What's going on with USAir?

[imamicki2]

I swear I thought I heard USAir is in trouble or something on the news update on the radio, but didn't catch the whole thing. Then I saw USAir on the news ticker the other day and didn't catch what it was saying about it? Anyone hear anything?

 

[safetymom]

US Airways is on the verge of declaring bankruptcy again. They are in negotiations with their pilots for pay cuts.

A great source of information is www.flyertalk.com Go to airline forums, then USAirways.

Nothing to worry about at this point with tickets.

 

[DebbieB]

Interesting article in the paper this morning. I think alot of it is posturing in order to get the unions to agree to more concessions. I don't know if I could stay on a job where they keep reducing pay and benefits. How much more can these people give back?


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04239/368025.stm

 

[imamicki2]

My fear is that I will be all packed and ready to go and for some reason the airline will go bankrupt and I won't be able to go.
What exactly happens if this should occur? I have a feeling I wouldn't get a refund, huh?

 

[jcemom]

safetymom, you're so great at keeping us all informed on the airline issues, thank you! I'm worried about them also *AGAIN!* (I just went through this last year) because I'm planning another February trip. I haven't bought my tickets yet because as of now their prices are outragous, but I'm afraid to buy them even if the prices drop!

 

[safetymom]

If you pay with a credit card and the airline goes bankrupt you can get your money back.

If everyone starts buying on other airlines because of speculation then US Airways will really have problems.

I wouldn't start staying away from them. I am a preferred flyer with them and I don't have any problems with buying tickets for future flights with them.

 

[DebbieB]

So many of the other airlines are in bankrupcy already. I believe United is still in bankrupcy and Delta just filed.

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by safetymom
If you pay with a credit card and the airline goes bankrupt you can get your money back.

I didn't know that! Thanks again for the information. I've still got to keep my eye on the fares. The last I checked AirTran was the lowest at 215, but I don't think they assign seats. USAir's lowest fare was 280--too high for me.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by DebbieB
So many of the other airlines are in bankrupcy already. I believe United is still in bankrupcy and Delta just filed.

United is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which allows court-supervised financial restructuring and protection from creditors. Delta is still struggling to avoid Chapter 11, but Delta may lose that struggle. ATA is also facing the possibility of Chapter 11, as losses mount and cash reserves dwindle. American was on the brink of Chapter 11 a year or so ago, but was able to cut costs sufficiently to avoid Chapter 11 -- but they're not out of the woods yet.

Some analysts have said that if US Airways files for Chapter 11 again, it could lead to a shutdown and liquidation of the airline, rather than just financial reorganization.

 

[CarolA]

Somewhere on this board is a post I did on some information on what happens if your airline goes bankrupt and quits flying

Basically you have a few options. If you bought with a credit card and there is a while before your flight file a claim and buy a new ticket. If it is close to your flight all other airlines must honor the ticket on a standby basis and can only charge you an additional $25.

Personally I wouldn't worry.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I've pretty much decided to avoid US Airways at this point. After they gave up their commitment to Pittsburgh, the airport that had to be custom built FOR them, and after keeping PIT fares so high for years, it's time to support the other airlines that serve Pittsburgh (whether it be Delta or American, AirTran or Independence). PIT FF loyalty is really not on US's side anymore, and I'll be happy when they fully-transform into their limited PIT service schedule. But, then again, it's just my opinion.

 

[jcemom]

Unfortunately...Delta's lowest-priced flight is 277. right now and requires a change of planes in Atlanta, American wants 388. with a change of planes in Chicago, the only way to get from PIT to MCO with Independence Air is to go through Washington/Dulles AND Knoxville!!! AirTran is coming in with the lowest rates at 215. but they don't give seating assignments and I really hate that! The way I see it, choices out of PIT are VERY limited, but there just isn't much I can do about it. I'm not close enough to anything else to even consider flying out of another airport. I'm almost two hours from PIT as it is.

 

[safetymom]

Air Tran has assigned seats. At least I did on a recent flight.

 

[Donalds_best_pal]

Hi Everyone,

I am on FlyerTalk and airliners.net all the time and fly a lot, mostly delta. Besides keeping on disney I keep on the airline industry. From what I gathered from a phone message from the CEO and online if US Airways declares Chapter 11 again which they more then likely will if the pilots dont agree to another pay cut; US Air will be shuting down and will be liqudated. So unfortunately the outlook is grim for US Air but we will see. There are numbers given to share holders of airlines that feature special updated messages from the ceo of the airline. I dont know them by heart but if anyone wants them its intresting to hear the message since a lot of the stuff isnt heard on the news or anything.You dont have to be a share holder you just need to toll free number. If anyone wants it let me know. Just so everyone knows Delta hasnt declared bankruptcy but maybe in the future but they more then likely will full though like united probably will. We will have to see what the future brings us. Anyone once those numbers let me know.

Have A Disney Day,
Matt

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by safetymom
Air Tran has assigned seats. At least I did on a recent flight.

I probably "said" that wrong. They assign them at check-in was I guess what I meant, where USAir assigns them when you purchase your tickets. Not a huge deal I suppose, but I'm one of those who likes everything "taken care of" as far in advance as possible. (Yes, I do drive my DH crazy.)

 

[safetymom]

My seats were assigned before the flight.

 

[jcemom]

Originally posted by safetymom
My seats were assigned before the flight.

I'll be sure to call them and ask! This is what their website says and what I was going by as I've always flown USAir:

Lowest Coach
*Lowest Available Fare.
*Seat Assignment at check in.

Coach Advance Seating
*Lowest fare with advanced seat assignment.

Could you have had the Advance Seating ticket? It costs 439. as opposed to the 215. for Lowest Coach!

 

[DebbieB]

With AirTran, I believe you can online check-in 24 hours prior and select seats. The hotel may be able to help you for the return trip if you don't have a computer available.

For anyone who has flown PIT/MCO on AirTran, do they usually fly close to full? They must be doing fairly well because they added an additional non-stop in both directions effective in November. They added an early morning to MCO and an evening return (their current 9:00am return isn't my first choice by far).

The USAir/Pittsburgh situation is sad. It kills me to read that people are getting $58 roundtrips from Philadelphia and I can't get under $260 with them. For $58 I would be down there for weekends pretty often! What is even more sad is the number of people in the Pittsburgh area who have or will lose jobs.

 

[safetymom]

The low fares out of Phila aren't going to help USAirways either. They are losing money on those flights but they are trying to keep up with Southwest.

I think it is so sad when you walk through PIT and it looks like a ghost town compared to a few years ago.

I flew through PIT a couple of weeks ago and it seems even quieter than a few months ago.

It is still one of the best airports out there.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We are booked on AirTran over the X-mas holiday. I'm sure those flights will be packed full. I'll be sure to write up a full report on them.

We booked the lowest available fare, for $220 (it's now up to, I believe, $580). We did not get seat assignments, so I hope we can get seats together. I'd tempted to try to get the $35 upgrade to business class, so hopefully they'll have some room the day of the flight.

Did anyone else see that AirTran added a Saturday-only non-stop flight to Fort Lauderdale? Flight #999 departs PIT at 10:12AM, arrives in FLL at 12:52PM. Flight #998 departs FLL at 1:30PM, arrives PIT at 4:10PM. I wonder if we'll see them resume discontinued serivce to MDW, LGA, and PHL; possibly even service to RSW, LAX, DFW, PBI, etc.