Originally Posted by
pinniped
WN hasn't taken a "lowest common denominator" approach. In fact, they've done the opposite and bucked the legacy race to the LCD. It would have been easy to join the herd on ticket change fees, baggage fees, fuel surcharges, abysmal phone support, etc. They made a business decision not to. In fact, the total changeability of all WN fares is a perk that primarily benefits business travelers likely to need to change plans at the last minute.
I agree with this. Perhaps a better way to put this is "apples-to-apples". In that case, the domestic coach products of the LCCs typically blow away the combination of E- and GM status on UA-
the LCCs provide a substantially better product, at no real greater cost. Once you head into A List+Companion Pass territory vs. 1K/GS, I'll happily concede that WN and UA are very chalk and cheese, and one or the other might work better.
The problem is I don't think the model of the legacy airline is sustainable if it's pretty clear you'll get treated better on an LCC like WN if you are an occasional flyer, but not an elite- and you WON'T have to pay substantially more, especially when you add in fees and so on. Someone who flies 7-8 times a year, 1500 miles round trip isn't going to be close to being an elite flyer... but isn't exactly a rube going "gawrsh, lookit them airplanes!", and is still probably worth some thousands of dollars of business to an airline. Why should this person fly on UA as opposed to WN if they have a choice?