FlyUSA launches $100 million recovery programme for stranded OneFlight customers

FlyUSA has launched a $100 million recovery programme to attract OneFlight International customers whose prepaid flight credits are stranded after the operator paused all flight activity for 30 days or until further notice.

Under the programme, qualifying OneFlight customers receive a complimentary FlyUSA Gold Membership valued at $4,995, pay-as-you-go pricing with no deposit required, and earn a 20% promotional flight rebate on charter spend until they recover up to 100% of their verified stranded balance. FlyUSA will not require the prepayment that new customers would typically make.

How the recovery credits work

For every dollar a customer spends on FlyUSA flights, they receive 20 cents in promotional flight credits toward recovering their stranded balance. This means a OneFlight customer with a $100,000 unused balance would need to spend $500,000 on charter flights with FlyUSA to earn credits equal to their full stranded amount.

According to Private Jet Card Comparisons, OneFlight customers could have over $150 million in total prepaid flights. The FlyUSA allocation is subject to programme terms and limits, and the company "will confidentially review documentation establishing a customer's unused or inaccessible balance with another private aviation provider and determine eligibility under the programme, including availability of remaining funds under the maximum aggregate limit of $100 million."

No upfront deposit

FlyUSA chief executive Barry Shevlin said in a statement: "Someone who has already had a significant amount of money stranded with a private aviation provider shouldn't have to make another six-figure deposit just to start flying again." He added: "We're not asking them to trust another company with a large prepaid balance. They can pay as they go, and we'll earn their trust one flight at a time."

The promotion does not require prepayment. Gold membership offers dynamic pricing, and the offer carries no obligation for customers to commit funds upfront.

It is unclear from available reporting how many OneFlight customers have applied or how many may be eligible under FlyUSA's programme terms.