Poetic justice! Tales from flying UA... or why I love US Airways.

 
Old Nov 14, 2012, 9:45 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: US CP, DL PM
Posts: 127
Poetic justice! Tales from flying UA... or why I love US Airways.

Apologies in advance if this post is flameworthy or otherwise inflammatory. it's been a long day but I just wanted to share how flying UA made me really appreciate and miss flying US (esp with status).

I made CP on US this year via trial and have been flying US pretty regularly since - enjoying cheap fares, great CS on the chairman's desk, more miles, more perks, and really loving the 95% complimentary upgrade rate. I'm sure some of you can relate that it started to feel like a game - I would actually look forward to booking tickets, most recently a christmas transcon that cost only 300$. Or the time that I booked a flight exactly a week out and was insta-upgraded. Not living out of a hub, I do a lot of connections. CLT is hands down my favorite connection hub. I would read the us airways magazine just for fun during takeoff and landing. In other words, I became a US "fanboy" or fangirl in this case...

I even proudly nominated a friend for silver (he made gold just a couple days ago) and was giddy every time he got an upgrade on his flights.

Nevertheless, I figured: the grass is always greener! This is just irrational attachment that the FF market feeds off of. I figured, I'm missing electric plugs in the seats, IFE, a better "soft product" or so I'd heard, and best of all DIRECT flights from my home airport SFO.

So I bite the bullet and book a UA metal flight SFO-BOS direct! I know I'm going coach class. But I figure, this way I'll get there sooner! This way, it'll look more rational. Who on earth gets a connecting flight SFO-BOS?!

Day of the flight, I'm feeling nervous. Like a fish out of water. Who knew UA had 7 zones of boarding? Who knew their upgrade request list was 50 (!) people long? In any case, we start to board up. Even though I had tried to pay to upgrade, I wasn't one of the lucky ones (which is fine, I was prepared for that). I could tell this wasn't my regular old trip on familiar US airways. Dread was setting in. I just had a *feeling* something was going to be wrong.

So, we're sitting there and everyone is boarded and it's past our scheduled departure time. And from my experience with US (which has been 95% positive, all on time departures), I knew you generally had to get out by departure time. So the minute we didn't push back... I just *knew*.

Basically, we sat there, the pilot came on and informed us after 30 minutes that a part was "lost" in fixing things. And there was a slide that was broken. And an overnight crew had discovered this but they boarded anyway. They could not find a slide for our plane. One had to be flown in. There were some murmurs about how this was a continental plane and not a united plane which complicated things... There was talk by frequent flyers on UA that this flight was going to be massively delayed, canceled etc, based on their recent experience...and I'm sure you see where we're headed.

As soon as I realized things were going south, I called my trusty chairman's desk number in a panic. "Please," I said, "can I switch to US metal? Please can I get a connecting flight?" Alas, my trusty customer service agent told me, you'll have to talk to united about that.

Long story short (because this is not the UA board and I don't want anyone to have to relive my pain), we had delay after delay, watched another plane use our gate to depart late themselves, and finally 6 (!) hours later we were on our way. Never an explanation, always a rolling delay - taking off 30 minutes later, another 30 minutes ... and so on.

I'm not saying that safety isn't important, I'm not saying that this couldn't happen on US. But my lesson today was go ahead and book the connecting flight. If it makes you feel more secure that you're going to be accommodated because of status in case of IRROPS, if it makes you feel better knowing a nice cushy first class seat is awaiting you, if it makes you feel better knowing that a nice customer service lady is a ring away, that's really reason enough to fly US with status, even if it means looking like a buffoon for booking flights with stops in PHX, CLT, or PHL!

Silver lining: I had already booked connecting flight on US Airways for the return. Red wine, snack mix, us airways magazine here I come!
jondysse is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 5:43 am
  #2  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: US CP ; LH FTL ; *G
Posts: 1,630
You can't really compare service on US as CP to service on UA as a GM.

Having said that, IME, service on US on average is better than on UA. For example, US GAs would occasionally greet me by name after I scan my BP, which I don't recall seeing on UA even for GS. Also, I see FAs knowing manifest more often on US than on UA.
burlax is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 6:00 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: AVL
Programs: AA EXP ; Cunard Plat
Posts: 4,211
I agree with burlax - it's not an apples-to-apples comparison.

I fly US because the routes work for me, they treat me well as a CP (especially during IRROPS), and connecting in CLT is a pleasure.

I also fly UA, usually as a companion of a UA 1K with the benefits, and I've been satisfied overall. They've hit some rough patches (much like US a few years ago), but they're trying hard and I will continue to fly with them as my needs dictate.
kudzu is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 7:22 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 54
I was UA 1K for years. I liked the First class service, and I like the multi-zone boarding. As a US CP I have to battle with the rest of the Plat, Gold, Silver, Zone 1 herd. On UA I had a specific 1K boarding and did not have to wade through the herd.
I have written US about breaking up the boarding process into more zones.

I do however notice US on time percentage is waaaaay better than UA. Also note that I have not flown any cross-country US trips, only shorter hub-to-hub's, so the service is probably better on longer hauls, I just haven't had the chance to experience that yet.
bhooper is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 8:01 am
  #5  
PHL
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,035
Delays like the one the OP described on the SFO-BOS trip can, and do, of course happen on any airline. I don't know if one datapoint means it's always better taking a connection on US rather than a nonstop flight on UA (where you at least still get US PQMs).

OP -let's put it another way... Had the flight operated on time...was the rest of the UA experience more or less as you expected? Would you do it again if you knew with certainty (which is impossible, but this is hypothetical) that the flight would operate on time?
PHL is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 8:19 am
  #6  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
Originally Posted by bh9197
I was UA 1K for years. I liked the First class service, and I like the multi-zone boarding. As a US CP I have to battle with the rest of the Plat, Gold, Silver, Zone 1 herd. On UA I had a specific 1K boarding and did not have to wade through the herd.
I have written US about breaking up the boarding process into more zones.

