Ok - here's ol' BigLar's saga so far:

Used to be CP, loved US. Then the job changed and I stopped flying. (Still built up tons of hotel points, though).

Then, this March, I caught a bad case of unemployment. But, not to worry. By April I was off on a new job: more money, and flying every week (my nickel). Because it was in Minneapolis, I'm flying NW. <sniff>

I stuck with US through all the bankruptcies and so on, but last year it looked kind of bad so I blew most of my stash on a couple of LH F tix to Rome, and we had a great time.

Now, I have another offer -- even more money, and it would be in Phoenix.

Checking out the flights, it turns out that the absolute most convenient schedule and the best price is (ta-daaah): US Air!

So. It looks like the merger with HP might well save both airlines. Would you change carriers on the strength of this?

Since I am a former CP, and I can show them a schedule which includes lots of miles (~4500/wk) and lots of segments (4/week), what would you say the chances were of getting a comp or challenge? Not especially looking for First all the time, but the 50%-100% mileage bonuses would sure build up my pile pretty quickly.

I've got to make a decision pretty quickly. Any input appreciated.

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BigLar, have you met Big Marty at MSP? She, and her other co-workers at MSP, are the reason US folks are the best in the biz. She used to take care of me every other weekend when I was commuting there about 10 years ago.

You know a lot of us FFOCUS folks are going to say go US for the people... but you have to decide what's important to you. I just did a trip the last 2 days to the left coast on UA in E+. I wish US would have E+... then again, FC on US is really E+ with drinks anymore.

Where are you based out of, BigLar? That might help us give objective responses too.

Checking out the flights, it turns out that the absolute most convenient schedule and the best price is (ta-daaah): US Air!

Schedule and price are two important reasons for me to pick ANY airline to fly. Where I live, US Airways meets my needs well. And the treatment I get as a CP makes it all so much more fun to fly!

It's such a difficult question to address because the answer is grounded in what's important to you, as noted by jimcfsus.

Me:

Schedule: living in PHL, US takes me to the most places, most frequently, most directly.

Power: until I finish grad school, time in the air is time on task for my dissertation. Empower in Airbus aircraft drives me to US. [Note: Admittedly, I'll probably care more about IFE and meals post-doc.]

Service: for me, I want FAs who seem to care about how and what they do, and who are enjoyable. For me, that's been US. And the CP desk: enough said! :)

What's important to you? There are so many more variables: prices, upgrade ability, club locations, corporate connections, coach product, etc.

I'm home-based out of BUF, so my options aren't all that wide.

One of the reasons I pick a carrier (outside of schedule and price) is the usability and availability of awards. US has been very good in this respect in the past, though lately it seems to be getting somewhat tighter.

No, whether I take the new job or not will not depend on my carrier choice, but from BUF-PHX I would have a choice; BUF-MSP is pretty much a slam dunk for NW.

I'd love to get back to US. They got to know me pretty well at BUF, and I've always been taken care of.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.