(Having just (probably) caused 30,000 heart attacks among FTers, let me finish the sentence

...I just want to be treated like a customer.

Sure, I've used miles for leisure travel; sure, I like "free" stuff; sure, all that.

But y'know what?

I'd trade it all for decent service.

I realized this lately, as I was carefully planning trips, totting up segments, considering how to whomp up the AA-Citibank card to get to 1MM and then 2MM faster, when I realized I wasn't even considering here I could go with all those miles.

All I wanted was...

...to not stand in line for an hour and a half.

...to sit in a comfortable seat.

...to not be run over by the stampede, or be clubbed in the head by someone's oversized bag that they think will fit in the overhead.

...to get a refill on my soda.


Bruce.

Bruce, pal.

I'll make you a deal.

You can wash every one of those miles out of my account. No long-term commitment, no tricky award redemption, no need to staff the award desk for me.

Here, watch: mile... cha-ching, hits the account! >poof< no mile, mile gone!

All I want is 10 Q-points instead. That's it. Real simple. (Maybe even 5 -- let's talk.)

What do you say, do we have a deal?

--Laird

At the risk of seeming a bit "greedy," can we possibly get some miles and good service as well!

Hopefully these are NOT mutually incompatible!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Oddly enough, the reason we collect all these miles is to get those things.

With a higher FF status, you can bypass the long lines and check in at the First or Business class line, which usually doesn't stretch for a hour and a half.

With many FF miles and upgrades, you can often find yourself in a more comfortable seat in business or first class.

As a FF with high status, you can board early and reserve a non-aisle seat, thus avoiding both the stampede or the possibility of being clubbed in the head.

Finally, when you're sitting in that upgraded seat, I assume drink service won't be a real problem.

--------------------

Air travel isn't really as pleasant today, with the sheer number of people traveling and the delays, etc.. So instead of wishing for the impossible like across-the-board improvements, the only thing we can really do is to make sure that OUR trips are as comfortable as possible.

i couldn't agree more. If I'm not going to make status because of a job change or something I'll take vacation time during December and fly until I have it again. Doesn't happen often, but those years that it does...

I want to keep it for two main reasons, one monor one. First and foremost is the alternate check in line. Tomorrow morning we will walk past the zig zag of people to a counter with only one or two people at most to check in. In denver last Sunday the regular check in line was well past the roped area, the status line was only one person deep.

A comfortable seat, if the status gets me a bit more room or the ability to get an exit row before somebody without gets it, then so be it. I don't really upgrade that much, but it's nice to have the option.

Not being run over or blubbed, I don't think there is a solution, but getting on first and having space for my stuff near my seat is the second reason that status means so much.

The upgrade certs, the bonus miles are nice, but getting on first and a line without waiting, makes it worth it's weight in gold.

I've never had any trouble getting another soda, that must be your airline

True as an elite FF you get a special reservation number so you can be placed on hold because of inadequate staffing. Elites also have their own check-in line where you stand and wait with all the other elites. All the while looking over at the non-elites to see if they are moving faster than you! And you do get to board the plane earlier than everyone else, which is nice when the plane is actually there. It's also nice when you are the first on the plane so you can sit longer during the (insert delay/excuse here) from the airlines. Of course a cold drink while you sit on the tarmac does help.

Being elite doesn't mean your flights don't get canceled or even necessarily that an elite gets treated better than a non-elite. In some cases the elite expecting to be treated "better" feels shafted when the airline employee doesn't live up to an elites' lofty expectations.
Of course all those extra miles that we FF'ers get helps just a little bit.

The other option we have, heavens forbid, is to stop flying and not worry about the whole thing. Are non FF's truly happier?

The very first I learned about airline travel in coach many, many years ago was that if you wanted a refill for your soda, ask for the whole can. "Can of Coke" instead of "Coke". All major airlines oblige.

I agree that status is not for the miles anymore for me, although I like giving them to my parents. Now that RDURES convinced me to get Executive Platinum on American last year, it's all about the service.

One of my relatives who is my age flies 2-3 times a year by himself, and 2-3 times a year with me. He's always intrigued at the difference of the experiences, the lack of lines, the little things like being able to preboard on a red-eye into an exit row or getting a shower in at the BA Club Europe lounge at LHR before continuing onward.

But I find the big difference is when you start to have irregular operations. I'm usually first on the standby list if I want to get out of town earlier, and on the top of the list of volunteers when my flight is oversold and I am in no hurry to get home. {The ALB gate agent on Thursday even convinced her UA counterpart at the next gate to give me an operational upgrade to F!)

And more than once I've been able to make a free call on the Airfone during a ground stop on the tarmac, reach the Executive Platinum desk without a wait on hold, have somebody give me detailed information on things like where my connecting plane is and what were my options if there was to be a misconnect, and protect me on the option I picked.

To me, the peace of mind and flexibility that comes with having my loyalty recognized is worth far more than the miles, although I'll still take the miles as well if they're offered!!

I will take service over miles any day, we as a hotel company know this. If you are not getting good service at one of our hotels we really want to know. We are in the service business not the miles business.