imkeww - Fantastic analysis! (I actually read the whole thing.) Have you considered sending a copy of this to United HQ? It may fall on deaf ears, but you never know.

You make some excellent points, the underlying principle of which is really the need to manage EXPECTATIONS. Everything from the expectations employees have from a great company like United, to consumers who expect (and rightly so) a comfortablet travel experience (dare I say, hassle-free??), and investors expect respectable returns. Like you indicated, they all EXPECT consistency. And someotherguy has made some specific suggestions along these lines. (Of course, United should guarantee NOTHING until it can at least hope to deliver any of those things.)

Just my two miles...

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"What do you mean you didn't get miles for that?!"