By : Mr Credit Card

US Airways Dividend Miles

Earning Miles - As with all airline programs, the US Airways Dividend Miles program allows you to earn one Dividend Miles for every mile you fly on US Airways. The minimum is set at 500 miles. Flying on both business and first class earns an additional 50% miles. This deal is better than many airlines (eg United and Delta) who only award 50% bonus for first class travels.

Other Airline Partners - Dividend Miles members can earn miles on other airlines like Air One, Big Sly Airlines, Caribbean Airlines, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, Bahamas Air, Caribbean Star, Hawaiian Airlines, Royal Jordanian Airlines and Star Alliances partner airlines.

Credit Cards - US Airways Dividend Miles members can earn faster miles with US Airways credit cards. There are two credit cards available. One is the US Airways Premier World MasterCard from Juniper Bank. The other is the US Airways Visa Signature from Bank of American N.A. Both have almost identical features. New cardholders get 25,000 bonus miles (which is probably the most generous bonus miles given by any frequent flyer card). You can earn double miles on US Airways purchases. Annual fee is $90 for the Visa Signature card. You also get perks like getting 10,000 miles toward Preferred status, Annual $99 companion certificate good for two guests.

Hotel Partners - The Dividend Miles program has numerous partners for members to earn extra points. These include Amersuites (300 miles/stay), Arizona Biltmore (1,000 miles per stay), Best Western (200 miles per stay), Candlewood Suites (1 miles/$1 spent), Circus Circus (150 miles per stay), Clarion (250 miles per stay), Comfort Inn (250 miles per stay), Comfort Suites (250 miles per stay), Conrad Hotels (500 miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Coral by Hilton (500 Miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM (125 miles per 1,000 Gold Points converted for stays at participating hotels in the US and Canada), Courtyard by Marriott (1 Mile per US dollar on room rate only), Crowne Plaza (2 Miles for every dollar spent on eligible charges per qualifying stay), Doubletree (500 miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Econo Lodge (250 miles per stay in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Caribbean), Embassy Suites Hotels (500 miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Excalibur (150 miles per qualifying stay at Excalibur), Fairfield Inn by Marriott (1 Mile per US Dollar on room rate only), Four Points by Sheraton (500 miles per stay), Hampton Hotels (100 miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Hawthorn Suites (300 miles per stay), Hilton Garden Inn (500 miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Hilton Grand Vacations Club (500 miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts (2 miles for every dollar spent ), Homewood Suites by Hilton (100 miles per stay or 1 mile per US $1 spent), Hotel Indigoâ„¢ (2 Miles for every dollar spent ), Hyatt Hotels & Resorts (500 miles per stay), InterContinental Hotels and Resorts (500 miles for every qualifying stay.), JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts (2 Miles per US Dollar on qualifying charges), Le Meridien Hotels (500 miles per stay), Luxor (250 FlightFund miles per qualifying stay at Luxor), MainStay Suites (250 miles per stay), Mandalay Bay (350 miles per qualifying stay), Marriott Hotels & Resorts (2 Miles per US Dollar), Marriott Vacation Club International (2 miles per US dollar), Monte Carlo (250 miles per qualifying stay), Park Inn, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Quality (250 miles per stay), Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts (2 Miles per US Dollar), Residence Inn by Marriott (1 Mile per US Dollar on room rate), Rodeway Inn (250 miles per stay), Scandic (100 miles per stay), Sheraton Hotels (500 miles per stay), Sleep Inn (250 miles per stay), SpringHill Suites by Marriott (1 Mile per U.S. Dollar), St. Regis Hotels & Resorts (750 Miles per stay), Staybridge Suites (1 Mile for every dollar spent), Summerfield Suites (300 Miles per stay), The Luxury Collection (750 Miles per stay), TownePlace Suites by Marriott (1 Mile per US Dollar), W Hotels (500 miles per stay), Westin Hotels & Resorts (500 miles per stay), Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (500 miles per stay), WORLDHOTELS (500 miles per qualifying stay).

Car Rental Partners - US Airways Dividend Miles members can also earn miles with car rentals. Partners include Avis, Budget, Alamo, Dollar Rent a Car, Hertz, National Car Rental, Sixt and Thrifty Car Rental.

