From an e-mail I received today:

United announced yesterday it had reached an agreement to code share with South African Airways which will expand the international options for both carriers. SAA flights will connect at Dulles with United flights to San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. The code-share begins November 1. SAA flights will carry United's code on the Dulles Johannesburg service and within Africa and between South African and Europe.

Only 217 days to go! Cheers, Anne

Things are always changing. Keeping up with airlines is almost impossible.

Looks like the end of Delta's codeshare with SAA and flights from ATL will be Oct 2006. According to a post on flyertalk, the ATL flights will be split between IAD and MIA. If this is the case, TUSKers should still be able to use Delta Skymiles and connect in ATL.

Does his come up short of the expected entry of SAA into Star Alliance? And that I have lost all those thousands of miles because I booked direct with SAA? I am USAirways, and when I book through United, always get the miles because they are both Star Alliance.

Olivia,

If they become a code-share with UA in Oct. they become part of *alliance. That means, hallelujah, you will get miles for your trip next April!! It also means, you may want to look into using mileage FOR your trip when they become a partner!!

Code-Shares do not equal part of alliance. For example, American operates a flight from LA to Palm Springs that is a codeshare for Delta, Northwest, British, and a bunch of others - sometimes the list of code-shares is longer than the number of passengers on the flight.

Bumping up .. and it looks like good news

From UA's Jan 17 2006 press release:

United and South African Airways frequent fliers began earning miles on each other’s flights in November 2005. In April when South African Airways joins the Star Alliance, Mileage Plus members will earn elite benefits including Elite Qualifying Miles, which are miles that count toward elite status, and the ability to redeem their miles for award travel on South African.

SAA has a separate press release that says they are terminating their codeshare with Cathy in March 2006. Awards can be redeemed between UA and SAA starting April 2, 2006.

Looks like all of those miles are gonna count on Star Alliance! Whoo Hooo.

I'm cheered up! Anne

I will believe it when I see it! Unfortunately, Amex has pulled out of Star Alliance from what I hear from them. This is just TOO bad for me! Why do we charge with them when they do not offer benefits for miles? My only way out of my little airport is USAirways, so I am doomed. Trying to find other ways to travel, using other airlines in the system....and my Amex miles.

Olivia,
I too am a USAIR airport (primarily), so I was really disappointed about AMEX! It was such a nice partnership, and the miles transferred immediately. It was speculated by a travel-related source that USAIR could possibly be thinking of pulling out of Star Alliance in the future....god, I hope not!!! :eek:
Sheri

Losing the mileage transfer to Star Alliance from AMEX points is a big loss, indeed.

Marcie is the expert here .. do you know already if it makes any sense to get the Starwood preferred Amex? I know the platinum gives the shipboard credits for cruises and the Starwood does not. As of this morning, US Air showed the starwood hotel properties as partners in their dividend miles scheme.

Cheers, Anne