Are you sure? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

WaterPoloRef - Thanks for taking the effort to make the airline comparisons and throwing in a bit of personal stuff as well. It was interesting that you put Delta up at the top of the pack in many categories. There are a lot of FlyerTalkers out there who hate Delta (mostly due to their upgrade policies). I have flown Delta, mostly in coach, for the past 20 years to visit my wife's family at TRI and to do business in ATL. What I like about Delta is:
1) Lots of wide body planes on domestic routes;
2) Their generous Delta AMEX bonuses;
3) An easy to use website;
4) Quick posting FF credits on their website;
5) Some good CSRs and FAs I have experienced;

While there is a lot more that Delta could do better, it is good to see an underdog score favorably every once in a while.

I agree that Lambert is not a great airport. While I try to avoid ATL when connecting, I still think it is one of the best designed major airports out there.




[This message has been edited by Jeeves (edited 12-01-2002).]

Water Polo Ref, out of curiosity, would you have the same feelings for DL if you were a GM and not a PM? As a GM we have been severely affected by the cutbacks in the Skymile program. The insULT fares are a joke. The replacing of the SWU's with NAMU's is meaningless as most GM's have an extremely high upgrade rate with segments, and I really miss those international upgrades that came with the SWU's.

Also SGB makes DL the most restrictive airline out there, when it comes to rule bending and accommodating passengers with common sense solutions.

I think I wrote it earlier, but if not, if I were a GM, I probably would not fly DL much now that I live somewhere where I really do have a choice. I would probably concentrate solely on AA and try to get my 2MM status as quickly as possible there since the lifetime benefits on AA are far better than on DL.

Based on my flying pattern and living in St. Louis, I think that I would choose one of the following:

1.) DL Platinum and AA Platinum
2.) AA Platinum and UA Premier Executive

I don't think I would want to be mid-tier on DL and on some other airline. The seats and GM benefits such simply do not measure up. I mean, I am already lifetime Silver (due to being a 1MM flyer), so what more does GM do for me but give me a few more credits towards upgrades? The PM benefits are significantly better and that is why I will fly DL.

Until recently, UA would not have been in the picture much simply because their coverage of the East Coast and Southeast is less than I would have liked. However, in combination with US Airways, they are a significantly more attractive option. Unfortunately (for them), I am being obstinate and perhaps child-like in saying I am not going to fly UA unless I have no other choice.

Very interesting post, Water Polo Ref. I like the detail you provide because this gives people a pretty clear idea of a traveler's real experience with the airlines in one shot. Thank you.

I am curious if there are others willing to share the experiences in the same period to see if there is any consistency: In other words, do you think it is possible that the same kinds of things happened to 2 different similar travelers? This would be something worth knowing, I think. I tend to think that when you fly, no matter what elite or other level you may hold, it can be a shot in the dark when it comes to the service you get, etc. I have family and friends who are at various levels and we compare airline travel horrors often (with a laugh, of course).

I liked this thread because if can give a clear picture as to what the customer went through and not what the airline says the customer would go through. Excellent. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

+++
Now, I have a few more slightly unrelated thoughts and I mean no disrespect to Water Polo Ref and others who have commented thus far in this thread:

I have written some long ones in here but this was very long as well. In fact, it was the longest thing I ever saw in here. Though WPR's may have been written with better grammar, etc. I have a few questions to some who may be reading: Why is it that no one blasted the length of the post? Not that they should, but again, it was long.

It was also interesting to see that since WPR is platinum, etc on several carriers... I am not. I am gold on AA and Prem. on UAL and Platinum in Starwood. That's it. In this case, WPR had to tell us these things (about status) to get this particular story out. But I often wondered if one should be posting in the FT if one is but a mere "economy" (gasp) traveler?...I am one of those and never minded the cheap seats. I think it's great that people attain the higher status and good on ya for acheiving this. I do not have it and have not really cared. I have wondered why so many in the FT feel they must promote their status constantly, however. Seems a bit odd to me. Again, in this particular story, WPR had to include this info so this is NOT about WPR's status! I am asking the general question.

I have low levels of mileage on many carriers. In fact, they are all about 35k which is fine by me. Used to have more or less, but my goal is to be positioned for free travelings to Hawaii/Carib/etc. with my wife and then in about a year plus, we don't plan to do much traveling for a long, long time.

My posts on ideas of how to earn a few points here and there have been aimed at people like myself. just a regular person looking to earn some miles in a current addiction with some creative ideas. Some are creative and some in depth. I share some ideas, pick up some tips and love to talk about the marketing schemes we all see growing in this field. I am in marketing myself. Water Polo Ref's post is therefore of particular interest to me.

