The US Airways® Premier World MasterCard® is on of the top credit cards to apply for if you’re looking to maximize your miles with US Airways and American Airlines. The current offer of 40,000 miles still stands, that hasn’t changed, but even better is now the option of having four different companions designated to have one free checked in bag and bypassing fuel surcharges on British Airway awards.

The 40,000 mile bonus is awarded just after the first purchase you make with the credit card, so there is no minimum spending requirement.

 

Here are the exact details for the US Airways Premier World Mastercard offer:

• Earn 40,000 bonus miles after your first purchase and payment of the $89 annual fee*
• First checked bag free on eligible bags for you and up to four companions on domestic US Airways operated flights
• One companion certificate good for up to 2 guests to travel with you on a US Airways operated flight at $99 each, plus taxes and fees
• Priority boarding Zone 2 on US Airways operated flights
• Redeem miles for award travel on US Airways and American Airlines booked through usairways.com or US Airways Reservations
• Earn miles on every purchase with 2 miles for every $1 you spend on US Airways purchases and 1 mile for every $1 on purchases everywhere else
• Please see terms and conditions for complete details

 

Application Link: US Airways Premier World Mastercard

 

Now that US Airways and American Airlines are merged, I’m sure some people are still wondering if the US Airways bonus miles will even be relevant, and the answer to that question is YES. You can redeem US Airways miles for American Airlines awards. So if you have been earning US Airways miles in the past or want to start, then the 40,000 miles offer is a great boost in miles.

The 40,000 bonus miles will be earned just after your first purchase, so there is no minimum spend requirement making this an easy way to earn a free flight. Plus, for $99 per passenger, you can designate two companions to fly with you using the one companion certificate which is another perk of the card for flights operated by US Airways. With the companion ticket, two passengers can fly with you once year to anywhere in the world as long as you’re flying with them.

 

 Free Checked Bag for Up to 4 Companions

The free checked-in bag for four companions is only on domestic flights, but can save a family of five, friends or coworkers $125 on checked in bags; five because it’s four companions in addition to the cardholder that are traveling across the country. In order to take advantage of the perk, the flight has to be on a US Airways operated.

 

Best Ways to Use US Airways Dividend Miles

The fact that you can use your US Airways miles as American Airline Awards is an amazing aspect of the merger because you can book with any of the Oneworld Alliance airlines. Oneworld has some of the best airlines like Etihad Air or Royal Jordanian and with your US Airways Miles you would be able to book awards with them based on American Airline’s award charts. American Airlines recently made changes to its award charts as well as their stopover rules, but you can still find great way to maximize your miles. Stopovers with American Airlines were once a great sweet spot, as you could book 2 of them on each one way award at a North American International Gateway. As of the beginning of April, free stopovers have been eliminated. However, open-jaws are still possible.

If you do earn the US Airways 40,000 miles sign up bonus, here are some ways to use the miles using American Airline’s MileSAAVer award chart to book a free award:

Los Angeles to Buenos Aires: 40,000 miles round trip on Economy class
Portland to Paris: 40,000 miles round trip on Economy class
Portland to Tokyo: 50,000 miles round trip on Economy class
New York to Bogota: 30,000 miles round trip on Economy class

 

For all of these award flights, you can add an open-jaw segment. This means that you would return home from a city that’s different from your original destination. Say for example I fly to Athens, Greece from Los Angeles, but I decide to road trip and explore the Caucasus region and return to Los Angeles from Yerevan Armenia; that would be an open jaw.

Los Angeles to Buenos Aires ::open jaw:: Lima to Los Angeles
Portland to Paris ::open jaw::Vienna to Portland

You Can Still Use the US Airways Award Chart

Even though the two airlines have merged, you can still book your awards using the US Airways Award Chart. The best option for using the US Airways award chart is booking Off-Peak awards to get the cheapest award costs if the Off-Peak dates fit with your travel plans, however the rates are more than American Airline MileSAAver awards.

 

 Off-Peak Awards with US Airways:

 

Between the continental U.S. (including Alaska) or Canada and the Caribbean September 1 – 30, 2014Main Cabin: 25,000First Class: 50,000 Between North America* or Hawaii and South America August 12 – 28, 2014March 1 – 12 and April 19 – 23, 2015Main Cabin: 35,000First Class: 60,000 Between North America* or Hawaii and Europe January 15 – February 28, 2015Main Cabin: 35,000First/Business Class: N/A * North America includes the continental U.S., Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

While you can still use the US Airways award chart, it may cost more to book your award than it would using the American Airlines Award Chart.

So, what’s the real benefit of earning US Airways Dividend?

Since US Airways is now in the Oneworld Alliance, you can use your miles to book award with British Airways. One of my biggest qualms about British Airways is that they charge ridiculously high fuel surcharges on international awards so I usually would never consider this a positive aspect, however, as of now, if you book through British Airways Avios using your US Airways miles, you won’t have to pay high fuel surcharges. This might not last long because American Airlines is adamant of the fact that the same rules will apply for American Airlines AAdvantage miles and for US Airways Dividend.

This opens up the door to much more flight options because so many international flights do connect through London making British Airway a primary choice in airlines if unavoidable. Many people, including myself avoid booking awards with British Airways because of the fuel surcharges that can be around $400+.

The US Airways Premier World Mastercard is a good way to jump start on airline miles that you could book American Airlines awards with. What I like about it is that there is no minimum spend requirement like most Barlcays cards like Arrival or the Miles and More credit card, instead, your first purchase with the credit card qualifies you for 40,000 bonus points. Depending on what your travel plans are, the 40,000 sign up bonus can most likely get you a free a trip for an adventure of a life time.

 

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