am1108

• Bring back cardboard paper tickets with Gold for First Class and Elites, and Blue for Everyone else like it used to be.
• Have AS style Pancake Machines in the lounges
• Renovate some of the United Clubs (who are in desperate need)
• Somehow expedite the building of the new C/D terminal at IAD (cause its kind of a disgrace of a terminal, especially when a better one is 2000 feet away)
• Listen to the Customers especially GS, 1K (Although you cant please everyone)
• Bring back Starbucks onboard
• During Boarding times have a active screen showing who is allowed to board (like AS) http://blog.designcohesion.net/wp-co...ardingSign.jpg
• (Might be controversial but) Close the International Call Center and create more jobs in the U.S.
• Make the flights credit RDM & PQM the same day flown, if not sooner.
• Have the Explorer and Club cards give discounts for elites on Food items, Drinks, and DirecTV on flights.
• and at least give Silvers the 2 free checked luggage.

jchiguy1

I would try to better address the varied needs of all my customers from General Members to GS. That would involve such things as improving the website, establishing a clear, consistent upgrade policy, and making it easier for employees to help customers on an individual basis. I also have to comment that I have been an UA board lurker for many years (and a 1K for 19) and I have never seen morale as low as it is now among both loyal flyers and employees who post here.

REPUBLIC757

GOOD ONES! Pancake machine is a great idea.

--Add LCD monitors to PMUA 757, renew leases.
--Not order the 737 MAX for now. Urge Boeing to build a 757 replacement.
--Revise SHARES so it actually works (or dump it. Not sure how UA will get out of this predicament. They dug a hole for themselves.)
--BETTER top down communication from the executives
--Improve labor relations. Bring the CO and UA culture together without the CO culture shoved down the throats of employees.
--Allow Silvers to have E+ selection at time of booking
--Bring back Starbucks (bar none)
--Revised IRROPS policy as most hubs are delay prone. More generous for Elites who give up seats.
--Bring back "U" as the logo. Dump Globe.
--Allow discounted UC access rate and E+ for MP Explorer Cards.
--Reopen international call centers.
--Reduce EWR to have 2-3 RJ/prop banks a day. Add more domestic and international mainline feed. Move excess regional banks to IAD.
--Rotational snacks at UC (not the same old cheese and cracker BS even though the pepper jack and pepperidge farm are pretty good.)
--Get Pilot scope contract revised so UA can order more 170 and hopefully get 190 aircraft.
--Allow some complimentary directv channels for free.
--Better customer service response team
--Launch new "rhapsody in blue" TV ads.
--Have full meals during mealtime on CR7s and E170s in F.
--Add international F lounges to EWR

uastarflyer

And of course a good faith grand bargain with the employee base that moves to a 401k style system for retirement and encourages additional insurance options such as high deductible and moves more direct compensation to cash.

Right now the employee base (especially PMUA) is viewed as the enemy by the CEO. Yet he refers to them paternalistically as "co workers" on the ad preceding the safety video.

craz

well as others have already said 2 yrs ago people were complaining almost as much as they are today (OK not the same people)

but you have to be kidding it might have been good for the Elites with the way UA threw everything at them , but it wasnt good for UAL as they werent making $$$ like there was no tomorrow, nor the share holders

If I owned UA today Id rather have a small profit and angry Elites then a Loss with all my Elites with a

I the way UA threw stuff at me but its was NUTS on their part. On the other hand CO would simply tell a person to go take a hike , that wasnt the correct thing either

CMK10

If I were King of the Forestttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oopsz

Never ever going to happen. Very few people (essentially no one) cares about the paper boarding passes are printed on, and since IATA mandated e-tickets, no one cares about paper ticket stock. The light thermal paper is cheaper to supply and the thermal printers are cheaper to maintain than the impact printers used for cardboard tickets.

Unfortunately, also never going to happen. I don't think people realize- when CO sold Shares to EDS (later HP), they negotiated a lifetime free license to the system. When pmUA sold Apollo to Covia (Now Travelport, after they bought Galileo and Worldspan), they did no such thing. pmUA probably got more cash in the short term, but much like AA's Travelpass, they paid for it in the long term. New UA isn't going to blow a ton of money on a new IT system when they have a free one available.

What they need to do is take the money they were spending on Apollo and put it into development of a decent front end for Shares. Remember, pmUA agents weren't using raw Apollo; they had FastRes. FastShares, if they EVER got it working, was supposed to work similarly for Shares. Even if it takes five years worth of Apollo's licensing budget to develop it, it would STILL save money and aggravation in the long run.

entropy

I'd strengthen the elite benefits by giving you a "chinese menu" of benefits (AC does this).
With AC you can choose (for example, for the 100k level 2 of 4 (100% bonus miles, 45 Eupgrade credits, gift MLL for a friend, 3k bonus EQM)
PLUS (2/3 : 20 upgrade credits, 6 MLL guest pases, 2500 miles)
and another less applicable one...

