Regarding Airline customer service & "Customer First":
http://www.speakout.com/Issues/Briefs/1109/


Regarding mergers:
http://www.speakout.com/Issues/Briefs/1260/

Interestingly, I was contacted by a public opinion survey firm a couple of days ago, for a survey on "airlines and air travel." It began with basic questions regarding what domestic airlines I had traveled on in the last 12 months (almost all of them!!), and my opinions of them. But then, the specific questions began narrowing in more and more on UA and US, the merger, and UA/US/AA. It seemed to me that the survey was most likely being done for AA for use in combatting the UA/US merger before the regulatory authorities.

Djlawman

I am not sure about all of this merger stuff. One airlines sounds pretty nice. One FF program, one set of rules. At least you will know if you can use the lounge or not. While one airlines would surely give us poor service as a lack of compition would ensure that, we would only have one set of rules that all the employees should know.

(just kidding here, but sometimes I do dream of one rule book for all the airlines programs)

US airline service is still falling short of the targets each of the carriers agreed to last September, a move that forestalled a congressional mandate for a passenger bill of rights.

A report issued last week by the Transportation Dept.'s Inspector General (IG) comes six months after the carriers' detailed plans to comply with the 12 provisions of the Airline Customer Service Commitment took effect. The IG will make a final report on airline service to Congress by Dec. 31.
http://www.aviationnow.com/TwoShare/...37328086322820

"Tired of record-high fares and repugnant poor service offered by the airlines? Well Joe is! In this week's column he provides you with some methods to fight back. They may not be pretty but he's tested them all and thinks they may just help."
http://misc.biztravel.com/brancatelli.htm


In response to the comment below:

FWIW, note that those are the words of biztravel, not mine! I believe he feels that his 4 ways may be somewhat unpallitable to many FF's and thus "not pretty." And the remark(s) are perhaps not directed at the 'typical' FT'er. Moreover, I'd agree that it is not one of his most high content articles ever!

Yet he feels rather strongly, and I agree, that we should fight back as much as, and as well as, we collectively can!


[This message has been edited by doc (edited 07-28-2000).]

His "not pretty" methods are: a) fly discount carriers, b) fly the airlines that provide better service, c) change airports, and d) work the programs.

So much for keen insight! I don't know why you call this not pretty -- and there's nothing in there that anyone with any common sense or who has spent 5 minutes reading the boards couldn't think of. (Or both, presumably).

Brought forward for the benefit of inconvenienced UA fliers looking to vent!

Quite simply, they don't care. Like a lot of people in service businesses today, the airlines have decided the good times will roll forever, and they are not concerned about burning bridges. From bad service to high fares, they are full speed ahead. The government is trying to give them pause to slow it down by restraining the air traffic system, but they ignore that and continue to overschedule, gumming things up even more. You want to ship a pet, that now goes from $50 to up to 5 times that. Want to change a return on a discount....no more $75...now it's $75 plus a refare of the entire trip, often making such changes as costly as the whole original ticket. Upgrades and awards...all last minute, as they hold more and more inventory out, rendering the lower tiers of elite status almost useless. Stay tuned...it only gets worse. Like the addict on drugs, the travelling public is hooked on flying everywhere....and that means bottoms in the seats. They've simply tailored the product to the demand they have created, and unless you're dumb enough (or have no choice) to pay as much for a round trip in coach to the coast as you did for your first car, they really aren't interested.

[This message has been edited by deelmakur (edited 08-11-2000).]

... I never paid as little per flight mile in average since I started to fly in the late fifties ... and I seldom got so many perks (UPGRADE SUCCESS SO FAR 100% on LONG-HAULES in year 2000 and never had to pay a business-class-fare) out of ff-programs and rules.

But Rudi, you live in the air. You're the guy the airlines are promoting. My wife and I are simple SM on Delta, without enough to qualify for any elite level on any other airline. We're ****ed. (I'm assuming the system is going to edit that word). And maybe that's as it should be. Those who pay the most should get the most. However, I don't think the airlines should be holding out bennies for less than the MOST frequent fliers if there really aren't any. Hey, if it's not going to get me anything for flying Delta, I'll fly SW.

[This message has been edited by philforest (edited 08-11-2000).]

When I ask if this is: CUSTOMER DISSERVICE!

About 99.9% of the time, they will say: YES!

Even after repeating it. It is a bit nasty and probably is as smart as it sounds.

Or for the esteemed and PC faction of our society, (and the vernacular)......*Diss-Customer Service*. Actually nothing nice re this either.

More at:
www.airmerger.com
http://airmerger.com/home.asp


BTW- It's a brainchild of the "Business Travel Coalition," which as you may guess, is NOT in support of the pending US/UA deal!


AND: Yet there are other views!

"The establishment of four national carriers would set the basis for vigorous, nationwide competition," said the study, titled "Consolidation, Connectivity, Competition, and Communities."
http://news.airwise.com/stories/2000/11/973771896.html

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 11-09-2000).]

Thanks Doc.. sounds good.
I am actually for the merger... it seems to me that I can have better access to the East from the West

I agree with LAX 1K. Although I'd lose quite a few FF miles to/from FLL connecting X/DEN rather than X/ORD.