Originally Posted by
ezefllying
For me, the difference is that I've neither vowed never to fly them again nor given up after a single poor experience, as my Delta account reflects. The problem is, for now, that their ops, and to a lesser extent service, just aren't where they should be, at least on the routes I'm flying. And, more to the point, they are not as good as United at "service recovery" during IROPS. I base this on a large handful of personal data points.
Again, Delta remains a friendlier, "fresher" experience than UA. But United, for its relative coldness/worse entertainment/lack of inspirational/self-congratulatory pre-safety videos, seems to show more hustle, especially when things are delayed.
I'm with you. I have also never made such a threat despite DL occasionally coming up short.
This is different - it's systemic and deliberate.
My "pause" point arises on almost the same route as you - DCA -> TUS instead of PHX, but same lousy options in IRROP. After declining the 2-hop alternative I opted for a later 1-hop route but am now overnighting in SLC owing to lack of options upon yet another delay.
But hey, weather happens, and things pile up.
What is unacceptable is the level of service on a $1k first-class ticket - drink cart wheeled through the aisles with plastic cups and FA shoveling the ice into the cups, "dinner" as a plastic-wrapped sandwich in a paper box. Which airline now provides crockery, cutlery, glassware and hot food? Because they're the ones I'm going to fly.