Joe suggests DL to a US CP
Dec 8, 2006, 5:12 am
#1
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Joe suggests DL to a US CP
LOST By Joe Brancatelli
December 5, 2006 -- By any rational business standard, John Goldener is exactly the kind of frequent flyer that US Airways can almost never lose. By every logical business measure, John Goldener is also the kind of premium-class passenger that US Airways should never want to lose.....
Goldener's disenchantment began when US Airways cut its twice-daily Paris flights back to one. It escalated when he heard that the carrier--alone among major international airlines--is slashing the size of its business class and will soon pull 12 seats from its current 42-seat cabins. Then, about two months ago, US Airways stopped giving Chairman's Preferred flyers upgrades to the coveted first row. In US Airways' unique cabin layout on its Airbus A330s, the six seats in Row 1 convert to beds while the other 36 Envoy business-class seats are armchairs. To secure a Row 1 bed, Chairman's Preferred flyers must now pay a $300 premium each way above the business-class fare......
Goldener's tolerance for US Airways ended after a disastrous roundtrip to Paris last month. En route to Philadelphia Airport, he was informed of a six-hour departure delay. To make his meetings in Europe, he accepted a coach seat on a Munich flight and was told he would not receive a refund on his business-class ticket. The return leg, a week later, was worse. Three separate mechanical snafus led to an hours-long delay, the captain declaring the plane unflyable and, finally, cancellation of the flight. Most of the travelers on the aborted flight ended up spending two nights in Paris waiting for US Airways to get them home. Goldener got out only one day late because he recognized that something was seriously amiss and called the Chairman's Preferred desk in the United States and made alternate arrangements........
"Someone named AJ who identified herself as an administrative assistant to [US Airways president Scott] Kirby and [chief executive Douglas] Parker called," he began. Goldener said she explained that "the airline has been transforming itself into a discounted economy airline and that they were not courting business passengers. She told me that Mr. Kirby had heard the same complaints from other Chairman's Preferred members, but was not planning on changing direction. She hoped I would reconsider, but basically said 'good luck'.".......
A couple of days later, Goldener got a call from Travis Christ, the airline's vice president of marketing.
"He was slick, but he wasn't trying to take care of me as a customer." Goldener told me. "He kept telling me he was trying to be Costco while all the other airlines were trying to be Nordstrom's. I kept reminding him that he charges the same as Air France. But Air France has beds in business class. If I want a bed from US Airways now, I have to pay more than it costs on Air France. How's that Costco?"
Goldener also told me three things that I had trouble believing: Christ said that Goldener should be willing to pay more to fly US Airways because US Airways offers more flights from Philadelphia. Goldener said that Christ never asked him what US Airways could do to keep his business. "And we both agreed that [US Airways] did not work for me anymore."
I called Christ myself and he confirmed what Goldener told me about their conversation. And he added another fillip: Christ suggested that Goldener should appreciate that he'd been called by the vice president of marketing of an airline. "I know a lot of Chairman's Preferred members would consider that a tangible benefit," Christ said.......
I E-mailed Christ with Goldener's comments and wondered if he thought two upgrades were a palatable, even cheap, price to pay to hold on to a Chairman's Preferred member.
Christ thought otherwise. "We don't arbitrarily give our product away and we think that we offer a good product for a fair price," he replied by E-mail. "We also are OK with the fact that we can't be all things to all people."
I've told him that I think Delta and its SkyTeam partner Air France will probably work fine. ......
"I sat down this morning and tried to put my feelings aside and tried to make the case for staying with US Airways," Goldener said. "But this guy [Christ] was so arrogant that I have to switch carriers."
The above post has been edited by request after posting the entire article.
This is this culture that you can look forward to if the US takover goes through and is the reason I no longer fly US. I have several personal examples that I have never posted that are just as bad.
December 5, 2006 -- By any rational business standard, John Goldener is exactly the kind of frequent flyer that US Airways can almost never lose. By every logical business measure, John Goldener is also the kind of premium-class passenger that US Airways should never want to lose.....
