A question about the reliability of USAirways...

[Justjayce]

I love this question - hey I booked this ticket already - now tell me how reliable they are. No offense intended :)

 

The airline wants to make sure your bags get there. US has done a great deal over the last 2-3 years to improve their baggage handling. The star alliance connection from UA to US should not be a problem, they do that stuff every day. Also looking at your 3 letter city codes you do not have any that could be confused with another major city (my parents bags to LAS vegas went to el SALvador once because they looked at the tag wrong). If the weather is good and all your flights are on time or reasonably so I think you will be fine.

[elena7seas]

There was a time when I dreaded flying US Airways; be it to catch a ship or on business.

 

However, I have seen a substantial improvement. Their on-time performance is better and the condition of their aircraft has gone from dirty and worn to clean and habitable. Most of the planes have been reupholstered with leather seat covers. The between-flight policing of litter is markedly better tha it was say one year ago.

 

Ever since deregulation, airlines have been flying their fleets to the max. Plane changes have now become commonplace where non-stop service used to reign. I often fly from Philadelphia to the west coast. I recall well the plethora of non-stops once available. And while some remain, there are a whole lot more that require changing to a second aircraft.

 

You can have a bad flight with any airline. It does not matter one single hoot if the airline has a 99% on-time performance record should your flight go haywire and you miss a connection or, heaven forbid, a ship's sailing.

 

Th recent blizzard served as a vivid reminder of the domino effect that occurs when a plane scheduled for several different flights in a single day is knocked out of rotation. Airlines rarely have a spare airplane waiting on the tarmac to take waiting passengers to their destinations when an incoming plane is delayed or cancelled.

 

It does seem that several cruise lines book a high number of passengers to fly US Airways. I can only guess that this is due to US Airways giving them a better price than competitors.

 

We are seeing more and more customized air options by the cruise lines. Celebrity's Choice Air is a good example. And it is no different than paying more to eat in a ship's specialty restaurant.

 

Pay the price and you can have whatever you want. What used to be included in the fare as "standard" might no longer be to your liking.

 

Not meaning to drift off-course, I reitereate that I have lost my hesitancy to fly US Airways based on the improvements I have experienced.

 

 

Thanks NJ Fred. This is helpful information.

[elena7seas]

With two connections, including one interline (albeit Star Alliance partners), the odds of a missing bag do go up a bit... you'll probably be fine, and as NJ Fred says, things can go right or wrong with any carrier. As an alternative, you could drive across the border to Blaine ahead of time, and send your bags via FedEx/UPS to your hotel in Miami. You'd have to make sure the hotel can accommodate this, or see where you could pick up the bags. Not sure if this is the best option, maybe others can chime in, but perhaps it's worth looking into.

 

Thanks. I have thought of this before, but based on the replies on this thread, we're going to take a chance on the airlines, since we are arriving two days before the cruise. I'm thinking we have a 50/50 chance and oh well, I need some new clothes and there are good shops in Miami...;)

 

We too were nervous to fly US Airways on 12/2 but had no problems at all. Cincinnati to Charlotte to San Juan was on time with smooth flights and our luggage got there with us. On the other hand, our friends had left the day before because AA had changed them from 2 to 3 flights to get to San Juan from Nothwest Arkansas. They had plane trouble in Dallas/Ft. Worth and had to switch planes. Needless to say, their luggage did not get switched. When we got to San Juan and knew they still didn't have their luggage, my DH mentioned it to our skycap who took him to the AA lost luggage area. They managed to find their luggage and we got to take it to the hotel with us. Let's just say we all spent a more restful pre cruise night knowing we all had our luggage.

 

Our return flight was through Philly and all went well. Of course, the weather was good which kept everything on time.

 

Good for your DH. I bet your friends bought him a drink!

 

I have not flown them in a year or two now, because I moved and they are not as available for non-stops for me anymore, but I used to fly US Air at least monthly if not more often. I never lost a single bag, rarely had a flight delay, except out of Philly, but that is Philly, not US Air. In fact, I have never left on time from Philly. I do not like Philly - the airport not the city;) Good luck. I am guessing you read horror stories related to the huge storm right after Christmas. Do not let that scare you. It was horrific everywhere in the northeast US and even the southeast to a lesser extent on every airline. People were still trying to get out this weekend from the previous weekend.

 

My priority when booking this itinerary was to not have a change of plane the north or northeast. So I put the luggage issue up against the weather issue. Hope I made the right choice. :D

[elena7seas]

IMO we do not use USAIR. So much so , that I am supposed to fly with them tomorrow BUF>PHL>MCO and decided to just book another flight to tonight. They changed my flight 5 times in 2 months. I orignally booked this ticket a year ago for a flight to bermuda, and this flight too, was changed 3 times, twice with different connecting flights. The difference in flight times were as much as 8 hours. The only recourse I had was to rebook without penatly. For this flight tomorrow, though, they are telling me I cannot rebook because it has been a year since the orginal booking, so its MY fault. Sorry, when you travel for business 8 hour time difference from the orginal booking is a tad too much. Most airlines simply issue you a refund, not USAIR. Nonetheless , im out the money, and now am rebooking on Air Canada- which I LOVE, however, I didn't just loose my money, usair lost me as a customer, which, according to their customer service department, matters none. Oh well.

