Letter from US Airlines about free airline tickets
Here’s another mailing about free airline tickets, only instead of coming from a fake incentive company, it is from a fake airline called US Airlines – “Fly the US skies”! (See other posts here.) Please comment if you received one.
They have a variation that includes an award notification and boarding pass. See below for pictures.
It tells you that you have qualified for an award of 2 roundtrip airline tickets. It looks like it was actually signed by Barbara Dion or Alexia Pitt or Kate White or Loretta Cape or Ann Roy or Charlene James or Angela King or Marcia O’Neal or Janelle Kelly or Candice Bray or Phyllis Neal or Melanie Car or Jessica Clay or Katherine Cota or Christina Jud or Shauna West or Jane Austin or Hillary Baio or Jessica Nish or C. Ray or Dorothy Wade or Linda Ford or Jade Beal or Nicole Clay or Valerie Fay or Erica Bale or K. Mane or Loretta Pine or Alexis Doug or Kristina Bar or Brittany Hunt or Doris Jack, the “Vice President.” They hand write the address on the envelope and use a real stamp (sometimes!).
Here is the cheesy website for this letter. Once you go to the sales pitch and sign up, you book through a fulfillment company. I’ve seen two lately: Universal Travel Vacations (website, BBB report) or the The Vacation Station (website, BBB report TN, BBB report SC)
I have found the answers to this mystery thanks to the great work of the folks at BBB in Tucson, AZ:
http://www.bbb.org/tucson/business-reviews/travel-clubs/southwest-travel-club-in-tucson-az-20007983
http://www.bbb.org/tucson/business-reviews/prize-promotions/patterson-bell-in-tucson-az-20027549
An actual story: http://www.kgun9.com/features/investigations/122887609.html
NEW video from INSIDE THE SALES PRESENTATION: http://www.9news.com/news/article/362984/339/Companies-behind-free-airline-ticket-letters-
Great reporting from WKMG: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Free-travel-offer-mystifies-consumers/-/1637132/15701330/-/8s7gus/-/index.html
Video from inside the first ever video encounter I’ve seen: http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Travel-service-vacation-smart-international-us-airlines-vacationanddeals-com-175915611.html?tab=video&c=y
If you would like to read more about these folks, visit this post. You can read all about the sales presentation, the free offer and the what you get for your vacation membership club cash outlay.
LETTER:
I am pleased to inform you that you have qualified for an award of 2 roundtrip airline tickets. Congratulations. These tickets are valid for travel anywhere in the Continental U.S. The retail value of this award is up to $1,400.00. Certain restrictions apply.
We have attempted contacting you several times without success. This is our last attempt. If we do not hear from you soon, we may need to issue the ticket vouchers to the alternate.
Please call me today at 1-866-995-7151 (numbers always changing).
Regards,
VP du jour (see above)
Vice President
AWARD NOTIFICATION/BOARDING PASS:
Here is what would happen if you did call:
ADVICE:
When I read this, it was just too good not to post. It’s from the Nebraska Attorney General (page 13 printed/page 15 PDF).
Look for the warning signs that may indicate a scam:
- Benefits sound too good to be true.
- The company has no permanent address and all presentations are held in rented conference rooms.
- They can’t, or won’t, provide you with references.
- They don’t want to give you an itemized list of what’s included in your trip until you have already signed the contract.
What you should do if you suspect a scam:
- Don’t sign any contract during the travel presentation. They are high-pressure events intended to stir the emotions of an exotic vacation.
- Contact a respected travel agent in town, give them the specifics of the trip, and ask if that seems consistent with industry pricing.
- Shop around. Compare your trip with other travel packages being offered to seniors.
Here is Michigan’s Attorney General’s advice:
http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-34739_20942-44762–,00.html
Just received a letter today from US Airlines. Very amature letter. They didn’t even use real letter head! No return address on the envelope which was hand written, and it was signed by the VP Christine Hay. You could tell it was a fake. Try again, i’m not falling for it…
We live in Chicago. My spouse received the letter hand-addressed with no return address. Letter signed by Christine Hay 866-303-0201. Knew this couldn’t be true and then I found your blog. Thanks!
