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
Got one today. No return address,plain white envelope sent from Phoenix, Az. Used a real stamp and hand addressed signed by
Angela King, Vice President. I am located in the Jacksonville, Fl. area. Thanks for your postings.
We received ours today here in Aurora, CO. It was mailed from Oklahoma City, OK (Permit No. 324). This is the one designed to look like a (poorly-designed) IRS form. Phone 1-866-292-9752.
I got one today that came from phoenix. I’m in Chicago and it was signed by Angela King and the number was 8665813547. I have lived in Chicago my whole life but only three years at my current address. Where do they get this info?
i’m in sylvania / toledo ohio. got mine today – allegedly from Oklahoma City, OK, with a Prepaid Return Permit No. 324 stamped on it. it was unsigned, (just says Sincerely, Awards Department)and was a sealed form that looks like a W-2 report you would receive from an employer in January… tear off the end tabs, detach voucher here… i won’t bother calling them – this crap sure gets old. can’t trust anyone anymore! have a nice day, everyone.
got the letter today, called us airways, they could careless that someone is impersoonating them.
yep, found one in the mail today. 1-866-271-1162 Regards Angela King Vice President. No return address…postscript from AZ. what does CN-46495 mean? I wish I had a return address…I’d write SCAM on it & mail it back!
I got my letter yesterday. I live in Omaha, Ne and have only been at my current address for about 3 years. I am not listed in the phone directory. Mine is signed by the Vice President, Angela King. She said I should call her at 866-254-3021. I think NOT Angela!
Got one today in Illinois suburbs, VP – Angela King, 866-581-3547 addressed to my husband hand written. Scammers
I received this same letter a couple of days ago, handwritten address and a handwritten signature A King of which looks like a young teen-age kid maybe wrote it. The number is 1-866-271-1162. The letter is stamped PHOENIX AZ 13 APR 11 PM and as above, no return address.
Florida
Got mine letter today signed by Angela king. What a lottery!
Angela King was my VP as well. Never knew one company could have so many VPs.
I recieved my letter today, it too signed Angela King her self! LOL but another # 1-866-254-3021 odd! LOL! Also NO RETURN ADDRESS and NO POST MARK. Which told me it was a SCAM!!!!!
We received our US Airlines letter today in a hand written envelope and the letter is signed by Angela King Vice President. Telephone no. Is 1-866-251-3594. Needless to say we will not be calling anytime soon.
Got a letter hand addressed to me at work?
Got it in Pittsburgh, PA today. I did call because even though I knew it was a scam I just had to see what they would say/ask for. The kid who answered sounded like a 16 yr old boy…lol. He asked me for my code! But my paranoia got the best of me and I didn’t provide it…he said he couldn’t help me with out it. By the way, when questioned, he said he was from the “Travel Awards Agency.” hahaha. I give these ppl. an F for creativity!
I got mine in the Central Fla area today, from Angela King number is 866-271-1171. Mine was not postmarked at all, so at least I got a free stamp :-/ Since no postage, and no return address, I submitted their info as mail fraud in the US Postal Service website https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/contactUs/filecomplaint.aspx
who knows if it will help…
received same letter today from Angela King also postmarked from Phoenix.
I received a letter today signed Angela King, and the phone number was 866-254-0005. Thank you for operating this site! I knew it was a scam, but I am interested to hear how it works.
Forgot to mention I am in Edmond, OKlahoma
Got one today – a little different. A birthday greeting and in celebration, I am going to receive two airline tickets with a call in bonus if I call within the next 72 hours – 7-day rent a car – with Alamo or Enterprise. Same US Airlines – same Fly the US skies logo. No VP signed mine – I must not be important enough. There was a return address for 1st Class Travel, 22 Washington Street, suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60602. Googled the address and suite number and found that this is Regus office – kind of a rent an office. Got a couple of other numbers off the site
22 W. Washington Street
Suite 1500
Chicago, Illinois 60602
United States
Main tel: +1 312-854-8000
Main fax: +1 312-854-8001
They keep trying – must be some people falling for this.
Got an Angela King signed one as well.
Knew is was bogus at first sight. I was like “who in the hell is US Airlines?” XD lol
Sounds similar to this blog post: http://69.6.215.248/?p=599
yup..and now I have one! 2 free tickets including baggage check, if I just call 1-866-219-9849. Its not signed by anyone, just says…”sincerly, Awards Dept.”
“HURRY! FLIGHTS WILL FILL QUICKLY!”
“note:this is not a timeshare or land sales offer”
oh…good. I almost thought it was a scam.
ya…I’m gonna call alright! Time for ME to have some fun…
I got mine today! Signed by Angela King. I was tipped off by the fake “US Airlines” and the handwritten adress. My husband said that it must be one of those machines that makes you think it’s handwritten, but when I got it wet…it was ink!
Interestingly, my letter is dated April 18th, but was not postmarked until April 25th. I must respond by April 27th. Guess I missed the deadline. Maybe they will let me get in on the deal late? Ha ha.