For United, one could imagine they could return to the good 'olde days of 500s, but expanded to eUpgrade credits. They could even do it like AC does: short hops require fewer credits, low fares require more credits, and trans-oceanic requires much higher levels of credits than domestic.

BearX220

Just what UA needs over the long term -- a lot fewer loyal customers. All the other airlines would happily let UA sail right off a cliff with this one. When will FTers learn that neither UA nor any airline can be run by fawning over the two two percent of its base and saying the hell with everybody else? (Although UA right now is saying that to approximately 100 percent of its base.)

Agree. The next CEO has to find a way to make all customers feel valued.

I've flown 3 or 4 transcons with AirTran since 1 April. You wouldn't believe how much happier a customer service experience it is compared to UA -- usually at less than half the price, plus cheap upgrade fees.

rmartinez

Good point, why should I fly on United and help create jobs for Americans? Maybe I should fly on an airline that will help create jobs here.

AAExPlat

The reality as I see it is that even frequent low fare buyers have a place in the airline as they allow the airline to fill seats and fly routes it would otherwise not be able to fly. They can benefit the overall network, and thereby providing the high fare fliers a small benefit, as well...

The airline needs to make all customers happy...

CO777DAL

If I was CEO of United this is what I would do. Instead of COdbaUA I’d…

1) Change the name to Continental and move HQ back to Houston

2) Run PMUA “United Air Lines” as a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Airlines (keep most of their ops in Chicago and on all their planes by the door say “Operated by United Air Lines” with a tulip logo

3) Spend the money and create a State of the Art IT system and update all computers and systems company wide

4) Treat the employees well and let them know they are the most important asset to the company. (I personally believe that happy employees will provide great service and equal happy customers)

5) Streamline Mainline Fleet to eventually be 737RS 777NG and 787 maybe 747-8

6) All new growth will be on CO side and retire older aircraft on PMUA and wind down ops when all planes are gone

7) Offer all current furlough PMUA people new jobs at CO as planes are added

8) Get rid of most fees, no baggage fees, food fee, etc and advertise the heck out of it even to kettles!

9) Pillows and Blankets back in both cabins and on all flights

10) Buy LiveTV from JetBlue and then make it free on all Continental flights. Free AVOD on entire international fleet except planes that plan to get rid of in the next 5 years

11) Bring back meals at meal time and add Premium meals to coach which is current BOB with reasonable prices. So you can take what we give you for free or buy something off the menu.

12) Spend a lot of money on PR and winning awards then blasting them over and over stating how we are the best airline since slice bread.

13) Change elite groups to Silver, Gold, Platinum, Rhodium (rename 1K ), and Global Services

14) Rhodium and GS in coach get one free alcoholic beverage and item off the Premium Food Menu if they chose

15) Strict standardization of all operations of all airports. Same podiums, signage, colors, etc. Every airport that is not CUTE will look exactly the same at check-in and gate area.

16) Rebrand United Clubs back to President Clubs, add kitchens where they can with food for sale and refresh all clubs

17) Buy up to First will only be offered after all Elites are upgraded

18) Bring regional flying back in house. Have a separate subsidiary “Continental Express” flying ERJs135/145 ATR-72-600 and E190s. Also sort out scope with pilots at the same time

19) Hire Gordon Bethune then step aside and let him take-over

euslaner

Two years ago we were in a deep recession. Glen is right. The good old days were much better than the new regime. Trust me, from speaking to more than one exec at UA, they realize the problems. What I hear is a commitment to things "getting better all the time," not to fixing the fundamental problems we read about. This is a decision that can only come from the top.

Whatever one could say about the old UA, the management listened much of the time when they made really bad decisions. At times they even apologized.

I'd do (4) and (17) and get rid of almost all the CO people and rules. Let Martin Hand run the airline.

roknroll

If you were the CEO of United you would have an aversion to garlic, only come out at night, and spend the bulk of your time avoiding Van Helsing and not running the airline.

tex1899

Clean. Safe. Reliable.

1. Streamline the fleet to simplify ops and hopefully reduce fuel burn.

2. Improve morale among employees and customers. (a broad statement, yes)

3. Simplify pricing and make it easier for customers (elite and non) to to "know the rules".

I'm no longer elite. My priorities have changed and, while I still live to travel, I won't be elite again for a long time (regardless of the airline).

UA (all airlines) needs to streamline their processes, improve efficiencies (lower cost/mile), and make people want to use their products and services. And keep things simple!