US Airways Dividend Miles - US Airways Considers Following NW on Road to Perdition: Pay for Exit Row

Washington Post Article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001814.html)

"Just one week after Northwest Airlines set off a major customer-service uproar by unveiling a new $15 fee for aisle and exit-row seats, the airline says the response from customers has been better than anticipated...

...Several frequent fliers said they feared that other airlines would follow. However, spokesmen for four of the nation's biggest carriers -- United, Continental, Delta and American -- said they had no plans to follow Northwest. US Airways spokesman Phil Gee gave the most cautious response, saying that although the airline has plans to match Northwest's move, the airline was "watching it very closely to see how successful it is."

In case you haven't heard, NW is charging all its customers a non-refundable $15 fee for some exit rows and forward ("premium" :rolleyes: ) coach class seats. Elite fliers are not exempt and no refund is given if your upgrade clears.

Now, US is considering matching this dumb move.

Let's nip this in the bud: if US does this, I will switch to UA. I hope everyone else will take their business elsewhere too. Emailing US now might prevent them from making the same blunder NW did. Our email campaign drove a stake in the heart of the proposed no EQM for cheap fares idiocy. @:-)

Do you have an email address you consider the most successful in contacting the decision makers?

I just wrote through the website. I have always gotten a relply in the past that way.

T

Should we be surprised? US has dismantled seemingly every benefit a frequent customer used to receive and has publicly proclaimed itself as a Greyhound in the Sky ("LCC"). I gave up on them long ago. I'm astonished that folks are still surprised when they announce/plan/discuss additional benefit cuts. They will go after each and every opportunity to reduce costs, raise revenue, and reduce benefits - they believe customers won't care. And given that they never attracted the premium customer anyway, the miniscule component of their base that are typical FT'ers are irrelevant to them.

Past actions are the best indication of future behaviour.

I suppose it will never end. This one just doesn't make sense though - I can understand selling open aisle/exit row seats to non-elite customers if they want to pay more...........but you mean to tell me that if I don't want to pay cash, I have a better chance of sitting in First Class (through an upgrade) than I do to sit in the aisle on the last seat in the bus?? Geez.

I can see UA charging since you would at least get E+ as opposed to US. I wonder if the airlines plan on installing pay toilets as well.

This is why UA and AA will remain business oriented airlines and the likes of NW (and hopefully not US) will take their place among the bottom dwellers.

My suggestion: if US even thinks of trying this we all need to pull our tar and feathers out again like we did over the power port issue.

However, spokesmen for four of the nation's biggest carriers -- United, Continental, Delta and American -- said they had no plans to follow Northwest.

I still stand by my original prediction: No other legacy carrier will implement this and NW will back away from it soon. Outside of the fact that it is just one of those "over the top" programs (remember when US tried to only make "Y", "B", "A" and "F" miles count towards elite qualification) it's just too cumbersome for airlines to keep track of to generate an extra $150/flight.

Wirelessly posted (Samsung-SPHA900 AU-MIC-A900/2.0 MMP/2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

true just like aa eagle stopped charging for beverages!

I understand (and share) everyone's concerns in this thread, but I think people are reading too much in to the spokesperson's comments.

I think he probably hadn't heard from someone what the plans were, so was not in a position to deny it outright. I honestly don't think they'd do this, if they even hear an inkling of the NW outrage.

I have said this on another board, and I will say it again here--if the airlines had RATIONALIZED fares instead of nickel and diming customers, they would not have to think of harebrained schemes like this in the first place.

And by rational fares I do NOT mean the $29-$49 loser fares which are in a big part responsible for the mess the airlines find themselves in right now. I mean FAIR fares, and reasonable last minute fares.

They have started by increasing fares gradually at the bottom. They now need to lower the caps, and as I have stated ad nauseum, when they have RATIONAL fares, the average fare actually increases.

If they pull a stunt like NW, I am certainly gone.....enough is enough.

Even as sad as US has become, I do agree that this program likely will go nowhere and NW will withdraw it. Too much work, too little revenue.

They will continue to go after opportunities to lower benefits and raise fees where it benefits them financially, regardless of customer service. This one will net a negative financial impact in addition to customer service. They may not care at all about customers, but they haven't swung to the other side to cut off their nose to spite their face.