Well I must have been a lucky alternate as I too just recieved one of these in the post today here in Michigan….Mine was signed by the vice president Marcia O’Neal. Mine just said they have been trying to contact me as I was the lucky winner. Didn’t say how I won and if they had truly been trying to contact me wouldn’t they have left a message LOL….my address and name were also hand written on the envelope.So annoying as I know my poor Grandpa would totally fall for something like this…
My husband got the note today from Marcia Oneal. I told him it was a scam. I called them for grins and asked who they were. They said they were a promotions company trying to get their name out in the public. She said all we had to do was sit through a 90 minute presentation adn “if” we qualified we would get out two airline tickets. She then asked for the code at the bottom of the letter.
I told her we really were not interested. Sounds like a new twist on time shares to me….
Got mine yesterday. Postmarked Phoenix AZ. From Marcia Oneal, the VP of US Airlines. mine must have been a rush job because they didn’t bother to seal the envelope, and the top of the envelope itself was ripped.
c’mon you gotta to better than that to scam people!
Received this letter today, I am in Pittsburgh, PA. Sent from Phoenix, AZ. Said to call Marcia Oneal at 866-893-0703. I knew it was a scam because it was hand addressed, hand signed, no return address, the US Airways logo isn’t even close to being correct, and they used my maiden name (from two years ago).
I had my wallet stolen in Hawaii two years ago as well- so maybe someone continues to sell my information to scam companies
Well, it seems that now Marcia Oneal is Vice President…
I just received one. Signed by Angela King. I have to respond by May 6th. Hand addressed. No return address tipped me off…came here and found this. I live in Oklahoma. It just made me so mad. I don’t have time for this nonsense. The phone # I was given was 1-866-254-0005.
I’m here to say, Yes, Marcia Oneal must be the new VP of US Airlines, I have the letter to prove it, and if I call by May 4th, I too can be the proud owner of 2 roundtrip airline tickets, Certain restrictions apply. The funny part, there is no airline company called “US Airlines”
I received my very unprofessional postage bearing the great news of my good fortune from US Airlines, but I’m sad to say it expires today. So am I too late to be scammed?
Of course my husband recieved a letter today. I google the letter and ironically this was the first post. I also yellowbooked the phone number, 1-866-769-6422, nothing. His letter wasn’t even signed by a VP only by the awards department. To bad there isn’t a return address so we can catch these bastards.
Just received. No name of any “executive”. Phone number listed is 866-769-6422.
May 10,2011
My “to good to be true” letter arrived today with instructions to respond no later than May 11 (but the body of the letter reads, “If we do not hear from you soon, we may need to issue the ticket vouchers to the alternate.”
This leeter was not official looking. The envelope was hand addressed, no return address and stamped with a first class 44 cent stamp. It was mailed from Phoenix.
Letter signed by Marcia Oneal,VP
no apostrophe in Oneil…)
THANKS FOR THE WARNING
Some of these 866 numbers have to pay the phone carrier up to 50 cents per call,so if you have unlimited minutes call often as you can then hang up.haha
Just got one of these notices. From Oklahoma City mailing permit #324
Just got one of these letters in the mail yesterday. Obviously printed from a laser printer including Janelle Kelly’s (VP) signature in blue. What a joke.
The number on mine is 1-866-619-4901.
My address was hand written on the envelope with no return address.
Tossing it in the trash as soon as I click Submit Comment. 🙂
I received one today in Oklahoma… I thought it sounded fishy. It was signed by Janelle Kelly (VP).
May 13, 2011 My husband got one about a week ago. He was going to take me to the ‘Seminar’, but I said I’m not going. He was pissed! All he could think about was 2 free airline tickets! I’m glad I found this so now I can show him that, once again, if it sounds too good too be true-it usually is. And another thing-wifee is usually right!!
I just got mine today how stupid do they think we are. What makes me feel bad are those guys that fall for it and this place just will ruin their lives
My husband got one in the mail today.. had to Google because I knew it had to be a scam.. Came right to this sight. Thanks for all the posts.. I knew it was too good to be true.
Too funny. They insult my intelligence!! It came in my husband’s name. No return address, hand written envelope. This one was signed by Janelle Kelly Vice President. Honestly…..
My husband received his letter today. I’m so glad I was able to find some information on this. I too thought this was too good to be true.
I got one today in FL! Googled and found this!! My letter says all the same things – have been trying contact us several times without success, etc….
New name and number though – Janelle Kelly is the VP on mine, and the number is 866-769-1972.
Nice to keep up the bogus names!!!
Yep, hubby got one today. This is just too funny. Do they think we are all really that stupid and gullible that we won’t check it out first? I was suspicious when there wasn’t a return address. Obviously one of those too good to be true scams, lol.
Janelle Kelly must be the new vp. Her phone number is now 1-866-769-1972. Like most other comments, this letter has only US Airlines with the small triangles as a logo. We must respond by May 25th or lose to an alternate. We will not be calling. Thanks for your posting where we can keep track of these thugs.
Janelle Kelly, 1-866-291-3488. Another new number!
Got mine today in Bradenton, Florida. WOW those Vice Presidents come and go! Vice President employment turnover must be hell for the US Airlines! It was signed by Janelle Kelly, Vice President. Phone number is (866) 769-1972. Not going to call. But interesting blog to read about everyone’s letters!
Got the letter today 23rd May 2011. Supposedly mailed on the 16th of May and have till the 25th to call 1-866-928-8039. Retail value of up to $1400. What a scam!