Originally Posted by
thebkguy
That's contextual, but as I had said originally if we're comparing products all-around, I personally prefer VX.
That said, I find myself on B6 flights when the situation permits, for example, I need a flight around 6pm on a Friday, and there's no way I'm going to LAX in rush hour. So they win the business based on airport location and convenience.
Back onto TrueBlue specifically, you're absolutely right that the simplicity of the program is a double edged sword, which is sort of my original issue there. You asked what I liked about TrueBlue, and that is what I like about it. On the flip side, it's also obviously one of the things that keeps the program self-contained and not hooked into partners. Resolving that while maintaining simplicity is an entirely separate discussion I'm sure...
B6 is a great airline with a solid product and I still fly them. But if B6 and VX were two girls at a bar, VX is the one I want to take home.
B6 is going to need to "get some sexy back" to steal away those folks that are moving more flights to VX, in my opinion. A lot of folks jumped to B6 for the neat new product back when they came on the scene. Seatback TVs and cheap flights, great! Now VX is here with the same thing but they're doing it a little better, at least in the eyes of a meaningful percentage of people. Nature of the beast.
So as that all applies to the topic for the thread - one of the ways they could do that is by giving me more incentives to accumulate TrueBlue points, such as increased redemption options on partners, when it becomes feasible for them to do so.
Agreed that VX is a "sexier" product, but I am not sure that is actually competitive.
First, as far as "hard product," VX does not have the same legroom as B6, which to a lot of people is a huge plus for B6 even if their interiors aren't quite as mod. The single greatest asset of VX is the presence of a/c and usb outlets.
VX has an outstanding FC, possibly the best in the United States, and on this score B6 cannot compete at all, obviously.
VX's soft product is wonderful and, if B6 were to start feeling the heat from VX, I'm sure they could make a few quick changes to have a mini bar.
For the time being, though, the biggest issue for many B6 flyers is the VX route system, which currently only operates out 7 cities. Out of New York, B6's hub, one can currently only fly to SFO.
Also, while SFO is a wonderful city, it is a fairly odd choice as a hub for a domestic carrier. Not only is SFO a coastal city, but it's also a smaller market with far lower O&D than NYC, B6's eastern coastal hub but which is also the nation's largest city and its principal airline market.
Finally, while B6's frequent flyer program may be simple and bereft of features, it certainly is in the same category as Elevate, the similarly feature-free frequent flier program from VX.