belynch

Well put.

And let me add a welcome to DMInsider (and USAirways to FT). As others have mentioned, the internet and social media is a very powerful tool that USAirways Corp. Comm. has ignored for way too long. But, I suppose, better late the never.

Well I applaud the decision to reverse the original, very poor decision, let me add another point to this --

Through the series of recent customer unfriendly maneuvers, USAirways has succeeded in driving customers like me (an ex US1), and my revenue, away. No amount of reversals will change the fact that I very happily fly CO and DL. Yes, it might lessen the sting on the rare occasions I have to fly US, but you'll never be my primary carrier again.

The fact remains that US offers an uncompetitive product with no real advantages (be it price, service, consistency, or reliability), 500 mile minimums or not.

I take this reversal as a clear indication of what I already realized - you can't run a profitable airline without a core group of high-fare paying customers. You wanted to become an "LCC" and that's fine. But it was a short-sighted move when you did so at the cost of alienating your "best" customers.

I feel like you failed to factor in the fact that your fixed operational costs are higher than the true LCC's. That and leisure travel is a fickle beast (much more so than business travel). When you're trying to compete on nothing more than price, and you can't sustainably offer the lowest price, you get a failed business model (feel free to ask for your MBA correspondence course certificate to be mailed to you).

Just to put this announcement in context - this year, by not flying USAirways I have: never paid for an in-flight beverage, never paid for an alcoholic beverage in a club, never paid for internet in a club, never had to pay to check a bag (or two), never had a lost bag, never missed a meeting (because of irreg. ops.), never paid to make a reservation over the phone, never had to pay to select a seat, never had to pay for in-flight food, never had to deal with the clodgy and fickle usairways.com, never had to fear I'd miss my flight because my reservations "didn't sync" or the kiosks would be down. Basically, I no longer hate to travel.

I think the only thing I miss about USAirways is connecting through DCA and grabbing Five Guys for lunch.

USAirways drove customers like me away. You did it. No one else. Your obsession with nickel and diming has cost you tens of thousands of dollars from me in the long run. You created your own failure because you took your customers for granted. I'm honestly amazed at two things: that USAirways is still in business, and that your shareholders haven't revolted and forced a regime change amongst the management ranks.

Best of luck operating the flying vending machine.