FlyerTalk Forums - 5 fascinating facts about the new UA

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Quote:

Originally Posted by mander (Post 19064308)

How tall are you and do you use a computer when you fly? Economy plus is one of the biggest reasons I continue to fly United.

5'5" - No, I don't use a computer while flying. A book, a pad of paper, and a pen is all I need for both entertainment and work. Although ch.9, seldom as it can be found, is a plus.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael El (Post 19063254)

First I've ever heard of it. I wonder what other airlines have the "flat tire" rule?

Don't know about other airlines, but I believe United always had this rule. Over the years I was late a few times, and always was accommodated on a later flight without any fees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indelaware (Post 19064158)

Obviously the airlines have found, like P.T. Barnum, that there is a sucker born every minute. There are so many better things to spend money on than tickets to fly up front. Sure, if it is free, but to pay for it: never!

When you look at the amount of deck space taken up by an int'l lie-flat C seat, it's about 3x that of an int'l Y seat (E-). But int'l C seats are so comfortable, I'd be willing to pay 50%, maybe even up to 100% more for them. But not 3x, because I can still sleep pretty well in Y. The true suckers are the people who are paying 6x the cost of a Y seat for those C seats.

My friend missed a SW regional flight and they accommodated him on the next flight. SW rules do state that you must pay the fare difference when changing tickets. So SW maybe has a flat tire allowance?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indelaware (Post 19064158)

Yes, seriously. Its one reason that I flew CO before the merger rather than UA. Whenever I flew UA, I'd feel funny having so much space for my knees.

I suppose a person with longer legs than I might pay extra money; but as a rule I disdain giving airlines revenue. I think if the airlines simply stopped seats from reclining it would help a great deal. May also save save some $$ in purchasing seats.

Well at 6'5" tall I love E+

And having the experience of feeling "funny" about having so much space for my knees? Not ever going to happen :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indelaware (Post 19064574)

5'5" - No, I don't use a computer while flying. A book, a pad of paper, and a pen is all I need for both entertainment and work. Although ch.9, seldom as it can be found, is a plus.

How dense are you? Can you not see how others taller than 5"5' and use a laptop could find the product a godsend?
Sounds to me like selfishness on your part - wishing for it to be removed? And are you serious - feeling weird with too much room, so you flew another carrier? one of the most ridiculous things I've read on FT, ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mander (Post 19064308)

How tall are you and do you use a computer when you fly? Economy plus is one of the biggest reasons I continue to fly United.

Same here, if there was no E+, I might switch over to Delta with their rollover miles.

As for not buying E+ for the principle, who is really suffering here? The airline or the passenger?

Quote:

Originally Posted by colmc (Post 19064290)

Doesn't the article say that pmUA thought about ditching E+?

Yes...but I thought we were done with letting facts get in the way of the rants against SMI/J. I guess not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indelaware (Post 19064158)

Yes, seriously. Its one reason that I flew CO before the merger rather than UA. Whenever I flew UA, I'd feel funny having so much space for my knees.

...but as a rule I disdain giving airlines revenue. I think if the airlines simply stopped seats from reclining it would help a great deal.

Why even fly CO, then? NK would have been perfect -- less room between seats, many that don't recline, and you'd be able to feel superior as the rest of the suckers on the flight pay fees for carry-ons and other services before and during your flight. :p

I'd have to agree with some other posters -- feeling "funny" for having so much space for your knees is by far the most absurd thing I've ever read on FT. But that could just be my six-foot-tall body recoiling in disbelief.

Quote:

Originally Posted by garykung (Post 19063811)

This article actually confirm that the real situation is COdbaUA - SMI/J wants to axe everything from PMUA, including E+.

Anyhow - I found this interesting because I can never imagine that our presence on a flight can help the flight get out faster.

Were we reading the same article? In the one I read, there was only a little tiny bit which could be twisted into COdbaUA. Everything else actually sounded pretty good for the airline, and didn't at all sound COdbaUA. More like UAdbaUA...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mander (Post 19064308)

How tall are you and do you use a computer when you fly? Economy plus is one of the biggest reasons I continue to fly United.

E+ is definitely the only reason we still fly UA!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuolumne (Post 19065271)

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHLGovFlyer (Post 19064751)

Well at 6'5" tall I love E+

And having the experience of feeling "funny" about having so much space for my knees? Not ever going to happen :D

I am glad that you feel comfortable. It was not the space that was funny feeling, it was the inequality of it. I feel sorry for ther 6'5" person in the rear. Don't you? Why should one 6'5" person have more space than another? Because s/he flies more or has more money? That's just not right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianmanka (Post 19065483)

NK does not fly to the desinations that I do. And there are plenty of other reasons I preferred PMCO to PMUA -- friendly staff, their hubs (EWR over IAD; CLE over ORD; though DEN is better than IAH), a personal better experience with IRROPS on PMCO than on PMUA, meals in economy (until SMI/J), easier to use website than .bomb. But now there is no more PMCO nor PMUA, only UA so we all must adopt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by char777 (Post 19061773)

I think this is fascinating. If I'm reading this correctly, then this means that...PMUA was planning on axing E+? Seeing now that DL and AA (and I guess you could say CO as well) are adopting it, I'm surprised.

I don't believe for a second that pmUA was going to ditch E+. It was in the early days of the merger that both E+ and FTFD were on the chopping block.

Quote:

Originally Posted by edcho (Post 19064443)

Yes -- before the merger, PMUA was going to ditch E+.

I doubt that. They had already profitably monetized it when they kicked out non-UA elites and started charging.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IL-18 (Post 19064609)

Don't know about other airlines, but I believe United always had this rule. Over the years I was late a few times, and always was accommodated on a later flight without any fees.

Yes, pmUA always had a 3 hour flat tire rule that applied uniformly, though you had to speak to an agent and push it if you weren't an elite.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indelaware (Post 19065627)

Please, no need to call people names. i am not dense and hardly selfish. If E+ was eliminated seating space throughout the plane could be equalized. A bit more for those currently in standard E and a bit less for those in E+ thus being more fair for everyone. Likewise, it might also permit a tad more customers aboard which would both allow for decreased fares (greater supply of seats) increased fuel efficency (more profit for airline) better usage of limited natural resources, and decreased per passenger polution (a plus for everyone).

I am glad that you feel comfortable. It was not the space that was funny feeling, it was the inequality of it. I feel sorry for ther 6'5" person in the rear. Don't you? Why should one 6'5" person have more space than another? Because s/he flies more or has more money? That's just not right.

NK does not fly to the desinations that I do. And there are plenty of other reasons I preferred PMCO to PMUA -- friendly staff, their hubs (EWR over IAD; CLE over ORD; though DEN is better than IAH), a personal better experience with IRROPS on PMCO than on PMUA, meals in economy (until SMI/J), easier to use website than .bomb. But now there is no more PMCO nor PMUA, only UA so we all must adopt.

pmUA had friendlier staff, much better IRROPS handling and a far less complicated website (I do prefer some of the functionality of the pmCO website, but its much more cluttered and complicated to use).

As for axing E+ and "equalizing", you must be trolling at this point. E+ is both a product that pmUA successfully monetized and used to keep elites loyal. E+ arguably became MORE important after the introduction of UDU, because 2Ps and even 1Ps saw their upgrade rates drop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael El (Post 19063254)

I wonder what other airlines have the "flat tire" rule?

Southwest. You get two hours and perhaps a bit more at the discretion of the GA.

Don't think it's published anywhere.