Local travelers such as Gibsonia's Glenn Schnur, who's worried about two tickets he purchased for an international flight this fall, are trying to sort through the rhetoric and figure out what could happen if US Airways lands in bankruptcy court for the second time in two years.

"What does it mean?" he asked this week after reading that the airline may be teetering toward another Chapter 11 filing.

Here are some answers:

Q: If US Airways goes bankrupt, what will happen to my frequent flier miles?

A: Perhaps nothing. When US Airways filed for bankruptcy protection in August 2002, it honored the miles accumulated by its passengers and eventually emerged from bankruptcy in March 2003. But, if the airline decides this time around to liquidate its assets while in bankruptcy, as airline chairman David Bronner predicted last week, US Airways Dividend Miles holders would not be protected by any rules or regulations, meaning they will probably lose what they have.

"Consumers think they are protected and they are not," said airline industry consultant Terry Trippler.

His advice?

"Get rid of them," he said. "Start spending them now. Now is not the time to hoard miles."

Frequent flier expert Randy Petersen recently made the same point to readers of his online publication, Insideflyer.com, saying that the US Airways frequent flier program "may be in jeopardy" and that "if you are a saver, save fewer miles. If you are a spender, redeem more."

The good news for US Airways customers is that they are free to redeem their miles not just at US Airways but also at any member of an airline marketing partnership known as the Star Alliance, which includes United Airlines, German-based Lufthansa AG and 14 other international carriers. They can also transfer their miles to these carriers with US Airways' approval.

Local reservation agents report that people are rushing to redeem their miles, hoping to cash them in before a possible US Airways bankruptcy in mid-September and creating a jam for the limited frequent flier seats typically available on each flight.

"Customers are calling left and right," said Chris Fox, a union official who represents the airline's reservationists. "That's all they are concerned about."

Fliers should also know that the right to transfer miles to other carriers goes away if the US Airways liquidates, although some could decide to honor the miles by purchasing them as an asset, as American Airlines did from TWA.

"The chances," Trippler said, "are remote."

Q: What about the tickets I've booked for the months ahead?

A: Again, if US Airways files for bankruptcy, the carrier could stay in the air and honor all tickets while reorganizing under the eye of a bankruptcy judge.

The nightmare scenario is a US Airways liquidation, with planes and routes sold to other investors. In that case, you'll probably lose money if you bought tickets with cash or a check directly from the airline.

The advice from experts is to use a credit card. You might be able to get all of your money back if US Airways goes under. Thank the Fair Credit Billing Act for that.

The act requires credit card companies to refund tickets in the event of an airline collapse. The only catch is a clause requiring consumers to dispute a charge within 60 days of the purchase date.

But Greg McBride, senior financial analyst with Florida-based Bankrate.com, said the act was written to protect consumers from a service never rendered. An airline liquidation would qualify, he said. The 60-day clause is "not something to lose a whole lot of sleep over," he said.

Another bit of advice from experts is to look for code-sharing routes -- in which two airlines sell seats on each others' flights -- and buy the ticket through US Airways' code-sharing partner, which would then be responsible for flying that route even if US Airways disappears.

A final protection for consumers could kick in if a bankrupt US Airways grounds its planes, as happened in 1991 with Eastern Airlines. US Airways' membership in the Air Transport Association means that other ATA members can then pick up the stranded passengers en route from one city to another.

"It's done entirely as a courtesy," said airline analyst Darryl Jenkins.

But it doesn't always happen. "If you buy a ticket on an airline and it goes out of business, it is not another airline's problem to get you home or where you are going," Trippler said.

Q: What are the chances US Airways will file for bankruptcy by the end of September?

A: Most industry analysts now think the chances are greater than 50-50. To avoid it, the airline claims it needs $800 million in new labor concessions in the next three weeks, telling its pilots that it might file by Sept. 10 if the new cuts are not in place.

Time is so short because US Airways faces a number of financial hurdles next month, including a large pension payment on Sept. 15 and an array of federal loan milestones on Sept. 30.

The odds of a bankruptcy increased last weekend when talks broke down between the pilots union and management over $295 million in new concessions, with the two sides $80 million to $100 million apart. Pilot leaders met yesterday to discuss their options, with talks scheduled to continue today and tomorrow in Arlington, Va.

Q: What options does US Airways have in bankruptcy?

A: The best-case scenario is a so-called "pre-packaged" bankruptcy, with US Airways entering with cost-cutting labor agreements already in hand, allowing it to emerge with the same system while operating at lower costs.

The worst case is a liquidation of assets with all employees losing their jobs.

In between the two extremes are several other options, including a partial liquidation of assets, labor cuts enforced by a judge and new equity from investors who want to keep US Airways intact.

Q: How is US Airways preparing to protect consumers?

A: It won't say. The company declined to discuss how consumers would fare under a US Airways bankruptcy, saying that such a scenario is not yet certain.

The airline is trying to balance the need for more cuts with the need to book paying passengers, often issuing statements that are contradictory in tone and direction.

Even though its chairman warned last week that the company may not survive a second bankruptcy, the company announced this week plans to pump up its Caribbean flying from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "We're continuing to make announcements consistent with the future plans of our airline," spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said.

But the bankruptcy talk is spooking customers, meaning that US Airways loses even more revenue through future bookings and the replacement of paying seats with nervous frequent fliers.

All that, ironically, could push the airline closer to bankruptcy. "It becomes a true self-fulfilling prophecy," Trippler said.