Originally Posted by
bmwe92fan
+1000 - they don't aspire be one and to be honest, in their defense, they don't pretend to be... If I were to sum it up - their strategy from a consumer perspective is simple: "We suck the least of the US carriers"
There are about 50 things UA has to change / repair / renovate in order to be an airline people want to fly, as opposed to one they are resigned to. Long-stage RJ ops are up there but not #1. #1 is total operational reliability. But remember the current UA business plan is based not on reliability or excellence, but on reduced choices for captive consumers. 80% on time is good enough for captives.
They would rather have an oversold E70 on EWR-DFW than a 752 that is 70% filled -- and their takeaway from the oversell is that nothing is wrong. When that E70 starts going on half-empty, and with no elites aboard because they have all jumped to AA, perhaps then UA will take a second look.