This will end it for me on US.

I disagree that the spokesman was likely ignorant. There are probably heads rolling in Tempe for US having not thought of the new revenue idea.

USAirways should give preferred members and their companions pre-assigned seats for free. Then, they could charge everybody else, the US4 and below $15 if they want pre-assigned seats. This then would be a big benefit for their preferred members.

UA is getting full. First it was a bunch of US people switching now all these NW people are comming over. I think US should get smart and try to retain what they have left.

Washington Post Article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001814.html)

"Just one week after Northwest Airlines set off a major customer-service uproar by unveiling a new $15 fee for aisle and exit-row seats, the airline says the response from customers has been better than anticipated...

...Several frequent fliers said they feared that other airlines would follow. However, spokesmen for four of the nation's biggest carriers -- United, Continental, Delta and American -- said they had no plans to follow Northwest. US Airways spokesman Phil Gee gave the most cautious response, saying that although the airline has plans to match Northwest's move, the airline was "watching it very closely to see how successful it is."

In case you haven't heard, NW is charging all its customers a non-refundable $15 fee for some exit rows and forward ("premium" :rolleyes: ) coach class seats. Elite fliers are not exempt and no refund is given if your upgrade clears.

Now, US is considering matching this dumb move.

Let's nip this in the bud: if US does this, I will switch to UA. I hope everyone else will take their business elsewhere too. Emailing US now might prevent them from making the same blunder NW did. Our email campaign drove a stake in the heart of the proposed no EQM for cheap fares idiocy. @:-)

UA is getting full. First it was a bunch of US people switching now all these NW people are comming over. I think US should get smart and try to retain what they have left.

I agree and I hope US does too. I don't want to leave; I like US.

I have said this on another board, and I will say it again here--if the airlines had RATIONALIZED fares instead of nickel and diming customers, they would not have to think of harebrained schemes like this in the first place.

And by rational fares I do NOT mean the $29-$49 loser fares which are in a big part responsible for the mess the airlines find themselves in right now. I mean FAIR fares, and reasonable last minute fares.

They have started by increasing fares gradually at the bottom. They now need to lower the caps, and as I have stated ad nauseum, when they have RATIONAL fares, the average fare actually increases.

If they pull a stunt like NW, I am certainly gone.....enough is enough.
I need to be finishing up work not answering more posts.
To better state if US Airways concentrated on how to increase and or generate new forms of revenue by selling what premium and the general flying public wanted then they would not have to resort to monkey see monkey do tactics that continue to chase away customers.At that is one thing they seem to be exceptional at ;)
Southwest and Jet Blue must applaud these decsions and increase their jet orders when they see these anti customer blunders.

I have great reason to be a US AIRWAYS customer but surly service on the phone in the past combined with a dated mediocre product onboard with poor f&b choices has little interest to me.
I pity my cousin who has to fly them for work.Yet I have seen worse out there.
Add to the list,poor stingy prmotional efforts and a weak group of partnerships and weak award availability
The basic program is reasonable enough but not a standout
Pretty soon the way this company does business they will be charging for Etickets :rolleyes:

Washington Post Article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001814.html)

"Just one week after Northwest Airlines set off a major customer-service uproar by unveiling a new $15 fee for aisle and exit-row seats, the airline says the response from customers has been better than anticipated...

...Several frequent fliers said they feared that other airlines would follow. However, spokesmen for four of the nation's biggest carriers -- United, Continental, Delta and American -- said they had no plans to follow Northwest. US Airways spokesman Phil Gee gave the most cautious response, saying that although the airline has plans to match Northwest's move, the airline was "watching it very closely to see how successful it is."

I believe that the WRITER may be at fault here. A cautious response would have been that US Airways has NO plans to match NW's, but that it was watching to see what happens. Are we sure that the reporter didn't inadvertantly leave out a very important two letter word -- namely, "no"??? :confused:

I believe that the WRITER may be at fault here. A cautious response would have been that US Airways has NO plans to match NW's, but that it was watching to see what happens. Are we sure that the reporter didn't inadvertantly leave out a very important two letter word -- namely, "no"??? :confused:

Boy I think you got that exactly right, that makes a whole lot more sense.


