[rumour] US to join oneworld as an affiliate before full AA merger

[smit0847]

Jumping off the back of several 'should I buy USDM on sale in anticipation of them sweeping to Aa at 1:1?' posts, I thought it would be interesting to see what people are doing, looking forward the next few years. Some may be maximising the *A benefits by booking as many trips as possible, while others may be storing up points for the sweep, or even abandoning USDM altogether to either invest in either Lifemiles or a completely different FF program with *A or OW.

I was very late to the party and haven't even taken my first USDM trip yet (I leave in 6.5 weeks) so haven't been able to extract some of the astonishing value some others on here have. To 'say goodbye' to USDM I simply decided to plan a trip where I could extract the maximum amount of value for the least amount of points and fortunately managed to somehow pull off this: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....dend-miles-post-your-33057-62.html#post804014

This is likely to be my last USDM trip as I already have my travel planned for the next 12 months but I'll be going out 'with a bang'. I have other simpler Asian trips planned over the next 12 months but have already booked one of these through LMs as I think they're great for simple Asian itineraries and are cheaper than USDM anyway (and you sometimes get special SQ J availability!). I find LMs unbelievably frustrating for anything other than simple itineraries but they're great when you're lucky enough to find exactly what you want.

Looking ahead, Im going to sit tight, wait and see. I don't have as much faith as others on here that the gravy train will be as good as we currently have it. I don't know as much about Aa as USDM but I have read countless complaints about the lack of availability on QF at least. I do wish I'd found out about USDM much earlier as I feel I've missed out on a fair bit but will certainly be ready to jump on Aa once and if it fits my travel needs (I have a very strong desire to travel CX and QR).

What have you done/changed/planned since the merger was formally announced?

 

[JohnK]

Re: USDM (eventually) becoming Aadvantage - what are you doing to prepare/maximise?

The biggest problem I see with AA is that it is Oneworld and out of Australia not easy to get premium awards on Qantas unless prepared to book a long way out.

I would have preferred if US DM had somehow stayed *Alliance.

For now I will not be purchasing any more miles unless a really good offer came along and I can make use of the miles before the merger.

 

[markis10]

Re: USDM (eventually) becoming Aadvantage - what are you doing to prepare/maximise?

Plenty of options last time I looked, love the South Pacific!

 

[casanovawa]

Re: USDM (eventually) becoming Aadvantage - what are you doing to prepare/maximise?

Doesn't it suck when you come to the party late... I only joined up here in what 2011 and can only read of some of the great offers that i missed out on (and on Flyertalk a bit), and i will miss this USDM program...

I have about 24,000 in one account and 100k each in a couple of other family accounts... I took one Oz-US-Eur-Oz J redemption last year and leaving in about 7 weeks for an Oz-Eur-US-Asia-Oz J redemption so that will be two redemptions i got out of this program... Would still like to take another one next year Oz-S. Am.-Afr-Oz in J but with LH seemingly unbookable after November that takes away a few of the routes to get to Afr (probab would like to go via Eur on the way there but may have to usee SAA both ways)

Apart from that no real plans to book anything, some cheap J redemptions for 30k to one of the pacific islands would've been nice but they don't seem to be on offer with ANZ anymore...

So if those miles i have sweep across to AA no real stress... I might at some point do another 50k+50k buy promo to stack back up with some USDMs prior to the AA sweep... I have gone and dipped my toe in the LM pond buying 10k+10k in the recent double promo, so with 20k i might try a redemption or two with them sometime soon as well...

That's my general thoughts...

 

[JohnK]

Re: USDM (eventually) becoming Aadvantage - what are you doing to prepare/maximise?

Doesn't it suck when you come to the party late... I only joined up here in what 2011 and can only read of some of the great offers that i missed out on (and on Flyertalk a bit), and i will miss this USDM program...

Off-topic slightly but I have been around here for a while and one of my biggest regrets is getting on the BMI bandwagon late. It was really simple to accumulate BMI miles via car hire and Hilton nights (not stays) but I am not making the same mistake again.

I am sending my very limited car hire and Hilton stays to Virgin Atlantic and I almost have enough for a one-way in upper class SYD-HKG by doing nothing different.

 

[serfty]

US expect to Join oneworld as an affiliate before AA merger is complete

US Airways expected to join oneworld alliance as affiliate member before American Airlines merger is complete » APEX Editor's Blog

US Airways expected to join oneworld alliance as affiliate member before American Airlines merger is complete

June 5th: CAPE TOWN: US Airways will likely be an affiliate member of the oneworld alliance before its merger with oneworld’s American Airlines is complete. The affiliate membership, as opposed to full membership, is driven primarily by branding and marketing simplicity.


The merger is subject to regulatory approval, expected soon after a 15 August hearing, American CEO Tom Horton told the APEX editor’s blog at this week’s IATA AGM in Cape Town. Within about 18 months of the merger closing, US Airways as a brand and operating license will disappear and the carrier will be integrated into American and its oneworld alliance.

...

 

[Danger]

Does that mean their flights could be used in a xONEx fare?

What is "*O"?

 

[Mwenenzi]

Does that mean their flights could be used in a xONEx fare?

I expect not for a xONEx, but may OK *GLOB* as with other airlines before that become full members of OW

What is "*O"?

Typo? Mix up of OW & *A ??

 

[Aussie_flyer]

never heard of oneworld referred to as *O....

Its *A for Star Alliance obviously but *O?

 

[serfty]

I expect not for a xONEx, but may OK *GLOB* as with other airlines before that become full members of OW

Typo? Mix up of OW & * ??

never heard of oneworld referred to as *O....

Its *A for Star Alliance obviously but *O?

