Anyone have the US Airways Premier Mastercard?

[GrnMtnMan]

Sooner it is! I received a postcard/flyer in the mail over the weekend announcing the changes that are on the way:

In case the image doesn't come up, the things being *eliminated*:
-Companion certificate: you'll still get a new one in 2014, but that's the last one.
- Miles toward preferred status
- US Air club pass and discount
- First class check-in

There's a few "new" benefits listed, none of which look like a particularly special deal.

I'm guessing they're cutting the club pass and first class check-in because that's included in a $450 annual fee American card. Killing the companion pass is pretty much just a money grab as there's no comparable benefit with the AA cards.

ETA: ooops...didn't see that someone else had already received and posted on this. I think my picture is nice though...

2015 update to this discussion. My 'anniversary' is in January and I just recived a club pass and companion certificate good for flights in 2015. I wonder if this was added as a perk to keep customers happy, or if there was something in the fine print that made them obligated to continue the passes and certificates in 2015.....who knows.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Here's another way US Air has gone out of its way to make the companion pass more useless: the two $99 companion tickets are taken out of the lowest price fare class before the full-price ticket.

Here's the scenario: the flights I want are priced at $350 round trip when I search for one ticket. When I called to book, I was quoted $480 for the full price ticket. Agent said did I search for 3 passengers. I said no, because I'm using a companion ticket. Agent said that the two companions are taken out of whatever is the lowest fare class available, and full price passenger has to pay whatever is next lowest fare class with availability. Since my companions 'ate' the last two $350 fares, the next fare class available is $480.

Bottom line: its a common practice for airlines to keep one low price seat ticket available, so they show up as less expensive in search tools. Just don't expect to be able to pay that price if you want to use the $99 companions, since they will probably eat the cheap fare you initially see.

 

[MomToOne]

I got the card in December, but only because I knew the program was going to be absorbed into the American program and the 50,000 extra miles I got at the time was worth it. I want the AA miles, not the USAir miles, because I find them easier to book. I hate that USAir won't allow you to book one-way tickets with miles (well, they do, but they charge you the round trip miles price so it's a waste).

Note the companion pass either has gone or is going away with the AA merger. In some places it is reported that they stopped issuing them this past December, but I know they are still listed as a perk on the Barclay site and they say there they are good until Dec 2015, so I'm not clear on whether or not anyone applying at this point will get one - I personally have not received one to date, although I have met all the criteria. I'm not stressing over it because I would find it near useless anyway. To use it, all travel must be on USAir flagged aircraft, not a partner's. Most routes I would fly these days actually use one or more partner (such as AA) flights. It might work for you though if you live in and are going to cities heavily served by USAir.

I also have an AA credit card, so one or the other will get cancelled this year once my annual fees come due, because it doesn't make sense to pay double annual fees for redundant perks.

You do not receive the sign-up bonus miles until a few weeks after you pay your annual fee, which is on your first statement. Between waiting for my first statement to close, paying it, then waiting for the miles to post it took several months for me to see the miles.

If you want companion tickets to Hawaii, look at the Alaska Airlines credit card. As another PP mentioned, the USAir ones are valid only in the 48 contiguous states. The Alaska companion passes allow Hawaii bookings. But even then it will cost you more than $99 - the cost is actually $99 PLUS TAXES AND FEES. In a recent booking I made, with taxes and fees the cost was actually $145 for a direct Alaska flight from Oakland to Honolulu. Still a great deal, but not just $99.

 

[supersnoop]

I got the card in December, but only because I knew the program was going to be absorbed into the American program and the 50,000 extra miles I got at the time was worth it. I want the AA miles, not the USAir miles, because I find them easier to book.

Note the companion pass either has gone or is going away with the AA merger. In some places it is reported that they stopped issuing them this past December, but I know they are still listed as a perk on the Barclay site and they say there they are good until Dec 2015, so I'm not clear on whether or not anyone applying at this point will get one - I personally have not received one to date, although I have met all the criteria. I'm not stressing over it because I would find it near useless anyway. To use it, all travel must be on USAir flagged aircraft, not a partner's. Most routes I would fly these days actually use one or more partner (such as AA) flights. It might work for you though if you live in and are going to cities heavily served by USAir.

I applied at the end of January and was surprised when I received the companion certificate in the welcome packet.

 

[MomToOne]

The best deal out there right now is the Citi Executive Platinum card for 100k miles.

I'm assuming US Dividen miles will be converted to AAdvantage miles...but if it's a one to one swap is anyone's guess!

I haven't seen a 100K sign up bonus on the Citi Executive Platinum since mid-2014. Do you have a link?

 

[Angrypenguin]

I haven't seen a 100K sign up bonus on the Citi Executive Platinum since mid-2014. Do you have a link?

I posted that message back in May '14....

Boy would I love that deal to come back. Between my wife and I, we racked up 770,000 miles