Caught my husband on the phone with these scammers tonight! As I was feeding our daughter I heard him on the phone giving them our names and email addresses, so I immediately went to investigate. He hands me the letter and it is OBVIOUS the thing is a scam! US Airlines? Really? And nice amateur leaderhead, idiots! Oh, and I am very surprised the president of your company has time to sign and address all of these letters and envelopes, “Christine Hay”! Strange…I thought a legitimate offer like this from a legitimate organization would have a return address and website, but I guess not this one! The rep “John” says they’re based in Crystal Lake, IL but the envelope is post-marked in AZ? Hmmmm…These guys need to get a life and a real job!
Belmont, MA here. Also received a hand written envelope with a signature from Christine Hay. Number given was 866-301-4720. Thanks for posting this. No return address given, envelope postmarked from Phoenix.
Many many negative comments. But, did at least, anybody has gone and attended the presentation? If so, what then? Is it a scam or legit?
I was the lucky recipient of this scam letter today. It was pretty obvious that it was a scam — unmarked, hand-addressed envelope with a real stamp?? Signed by the VP, Christine Hay urging me to call them at 1-866-303-9666. I wondered if they were creative bill collectors. lol A friend in the next town said she received one last week. Upstate SC seems to be the target right now. Thankful for this site and everybody’s comments.
I knew it had to be bogus. I never win anything.
thank you for the help; knew it was a scam as soon as I read it, saw the fake letterhead…no return address, etc. something for nothing???? wish they could be prosecuted.
thanks for the information!
My husband received his lovely letter today in the mail. I knew right away this was a scam. The US Airlines logo (which I knew there was no such airline) was in black. So no official. Ours was also signed by a Christine Hay “Vice President”. I would like to know Vice President of what????
dcm,
Did you read this article that is linked above?
http://www.kgun9.com/features/investigations/122887609.html
Wow, out of the thousands of letters they send out, there will be a handful that do respond. It’s a numbers game for them. Crappy. Think I’ll post this on Facebook to warn as many people as I can. I live in Denver, Co, and my letter was signed by Christine Hay, Vice President. Think that might be a new name to add to the list. It was also sent in a hand-written envelope with no return address.
Just received my 4th letter from Us Airways for my free plane tickets!! LOL!! If it’s too good to be true, it is!! I just started receiving emails from them as well from support@myusairways.com…my SPAM folder picked it up right away!!!!
We are in Rockford, IL and rec’d. a letter today (same as above posts) from Christine Hay. Went on line and got here very quickly. Thanks!
I got mine today and it said the Vice President is “Christine Hay” and the number is 1-866-294-2974 When did 2 round trip airline tickets value at $1,298.00???!!! They wont be hearing from me…..dumb a$$es
Yep…got my free tickets today!!! Whoopie!!! NOT!!!!!!! I think I will use this as a lesson in Consumer Education in my FACS class. Great example of why it is important to do your due diligence before falling for something that falls under the category of “sounds too good to be true”. Thanks for the lesson plan idea, US Airways!
Our son David was sent the letter (with US Airlines as its header but without any address, in an envelope, also without return address) which arrived at our home in Bloomington, Indiana, today (April 30) with a deadline of May 3. David has been living and working in Spain for the past 20 years. The letter was signed by Christine Hay, vice-president; the number to call was 1-866-294-2411; the reference number at the bottom of the letter was GP-9xxxx. I (David’s father) called the number, was given an appointment for a week from next Saturday (May 12) with a travel agency in Indianapolis, website travelanddeals.com, who are supposed to send me (as David) an e-mail the preceding Thursday (May 10), after which I am supposed to call in for confirmation, 1-866-299-1009. I will need to show them a valid credit card (for identification purposes only). My annual income is supposed to be not less than something over $45,000, and my wife, but no children, must come with me. Someone called Kimberly Watts is supposed to be involved in the confirmation process. The retail value of this award is up to $1,298.00, which rather provokes me, because others before me have received tickets worth more, and I thought airline tickets were going up, not down.
Perhaps it is not necessary to say that we shall not be making the trip to Indianapolis to show our credit card or pick up our travel vouchers or tickets, and if Ms. Kimberly Watts does contact me, I shall direct her to this website.