I do however notice US on time percentage is waaaaay better than UA. Also note that I have not flown any cross-country US trips, only shorter hub-to-hub's, so the service is probably better on longer hauls, I just haven't had the chance to experience that yet.
I'll agree that US's boarding is chaotic. However, I'll also state that UA jams everyone thru regardless of status. One of the most comment UA complaints now the CO took over is that all elites are equal.

I took one trip on UA this year in paid C/F and boarding was chaotic in both EWR and ICN. There was no separation for status in either place, and in EWR, boarding was a mishmash of C and elites. ICN was even worse. I expected F and GS to be called first. Nope - they called all elites and premium cabins at once. I had to fight thru a crowd of C and elites just to board. REALLY made me wish I was flying OZ at that point.

Especially in ICN, I was pretty peeved I paid all that money for a premium ticket and had to fight to get on the plane.
Superguy is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 8:25 am
  #7  
PHL
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,035
Originally Posted by Superguy
Especially in ICN, I was pretty peeved I paid all that money for a premium ticket and had to fight to get on the plane.
Putting aside the very inconsistent boarding practices (recent flights at IAH also funneled everyone into the premium line), on an international premium ticket I wouldn't care about my place in boarding. The sole reason I want to get on a plane early is to have space for my carry-on. That's normally not a problem for premium passengers on the long haul fights, and even in most cases on domestic first class flights.
PHL is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 3:40 pm
  #8  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: BWI
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond, National Emerald Executive, TSA Disparager Gold
Posts: 15,180
Originally Posted by PHL
Putting aside the very inconsistent boarding practices (recent flights at IAH also funneled everyone into the premium line), on an international premium ticket I wouldn't care about my place in boarding. The sole reason I want to get on a plane early is to have space for my carry-on. That's normally not a problem for premium passengers on the long haul fights, and even in most cases on domestic first class flights.
I could really care less if it were last as long as it were separate. Don't call F first if you're going to call everyone else and their dog with it. I want a hassle free boarding experience with what I spent ... I didn't get that.

Domestically, if you get there late though, you could be SOL in F as FAs will sometimes start putting bags in F if overheads in the back fill up.
Superguy is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 3:52 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,293
I appreciate OP's post.

It's true that US as Preferred is an "unfair" comparison with UA as Dirt.

But, for me and many others on this board, that's our choice at present, since UA (unlike US with Trial Preferred) does not make it easy to get out of the dirt. I sometimes ask myself shouldn't I be pricing other carriers, looking at different flight times, and so on.... Without having the OP experience, I still conclude "no," for precisely the reason in the OP: even though things can (and sometimes do) go wrong on US, having some status reduces the anxiety of either anticipation of problems or the problems themselves.
Biggie Fries is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 6:34 pm
  #10  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
For years I urged my PHL-based brother to switch to UA from UA because UA was a better airline. Over the past year, I've reversed myself and told him that he was smart not to listen to me.

It's true that the OP's experience with the repeated delays could happen with any airline and that comparing elite status treatment on one airline with accorded a regular passenger on another can be misleading. But UA has most definitely gone downhill in dealing with IRROPS -as well as regarding its the antiquated reservations system brought over from CO, a deteriorating FF program and customer service, etc. As long as UA's current management team is in place, the slide unfortunately will continue...
Thunderroad is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 7:50 pm
  #11  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,690
I smiled when the OP said, "who on earth connects" on the SFO-BOS route...that's one of the longest domestic flights in the "lower 48"...it's REALLY easy to connect (even on UA via IAH, CLE, IAD, ORD, DEN, and/or LAX)...and I personally would rather pick up the extra miles and stretch my legs a big rather than have one long 5-6 flight, especially if I were in E- like I assume the OP was. For me, I actually have been hesitant to book US transcons since they got rid of all in-flight entertainment years ago...I've been on a lot of UA flights with DirectTV and I must admit, I'm hooked (even if I have to pay the $7.99 it costs in Y). I don't have all the latest electronics to drag on board the plane so sitting for 5 hours looking at the seat in front of me doesn't sound like much fun. And speaking of connecting, when upgraded to F on cross country flights (even some mid-cons), it is possible on UA to get two meals (for example, breakfast on SFO-DEN and then lunch on DEN-BOS)...is that even possible with US given their lack of hubs in the middle of the country and their super strict rule about not serving meals in F unless it's over 3 hours (or is it 3.5??)....and then there are the RPUs....
PDXPremier is offline  
Old Nov 15, 2012, 9:49 pm
  #12  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: US CP, DL PM
Posts: 127
Originally Posted by PHL
OP -let's put it another way... Had the flight operated on time...was the rest of the UA experience more or less as you expected? Would you do it again if you knew with certainty (which is impossible, but this is hypothetical) that the flight would operate on time?
I can't really say for sure since all of my negative feelings come from the fact that it seemed so commonplace to frequent flyers and to gate agents that there would be this massive delay. And, for me, timeliness and low-stress accommodations were my top priority in booking this flight. I only have one data point, but based on the collective expressions of other people on that plane, I am led to believe that ontime performance and resolution of delays would be more straightforward on US on average than on UA, especially once you add in status.

Things united did well: they offered meal vouchers, free IFE, once things went awry. The FAs held together pretty well and didn't take out much angst on pax.

I know people who are loyal united FFs. I have contemplated trying to get status on United but in agreement with what people say on the boards, it really is a much tougher world even if you are an elite on UA. And I am saying that in terms of an upgrade list 50 people long, 1Ks being stranded with the rest of us lowly folk, and so on...
jondysse is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.