Goldener's disenchantment began when US Airways cut its twice-daily Paris flights back to one. It escalated when he heard that the carrier--alone among major international airlines--is slashing the size of its business class and will soon pull 12 seats from its current 42-seat cabins. Then, about two months ago, US Airways stopped giving Chairman's Preferred flyers upgrades to the coveted first row. In US Airways' unique cabin layout on its Airbus A330s, the six seats in Row 1 convert to beds while the other 36 Envoy business-class seats are armchairs. To secure a Row 1 bed, Chairman's Preferred flyers must now pay a $300 premium each way above the business-class fare......
Goldener's tolerance for US Airways ended after a disastrous roundtrip to Paris last month. En route to Philadelphia Airport, he was informed of a six-hour departure delay. To make his meetings in Europe, he accepted a coach seat on a Munich flight and was told he would not receive a refund on his business-class ticket. The return leg, a week later, was worse. Three separate mechanical snafus led to an hours-long delay, the captain declaring the plane unflyable and, finally, cancellation of the flight. Most of the travelers on the aborted flight ended up spending two nights in Paris waiting for US Airways to get them home. Goldener got out only one day late because he recognized that something was seriously amiss and called the Chairman's Preferred desk in the United States and made alternate arrangements........
"Someone named AJ who identified herself as an administrative assistant to [US Airways president Scott] Kirby and [chief executive Douglas] Parker called," he began. Goldener said she explained that "the airline has been transforming itself into a discounted economy airline and that they were not courting business passengers. She told me that Mr. Kirby had heard the same complaints from other Chairman's Preferred members, but was not planning on changing direction. She hoped I would reconsider, but basically said 'good luck'.".......
A couple of days later, Goldener got a call from Travis Christ, the airline's vice president of marketing.
"He was slick, but he wasn't trying to take care of me as a customer." Goldener told me. "He kept telling me he was trying to be Costco while all the other airlines were trying to be Nordstrom's. I kept reminding him that he charges the same as Air France. But Air France has beds in business class. If I want a bed from US Airways now, I have to pay more than it costs on Air France. How's that Costco?"
Goldener also told me three things that I had trouble believing: Christ said that Goldener should be willing to pay more to fly US Airways because US Airways offers more flights from Philadelphia. Goldener said that Christ never asked him what US Airways could do to keep his business. "And we both agreed that [US Airways] did not work for me anymore."
I called Christ myself and he confirmed what Goldener told me about their conversation. And he added another fillip: Christ suggested that Goldener should appreciate that he'd been called by the vice president of marketing of an airline. "I know a lot of Chairman's Preferred members would consider that a tangible benefit," Christ said.......
I E-mailed Christ with Goldener's comments and wondered if he thought two upgrades were a palatable, even cheap, price to pay to hold on to a Chairman's Preferred member.
Christ thought otherwise. "We don't arbitrarily give our product away and we think that we offer a good product for a fair price," he replied by E-mail. "We also are OK with the fact that we can't be all things to all people."
I've told him that I think Delta and its SkyTeam partner Air France will probably work fine. ......
"I sat down this morning and tried to put my feelings aside and tried to make the case for staying with US Airways," Goldener said. "But this guy [Christ] was so arrogant that I have to switch carriers."
The above post has been edited by request after posting the entire article.
This is this culture that you can look forward to if the US takover goes through and is the reason I no longer fly US. I have several personal examples that I have never posted that are just as bad.
Last edited by longing4piedmont; Dec 8, 2006 at 6:52 pm Reason: Copyright issue. Looks like you will have to pay to view
Dec 8, 2006, 5:47 am
#2
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I see he forgot to mention that DL would probably be happy to match his status at Gold or higher level...
But that does not sound good at all.
But that does not sound good at all.
Dec 8, 2006, 6:51 am
#3
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That's exactly why if this happens - CYA Delta. Even though I'm based in Atlanta I'll start connecting if I have to. I refuse to fly anything remotley connected to USAir..
Dec 8, 2006, 7:34 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 859
Faced with an airline that is prepared to let him walk away, Goldener will do just that. He called United and Delta and both carriers offered him immediate elite frequent flyer status if he switches to one of them in 2007.
Dec 8, 2006, 8:12 am
#5
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Wow, that's a real jaw dropper of an article. I'm dumb founded that they would treat any customer that ay never mind one of their best. .
How arrogant to think they have customers to lose.
They should be fighting to win cusotmers...not lose them.
How arrogant to think they have customers to lose.
