US Airways is trying to change their dividend miles program so we won\'t be receiving as many miles for flights less than 500 miles. There are other changes as well! Help stop this change!! UPDATED ARTICLE New rules for frequent flier miles US Airways says flights will no longer get an automatic 500 miles JEFFERSON GEORGE jgeorge@charlotteobserver.com Some people got chocolate or flowers Thursday. US Airways customers found out that frequent-flier miles soon will be harder to earn and more expensive to use in some cases. Starting May 1, US Airways passengers no longer will get at least 500 miles for each flight. Instead, Charlotte\'s dominant carrier will award its Dividend Miles based on the actual number of miles flown. Put another way, a 250-mile flight that previously yielded 500 miles now will get you only 250. Also, customers who redeem miles through the US Airways Web site for travel within two weeks of a flight will pay a $50 \"quick ticketing fee\" per ticket. A fee of $75 for redeeming miles by phone will continue, and the highest level of frequent fliers are exempt from the fees. US Airways spokesman Phil Gee told the Observer that the Arizona-based airline expects to spend $800 million more on fuel this year than in 2007. The new fee is similar to those at other carriers, he said, some of which charge more for using miles. Still, the changes spurred gripes on Internet message boards Thursday. At flyertalk.com, one person said they were \"a new low\" for frequent-flier programs, while another called it \"by far the dumbest move\" by US Airways. Others, however, said it made financial sense and could keep fares low. Gee declined to say how many people are Dividend Miles members but said that some offered feedback Thursday. \"We don\'t track complaints by the hour,\" Gee said via e-mail, \"but we\'ve heard from folks.\" See Charlotte.com or USAirways.com for more information.

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