But I wonder: Is it due to the length of my posts, or possibly, due to the fact that I am NOT elite that I get blasted for posting something as long as this one was? I am looking for intellegent opinions. In comparing travel and airlines, I also wish to compare ways of presenting mile ideas or travel thoughts. This probably opens up a huge can of worms...

Once aagin, Water Polo Ref, yours was a great post and it was interesting. Maybe mine are not (to some) but I am just asking. I had to ask in here because it is about length and so I ask this of others who may be reading here but not necessarily posting in this one-yet.

------------------
If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!

MM
I'll take your bait...
While WPR's post was long, it flowed and did not dwell on details not central to his post. I've found that many of your posts ramble. My preference is for posts that get to the point quickly with a minimum of extra words.

Something along the lines of my first lesson in public speaking:
Be Standing
Be Brief
Be Seated

You usually won't be criticized for writing too little, while the converse does happen (as you've experienced).

ps
I assumed your moniker was a hint at your posts http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Lightening Guy

Well said. In fact, yours was the meaning of the words "constructive criticism."

I think anyone who posts something controversial (due to content or wording) would rather hear back in the way YOU'VE put things... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

You see, I tend to write like a person speaks not always checking back to see how it may be read by those who do not know me or how I think.

Good points can be lost. Some get bugged by this (I always think this is not my prob) and some pick up on it just fine. It was just odd to me that in order to get something across, one had to be a certain "way" already...so it seemed. Obviously I too could be reading into things differently than they were told. However, I’d hoped that in a mere forum, less would have mattered in this area.

I have always believed that there are so many factors to a situation or story that DO go off on tangents but they can all come back together in the end to make the whole. WPR’s post was 1,2,3, etc with an intro and a conclusion. Classic stuff indeed. I am merely prompting people to check out the not-so-classic in case this helps us all in some way. It often can.

A higher up in our company said something yesterday in our annual staff meeting:
“A leader does not ask permission, he/she asks forgiveness.” One should push one’s ideas and get them out there no matter what. If someone pushes back on you, then you can try to work out any problems you may have with them or they with you. But if one just sits back and takes the easy road, well...you know. Let us all think about that when we write, read, and conjure up the many ways to earn or discuss miles or free travel--which is all this is about anyway.

Anyway, thank you for this and as I said, WPR's post was a great one, as long as it was. And yes, it 'leads' in a pretty decent way too. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!

Water Polo Ref: You are terrific, your potings are serious and in-depth. Thank you for brief summary on both the men and women teams.

What's to blast? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gifThe length of this post didn't bother me in the slightest because the content was both highly relevant and very instructive - I've seen so many thread blasting one airlines FF program over another that you don't know what each person agenda really is. This particular post seemed to have no axe to grind and gave succinct and clear information on one persons experiences allowing you to make your own decisions as to the relevant merits of one airline over the other. I, for one, appreciate the information

I agree, the post, though long was great. I said that already too.

Mine are often long but I think the stuff in them is useful too. Many agree, but I never blast when i see one that is not so great.

Anyway, I have decided to go with AA whole heartedly based on the info I have now kept handy in the original post of WPR!

And that is useful!
Thanks.

This was the only time I have seen WPR make a long post.

Marathon Man, your posts are pretty much ALWAYS long.

Your post above makes you sound like a cry baby.... "How come they can do it and I can't?" WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

My not liking your posts has nothing to do with your status, I would not like most of them if you were Platinum or not.

1. Yes, your posts are usually long.
2. No, the stuff in them is not always useful.

It has nothing to do with whether or not you're elite. Good ideas are not dependent on status. Do a search in the archives for someone named fireflyreaction - found a great way to get tons of miles for ultra-cheap from magazine subscriptions (the fiasco that ensued is immaterial - it's the idea that counts). One of the best ideas to hit these boards in a long time - and this person was a student, not some corporate bigshot with status on a bunch of programs.

You need to reread your post before you hit the submit button. You want to put your ideas out there - fine, that's the idea of FT. But the truth is, your posts bore me to tears because most of what's in them has nothing to do with the point you're trying to make.

If I got stuck next to you on a plane and you talked the way you write, I would probably kill you before we landed. And if my lawyer could get all the other passengers seated around us to testify, the judge or jury would probably rule it was justifiable homicide.

Hope that wasn't too long - wouldn't want you to miss my point.

Edited for a typo.

[This message has been edited by Don Rickles (edited 12-07-2002).]