They should be fighting to win cusotmers...not lose them.
Dec 8, 2006, 9:36 am
#6
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All that I can say is what a shame!!! 
Even in the worst days of SSM, Rob Borden wasn't that arrogant and clueless. @:-)
Even in the worst days of SSM, Rob Borden wasn't that arrogant and clueless. @:-)
Dec 8, 2006, 9:43 am
#7
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Costco of Air Travel
If this is the attitude they take to their best customers, how do you expect it will translate to the tourist traveler or any others for that matter.
I'm set to make Gold my next flight after having been FO for several years. I am not one of DL best customers in amount of dollars sold. I had wondered that if such a merger occurred what would happen to my status since with US management taking over we could expect changes more on the way US does things.
Now I know and want nothing to do with it.
I'm set to make Gold my next flight after having been FO for several years. I am not one of DL best customers in amount of dollars sold. I had wondered that if such a merger occurred what would happen to my status since with US management taking over we could expect changes more on the way US does things.
Now I know and want nothing to do with it.
Dec 8, 2006, 9:45 am
#8
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Amazing.. and people wonder why those of us who fly DL are so against this merger.
I'm just shocked at the gall of the US VP to say
"Christ suggested that Goldener should appreciate that he'd been called by the vice president of marketing of an airline. "I know a lot of Chairman's Preferred members would consider that a tangible benefit," Christ said
A tangible benefit.. for someone from US to call you and tell you "sorry we're not interested in your concerns and quite frankly don't want your business". Who is that tangible for? DL? AA? UA? IDIOTS !!
If this is what we should expect, I'll do everything I can to use anyone but a US controlled DL.
By the way... compare this to DL who went out the way to invite a number of the FT Delta forum members to meet with them this summer to admit what they were doing wrong and tell us what they were doing to fix it. It's like comparing Apples to dog crap.
I'm just shocked at the gall of the US VP to say
"Christ suggested that Goldener should appreciate that he'd been called by the vice president of marketing of an airline. "I know a lot of Chairman's Preferred members would consider that a tangible benefit," Christ said
A tangible benefit.. for someone from US to call you and tell you "sorry we're not interested in your concerns and quite frankly don't want your business". Who is that tangible for? DL? AA? UA? IDIOTS !!
If this is what we should expect, I'll do everything I can to use anyone but a US controlled DL.
By the way... compare this to DL who went out the way to invite a number of the FT Delta forum members to meet with them this summer to admit what they were doing wrong and tell us what they were doing to fix it. It's like comparing Apples to dog crap.
Dec 8, 2006, 9:51 am
#10
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How could anyone support an airline with a corporate attitude like the one illustrated by this example. No longer courting business travelers? What kind of strategy is that for an airline? Not one I want from the airline I give my money to. Like others, if Delta is consumed by the aberration that is US; CO or AA, here I come!
Originally Posted by rnovak
It's like comparing Apples to dog crap.
Last edited by DLfan; Dec 8, 2006 at 9:57 am
Dec 8, 2006, 9:58 am
#11
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Where did this article come from I would love to forward it to my local paper. Joe Average needs to understand what he is getting into if he supports this merger by keeping silent. 
Dec 8, 2006, 10:10 am
#12
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Dec 8, 2006, 10:44 am
#13
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Thanks for posting this..this is great ammunition and should be published everywhere....Doesn't Joe write a column for USA Today? Will this appear there as well? If not, we certainly need to help this get more 'exposure'....
Dec 8, 2006, 11:32 am
#14
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The one part that really stood out as STUPID was when they moved him from a Business Ticket to Coach and would not refund the difference.
Sorry you paid too much - sucka!
Their decision to offer less full bed seats might make sense. And the ability to always get one is asking a bit too much. But overall, US Air really dropped the ball here, at least from what WE can see.
They talked about Norstroms and Cosco. Sorry, it looks more like they are trying to be Dollar Tree.
Sorry you paid too much - sucka!
Their decision to offer less full bed seats might make sense. And the ability to always get one is asking a bit too much. But overall, US Air really dropped the ball here, at least from what WE can see.
They talked about Norstroms and Cosco. Sorry, it looks more like they are trying to be Dollar Tree.
Dec 8, 2006, 11:51 am
#15
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