guyindasky

Geez, and I thought engines whined alot. It's real simple. US is free to run their business anyway they see fit and you as the customer are free to spend your $$$ with whichever company you feel gives you the most value for the money spent. That's what I love about capitalism and the free marketplace. And depending on where you live, and if you choose to use another carrier, that you may now be making a connection whereas before you may have been on a nonstop flight. Your philosophy on value gained may be changed if you miss an important meeting. Rest assured there will be some other FF filling up that seat in F/C as flights on US seldom ever have an empty seat upfront. If you want to run an airline then get a job there, otherwise stick to your particular specialty.

US AIRWAYS FAN

Have you been up front lately? There are some flights that I have seen where the front was not even half way full. Might have been the time of day (or even time of year) I was flying but have seen it happen. Was not too long ago on a DCA LGA flight and DCA CLT and DCA FLL flight.

You're right we are free to spend our $$$ else where. That is why I am in burn mode with my miles. Sadly for me it's going to take me a long time to use them all but I will get the job done.

Oh and welcome to Flyertalk by the way.

stiphy

Guyindasky, welcome to FT.

I tend to agree with your statement, but what you have to realize is that many here have what they view to be a "long term business relationship" with US Airways. The airlines themselves encourage such a view through their frequent flier programs, especially through the elite levels. Spending a year flying the same airline for 100,000 miles with the idea that you are going to get a certain level of service for your loyalty, only to have the airline change the terms of the implied agreement rubs a lot of people the wrong way. On the one hand it looks like people have a sense of entitlement that may be absurd to the outsider, on the other hand, those people were promised certain things for their loyality to the airline that the airline is now completely ignoring.

The bonus miles issue is a very clear example of this. People chose to fly US Airways in 2007 with understanding that if they reached a certain level they would receive bonus miles for all of 2008 (until 2/09 actually). During 2008 they continued to fly said airline to extend this deadline until 2/10 only to have the airline change the rules of the game halfway through in August 2008.

It is frustrating in any field when a long term business partner that one has relied on and trusted all of a sudden stops providing the services one has come to expect. Many here are venting their frustrations. In the long term you are right, most are slowly moving to competitors. But who should one move to? It seems that most airlines are now reevaluating their priorities of doing anything to keep customer loyalty and are only looking to compete on the short term price of the product. Those looking for a true long term business partner may be better to look at Netjets or something I guess.

Sean

Oxb

That is exactly what they are doing. A version of Ryanair in the USA might be a fine idea. But if that is what you are going to do, be one for real and stop misleading your customers into thinking that you are a full service airline. If you are going to have people pay ala carte for everything the base fare should be Ryanairlike, NOT the same or more than the real full service competing airlines. I have never flown on Ryanair, but I have been on EasyJet. I knew what I was getting into so I did not mind that I would have to pay for a drink or whatever. The $40 from LON to MUC more than made up for it.

IMO full service fares (BLOFARES) should equal full service without nickle and diming (which is actually five to fiftying)

Alphaguy

Exactly!

US has adopted the Ryanair model. Problem is, they are fighting a battle they can't win against the real LCC's of North America.... only time before they go BK III. Doug... I still paid the same fare as I would have for DL or CO.... why do I have to give you $2 for a soda! I didn't pay the $50 Ryanair fare!!!!

GadgetFreak

Welcome to FT. I think there is some indication that you are reflecting management thinking fairly accurately. I think the problem though comes down to if you take this to its conclusion. I think the logical conclusion is that the changes are being done because people with no choice will continue to fly US. The sentence:

to an extent indicates that those who are in a few hubs with no choices will continue to fly US. That essentially make US Airways, PHX-CLT and Sortof PHL Airways. Ive been saying for a while I dont know why anyone outside of those cities would fly US. But maybe that is the plan. Will it work? Who knows. Maybe they think they cant compete nationally so they will depend on only the fortress hubs. Ill continue to watch with some interest, but not from onboard.

N965VJ

Actually, US management has openly stated that they are going to focus on the leisure traveler, so I’m not so sure about that.

Welcome to FT, BTW.

coswellnc

Engines, like FF's whine a lot when they are not taken care of.

brobab

When you are worried that you will not be in business three months from now, you rationalize a whole lot of disservice to the customer - If I'm gone, who cares; if I make it, I'll worry about all the hurt feelings later. It is the diffrenece between a going concern and a concern that is going away.

Those running the company tend to be so myopic about trying to make it to the next day as opposed to the next year, that they don't realize that the passengers most likely to offer support, (higher dollar business travellers with discretionary carrier/spending choices) are the exact ones they are pushing away.

coswellnc

Great observation. One of the best posts I have seen on this board yet.

Stewchoo

I am a PHL based platinum member and would also like to switch. May I ask who you are switching to? Are there enough flights serviced by another airline to meet your needs? I am not sure that would be the case for me...

spin88

where do you fly to? lots of threads on this. post a thread with where you fly, how much, what type of tickets you fly on (y/b, discount, F), and what is most important to you and folks will respond.

Stewchoo

I fly up and down the east coast, BOS/FFL/ATL/RDU, probably 20 times a year and to the bay area, sfo/smf/oak, maybe 6-8 times a year. I also go overseas, LHR/BCN/AMS, 6-8 times per year as well. Lastly also fly DFW/ORD/PHX another 6-8 times per year. US Air and rest of *A has worked pretty well thus far out of PHL but would like to switch. Just looking at PHL in general I would assume only UA or AA are even viable options. I do not want to move to WN as they are not an international option.

spin88

I think your read is correct, either AA (and do a whole lot of switching) or go with UA. Given that UA serves SFO and ORD direct and everything else is a connection, and AA is (perhaps boston, Likely MIA (if you go there)) ORD and DFW) they are about the same. I would go with *A because you don't get credit for BA TATL, and you don't want to be connecting at JFK all the time.

That way you can fly US on short routes and credit to UA. UA, if you hit 1K, gives you SWUs which you can use on either UA (via IAD) or LH. AAs are only good on AA, which would be out of JFK.

only other option is CO, but then you would either have to take the train to EWR or drive. Its a good option if you are south of PHL.

Phudnik

I have found that my best alternatives to US from PHL are UA or one of the SkyTeam programs. If you don't want to split status between two programs, I'd agree with spin88: you're probably best off with UA, since it serves the third-most destinations nonstop from PHL, you can credit US flights to UA, and you can use US or LH for European travel. AA has fewer flights to ORD than UA, no international partners at PHL that you can earn miles on, and no transcons from PHL.

I am OK taking the train to EWR for transcons or international flights, and I can fly C internationally for business; in those circumstances, CO or NW is a good option, as you'll be able to get to LHR, BCN, and AMS nonstop and you can use DL from PHL to BOS and ATL, at least for the next year or so.

I think you mean "north of PHL". I think EWR is about as far from Yardley, for example, as PHL is.