 

I am sorry to say that I have had terrible luck with US air. I hope you have better luck with them and enjoy your cruise!!

 

Yes, I have read several reports that are similar.

 

I believe you may have read my post about my parents. They still don't have their luggage after 10 days. I have had many probs with USAir. Give me Southwest any day. I think that's a good idea about shipping the luggage. At least, get insurance and take a carryon with your jewelry, meds, makeup, 2 changes of clothes . I would hate to think your luggage wouldn't catch up to you at some point, but that's what happened to my parents last week. If it ever makes it to your port and you aren't there to clai8m it in 3 days, they will ship it to their warehouse in Charlotte where it may RIP.

 

Yes Linda, your thread about your parents' misadventures with their luggage on USAir was one of the reasons I posted this thread. It's good to know about the three-day claim limit. Thanks.

 

I laughed out loud at the story of your mom and the Teal shirt, though. I hope you wear it in good health (and good humour ;)).

[elena7seas]

I found it interesting that another poster would choose Air Canada over USAirways (having never flown USAir i have no comments on that in particular). I do everything possible to avoid Air Canada because of their surly service and lack of customer service. I only use them when I have no other option. So the lesson here is to each their own, methinks.

 

I like Air Canada very much and really have no complaints. I find them to be very reliable and customer service has been great.

 

If I can fly with Air Canada without going through Toronto airport (which I truly hate) then that is always an excellent choice for me.

[elena7seas]

Not a fan of US Air, but I do fly them frequently for business as my company requires the least expensive fare and I still do get my points because of the Star Alliance. As everyone has said, you have issues with ALL airlines these days. I just try to stick with the airline that I have some status with so that if I do have a problem (ie delay, misconnection) then I might have more pull in getting rebooked/re-accomadated quicker due to my status with those airlines that are part of that alliance. However, one problem with US Air is that they have "striped down" their planes whereas you do not have any movies or tv entertainment - even in First Class - on domestic flights as they have found by removing the video equipment, it will save them tons of money in fuel. So, bring your Ipad, Ipod, DVD player, etc because on a long flight, you will be extremely bored if you rely in US Air for any onboard entertainment. Only good thing about first class on US Air is free alcoholic drinks and the extra leg room. :(

 

Well, that is something I did NOT know about. We'll be fine, as I'll be reading and my husband has both an e-reader and an IPAD, but it's good to know ahead of time: fore-warned is fore-armed. It would be kind of irritating to get into first class and discover that there were no entertainment options. Good news about the drinks though ;). Thanks for the information!

[elena7seas]

I love this question - hey I booked this ticket already - now tell me how reliable they are. No offense intended :)

 

The airline wants to make sure your bags get there. US has done a great deal over the last 2-3 years to improve their baggage handling. The star alliance connection from UA to US should not be a problem, they do that stuff every day. Also looking at your 3 letter city codes you do not have any that could be confused with another major city (my parents bags to LAS vegas went to el SALvador once because they looked at the tag wrong). If the weather is good and all your flights are on time or reasonably so I think you will be fine.

 

Well, you see, the answer to this question has no bearing on my decision to buy the ticket. It DOES have an impact on how we pack, however.

 

No offense taken, however. ;)

 

From the replies on this thread and from what I have read previously (which prompted my question), I think that we have about a 50-50 chance of the luggage arriving with us in Miami, and a 90 percent chance that it will arrive by the time we leave on the cruise two days later. So we will pack everything that is VITAL or VALUABLE in our carry-ons...it will probably be a bit more cramped that usual in those carry-on bags. We will reduce our usual two checked suitcases to one, and see what happens. We are insured, and we can always replace anything that doesn't arrive, in Miami.

 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. :) I love the Celebrity CC community.

[caripoo]

Bad things can happen to any ariline or CRUISELINE at any time. I have flown USAIR dozens and dozens of times and overseas many times and I can never remember a problem, that I would boycott over. :D:D

[Nonna and Papa]

When Pittsburgh was a USAir hub, we almost had no other choice than to fly USAir. Since then, any USAir flights from Pittsburgh are always routed through another USAir hub, such as Charlotte or Philadelphia, and the prices have gone through the roof. Because we now have other airline choices, and prices have become more competitive, we've been flying several different airlines over the last several years, based on who has the best fares and timetable. USAir out of PIT still remains one of the highest in price.

 

I've never had a major problem with USAir, other than delayed luggage a few times, as I have had with some of the other airlines. But if I do have to connect, I make sure I'm routed through CLT and not PHL. That's where our luggage problems were, but I have to say that the luggage was delivered to wherever we were staying, within the same day.

 

I consider USAir to be no better or worse than any other airline. I try never to fly Southwest or Continental, though.

