The article below from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@xxxxxxxxx /--------- E-mail Sponsored by Fox Searchlight ------------\ I HEART HUCKABEES - OPENING IN SELECT CITIES OCTOBER 1 From David O. Russell, writer and director of THREE KINGS and FLIRTING WITH DISASTER comes an existential comedy starring Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Hupert, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg and Naomi Watts. Watch the trailer now at: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/huckabees/index_nyt.html \----------------------------------------------------------/ Experts See Little Immediate Change, but Say Prospects Could Deteriorate as Months Pass September 13, 2004 By RIVA D. ATLAS and JOE SHARKEY Planes will take off on schedule. The service will be pretty much as you remember it. And your frequent flier miles are safe. At least for now. US Airways' bankruptcy filing yesterday, its second in two years, has huge implications for the airline industry, but its customers will probably not notice anything amiss in the days ahead. "There will be no direct impact on our ability to professionally serve you," said Bruce R. Lakefield, the airline's chief executive, in a letter to customers posted on the company's Web site. Analysts pretty much agreed. With the airline struggling to cut costs, they cautioned that liquidation remained a real possibility, a move that could create a lot of disruption for fliers, especially those in the nearly three dozen cities where US Airways is the sole carrier. Even if that worst-case situation does not materialize, they said, the airline could scale back the number of routes it flies. But for now, they suggested that US Airways fliers relax but stay vigilant. In the near term, they should probably be fine, said Joe Brancatelli, publisher of a business travel Web site called Joesentme.com. "I'd be a little worried by the first quarter" of next year, he said, because that is when business for airlines is slowest and cash is tight. As a precaution, consumers should not pay for tickets with cash or checks, Mr. Brancatelli said, and they should consult their credit card companies to make sure they will not be charged if the airline stops flying. What about the issue that is foremost on the minds of the 23 million members of US Airways' frequent flier program? Again, the advice is: Don't fret. "No major airline that's gone out of business has ever hung their frequent fliers out to dry," Mr. Brancatelli said. But John Frenaye, who owns Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Arnold, Md., is advising his clients to redeem their US Airways frequent flier miles as quickly as possible, although he is still booking flights on the airline. "I haven't panicked yet," he said. "I think for anyone flying before February 2005, there's no danger that their flights will be affected. But after that, I would start to think about making other plans." Frequent fliers might be better off cashing in their miles through one of the airlines that are partners with US Airways in the international Star Alliance, like United, Lufthansa or Singapore, some analysts said. And as the months go by, US Airways is likely to change its route structures, which could end service for many smaller cities. "It would be horrible if they went out of business. But I think the handwriting is on the wall," said Michael Boyd, president of the Boyd Group, an Evergreen, Colo., aviation forecasting and consulting company. "When the dust settled, what would happen would be a lot of smaller communities - Ithaca, N.Y., for example - would have no air service or much less air service." John Edwards, 61, a Charlotte, N.C., marketing executive, was at the airport there yesterday, waiting for his brother to arrive. He lamented the prospect of US Airways' disappearance. "It'll be devastating to us not only for employees but, gee, whiz, it's a major hub,'' Mr. Edwards said. "It would really kill a lot of our business because a lot of our business is out of town." Bob Johnson, a spokesman for Ffocus, a group of US Airways frequent fliers, said his members' real worry was the loss of a company whose customer-service culture many say is superior to other airlines'. "If US Airways liquidates and someone else buys its assets, it could become a Greyhound bus with wings," he said. Some US Airways passengers yesterday were taking a wait-and-see attitude. "I will read up on the problems they are going to be encountering," said Allan Diefendorf, a professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine, who was checking in for a flight at Washington's Ronald Reagan airport when he heard the news. Mr. Diefendorf, who frequently flies US Airways, said would keep flying the airline, unless he had a sense that it was cutting back "in any significant way on maintenance or baggage assistance or things that would be considered security risks.'' Reporting for this article was contributed by Christopher Elliott, in Orlando, Fla.; Jim Morrill, inCharlotte, N.C.; andElizabeth Olson, in Washington. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/business/13consumer.html?ex=1096102091&ei=1&en=605ae6c6e2e8f1d1 --------------------------------- Get Home Delivery of The New York Times Newspaper. Imagine reading The New York Times any time & anywhere you like! Leisurely catch up on events & expand your horizons. Enjoy now for 50% off Home Delivery! 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