I thought I was special and a nigerian prince was going to fly me around the world. I so sad. The letter looks like something from “Scam kits for dummies”
Got mine today in Ocala, FL and it’s also from Christine Hay 866 877-6952 I also won the Nigerian lottery… What a great day.
I received the same letter described by Vicky, above, on April 30, 2012. The letter was dated April 23, signed by Christine Hay and arrived in an envelope addressed to me in longhand (work at home scam?) with no return address and postmarked in Phoenix. I live in the Jacksonville, Florida area. I briefly toyed with the idea of calling the number and jerking them around some, but decided I had better things to do with my time. Be careful out there!
I got the letter today, also from Christine Hay. The number on the letter is 1-866-287-2898. It also values two round trip tickets at $1,298.00. I suspected it was a hoax and found this site right away in a search.
I got one today from Grace Pell….what a bunch of idiots; thinking that people would ever think this is the real deal!!
BOGUS!!
US Airlines? Really?
Grace Pell, VP, Take a flying leap!!
I GOT THE SCAM LETTER TOO FROM CHRISTINE FLAY@ 1866-294-2974 . SOMEBODY SHOULD HOLD THESE IDIOTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR MISLEADING GOOD FOLKS
I just got my letter today. I’m from Orlando, FL. My hubby & daughter wanted me to call right away but I had that feeling that this may be a scam. Glad I checked. My letter was signed by Grace Pell & the # was 866-877-6979
Got a letter today from “Grace Pell”, here in Chicago (the letter appears to have been sent from Phoenix). Thanks for posting this information about it!
Just got mine yesterday, too; from Grace Pell, 866-877-6987. The thing that made me think about calling was only a couple of days ago, I was on the US AirWAYS site making flight plans and having my (forgotten)frequent-flyer card number sent to me. So I thought, “Hmm… do I have more miles than I thought?” (Which is pretty much impossible since (A) there is no such airline as US Airlines and (B) I rarely fly US AirWAYS enough and the idea of already having enough points for anything other than a stick of gum is laughable).
But I digress; clearly this is a scam, and thanks to your great website, now it is confirmed.
Got mine today in Greenville, SC from good old Grace Pell.
Sounds like “US Airlines” goes through a lot of Vice Presidents. I think they may need to rethink their hiring process.
Darn! I too received a letter today here in Greenville SC. I’m very hurt that mine was sent by only the Vice President Grace Bell, not the President.
I called to yank the poor fellow’s chain. He wants to send me to 319 Darlington Rd. Suite D2 this coming Saturday. I’ll see y’all there, lol . . . .
They are still at it. They appear to be presistant if nothing else. New letter received on 5/3/12 in Indiana with similar characteristics as some of the older letters. New number, 1-866-287-2306 being used and they are not signing withg a name any longer, just Awards Department.
I recieved mine today in Chicago NW suburbs from Grace Pell, 866-879-7956 offering 2 tix @ $1400 postmarked from Phoenix. HOAX SCAM
If you have actually ever traveled you know US Airlines does not exist. I am a US Airways Rewards Member so I figured it out immediately.
Oh and this VP is Grace Pell!
I just received my letter today in Illinois from Grace Pell. The call back number is 866-879-7956. I called and asked to speak to the owner Jack Keefe and the operator said that she had no one with that name available in the office. I also asked where I was calling and she told me Arizona. Everybody who receives this bogus award letter should call the number provided and have some fun with these people. I know that I will keep this number and give it to my friends to call just for fun. Enjoy.
got one from US Airlines too! 5/7/2012 these idiots!
So I just got a letter today from Laura Mone the newest VP in the amount of 1398.00. Thinking I’m going to have my 4 year old call him and tell them about her day and how she wants to travel to the North Pole.
I recieved mine today in Chicago NW suburbs from Grace Pell, 866-285-8247 offering 2 tix @ $1298.00
We got ours today! My husband threw it out, but I loved reading these posts!
I got my letter today in Chicago, IL. It looks like they made it to the Midwest this spring. The VP on the letter is Grace Pell (signed in blue ink). The phone number is 1-866-285-8095. I will try calling around 2 or 3 a.m. and see if anyone answers! If they do this has got to be a pretty big scam operation. These lowlifes are preying on people knowing that the economy sucks and some will jump at a chance of free travel.