 

Mary

[Orator]

At one time I lived in Central PA and had very limited air choices. Leaving from Williamsport it was either USAir or USAir to to Pitts.or Philly. Had some major delays, but usually okay. I now avoid USAir for a non flight related reason. DW and I had a considerable number of miles with them. Made several attempts to use them for flights with no success. In one case I would be required to make three stops between FLL and San Diego. Without prior notice they sent me a letter saying that since I hadn't used them in a while my points were cancelled. This was a change in their policy since their America West connection. They went on to state that if I signed up for the credit card my miles would be restored. Even though I wrote to them requesting no more communication I still receive their offer. Sorry,I don't do business with blackmailers. Sometimes it just feels good to vent :)

[BlueHerons]

Well, you see, the answer to this question has no bearing on my decision to buy the ticket. It DOES have an impact on how we pack, however.

 

No offense taken, however. ;)

 

From the replies on this thread and from what I have read previously (which prompted my question), I think that we have about a 50-50 chance of the luggage arriving with us in Miami, and a 90 percent chance that it will arrive by the time we leave on the cruise two days later. So we will pack everything that is VITAL or VALUABLE in our carry-ons...it will probably be a bit more cramped that usual in those carry-on bags. We will reduce our usual two checked suitcases to one, and see what happens. We are insured, and we can always replace anything that doesn't arrive, in Miami.

 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. :) I love the Celebrity CC community.

 

I was a super duper frequent flyer with US Airways, a platinum member with over 100,000 miles a year which is an insane amount of times flying.

 

That said, I have NEVER once had them lose my luggage. Ever.

 

I think you'll find that people love one airline, hate another.

 

I will not fly Southeast because I hate their boarding. I also dislike Delta.

 

You ask ten people, and you'll get ten different answers.

 

I would suggest you and your SO each have carryon so if your luggage is delayed or lost, you'll have clothes and health and beauty aides.

[BananaAnna]

Consider putting inside your luggage a printout of the following:

Your name(s)

Your flight itinerary

Hotel information (name, address, phone)

Ship name and date of sailing

Your cell phone number

 

 

In the event your luggage makes a little side trip, it'll be much easier for it to find it's way to you / your hotel.

[elena7seas]

Consider putting inside your luggage a printout of the following:

Your name(s)

Your flight itinerary

Hotel information (name, address, phone)

Ship name and date of sailing

Your cell phone number

 

 

In the event your luggage makes a little side trip, it'll be much easier for it to find it's way to you / your hotel.

 

Yes, that's a good suggestion. We always have that information easily accessible INSIDE all our suitcases, even the carry on. You never know ;).

[elena7seas]

I was a super duper frequent flyer with US Airways, a platinum member with over 100,000 miles a year which is an insane amount of times flying.

 

That said, I have NEVER once had them lose my luggage. Ever.

 

I think you'll find that people love one airline, hate another.

 

I will not fly Southeast because I hate their boarding. I also dislike Delta.

 

You ask ten people, and you'll get ten different answers.

 

I would suggest you and your SO each have carryon so if your luggage is delayed or lost, you'll have clothes and health and beauty aides.

 

Thanks. Yes, we each have a very strategically-packed carry-on.

[elena7seas]

We flew into Miami last night,and I'm happy to report that USAir was great, and our suitcase was one of the first out on the carousel. We even arrived in Miami eight minutes early.

 

First class on USAir was very comfortable (we were flying on points), and we were treated well. As mentioned earlier, no movies, but I didn't miss that at all.

 

The plane on the SFO-CLT leg was very new, and particularly comfortable, especially as my feet could touch the floor, which is always more comfortable for me. I was in row 1, and there was lots of room between the seat and the bulkhead wall. Excellent service from the cabin staff.The CLT-MIA was on a much older plane, and my feet couldn't touch the floor, but it was still a good flight.;)

 

I can't see any difference between FIRST class and BUSINESS class, so I think the class attribution is just a way to get another 40,000 points out of me per couple.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks to everyone who helped out with their comments.

[Nonna and Papa]

That's good news. Have a great cruise.

 

Mary

[Lois R]

We flew into Miami last night,and I'm happy to report that USAir was great, and our suitcase was one of the first out on the carousel. We even arrived in Miami eight minutes early.

 

First class on USAir was very comfortable (we were flying on points), and we were treated well. As mentioned earlier, no movies, but I didn't miss that at all.

 

The plane on the SFO-CLT leg was very new, and particularly comfortable, especially as my feet could touch the floor, which is always more comfortable for me. I was in row 1, and there was lots of room between the seat and the bulkhead wall. Excellent service from the cabin staff.The CLT-MIA was on a much older plane, and my feet couldn't touch the floor, but it was still a good flight.;)

 

I can't see any difference between FIRST class and BUSINESS class, so I think the class attribution is just a way to get another 40,000 points out of me per couple.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks to everyone who helped out with their comments.

 

Hi stranger:D, glad you made it safely and happy to read the positive

comments about USAIR too!