Originally Posted by
ani90
In my mind the move alone is the outright ditching of p.s..
It doesn't matter what flights between EWR and SFO are called but it is no longer the p.s. that existed prior. Simply put, there can be nothing premium or exclusive about a service that leaves EWR for SFO almost every hour. It will be little different in perception from the hourly shuttles between LGA and BOS, for example.
This move is the death of p.s.. It may well be that UA continues to name flights between EWR and SFO/LAX as p.s. but we should not be fooled - it will be no more than a marketing thing, even if all have flat beds. Reality is regardless of the move out of JFK all those flatbeds being brought back from Europe would probably have ended up on EWR transcons anyway. The soft product and rest of the experience will likely align with the current EWR-SFO service.
As some have said before if UA wants to convince us that the new p.s. is indeed premium then let them enhance the entire experience - Y and C. Provide international service (including meals in Y and club access for *Gold) for entire plane and then we might take this serious. IIRC old UA p.s. at least had E plus in entire Y (please correct if this is wrong) so even Y pax experienced something different.
PS was pretty revolutionary when it began - but the soft product steadily deteriorated. It was probably one of the most innovative products UA brought to market in the last 10 or so years it has been operating.
Having said that, UA forced everyone else on these routes to offer a lay flat seat (except VX which still has a decent product). And it is the lay flat seat that I value above all else - because if I want the flight to go by fast I can sleep. In seat power and wifi are awesome too and came early to the UA fleet as a whole. Flight attendants are for the most part pretty accommodating especially if you are GS. Soft product rates low as why I choose a flight - the seat is EVERYTHING. UA (for a change in recent years) was a leader and took a risk. And it paid off. But now it does't with AA DL and JetBlue offering the same. Smart not sexy to move to Newark. Actually a sign that management does get it despite the various other things they seem to fumble. But it indicates to me that, apologies or not for past missteps, they are laying the grounds for UA to be the formidable carrier it should be. IMHO
