Originally Posted by
Boghopper
I think they've made it abundantly clear how much much they value the "elites" (or parasites, or deadbeats, or overentitled babies, or whatever other terms they use at world HQ to describe the souls who don't buy F, J or Y/B fares). I guess they would rather have our $95 than our loyalty. I'm still puzzled by it, but can't mistake their actions.
Oh, they don't value the F/J/Y/B fares either.
Flew out of BWI yesterday. The Premier Access and Global Services counters were completely unstaffed. UA employees walked past the counters oblivious to the growing line of premium and Premier passengers.
In contrast, the Economy ("kettle") counters were fully staffed.
As a former "kettle," my experience with UA over the past year has been mixed. I've flown in E-, E+, and F over the past year. Sometime I get amazing service. Sometimes I get the ice cream sundae. Once I got a CPU. A few times I've gotten aisle E+ with an empty middle seat. One time I spent a night on the floor of DTW because UA screwed up a non-stop IAD-ORD, rebooked me in Y for IAD-DTW-ORD, and then had IRROPS at DTW.
The one thing that has really marked my past year with UA can be summed up in one word.
Inconsistency.
UA needs to consistently value its high revenue *and* high loyalty customers (note that I said customers, not passengers) who either pony up the big bucks to buy F/J/Y/B fares or who fly UA/*A over other carriers and other alliances. And I'm talking actions here, not just words.
That's not to say that UA shouldn't also value the credit card holding "kettles" in E-. But, treating them like they're elites when they're really not isn't going to win them over, and it certainly won't win over the actual high revenue and high loyalty customers.
After all, if UA wants to compete with WN by being like WN, UA will lose.