Cruise Partners - Cruises booked through usairwayscruise.com can earn you up to 10,000 miles. Cruise partners include Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruise, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland American Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Orient Lines, Princess Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Carribean, Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Windstar Cruises.

Dining Partners - Like most frequent flyer programs, the US Airways Dividend Miles program has partnered with rewards network, which has a vast network of restaurants. You can earn up to 10 miles for every dollar you spend at partner restaurants.

Financial Partners - Members of Mileage Plan can also earn extra miles when using partner financial services firm. For example, if you work directly with your choice of one of the nation's four leading mortgage lenders, including Chase Home Finance, CitiMortgage, Wachovia, and Washington Mutual Home Loans, you can potentially earn up to 225,000 miles.

Other Partners - US Airways Dividend Miles members can also earn points from Biscoff, FTD, Gift Sense, Office Max and SkyMall.

Redeem Miles - Like most frequent flyer program the Dividend Miles program has two tiers : the mileage saver tier and the permium awards tier. The mileage saver tier comes with the usual blackout date restrictions and capacity controls while the premium awards allow you to ignore these restrictions but requires more miles.

The US Airways Dividend Miles is one of the few programs that offer miles discounts during off-peak season. Between Sep. 15 and Feb. 28 in North America, and from Oct. 1 to April 30 to or from Europe, both standard and premium awards are available at reduced rates.

Awards are standard for most redemption schedule. 25,000 miles on the mileage saver awards gets you one rountruip economy restricted tickets around continental USA. The award with most value compared to other programs is the flight from US to Hawaii, requiring only 35,000 miles.

Upgrades to first class run between 10,000 miles to 60,000 miles for rountrip upgrades and 5,000 miles to 30,000 miles for one-way upgrades.

Miles can also be donated to charities like the make-a-wish foundation.

Other Rules - Dividend Miles do not expire as long as your account has some type of activity within a 36 month period - this includes using your US Airways Visa Signature. Miles are only for individual accounts and cannot be transferred. However, you can purchase miles either for yourself to top up your account if you do not enough miles or as a gift. Dividend Miles also has programs for employers to reward their employees with miles as well.

Elite Membership - The US Airways Dividend Miles has one of the best elite programs in the airline frequent flyer circles and has won three years in a row the Freddie Awards for best elite program. Their so-called preferred program has 4 levels, the Silver, Gold, Platinum and Chairman Level.

Silver Level - To qualify for the silver level, you need to have flown 25,000 miles or 30 segments. At this level, you get benefits like nnlimited upgrades to First Class within the contiguous U.S., Alaska, Canada, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean area, your companion upgrades with your tier status, Personal Reservations Service, Preferred Seating (US Airways and United Economy Plus), Priority Standby, Star Alliance Status, Priority check-in and early boarding, Priority security lanes and No blackout dates. You also earn 25% more miles as a silver elite member.

Gold Level - Qualifying for the gold level requires flying 50,000 miles in a calendar year or 60 segments. In addition to all the benefits that silver members get, gold members also get Priority Baggage Handling/Extra Baggage Allowance. Gold members also earn 50% preferred bonus miles (rather than 25% for silver members).

Platinum Levels - If you have flown either 75,000 miles or 90 segments in a calendar year, it will qualify you for platinum status in the Dividend Miles program. As a platinum member, you earn 75% preferred bonus miles. Aside from all the benefits that gold members get, platinum level members also get guaranteed seating.

Chairman Levels - Qualifying for the Chairman level requires flying 100,000 miles or 120 segments. At this level, you earn 100% preferred bonus miles whenever you fly with US Airways. Aside from all the other benefits that platinum members get, also get Complimentary Upgrades to/from Hawaii/Europe, Complimentary US Airways Club Membership.

Verdict - Having won the Best Elite Level Award in the Freddie Awards say a lot about the customer service and perks that elite members enjoy. The thing that makes US Airways stand out is their merger with America West Airlines, which will make it the largest career in the US. Its partnership with Star Alliance means members can earn miles on many other airlines as well. They also have two good credit cards to help members earn faster miles.