<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by rudystarnberg:
First, let me say that I would like to see what people on this thread would do as UAL management or employees facing bankruptcy, job loss, etc. With unions, Federal government work rules, etc., running an airline with everyone cutting prices is a very difficult business.</font>
Agreed. And it may well be that there's no way to do it, that the market is simply saturated beyond capacity, and that the most expedient route would be for a couple of carriers to close down. But you can forgive UAL for not going that route if they can help it,
n'est ce pas?
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And should the people on the phones be nicer? Of course. But after thousands of screeching phone calls, they get sick of it. Not an excuse, mind you, but try walking a mile in their shoes.
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A marked decline in customer service, in my experience,
almost always presages serious trouble at a company. Being firm, consistent, but professional will solve 98% of your problems, and you really don't want the other 2% as customers anyway.
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Second, put yourself in UAL's shoes. Someone buys a $250 ticket and wants to get upgraded to business (which normally costs several thousand dollars). If you have NW model (nobody in their right mind would pay $$$ for NW's first class seats) where upgrades are simply to reward the best passengers, it is one thing. ... But don't expect an airline to leap for joy because you demand a $3,000 ticket for $250. You think you are a valued customer because you pay virtually nothing for a ticket?</font>
So let me get this straight. A NW first-class seat is worth only the $250 that an elite paid for it, but a UA F seat is worth $3,000? Wow, I had no idea UA's F service was 12 times as good as NW's!
News flash: The UA model
is the NW model
is the AA model when it comes to domestic air travel. The only difference is that the domestic upgrade potential is slightly more limited on UA vs. NW/CO. But barely anyone, on any US carrier, pays full F to get there.
Personally, I'd love to see an airline try to price their domestic F competitively (maybe 1.5x full Y?) and reduce the upgrade and 'Employee Class' mentality. AA's policy of auto-upgrades for elites on Y/B tickets is a great start.
But don't pretend that UA elites are all thieves who are trying to get a cherished F seat for nothing. They made the rules; we're trying to play by them. The airlines can change the rules in an effort to get their desired revenue mix
at any time.
Is there a little bit too much of an 'entitlement mentality' on FT? Probably. But to argue that it equates to 'stealing' is as ludicrous as suggesting that anyone who doesn't pay MSRP for a new car is 'stealing' from the dealer.
Mook
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The future of US domestic air travel:
"Please watch your head as you exit the aircraft."
[This message has been edited by Mook (edited 02-04-2003).]