Not at all - *O has been used in GDS's/CRS's to refer to oneworld since the late 90's. (*A came first to indicate Star Alliance, I presume *O was simply devised as a follow on).

Oneworld - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Timba-Jet]

I expect not for a xONEx, but may OK *GLOB* as with other airlines before that become full members of OW

My thinking/hope is as an affiliate they are part of the Oneworld network, just as Qantaslink and Dragonair are. They should be then eligible for all Oneworld products.

My main interests lies in how long left for us USDM Star Alliance award bookings..

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Not at all - *O has been used in GDS's/CRS's to refer to oneworld since the late 90's. (*A came first to indicate Star Alliance, I presume *O was simply devised as a follow on).

Oneworld - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks


...

 

[hummel]

My main interests lies in how long left for us USDM Star Alliance award bookings..

Something I'm interested in too! Got
100k sitting there but don't really have time to take anymore holidays in the next 12 months.

 

[Danger]

My thinking/hope is as an affiliate they are part of the Oneworld network, just as Qantaslink and Dragonair are. They should be then eligible for all Oneworld products.

My main interests lies in how long left for us USDM Star Alliance award bookings..

I agree. After reading the article that referenced Dragonair as a affiliate I thought the same. Dragonair flights can be booked as part of xONEx tickets, for example, so hopefully the same for US flights. That will make my next round the world a whole lot easier.

 

[serfty]

A post on the FT US DM forum by a US flight attendant indicates US employees were told that the plan is to have US in Oneworld by November 1 and for cross-codesharing to be in place within 10 days of merger closing:

The New American is Arriving (US and AA announce merger - MASTER DISCUSSION THREAD)

Originally Posted by flight62
From State of the Airline today.

Code share starts within 10 days of Day 1. That's all I have right now. How Star is effected was not discussed.

 

[serfty]

Some interesting (if Authentic) posts on the ft USair forum:

[The New American is Arriving (US and AA announce merger - MASTER DISCUSSION THREAD)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnonymousForProtection On the first full day after legal merger close (expected late August), US Airways can credit BOTH *A and AA FF numbers (one or the other, cannot attach both numbers to one PNR). After 11/01 US will be a member of OW and therefor making 10/31 the last possible day for *A accrual.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnonymousForProtection Good News! Beginning the very first FULL DAY of operations after legal close (expected late August) US lounge membership holders will be able to continue using *A lounges AND AA Admirals Clubs (no Flagship Lounge access just yet: ORD, LHR, LAX, JFK) Of course, all good things must come to an end. Effective immediately upon entering OW, US cards cannot be used for any *A lounge access from then on. This will be 11/01/2013.

 

[burmans]

Re: US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

Is November the confirmed date for when USDM miles will transfer to AA ?

Last I heard they hadn't even finalised regulatory approvals! Also the rumour was that US would join Oneworld as at that date, not that the miles would transfer to AA at that date. Not 100% beyond the realms of possibility there will be some sort of sunset period when you can get access to both *A and Oneworld but that is just idle speculation.

According to this article http://www.frequentflier.com/blog/with-creditor-vote-american-closes-in-on-us-air-merger/ it took United and Continental 22 months to merge their FF schemes. Given the poorly regarded US IT the date announced seems ambitous at best and a downright fantasy at worst.

 

[serfty]

Re: US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

...
According to this article With Creditor Vote, American Closes in on US Air Merger | FrequentFlier.com it took United and Continental 22 months to merge their FF schemes. Given the poorly regarded US IT the date announced seems ambitous at best and a downright fantasy at worst.

Regulatory approval is expected to be completed this month.

Relevant information (unconfirmed) I have come across is that US will become a *O carrier well before it is absorbed into AA. That is, fly a USair flight, credit to AA(/*O?).

Other information:

- Legal merger close is expected late this month. On the first full day after that US Airways passengers will be able to credit a flight to either a *A or an AA FF number (not both).

- As of November 1st, US will be a member of *O - this makes October 31 the last possible day for *A accrual/burn with DM.

Note, this is unconfirmed ...

 

[burmans]

Re: US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

Regulatory approval is expected to be completed this month.

Relevant information (unconfirmed) I have come across is that US will become a *O carrier well before it is absorbed into AA. That is, fly a USair flight, credit to AA(/*O?).

Other information:

- Legal merger close is expected late this month. On the first full day after that US Airways passengers will be able to credit a flight to either a *A or an AA FF number (not both).

- As of November 1st, US will be a member of *O - this makes October 31 the last possible day for *A accrual/burn with DM.

Note, this is unconfirmed ...

Maybe I'm cynical but I personally think getting all of those three outstanding approvals in a month is ambitous. I'm also a bit suspicious about the suggestion that a day after legal merger close they will have integration to be able to credit to an AA F number. That's a lot of IT work to have done on a deal not yet approved and frankly am not sure you could test it (would sending real live customer details accross to AA to test this out even be allowed for a deal that has not been approved by the court, its surely a breach of privacy to share my data with AA in the absence of an approved merger)?.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

Maybe I'm cynical but I personally think getting all of those three outstanding approvals in a month is ambitous. I'm also a bit suspicious about the suggestion that a day after legal merger close they will have integration to be able to credit to an AA F number. That's a lot of IT work to have done on a deal not yet approved and frankly am not sure you could test it (would sending real live customer details accross to AA to test this out even be allowed for a deal that has not been approved by the court, its surely a breach of privacy to share my data with AA in the absence of an approved merger)?.

why be suspicious? what does it matter? current thinking is, as serfty posted, the last day for redemption is 31 October. and if turns out to be wrong or delayed, so what? what's lost?