US Airways - Ticket refund and compensation in case of flight delays and cancellations

About US Airways

History and recent development

The origin of US Airways is the aviation company All American Aviation Inc. founded in 1939 by the du Pont family, one of the most prominent American families. All American Aviation Inc. was subsequently named All American Airways, Allegheny Airlines, and US Air, before being ultimately renamed US Airways in 1996. US Airways’ development has experienced many ups and downs, the airline has filed for bankruptcy several times but seems to have stabilized itself on the market over the past two to three years. At the beginning of 2013, the merger between American Airlines and US Airways was announced; however, in August, the United States Department of Justice alongside attorneys general from several states filed a lawsuit to block the merger. US Airways made the front pages of international newspapers when a skilled pilot managed to crash-land a US Airways aircraft in the Hudson River without fatalities in January 2009, after birds had stricken the engines.

Major destinations

With some 66m passengers transported annually, US Airways already counts among the world’s biggest airlines, and the merger with American Airlines would make it the largest. US Airways currently operates a fleet of 347 aircraft, almost exclusively Airbus, with an average age of 12.6 years. US Airways’ major hubs are Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The airline has a wide network of both national and international destinations, the main national routes being in the southern and eastern United States, serving – among many others – Miami (MIA), New Orleans (MSY), and Houston (IAH), all of which are served several times daily from both Charlotte and Philadelphia. The international routes mainly serve the Caribbean and Europe, with major destinations in Europe being Frankfurt (FRA), Paris (CDG), and London (LHR).

Services and quality of service

US Airways has been a member of Star Alliance since 2004 and also offers its frequent traveler program, “Dividend Miles”. The airline is rated with three stars on SKYTRAX, receiving a moderate 2.5 to three stars for the quality of food. This overall average performance notwithstanding, US Airways has more or less continuously received rather poor reviews in customer satisfaction, being elected as America’s worst airline in 2007. It also has the highest rate of customer complaints among all American airline companies (2007), at the same time showing the worst response to complaints, answering only 50% of the calls reaching their customer service department. In 2011, US Airways was counted among the “19 most hated companies in America” according to the magazine Business Insider. Their rating on SKYTRAX concerning handling delays and cancellations, however, is average with three stars. Cabin safety standards and cockpit communication receive an above-average rating of four stars.

US Airways –cancellations and delays

With 76% of the flights arriving on time according to flightstats.com, the on-time performance of US Airways may not be outstanding, but acceptable. When delays occur, excessive delays are frequent, though 8% of all flights are delayed by more than 45 min., another 8% have minor delays of less than 30 min. With just 2%, the number of flights canceled is neglectable. Given the overall poor rating of US Airways in customer services and the low response rate at the call center, the quality of their handling of delays and cancellations is arguable, though the SKYTRAX rating was average in the handling of delays and cancellations. Nonetheless, US Airways has made considerable effort to improve its performance since 2008, and the outcome, also regarding delayed and canceled flights, remains to be seen in future polls.

At Flightright, we assist US Airways passengers who have been subjected to a delay or flight cancellation to enforce their rights. Getting compensated is quick and simple. To get started, use our free online calculator to check your eligibility for US Airways flight delay compensation. For flight cancellations due to economic reasons, we see good chances to have a compensation claim, especially if you were informed by US Airways not more than 14 days before your flight.

More in-depth information regarding the EU-regulation and your passenger rights.

Under what conditions is your flight delay with US Airways eligible for compensation?

The 2004 EU261 regulation clearly defines a flight delay as when an airline or its replacement arrives at your destination more than 3 hours later than expected. In this circumstance, you need to check to know if you might be entitled to compensation.

Note: the amount of compensation is dependent on the distance of the flight – not on the amount you paid for your ticket. Additionally, the flight must either take off or land in the European Union. In the case where it is landing in the European Union, the airline must also have its headquarters in the EU.

A US Airways passenger is entitled to compensation in the event of the following:

• Flight delay: If your US Airways flight arrives at your destination more than 3 hours later than expected.
• Flight Cancellation: if you were not informed of the cancellation or informed less than 14 days before departure.
• Overbooking: If you had suffered a denied boarding due to overbooking of your flight.
• Missed connecting flight: If you missed a connecting flight due to a delay in one of the legs, and you arrived at your destination more than 3 hours later than expected.

Don’t take any excuses!

• Meal vouchers or accommodation (in the case of an overnight delay) do not suffice for compensation.
• All flight packages are covered by this regulation, and only the person on the passenger register who has suffered the delay, irrespective of who paid the ticket, will receive compensation for the inconvenience suffered.

• Your claims are valid up to 6 years in the past.
• Only extraordinary circumstances such as union strikes or bad weather relieve the airline of this responsibility.

Here is an overview of which compensation you’ll be entitled to, based on the circumstances of your delay:

• Short distance flight delays – Below 1500km – Passengers are due €250 compensation from US Airways.
• Medium distance flight delays – Between 1500km and 3500km – Passengers are due €400 compensation from US Airways.
• Long distance flight delays – Over 3500km – Passengers are due €600 compensation from US Airways.

Delay, cancellation, overbooking or missed connection flight? You are entitled to:

How to claim compensation from US Airways

The first thing to do is confirm that you are eligible for US Airways flight delay compensation. This is often not a simple process when done on your own: getting access to flight databases, comparing your situation with other similar cases, checking whether your case applies under European Regulation No. 261/2004, etc. are some of the tasks that need to be done carefully to determine if you are eligible for a US Airways compensation. In fact, for an individual without the legal expertise or the required technology, this can prove quite complicated.

But we have made it all easy with Flightright. In simple steps, you can determine your eligibility for a US Airways delay compensation. Simply enter your flight details into our free compensation calculator, establish that you’re entitled to a claim against US Airways, and then leave the rest to us. It will only take a few minutes for us to verify the eligibility of your claim and initiate action to ensure that you get compensated. Our service is free, as we only get a percentage of what we can extract as a claim. By choosing us, you are opting to join the more than 11 million satisfied customers who have used our service. We are a dependable partner, and we have been successful at asserting air passenger rights for over 12 years.

Get Started!

US Airways Additional services at the airport

If your US Airways flight departure is delayed for more than normal, you immediately have the right to basic benefits and services. These rights vary depending on the distance of your flight. Below, you’ll find an overview of what you’re eligible for:

• Short distance: from 2 hours waiting time – free drinks, free food, and 2 telephone calls, emails, or faxes
• Medium distance: from 3 hours waiting time – free drinks, free food, and 2 telephone calls, emails, or faxes
• Long-haul: from 4 hours waiting time – free drinks, free food, and 2 telephone calls, emails, or faxes

Delays of more than 5 hours

In this instance, you can, regardless of the distance, withdraw from your flight. US Airways is obliged to either reimburse you or offer you alternative transportation to your destination.

Departure delayed until the next day

You’re eligible for a stay in a hotel, including transport to and from the airport. Contact US Airways customer service directly and ask that confirmation of your hotel room and transfers be provided in writing.

Your flight didn’t take off yet?

You can simply enter your flight details for your future flight, and we will let you know whether you’re eligible for compensation. Enter your flight here:

Recent flight delays and cancellations with US Airways

Click to view all recent flight delays and cancellation data for US Airways. The table below gives you an inside view of how much information we have at our disposal.

Had flight problems with US Airways?

Flightright takes care of your rights in the event of flight delays, cancellations, and overbooking and is committed to ensuring that you receive your compensation from the airline.