GeoMedic

And I see just the opposite. I see virtually every day through the end of the year to have award flights to anywhere I want to go... and cheap ones at that. I have never seen pickings so plentiful.

I also think those of you that are saying their Plat bennies are decreasing due to the new 100k level are thinking the cup is half empty. You aren't losing squat. They can't magically create new 100k people. This is just a subset of the current Plats, and yes UA 1k's, There is no change in the number of people at Plat and above. Why shouldn't somebody who flies them 150k a year get something more than those flying only 75k.

TWA Fan 1

Are you looking at saverpass First awards as Jerseygirl was?

And you are based at IAH. Remember there are two CO's. The "good" CO, based at IAH, where the staff is reasonably friendly, upgrades reasonably available, awards reasonably available.

Then there is the "bad" CO, at EWR where the ground staff is often rude and dismissive, upgrades much more difficult to score (except for sbm12 who always upgrades effortlessly on a W fare), and award travel (at least on CO metal) much harder to find at the saverpass level.

RobS

I'm not anti-CO as much as I'm anti-flying of any kind this year. I'm fed up with delays, security, crowded terminals, crowded planes, and ground transportation. I will not make Elite status on any airline this year for the first time since the early nineties.

This year I've mostly driven, taken the train (and one of those trips was no day-at-the-beach either), or avoided travel altogether. Avoiding travel is the best solution. Twice I flew, several times I just stayed home.

A pox on all of them.

Plus1

Me

Me, again.

Yes.

Newsflash - EUAs are based on geography. That explains a lot! Alert the media.

It's really great that over generalization and stereotyping can save you so
much time and avoid having to deal with reality. @:-)

GeoMedic

Yes, I'm looking at the Y saverpass. Yes, there is a high proportion of non-co award travel, but that ain't a bad thing.

Everybody is grumpier in EWR. More unkempt too... at least landside.

sfogate

Loyalty is sticking with someone thru the good and the bad. Most of you are basing your relationship with CO on "what are they doing for me lately" as in upgrades, fee waiving charges for Plats and on and on.

I don't mean to burst your bubble but this is a business and will continue to do things based on a profit making model.

I love our Elites and hope that you will continue to make CO or the NewUA your preferred airline of choice.

txhyattlvr

It's like a drip drip drip. We used to fly CO even though they were consistently less convenient for us (SEA based) and even somewhat more expensive BUT they were also BETTER and it was worth it. Better people/service, better food (esp in first - but I even found the old coach food edible), better upgrade chances/policies, better planes (clean, new, nice). Always consistently good to us, sometimes great, and never poor - even during IRROPS and even as just "mere" Golds... We loved the "old" CO from even mid-2009 and before...

Yet this year we've seen nothing but a constant "drip drip drip" downgrade of pretty much everything - especially employee attitude and customer service. Somebody else wrote it but I think it sure fits... Bethune's book was, appropriately, "Worst to First..." Smisek's should be "First to Worst" as I see them heading straight down the toilet and can't help but associate the most dramatic declines with him. As an aside - whether it's the news stories about him, or even the pre-departure video - doesn't this guy just scream smarmy CEO - the kind of guy you expect to come in and lay you off while taking a giant bonus for it? I never got that vibe from Larry or Gordon - or even Delta's CEO or Southwest.

I realize they have to make money - it's just a shame that they seem to have abandoned the "let's treat our customers better to gain their loyalty for life and then charge them a bit more" philosophy that I feel they had before, (even if not officially)... And I wonder if in these better economic times for airlines if they'd be making even more money today by maintaining such an attitude. How much more would it cost them to be CO of say 2005, today? And how much might they be able to gain in pricing power with business travelers or relatively affluent leisure travelers as a result? Unfortunately, I guess they ran the numbers and decided the low road was the way to go.

Anyways - we have a few more CO flights booked, but it looks like we're joining many of you and heading back to DL next year... it was nice while it lasted, CO - we're gonna miss the "old" you!

Brituchenite

go sbm12 - our hero ...^

TWA Fan 1

What a constructive comment, thank you.

I am New York-based, so my travel is also geography based. Should that be a news flash?

As far as generalizations and stereotyping, this has strictly nothing to do with EWR. I have had plenty of wonderful service at EWR, just rarely on CO.

I often fly out of EWR on DL, OpenSkies, or AC. Everyone I have dealt with at those operations has been perfectly professional and kind.

The problem is not generalizations or sterotyping, it's the fact that the EWR station for CO is so wretchedly managed. It's not just the attitude of the ground staff, but also the fact that the elite check-in counters are often closed at peak hours, the non-sensical rules applied to elite security, or the fact that the dedicated BF check-in counter is so shockingly unkempt and ragged.

Finally, regarding EUA's, while it is certainly likely that CO is a victim of its own success at EWR, the point is that there are two CO experiences, the one at IAH, which is, on the whole pleasant, and the one at EWR, which can be pretty much a nightmare.

Plus1

You're most welcome. Consider it all part of the service.

TWA Fan 1

Sheesh...sarcasm piled upon sarcasm...totally unhelpful and unconstructive.

chrisjur

I try to have a long term view on this. I agree with everyone that the latest upgrade (or non-upgrade) shenanigans is really pissing me off, but I believe that CO had done a very good job improving their product and their treatment of top-tier FF's over the years (recent occurrences aside). I am just praying that these recent events have just been bumps in the road and things will smooth out when they implement a post-merger "best of both worlds" program that we are all hoping for. As sfogate said, loyalty is sticking through the good and bad...

I've spent more on CO than I have with them at any point in my flying life, however - I will close the year out at about $63,000 total spend. This is a result of, both, good and bad:

First, the lack of EUAs, even for a Pres Plat like me who tends to buy in higher fare classes, has forced me to bite the bullet and just buy straight up to M/B/Y/F fares every time. I'm fortunate that I can do this, but feel dirty every time I book a ticket. OK, CO, you win there...

On the flipside, however, I've flown more International routes with CO this year than I ever have in the past, as a direct result of their flat bed rollout in BF. I've gone many years where I've flown only one or two international legs on CO because their product was inferior. After living or working in London for the better part of 10 years, I racked up over 700K miles on Virgin doing the EWR-LHR commute. This year has been completely different, however, as I've flown CO 95% of my trips to LHR, as well as to other destinations. In this case, I am more than happy to give them my money for a good product...

My fingers are crossed and I'll be watching closely...but, for now, still a loyal CO customer.

blue47

First, I have to move from Houston ............., or forget about getting direct flights.

I do find the platinum experience not as "rewarding" as when I first got it a few years ago. But then, the way things have been going for me, most of my trips have become ERJ145, and status means nothing (except for free same day stand-by).

TWA Fan 1

I think your loyalty is praiseworthy, but the fact is almost every "amenity" or feature you receive from CO now, you could just as easily receive as a non-elite.

So while the product may suit your needs (and, for the most past, I think CO's domestic FC and overseas J is excellent), you're not receiving any benefit or advantages for being loyal to them.

And I don't think that's going to change. A few years ago, CO concluded that the amenities needed to service elites (EUA's, mileage bonuses, enhanced award inventory) were just costing them money.

You are among a rarefied few in terms of your yearly spend, yet evne you must essentially buy up into FC or J in order to get it.

That's no reward for loyalty.

Plus1

+1 - Couldn't agree more.