As for those complaining about everything it is a classic case of "who moved my cheese"! Every US FF was mis-served by having a bad airline. If the employees and ops get turned around (which US seems to be doing) you all come out so much farther ahead! It also is just the "old east coast attitude", they don't like change much. They tend to stay in the same cities and jobs most of their lives it is a cultural difference. They didn't mind US being crappy because it was "their crappy", but now that some "laid back" west coasters(read that as lacking intelligence a definite east coast bias) are running the show everything is horrible. It defies logic but is sociologically what one would expect. And no I am not a socialogist but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once!speaking pretty obvious. :p

I am off the UA next year if they do this. I sent them an e-mail saying as much.

I need to be finishing up work not answering more posts.
To better state if US Airways concentrated on how to increase and or generate new forms of revenue by selling what premium and the general flying public wanted then they would not have to resort to monkey see monkey do tactics that continue to chase away customers.At that is one thing they seem to be exceptional at ;)
Southwest and Jet Blue must applaud these decsions and increase their jet orders when they see these anti customer blunders.

I have great reason to be a US AIRWAYS customer but surly service on the phone in the past combined with a dated mediocre product onboard with poor f&b choices has little interest to me.
I pity my cousin who has to fly them for work.Yet I have seen worse out there.
Add to the list,poor stingy prmotional efforts and a weak group of partnerships and weak award availability
The basic program is reasonable enough but not a standout
Pretty soon the way this company does business they will be charging for Etickets :rolleyes:

Yes there are issues, but I'm not sure I'd call full global Star Alliance membership a 'weak group of partnerships...' Many callers here at European Res are surprised at the global reach their US miles now have, and (especially with Preferred flyers, how many lounges they can use around the world). You can fly JetBlue or Southwest till the cows come home but it will never get you a free ticket to Australia, with free use of Business Lounges en-route. I'm surprised at how quickly you dismiss this huge benefit.

I would be irritated at having the price of my weekly commute increased by about 10% to get exit rows on the 2 segments but what bugs me more is booking an exit row and then getting stuck in regular coach, thanks to an equipment change. Who knows what else US could do- maybe charging for exit rows or requiring Preferreds to go through upgrade hassles to score an exit row seat?

Another reason I fly UA whenever possible; E+ is basically an exit row, and it's much easier to get (and keep).

Another reason I fly UA whenever possible; E+ is basically an exit row, and it's much easier to get (and keep).

Since I'm only SP, I rarely get upgraded (unless the company has purchased a high-priced fully refundable fare), so exit row is my "upgrade", and I don't always get it. Had a PHL-LAX-ORD-LGA trip last week, with PHL-LAX on US and the rest on UA. The US leg was bulkhead, and even though I was the first to board when they called for group 2, the bins over bulkhead were already full (are people just putting stuff in the first bin they see, and then wandering back to their seats in row 25?)

E+, on the other hand, was delightful. Even though I have no UA status, I was able to board in group 2, and the (bigger) bins weren't full yet. Plus exit-row-quality legroom. I'm stuck on US since I fly out of PHL all the time, and prefer nonstops. I wish we were a UA hub instead. I could get used to that E+ seating.

I'm stuck on US since I fly out of PHL all the time, and prefer nonstops. I wish we were a UA hub instead. I could get used to that E+ seating.


I was thinking many people leaving "US's Program for UA" may not be leaving US entirely...because they will take flights that server them,a nd then credit it to UA MP. I am not sure if US is losing alot of money if people leave, but still fly US frequently enough and credit it back to UA MP...

Just a thought... also, u can mix and match with the *Alliance partnership and only lose your "upgrades to first for free", otherwise treated well on both airlines.

I'd take US anyday over anyone except Southwest. They have treated me right, bit are you serious? I thought we were going to a LCC. Whoever thought of this was drunk w/ Absmith in their system

I'd take US anyday over anyone except Southwest. They have treated me right, bit are you serious? I thought we were going to a LCC. Whoever thought of this was drunk w/ Absmith in their system

Who, or what, is Absmith..?

Who, or what, is Absmith..?Maybe "absinthe?"

Mmmmm.... Absinthe.... :)