USAir (3 threads combined)

[bUU]

I have read very little about Spirit Airlines, and since I've been really carefully reading the airline industry press over the last eight months, that seems to indicate to me that there isn't much reason to be concerned about them. By the same token, I didn't notice many indications in the press about Southeast Airlines before they ceased operations, so it could just be that I'm paying most attention to the airlines that I am most interested in, the legacy airlines.

 

A few things about Spirit Airlines are interesting. It is privately-held, so that's probably why we see so little news about them. There are no investors trying to gauge the stock's worth. Their recent press releases seem quite optimistic, for what it's worth. Unlike the legacy airlines, they're talking about adding service (but so is US Airways, from their new Ft. Lauderdale hub, so take that with a grain of salt).

[hdawson]

My suggestion if service is available within a reasonable distance, only book with airlines that are profitable. i.e. Southwest, AirTran and JetBlue. Of the legacys that are not making money, AA, Contenintal, Northwest and for now Delta seem to be a good short term to medium term option.

[pasto5]

After all the reading I have done at this site, I booked totally refundable tickets from Southwest. It will require a 3 hour drive to the airport if we need to use the tickets but I can sleep tonight. The tickets were $100/person that the ones I booked on USAIR but I can cancel them if our USAIR flight actually goes. I wanted to get them booked before this weekend as I know this can be a cruical one for USAIR. So thanks for the advice!

[waylook]

Thanks everyone. I booked a ticket on Spirit Air. If I don't use it, I only lose $50 and can use the credit at a later time. I've learned my lesson. Get your insurance immediately upon booking your travel plans.

[stillfrantic]

Provided we do get to get on our flight, do I need to take my children's passports for photo id for airport security. (This isn't for a cruise, just for the flight id) I looked around the US Air website and only see passengers need government issued photo id, doesn't say not for children (all are under 16 and do not have driver's licenses, but all do have a valid passport.)

[hdawson]

You can get the children a state issued photo id at the Dept of Motor Vehicles.

[stillfrantic]

If they have to have an id, the passport will work. Just didn't know if they are actually requiring kids to have photo identification.

[hdawson]

I wasn't sure you wanted to carry the passports for a domestic flight. Of course they will work.

[bUU]

Only passengers 18 years of age and older are required to have official identification, for domestic airline flights.

[stillfrantic]

Okay, so I won't need to bring the passports. While someone might be able to argue the oldest looked 16, there is no way he'd look 18. We're safe, and thus it will free up more space for me to take my list of other airlines to call for available seats if US Air goes under!

[ncdachsiemom]

I don't know what I am going to do...we have three seats booked on US Air for Feb 2...a day before our Feb 3 cruise....and we have extremely limited service out of here on any other airline. I thought all airline tickets now were non-refundable. Anyhow, my tickets are frequent flyer freebies....so I am really in a quandry!!! Guess I need to check getting out of Raleigh on American.

 

:confused:

[hdawson]

Hi neighbor. I'll be flying out of RDU on Feb 10th on AirTran to Tampa for my cruise on Celebrity Horizon. Have done it several times. I expect an announcement of a sale next week.

[ncdachsiemom]

Hi neighbor. I'll be flying out of RDU on Feb 10th on AirTran to Tampa for my cruise on Celebrity Horizon. Have done it several times. I expect an announcement of a sale next week.

Hi, I live in Wilmington, so our options are pretty limited....we are booked on the Galaxy out of Galveston....so guess I will start trying to book something else for a backup plan! I will check out AirTran...haven't used them before. Thanks!

[hdawson]

AirTran flys into Houston's Hobby. Their fleet is very young, nothing over five years old. If you tend to overpack you are allowed three checked bags, ea weighing up to 70 lbs. I'm sure you will enjoy the Galaxy. I've been on Mercury and Century. Looking forward to being on Horizon again. Have a great cruise.

[ncdachsiemom]

Thanks...I will check it out. I know I can get Delta out of Wilmington on the little puddlejumpers, but they are not very comfortable. We are looking forward to the Galaxy. I have never cruised Celebrity before....have been on RCCL, HAL, Princess, Norwegian, Epirotiki and Carnival. I am taking my parents for their 60th anniversary and we have booked a Sky Suite. I see you are from High Point....I lived there for several years after attending college there.

[kiefaber455]

My wife flew from Rochester to Raleigh this morning (thru Philadelphia I might add) on USAir and everything was as smooth as could be. Now, she didn't check any luggage so that could have added to the ease in which she flew. Let's hope things remain this smooth for eveyone that has to fly them. I am being a bit selfish as we fly down to Miami on the 23rd to sail on the Brilliance. I am more than happy to take my time getting back here, but I am in a hurry to get there.

[gina415]

We're flying USAir from State College, PA through Philly (ugh) to Orlando on Jan. 6 for the Sovereign leaving Port Canaveral on Jan. 7, returning on the 10th.

 

I've purchased Cruise Care from RCI, and I've read the docs "fairly" well, but I'm never very confident about reading legalese. Can someone affirm that, if USAir goes under, and we miss the ship, we will be reimbursed up to $500 of the cost of the cruise? If that's the case, I'll be sad that I missed the cruise, BUT, we are using free flights, and we paid under $500 for the cruise, so I'll be OK financially.

 

Right?

 

Thanks,

Gina

[bUU]

The reference to a $500 limit applies to anyone with CruiseCare insurance, using any air transportation by common carrier, made either themselves or through the cruise line, when there is a delay that prevents them from making the ship before embarkation, to cover accommodations, meals and "catch-up" transportation.

