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US Airways and American Airlines merged last year, and their frequent flyer programs will combine in 2015.
We don’t know quite what that program will look like or what its award chart will be, but Barclaycard seemingly confirmed one of my biggest hopes, that one way awards still be allowed for half the roundtrip price.
Currently American Airlines publishes a one way award chart. One way awards cost a certain price and roundtrip awards are double that price. US Airways publishes a roundtrip award chart. Roundtrips cost a certain price, and one ways are the same price!
American clearly has the more flexible and friendly rule, and we all hope that the New American has the same one way rule.
In mailings sent out to cardholders, first reported by One Mile at a Time, Barclaycard, the bank that issues the US Airways credit card seems to confirm that the New American will allow one way redemptions:
In 2015, the US Airways and American Airlines frequent flyer prorams will be integrated. Your card will become the American Airlines AAdvantage MasterCard® issued by Barclaycard and will offer new benefits, including:
…
Additional redemption flexibility
Enhance your award travel experience with redemption for one-way travel…
More Analysis of the Mailer and The US Airways® Premier World MasterCard®‘s New Benefits Is Here
That’s the first (semi-)official confirmation I’ve seen of what I long suspected and hoped.
Thumbs up, New American! Now, show us a good award chart for 2015, and show it to us with as much advance notice as possible.
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this didn’t even *need* confirmation
it’s almost like confirming that the new american will fly “planes”
or that the airline is not going to shut down its passenger operation to focus on its core “american way” magazine business.
didn’t even need to be said! 🙂
I would have been mighty surprised to see the New American roll back one way awards, but I consider the possible outcomes of the program integration more uncertain than you I guess.
I would agree that I certainly have always felt it likely the one-way awards would stay, I would also say my confidence in the New American to do the right thing is somewhere in the vicinity of zero. I take nothing for granted. If they announced tomorrow that all one-way awards are gone forever immediately, I would be severely disappointed, but not that surprised. After the way the made their significant changes a few weeks ago with no warning, I don’t see why some people still trust them. They have a looooong way to go to restore trust or deserve it. (Yes, I realize there are technical reasons that go beyond trust that also explain anticipations for how the program will evolve.)