My husband got the exact same letter today in Massachusetts signed by Grace Pell in blue ink. Two tickets for $1,298. Glad I checked the internet.
Just received one today (1st) in south-east Wisconsin. US Airlines, black ink, signed by “Awards Department” (1-866-277-1683).
No person listed anywhere on the documents.
Two tickets for up to $1,298.00
Live in Chicago area. Just got one today, signed by Grace Pell. Thanks for posting this information.
We got one today also Grace Pell as VP but hey guys she changed companies. My letterhead says American Airways. (It’s American Airlines to be “real”) any way phone on mine is 866-285-8223
Got my letter today. I live in Palm Coast, FL and apparently I am going to miss out on a fabulous deal of $1,298 in airline tickets to a bogus US Airlines. Oh, signed by Grace Pell VP du jour, and the number is 866-284-1146. I wont be calling. Thank you so much for this blog!!
Yep, Grace Pell’s hand must hurt signing all these letters for “US Airlines.”
Let’s see:
– Chintzy looking letterhead
– Magically “qualifying” for these tickets
– Handwritten envelope
– Close-to-expiration “Must respond or someone else gets it!” date.
– “Almost” the same of a well known legit company.
Yeah, this sent up so many “It’s a scam” flares it was like the fourth of July in an envelope.
For reference and other search hits, the phone number for these scammers on this letter is 866-284-1146.
This is almost as good as winning a “free trip to Orlando!” (which I live… oh, a few minutes north of.)
Grace Pell with a horribly sloppy signature warned that they tried contacting me “several times without success” which is funny since they have my mailing address and I’ve been here for years – so how would I miss the contact? And talk about CHEAP looking FAKE letterhead – just “US Airlines” and some symbol in black and off center!
They offered 2 free tickets for Continental U.S. travel, up to $1,298.00. What’s up with that amount – it looks sooo much more likely than $2000.00 ?!?
I typed “US Airl” and Google gave me all kinds of options with this being the top choice – so thanks for doing whatever it is you do. I’d much rather read this and get back to work than talk to some scammer!
I love the “GX-1xxxx” at the bottom of the letter – what? THAT makes this look real? Damn, the scammers have gotten really lazy with their fake forms. What ever happened to the good old days when a scammer worked for it, instead of just massive mailings hoping to find 1 or 2 suckers in a pool of thousands?
I just received my letter in nwburbs of chicago from usairlines. Really? They also increased their voucher offer to $1,400.00. Seeing that this is the last attempt to notify me, ms grace pell, please feel free to issue the tickets too the alternate. phone number for the vp is 866-285-8095 for this scam. Where are the feds and postal inspectors on this bogus corp?
I received a letter with no return address from US airlines. Inside the letter is a check for 1400 dollars redeemable for a travel certificate. The check its signed Jane Rice. The company its from is Travel Union in phoenix Arizona. This is definately fraud! If its too good to be true that’s because it usually is!
I received a postcard today from USAir. The postcard has a picture of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with the words “JetAway GetAway.”
This is what the postcard says: “Congratulations! You have been selected to receive 2 Roundtrip Airfares to any major hub in the continental US along with 3 days and 2 nights of complementary Hotel Accomodations. Call within 48 hours and you will also receive as a bonus a $100 dining gift card! We have been trying to contact you! This is not a time share or land sale offer. To claim this special offer simply call 1-800-843-2104. Certain restrictions apply. Call for details of participation. This offer is not sponsored by or affiliated with US Airlines but they are a major supplier. Taxes and reservation fees are the responsibility of the recipient. Offer void where prohibited by law. Not appllicable to Alaska or Hawaii.”
This is a scam. I’ll try to find out more information about these scammers.
Yes, indeed. I got one today, too, from Grace Pell. And for all these months when I’ve seen this innocuous 866-number on my caller ID, I ignored their many attempts to reach me !!!! Thank you for this post.
I just got one of these as well, $1,298. Made me laugh. I could see how some people could be fooled by that kind of thing, but there wasn’t much of a logo and none of the normal headers you’d see on this kind of mailing. Something with the letter just looks… wrong, even without reading the content.