 

However, the coverage only applied as long as the airline delay was caused by covered reasons. The covered reasons are, "inclement weather, strike or other job action, or equipment failure of a Common Carrier; a traffic accident en route to a departure in which You or Your Traveling Companion is not directly involved; lost or stolen passports, travel documents, or money; quarantine; hijacking; natural disaster; civil commotion or riot." It does not include ceasing of operations or financial default.

 

Also, note that the coverage only is for catching up with the ship -- it isn't a partial refund of the cost of the trip.

 

To receive a refund for the trip, you must have suffered injury, sickness, death, hijacking, quanantining, ordered to court, some natural disaster or a traffic accident on the way to the port.

[DebMcMahon]

I think I'm in a "no-win" situation...........booked a cruise on Feb. 19 out of SJU through a TA, but booked the flight at USAirways.com because it was cheaper than the cruise air. I've been checking refundable flights for this date and ALL are over $1000 each.....double what we paid!! Since this is school vacation week, the majority of the flights are already sold out!! We seem to be stuck.........as everyone has said, the insurance is useless in this situation!! We are flying out of PVD.................any advice???

[bernman]

I posted this earlier:

 

I am not sure if this is the proper place for this information. I can't tell if the purpose of this thread is for solutions or not but...

 

I was concerned about the whole US Air thing, so I called my travel insurance company and they told me that if US Air goes belly up, they would not cover any loss on the airfare I spent because US Air was not on their list of airlines that are covered for financial default.

 

(This is not really a concern for us since the tickets were given to us for being bumped once before.)

 

They did say that our policy would reimburse the cost of purchasing new tickets up to $1000 pp under the Travel Delay clause in the policy.

 

We are very relieved.

I have confirmed this twice with the insurance carrier by 2 seperate reps. Each time I confirmed that US Airways is not on their "list" of financial default. They told me that because of that, they will not cover the cost of the original tickets. They said, however, they will cover the cost of new tickets to replace them. HTH.

[bUU]

Deb: I looked at it rather dispassionately. One: Can I afford to lay-out the money for the alternative airline arrangements (despite knowing I would get the money back if I didn’t need to use the alternative arrangements)? (For me, the answer was a bit easier, since our alternative arrangements were made with frequent flyer miles, not “real” money.) Two: Would I really be more satisfied paying all that extra money, assuming that the worst happened and I needed to use the alternative arrangements – more satisfied doing that instead of just canceling the trip and taking the loss for whatever I cannot get refunded to me? Three: How much risk am I willing to take on, with respect to whether I’ll really need to use the alternative arrangements, and with respect to how much the airlines and cruise lines would be willing and able to do for me out of their generosity, should the need arise?

 

Nothing is written in concrete. There are still several so-called "industry experts" who are predicting that US Airways will continue operating through the year. I wouldn't irrevocably consign the airline to oblivion quite yet. And even if they are destined to go under, it may not be this month, may not be next month -- may not even been until the late-Spring. There is lots to hang your hat on, if you choose to be optimistic and hope for the best. I've noticed that the press is being especially supportive this past week, trying to down-play the chances of the airline ceasing operations. That could only help their chances (though perhaps at the same time giving some a false sense of security).

[greatam]

I think I'm in a "no-win" situation...........booked a cruise on Feb. 19 out of SJU through a TA, but booked the flight at USAirways.com because it was cheaper than the cruise air. I've been checking refundable flights for this date and ALL are over $1000 each.....double what we paid!! Since this is school vacation week, the majority of the flights are already sold out!! We seem to be stuck.........as everyone has said, the insurance is useless in this situation!! We are flying out of PVD.................any advice???

 

I am seeing NON-refundable tickets for your dates (I popped in Feb. 18/19 and return Feb. 27/28) on Continental, Spirit, American from PVD or BOS to SJU in the $300-$350.00 category. Or a two airline, two stop-Southwest to FLL, American to SJU, fully refundable for $600.00. Only 4 seats left on the Southwest flight on Feb. 18.

 

If it was me, since you stand to loose the entire trip, I would book on one of the other airlines which will not go belly up by Feb. If US is still flying, it will cost you $100.00 or less to use the value of your tickets. If they are not flying, you will have paid for an extra airline ticket, but have at least not lost the entire trip.

[bUU]

Uh, not always. Our tickets on US Airways have a 50% penalty for changes, not the standard fixed penalty. It depends on how inexpensive the tickets were to start with. For us, our $260 roundtrip pp tickets would have a residual value of $130 each.

[greatam]

I posted this earlier:

 

I have confirmed this twice with the insurance carrier by 2 seperate reps. Each time I confirmed that US Airways is not on their "list" of financial default. They told me that because of that, they will not cover the cost of the original tickets. They said, however, they will cover the cost of new tickets to replace them. HTH.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I'd confirm that again.

 

The travel delay will be a result of "financial default" and that means "no coverage". You have phrased your conversation-"US goes down, I buy new tickets. My new tickets are reimbursed". In your scenario, the insurance carrier is paying for your airline tickets-no matter whose they are. You had to buy a second set of tickets, because the first carrier was in "financial default". I don't think you will be covered.

 

You also have the added problem of your original tickets being "free". FF tickets, bump tickets, voucher tickets are all treated by most insurance companies as "freebies" and are only given the change fee as compensation.

 

I bet you will have a really hard time with your claim, if it is needed. Please have Plan B in place, in case it is needed. Good luck!!!

[bUU]

greatam is correct. All the insurers I checked consider frequent flyer tickets as having a $0 value (their terminology), and therefore reimburse $0 for them if you incur a loss. I saw nothing in any of the insurance T&Cs I reviewed that discuss reimbursing for purchasing completely new tickets, but if there is such coverage I'd sure like to know what company to contact for it. Any references would be greatly appreciated.