US Airways Group Inc. said Thursday that some of its frequent fliers will have their preferred bonus miles and preferred minimum miles reinstated as the airline attempts to keep that segment of its customer base happy during worsening economic conditions.
US Airways and other companies such as United Airlines began to reduce their frequent-flier miles earlier this year in an attempt to cut costs. Carriers began to cut such perks, as well as implement new baggage fees and other charges, as they battled with rising fuel costs and economic uncertainty.
US Airways said customers in its dividend miles program will have bonus miles reflective of their preferred status starting Thursday. The company will give retroactive credit to customers' December account statements for bonus-qualifying travel between Aug. 6 and Wednesday.
In addition, the airline reinstated the minimum credit of 500 miles. Frequent fliers used to receive at least 500 miles for short flights, but some airlines did away with the measure in a cost cutting move and started to award frequent-flier miles based on actual miles flown for those short flights.
US Airways also said it will give its dividend miles members at least 500 miles for each leg flown on its US Airways shuttle for flights between Washington, New York and Boston. The company will give retroactive credit for 500 minimum miles accruals on qualifying flights taken between May 1 and Wednesday. The credit will also appear in December account statements.
Frequent fliers in the dividend miles program earn and keep their preferred status when they buy and fly at least 25,000 miles or 30 flight legs in a calendar year. Members receive free first and second checked bags as well as other benefits.
US Airways runs more than 3,100 flights per day in conjunction with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express.