US Airways is like two different airlines. If you're an elite member you get good US Airways, otherwise you get bad US Airways. I travel a lot for work....not exactly a badge of honor but, whatever...and I have to say that when you reach that level a whole new world of service opens up to you. One of the things they do that I like is the policy of automatic upgrades, based on availability. Other airlines want you to fiddle around with coupons and such. These guys just give you a seat. Simple and efficient...works for me :-)
To me airlines are sort of like cell phone providers. They all suck, some just suck a little less than others. With the hub-and-spoke system the airlines have created more or less a monopoly. If you live in Phoenix the only viable options are US Air and Southwest. Sure, there are other airlines but you'll be faced with connections and poor schedules so pick your poison.
ALL airlines experience delays and they ALL lie about the reason for the delay. When they say it's a 15 minute delay it really means an hour. They intentionally oversell flights in the hope that someone will cancel. Unlike the hotel elite programs, your miles WILL expire if you're not careful and don't expect to get a courtesy note either.
Why the rant? It's only to illustrate that all airlines are the same. US Airways is no better or no worse than any of the others.
I will say this for them though, their frequent flyer perks are fairly good and relatively easy to reach. Once you get to Gold or Platinum the upgrades are pretty regular. Just being able to use the first class check-in line at the airport is nice, even if you don't get a first class seat that day.
So yeah, it's not perfect but it's better than some. And that's about as close and I'm going to get to a compliment for any airline :-)