Economy Plus is here to stay
Feb 19, 2011, 7:57 pm
#316
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: BOS, PVG
Programs: United 1K and 1MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 10,000
Talked to a CO FA today who had some interesting thoughts on E+ - long story short, she REALLY doesn't like it:
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to
at that one.
2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to
at that one.2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
I guess this CO FA doesn't know much about outside world of Continental Airlines.
Feb 19, 2011, 8:37 pm
#317
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Plt, FB Silver
Posts: 851
Talked to a CO FA today who had some interesting thoughts on E+ - long story short, she REALLY doesn't like it:
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to at that one.
2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
Who knows.
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to
at that one.2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
Who knows.
Feb 19, 2011, 9:02 pm
#318
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,712
Edit: meh, not funny.
Feb 19, 2011, 9:14 pm
#319
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
Talked to a CO FA today who had some interesting thoughts on E+ - long story short, she REALLY doesn't like it:
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to at that one.
2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
Who knows.
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to
at that one.2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
Who knows.
It's apparently that the costs of FAs on planes aren't deemed terribly significant, or you'd see more layouts at or barely below numbers evenly divisible by 50.
Feb 19, 2011, 10:23 pm
#320
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: KSRQ
Programs: Formerly UA, now whoever has the best routing or C/F price
Posts: 211
Talked to a CO FA today who had some interesting thoughts on E+ - long story short, she REALLY doesn't like it:
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to at that one.
2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
Who knows.
1. She says "CO has some very loyal flyers, and they aren't going to like having fewer seats on their planes". Had to try hard not to
at that one.2. Something like "it adds more difficulty to our service". I tried to explain that it's the exact same service, just more legroom.
Who knows.
Feb 20, 2011, 12:00 am
#321
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt, AA
Posts: 182
Thanks, new United. While I've never had the pleasure of a C/F cabin ever, I switched my (1ce/month) TATL flights from LH to UA just for E+. I'm waiting for decent schedules to South India and E+ to be extended to CO metal before I switch those segments away from LH as well.
Preserving E+ = 1 more loyal biz traveler
Preserving E+ = 1 more loyal biz traveler
Feb 20, 2011, 12:07 am
#322
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: nyc
Programs: CO Plat & MP 1K
Posts: 870
This is a great decision -- I love having E+!
Feb 20, 2011, 6:03 am
#323
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia, LAX, Paris
Programs: UA 1K/2MM, SPG/Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Lifetime HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 3,358
sorry, nothing personal, but these kinda threats amuse me.
You really think COUA will care you leave?
Where are you gonna go, Delta, good luck using SkyPesos, the dAArk side? Thats it. out of choices.
Revenue gained from E+ = $
Revenue lost from removing 4 F seats that are being given away for free anyway = 0
$>0
The loss of what, maybe 1000?, disgruntled domestic flyers is negligible in this case, no matter how important you may think that this group is.
You really think COUA will care you leave?
Where are you gonna go, Delta, good luck using SkyPesos, the dAArk side? Thats it. out of choices.
Revenue gained from E+ = $
Revenue lost from removing 4 F seats that are being given away for free anyway = 0
$>0
The loss of what, maybe 1000?, disgruntled domestic flyers is negligible in this case, no matter how important you may think that this group is.
Feb 20, 2011, 6:08 am
#324
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia, LAX, Paris
Programs: UA 1K/2MM, SPG/Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Lifetime HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 3,358
Feb 20, 2011, 6:10 am
#325
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia, LAX, Paris
Programs: UA 1K/2MM, SPG/Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Lifetime HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 3,358
Feb 20, 2011, 11:47 am
#326
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,712
Actually, if comparing 8 F seats to 50 discount Y purchases, I would bet the airline sees more money from the 8 F seat sales.
Feb 20, 2011, 11:53 am
#327
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,712
But, I think all the doom and gloom is premature. The choice is 4 F seats or 6 Y seats. I don't see the math working out in favor of getting rid of the F seats. Especially when there is the option to sell them at check-in as fare buy-ups. You only need to get 50% more margin out of those 4 F seats to make up for the loss of 2 seats total.
Hell, it may not even be the same answer fleet-wide. Maybe some planes get more F, and some get more Y. With the new fare buy-up options, the airlines is probably wringing more money out of F, which makes it more attractive to keep.
Which also means the big driver of upgrade availability going forward won't be E+, but how the new UA operates fare buy-ups.
Feb 20, 2011, 12:37 pm
#328
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DCA ZWU
Programs: AGR WOH
Posts: 1,785
Not quite that simple: there's now 40+ E+ seats which can be sold for a premium. E+ upsells are a nine-figure business for UA.
Feb 20, 2011, 1:34 pm
#329
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia, LAX, Paris
Programs: UA 1K/2MM, SPG/Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Lifetime HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 3,358