OK Please tell me how the unions at US "blocked" the process? They gave not once, but as many as 4 separate times to save US. They are even willing to renegotiate the ALPA pension after some legal wrangling.

As for choices, I have 3 distinct choices if US alters DM significantly or not to MY liking. First choice is CO One Pass, which is an OK program. Already talked to them and they will comp me status EQUAL to US earned status. DL is another less palatable option. The third is a combination of discounters not named SWA who can get me 100% of the places I went the last three years.

Unlike a union and their wages, I do not have to accept cuts in my FF program, as i pointed out I have options. It is neither my fault or my worry whether they have a healthy bottom line, that is the shareholders worry not mine. My job is to be a good customer, and a good customer is:

1. loyal and responds to and takes advantage of promotions in return he/she gives the bulk of the business to that company

2. a PAX who knows and plays by the rules set forth by the company, leveraging them to his/her full advantage.

3. someone who pays the published fare that best meets their requirements!

4. someone who understands exactly what the airlines have control over and holds his vendor to its policies and procedures and voices his concerns when they don't meet their obligations under the rules.

5. Is polite, courteous and professional in his/her dealings and expects the same in return

6. someone who understands value and realizes that the sour taste of poor performance lingers long after the sweetness of low price is gone!

I perform these 6 duties each and every time I fly. I fulfill my obligation as a ticket buyer and in return for being a good customer I recieve certain benefits. If the company providing the service decides to alter their loyalty program in a way that is detrimental to me personally or my company then I am duty bound as a customer to revaluate that relationship and voice concerns and if required take my business elsewhere. As for the financial woes of the majors i ask you the following?

1. Do I set Prices?
2. Did I create the fare rules and structure?
3. Did I design and implement the FF programs?
4. Did I drive away the last minute business traveler?
5. Did I make the following statement to USA Today? and enrage my core customers at a critical time in the companys history?

"Someone who flies a lot isn't necessarily loyal if what they're doing is buying the lowest-priced ticket every time they fly," he says. "That's not necessarily the kind of loyalty we want to reward. We want to reward those people who pay a premium for the services we offer." (B. Ben Baldanza)

Seems to me that if the major airlines want to see the cause of their current woes I would humbly submit that Mssrs. Siegel, Carty, Mullins, Bethune, Anderson and Tilton stand in front of a freaking mirror!!! These so called leaders don't know the last thing about how to treat customers never mind the first thing. I mean let's see we're in the worst economic situation in modern aviation history, Let's see just how many of our core customers we can alienate on the road to bankruptcy!

To me the place to spend the limited marketing resources would be in strengthening the FF programs. Example: US emerges from BK, They announce some minor enhancement to DM and actively solicit DL Sky Miles members in light of the changes made there. They offer Sky Miles member all kinds of challenges and comp status and steal a ton of loyal customers from their key east coast competititor. That's Business 101. think we'll see that? we might? US has NOTHING to lose and everything to gain.