Loyalty, status matters - AS earned my business
Mar 8, 2020, 5:53 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Loyalty, status matters - AS earned my business
With the continued devaluation in elite benefits by all US carriers - including AS - there is an increasing drumbeat to become a free agent, seek greener pastures. My recent experience reinforces my belief that loyalty and status does indeed matter.
Recently returning from a week+ business trip (KOA - SAN), I was disappointed when the flight was cancelled due to crew illness, no reserve crew member available. Chaos reigned as the skeleton KOA crew scrambled to re-accommodate a nearly full aircraft. I was traveling in a party of 2, fortunate to have been upgraded to F.
While a significant number of passengers were rebooked on the last AS flight of the day to SFO, we anxiously waited in the ticket counter first class line. One couple without status who paid for F received an email, advising they were rebooked on the same flight, 2 days later - which did not work for them. As more passengers received emails, I decided to refresh my AS mobile phone app, found that we were rebooked on the DL redeye (in first) to LAX, then LAX to SAN - not bad. We surveyed the boarding area, first class cabin, did not recognize anyone from the original flight, our flight went out with 5 empty F seats.
We met up later with the couple in F at the hotel; they were offered the option of an AS redeye the next day to SEA, then on to SAN, ended up buying their own ticket on HA for the next day, KOA-HNL-SAN I believe. We also shared a taxi back to the airport with a couple plus infant who declined the earlier SFO flight, as there would be a 5 hour overnight layover, instead were put on the KOA-OAK flight, unsure how they were getting from OAK-SAN (believe only WN offers the only nonstop service).
It became one of those days when the DL flight was postponed to the next morning, due to pilot illness, DL refused to provide overnight accommodations, AS did not process the voucher properly, causing lots of complications during hotel check-in - and someone mistakenly took one of my checked bags home from SAN, which I hope to receive tomorrow.
P.S.: DL 757-200 had the essentially the same domestic narrow body seats as AS (but with AVOD), seat pitch felt tighter on DL. Lunch consisted of a pile of shredded lettuce, with 3 small slices of tomato, 3 cucumber slices, a dollop of thick "dressing" in a plastic container, a few pieces of fresh fruit, package of cookies - no bread, other fresh side; far inferior to AS, what I would have expected from UA.
P.S.S.: DL ticket counter was closed during the kaos, as they normally only offer redeye service out of KOA. I attempted to call, as the DL app would not provide seat assignments, wait to speak with an agent was 4+ hours (!?!).
Recently returning from a week+ business trip (KOA - SAN), I was disappointed when the flight was cancelled due to crew illness, no reserve crew member available. Chaos reigned as the skeleton KOA crew scrambled to re-accommodate a nearly full aircraft. I was traveling in a party of 2, fortunate to have been upgraded to F.
While a significant number of passengers were rebooked on the last AS flight of the day to SFO, we anxiously waited in the ticket counter first class line. One couple without status who paid for F received an email, advising they were rebooked on the same flight, 2 days later - which did not work for them. As more passengers received emails, I decided to refresh my AS mobile phone app, found that we were rebooked on the DL redeye (in first) to LAX, then LAX to SAN - not bad. We surveyed the boarding area, first class cabin, did not recognize anyone from the original flight, our flight went out with 5 empty F seats.
We met up later with the couple in F at the hotel; they were offered the option of an AS redeye the next day to SEA, then on to SAN, ended up buying their own ticket on HA for the next day, KOA-HNL-SAN I believe. We also shared a taxi back to the airport with a couple plus infant who declined the earlier SFO flight, as there would be a 5 hour overnight layover, instead were put on the KOA-OAK flight, unsure how they were getting from OAK-SAN (believe only WN offers the only nonstop service).
It became one of those days when the DL flight was postponed to the next morning, due to pilot illness, DL refused to provide overnight accommodations, AS did not process the voucher properly, causing lots of complications during hotel check-in - and someone mistakenly took one of my checked bags home from SAN, which I hope to receive tomorrow.
P.S.: DL 757-200 had the essentially the same domestic narrow body seats as AS (but with AVOD), seat pitch felt tighter on DL. Lunch consisted of a pile of shredded lettuce, with 3 small slices of tomato, 3 cucumber slices, a dollop of thick "dressing" in a plastic container, a few pieces of fresh fruit, package of cookies - no bread, other fresh side; far inferior to AS, what I would have expected from UA.
P.S.S.: DL ticket counter was closed during the kaos, as they normally only offer redeye service out of KOA. I attempted to call, as the DL app would not provide seat assignments, wait to speak with an agent was 4+ hours (!?!).
Mar 8, 2020, 7:31 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
As a 75K on a paid F ticket last year, they gave me some trouble about being re-accommodated in DL F after a long mechanical delay.