Originally Posted by xyzzy
Aside from the number of rows, the cabin of a 737 is virtually indistinguishable from that of a 757...I agree that an E+ would be nice. Continental, however, has told us that they can't justify the economics of that and that it will not happen. If you really want to fly in F then you should buy an F seat.
Personally, I find the 757 quite a bit more pleasant than the 737. Of course, it's just a psychological thing since the width of the fuselage is the same.
Regarding E+ I know that CO doesn't want to spend the bucks or, conversely, give up the revenue that lost seats would represent.
But with upgrades now essentially unavailable (& I agree with you that no one who buys a coach seat ought to feel automatically entitled to an FC upgrade) I look at the quality of the CO coach cabin product and the JetBlue cabin, and JetBlue wins by KO in the 1st round with its 34" seat pitch (FC on some CO 737's is less than 40" btw), comfy leather seats and TV at each seat. And it's much cheaper.
I understand that for you EWR is more convenient than JFK. But otherwise what is the point of remaining loyal to CO to the point of plat? I think most of the perks of OP are now acquired at the 25k level.
The implication for CO? They're eroding their loyal customer base, people such as myself and IndyMan and others who don't perceive any tangible benefits of loyalty.
And who is replacing us? The predatory commodity-conscious traveler who is only looking for the cheapest seat. Do you really think those consumers care about the warm sandwich or the plastic pillow? They just want cheap. And as soon as the competition is cheaper, they'll be ready to jump ship.
And so the race to the bottom is in fully engaged with the result that all will be badly bruised, especially the image of the wonderful airline that is CO which once held high the principle of making money by delivering value, not just by cutting costs.