GoBucks27

24 yr Continental Platinum, now United PLAT.
Is it time to make change to Delta?

Based out of CLE and use CAK, CMH and/or DTW if need.

My 2013-2014 business travel (40-45 R/T flights per yr) will have me primarily going to:
SC 5%
GA 10% (ATL)
FL 25% (JAX)
LA 5%
AR 15% (NWA & LIT)
OK 10% (TUL)
CA 15% (SAN, LAX)
AZ 5% (PHX)
NV 5% (LAS)
PA 5% (EWR, PHL)

buckeyefanflyer

Why would you want to leave UA. You can fly to most of those destinations out of CLE. To bad they cut the JAX nonstop.

Ysitincoach

I made the switch.

CO to DL
CLE to CAK

Ups & Downs to both

I personally hated that ERJ routes became DH8 routes or an ORD/IAD connection.

I like Delta's plan to phase out the 50-seat RJs and the RJs that now offer F class and WiFi. Something UA is years away from, if ever.

What irked me the most was to see the tremendous loss of morale in CO friends as it became taken over by the UA gruff front line employee mantra.

Plus, CLE is terrible, third world airports offer a better customer experience. For me, it's 30-minutes to CAK, 40-minutes to CLE, so the move to DL and CAK were easy. The only difference maybe CLE getting PreCheck in January 2013.

cptlflyer

I take it you haven't seen much of the third world... CAK is fabulous, I'll grant you, but CLE worse than the worst? It's about as easy an airport as I've found anywhere.

bajrbajr

The fares out of CLE are very good right now. I was driving a few more miles to CAK, but i just booked several trips from CLE for winter/spring 2013.

CAK is a breeze to get in and out of... but there is nothing wrong with CLE.

Ysitincoach

Torn stained carpet, and where there isn't carpet they've added tile to slip on, wild variations in temperature between terminals, terrible PA announcements, washrooms with virtually no water pressure, awful food offerings (CAK doesn't have much by food), Customs--a joke, crumbling parking garages, nightmare of a car rental center, poor directional signage on nearby roads, it's a miserable passenger experience. But who would expect to have a good airport in Cleveland, decades of public corruption take their toll.

Their only redeeming quality is perhaps the finest de-icing pad in North America. They simply aren't beat on that.

craig44485

Could also consider DL and departing from PIT, just a short trip over on the Turnpike. PIT is a great airport, parking is fairy cheap, very easy access, nice inside.

hazelrah

2 hours is not a short trip ????

BobH

+1

Depending on where you coming from in the CLE, DTW is a good three hours away and that assumes no lake effect snow or traffic problems both of which are not uncommon.

Bob H

GoBucks27

have to drive regardless of departure
CLE = 60 min
CAK = 95 min
DTW = 95 min
CMH = 125 min

Concerns, all since united showed up and impacted CONTINENTAL

- higher airfares outta CLE vs airport options

- "cattle herd" to O'Hare from CLE begins;
-- 15 - 19 flights/day; dump you in B22 (ouch) or F1 and you get to slush through the rain and snow to F.
---- When I return,typically have 45 min connection in O'Hare on a Friday nite; from F to C..... c'mon

- significant reduction direct flights originating out of CLE; example:
-- CLE to ATL down to 2-3 vs 5-7 under CO; plus 7:30 departure ATL to CLE is now 5:33pm; killer if wanna get home Thursday or Friday, vs stay another day

- smaller planes in all my lanes;
-- example:
--- EWR to TUL = 1,211 miles on a RJ145;
----CLE to ORD "cattle herd" to O'Hare all on RJ145, CRJ200 and CRJ700; no large planes and no capacity flexibility

- PLAT and struggle for upgrade

- Silver on Delta; and upgrade 90%

- cannot talk to anyone in customer services at United without pulling teeth

- having to fly thru ORD to get anywhere is bad
-- Restrooms = dump
-- seating at gates = very limited
-- no power acces to recharge
-- low ceilings, narrow aisles = irritating environment
-- B to F; F to B or C when I come home
-- Clubs are outdated, small and non-private in comparision to EWR, IAH, CLE, ATL
-- 700 gate changes per day (as told by per united gate agents)


United needs to leverage CLE; not shove more folks into ORD

It's a struggle.
- I am close to million miles Continental, grandfather to united
-- I rack status on segments, sometimes may on miles pending west coast travel.
--- all US travel, no international
--- running 120-150 segments per yr (Delta getting some) So i need uptime and efficiency; and quiet place to work on layovers.


Don't want to make the move, but the Continental I know is gone....

will United evolve?
do I jump to Delta?
is the grass greener on other side?

I am exhausted after united flights last 3 weeks beat me up bad.

BobH

I wouldn't count on upgrades with Delta at DTW if you're just a silver .... so the question becomes do you want to drive through Toledo and then deal with I275 every time you come to the "state to the north"?

Bob H

GoBucks27

Well I have better luck outta of CLE on Delta than I do on united getting competitive airfare....so that drives my lean toward Delta; which reduces driving as I would origan CLE more times than not, and my demonstrated upgrade opportunity has been better....

Sad, all said and done, Delta from CLE vs united from CLE is better solve.....

that seems to be the lean.....

Never found that true under CONTINENTAL ....


ps:
I've never had issue with I-275, other than UM vehicles and their maize n blue surrounding my Ohio State flag flying vehicle...
I just run 80 over to 280, pick up 75, and jump on 275, come in back door of DTW; it's a pretty easy 95 min drive actually

craig44485

With the speed limit at 70MPH on the Ohio Turnpike, it should not take 2 hours, unless your coming from the far west side of CLE,, however, it is definitely shorter than the drive to DTW from CLE.

BobH

The OP hasn't said where he's coming from -- but from my knowledge of Woody's state, he's coming from near Sandusky and Cedar Point.



Bob H

Ysitincoach

Is the grass greener on the other side?

Tough one. Well, yes it's better than legacy UA & the new incarnation UA, but no this is not near a level of what we enjoyed with CO/NW.

Now it's really about who is a lesser of evils.

I see DL on the upswing and UA on a downward spiral in a very tough merger.