US Airways Is NOT Adopting the American AAdvantage Award Chart When It Enters oneworld

US Airways departs Star Alliance on March 30th, and enters the oneworld alliance on March 31.

They sent out an update message yesterday and linked to a page on their website that contained some confusing information.

Lucky pointed out this page about how the merger and transition to oneworld will change the US Airways Dividend Miles program.

And he noted in particular this section:

How to redeem

  • Check the American Airlines award chart to see how many miles you need to reach your desired destination.
  • Book award travel on American with your Dividend Miles on usairways.com or call 800-428-4322.
  • Miles cannot be combined between the Dividend Miles and AAdvantage programs to redeem flight awards.

The line, “Check the American Airlines award chart” seemed to suggest that US Airways award travel would be booked not based on its own award chart but would be starting to charge prices that match those charged by the American AAdvantage program.

That’s of interest because many awards are more expensive, and others less expensive, under the American program.

Especially of note is the US Airways business class award to ‘North Asia’ for just 90,000 miles roundtrip compared to 110,000 under the American program.

I don’t know anyone who thinks that an award ticket to Hong Kong is going to cost 90,000 miles in the future but the hope is that the US Airways award chart pricing will stay the same until the program goes away, folded into AAdvantage, and that we’ll be able to book Cathay Pacific business class awards for that 90,000 mile price once US Airways is a member of oneworld.

So does this line mean that the US Airways award chart is changing?

I reached out to American and here’s what they told me.

AA and US Airways will maintain individual award redemption charts at this time. Although the chart being referred to on the page is the DM Award chart for redemption on American Airlines, it can also be used to redeem awards ononeworld partner airlines. For all other travel, customers will continue to use the DM award chart.

In fact, clicking on the linked award chart which is for US Airways-booked award travel on American, or a combination of US Airways and American flights, it is not the American AAdvantage award chart and pricing is what you’ll find on the current US Airways Star Alliance award chart. Of note, the chart being linked to still shows ‘North Asia’ at 90,000 miles in business class (and 120,000 miles in first).

I’ve asked some followup questions. Several folks are out of the office, and I’m not sure yet who knows the answers to these questions. Although in any case we’ll know soon enough — in just 9 days — what’s going on by simply trying to book award tickets and seeing what happens.

  • Will US Airways be adding fuel surcharges to award tickets issued on British Airways and Iberia as American AAdvantage does?
  • Will US Airways Dividend Miles be adopting American AAdvantage ‘routing rules’ (what flights and routings can be used on an award ticket) at that time?
  • Will US Airways awards on partners that are not part of oneworld (such as EVA Airways, whose partnership continues for a few months) be combinable on award tickets with oneworld airlines [as American AAdvantage allows members to do with its non-oneworld partners]?

I’ll share any more news that I learn..


About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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  1. I wouldn’t have asked the first two questions as they may find the ‘error in their ways’ and find a way to fix it. We’ll all find out in a few more days.

  2. It was confusing but I assumed they meant the DM AA award chart not the AA AA award chart.

  3. @Mike – they are VERY MUCH AWARE of fuel surcharge issues, and of American’s routing rules issues. I can’t imagine US Airways awards on BA won’t incur fuel surcharges, and would be shocked if they impose new sets of routing rules given the computer programming involved..

  4. I would also like to know if US will block some oneworld flights in a similar fashion to the way they currently block star alliance carries. For example US currently blocks the majority of Lufthansa business class awards.

  5. Has anyone noticed the off-peak redemption option is gone from the chart? That’s a bummer

  6. Isn’t it the case that BA actually REQUIRES airlines to collect YQ on award tickets? Or is it simply the fact that they require someone to pay them, and because they’re so high all partners collect it?

  7. The transition is going to be ‘interesting’. The question about whether OW and other USAir partners being combinable is a question I’m waiting to be answered. I tried booking a NAsia via Europe 2 days ago and LH is impossible to get, the agent also told me at this late state UA, Air Canada, Brussels, Swiss, Austrian, are also not available. Essentially, USAir has defacto exited Star Alliance to a great degree.

  8. Gary-

    Equally important, will US adopt one way award in the manner AA offers them? [i.e. US one way award being 50% of the round-trip award price]

    Would love it you could find this out!

  9. We are on BOS-Mun-FRA-DUB LH flight in late May in Econ since Bus was like Casper and *A was not cooperating with us to make a reservation. Just hope LH and *A does not treat us like 5th class.

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