgrade windows in the industry. Earn miles when you fly to any of our 230 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. You can also earn and redeem miles to the nearly 900 destinations served by the Star Alliance.
Thanks for continuing to fly with US. Not likely.
So once again, US chooses to penalize their most valuable high yield customers, and they choose not to go after the leisure market, as UA did. While distasteful, UA's move at least tries to get more revenue from people who traditionally pay less. US instead has found a new way to screw their best customers--those who provide some of the highest yields in the system.
They just handed shuttle customers to DL on a silver platter. Remember--Shuttle fares range from $400 to $600 in most cases, and BOS-PHL is around $800 or more.
Based on the emails I have received and the protests we have already heard of, I think there's gonna be a S***storm of protest over this one....and I will bet they will have no choice but to rescind the change before it takes effect.
Just when one thinks they could not do anything more stupid, they surprise you......