that's actually kind of why i fly UA still. i mean don't get me wrong, the soft benefits are still really nice, but it was never make or break with me (although the food is a big sticking point though because with UA's insanely tight connections nowadays, i never have time to sit down for a proper meal or grab something on the go so i have to eat whatever's on the plane). it was always UA's ability to just go where i want conveniently.

but yesterday was a good example of why this is all bothering me now. i was delayed yesterday and they must be changing the delay messages because on the flight status page, the reason was listed as "system delays in the route network." i chuckled because it actually said route network. for me, the benefits of the route network are kind of pointless if they fail to have me travel on it in a timely fashion. i miss meetings, events, dinners, etc. why bother going if i can't do what i'm setting out to accomplish by traveling? i hit $10K a couple weeks ago which doesn't make me super valuable (i've met folks who hit $10K by the end of january), but at around $25K-$30K a year, you'd figure there's a bunch of us who are pretty frustrated that they would want to try and prevent from leaving.

who knows, maybe they do sell THAT much in bag fees.