Why Fly UA?
Jun 14, 13, 11:43 pm
#106
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Up in the Air
Programs: OW Emerald
Posts: 519
Network... directs beat out connections.
Jun 15, 13, 3:34 am
#107
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,830
1 - MileagePlus availability
2 - E+
3 - TPAC Network
4 - SDC
5 - Close to MM
2 - E+
3 - TPAC Network
4 - SDC
5 - Close to MM
Jun 15, 13, 7:50 am
#108
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LA
Posts: 7,166
Probably in no order
I pay dirt cheap coach fares and fly in First and business. I've taken my mom, my friends and my wife on some pretty grand trips somewhere or another in the world thanks to this airline, and for pennies on the dollar. Only time I've had Dom P and caviar was in a metal tube.
United, UA and now UNITED have been a part of my life since I was a child. I grew up flying this airline, and its been with me through many milestones in my 30 years of existence. Hard to say goodbye.
I'm 20k from 1MM.
I know the tools, tips, tricks and regs to navigate this airline.
United, UA and now UNITED have been a part of my life since I was a child. I grew up flying this airline, and its been with me through many milestones in my 30 years of existence. Hard to say goodbye.
I'm 20k from 1MM.
I know the tools, tips, tricks and regs to navigate this airline.
Jun 15, 13, 9:52 am
#109
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K 3MM , Marriott Amb, Hyatt D, HH D, Hertz PC
Posts: 851
I know there are those in this forum who say this is impossible but I stick with United for purely emotional, irrational reasons. It's my hometown airline and I have a long term bond with my sUA FAs, GAs, UC agents, mechanics, pilots and baggage handlers. I hate what's happened to my airline but I'll be here in the rubble if it gets that bad.
Jun 15, 13, 11:19 am
#110
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LAX
Posts: 556
1. award system, like one way awarding, plus some short route only cost 10000miles.
2. Asian market and *a
3. HUBS, most of hubs are big cities and more attractions
2. Asian market and *a
3. HUBS, most of hubs are big cities and more attractions
Jun 15, 13, 11:42 am
#111
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
Hub captive.
No other reason for me except where they have a significantly better route than any alternative.
No other reason for me except where they have a significantly better route than any alternative.
Jun 15, 13, 12:00 pm
#112
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Radisson Gold
Posts: 6,616
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_4 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B350 Safari/8536.25)
Hub captive is pretty much the sole reason at this point
Hub captive is pretty much the sole reason at this point
Jun 15, 13, 12:11 pm
#113
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Cary, NC
Programs: AA 1MM; DL DM; Global Entry; MR Gold; HH Gold; Nat'l EC
Posts: 562
AA mainline flies from D, AE flies from C. Also, Admiral's Club at LGA is airside in D, while UC is landside. Regardless, LGA is the pits, but that pretty much describes all three NYC airports.
Last edited by socalduck; Jun 15, 13 at 12:55 pm
Jun 16, 13, 11:19 am
#114
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New England
Programs: UA 1P, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,480
E+ and SDC. Based in BOS, my other alternatives are AA/US. AA has way fewer flights and I just don't like US for transcon.
Jun 16, 13, 5:45 pm
#115
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL GM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing
Posts: 9,227
Interestingly, I asked a similar question about 3 years ago. In general, at that time UGs (international on SWU and domestic UDUs), E+ and routes/hubs were mentioned as the main reasons. The big change this time around is award availability. Very few people mentioned it last time. I wonder why the change. I suspect a couple of reasons. 1) PMCO award/engine has made it much easier to find and book awards, and 2) the poor award availability on DL has become so well known that flyers view it as a real competitive advantage for UA.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
Jun 16, 13, 7:00 pm
#116
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,467
As a Silver, I fly UA because the others don't have anything to drive me away...
1. AA=After 2013, their version of Silver level elites won't be able to book their E+ seats until T-24 (so no different than UA)...not really interested in flying an MD80 w/zero inflight entertainment to DFW no matter where I'm going (which is what I'm mostly stuck with at PDX compared to UA when I can connect in SEA, SFO, LAX, DEN, ORD, IAH, EWR, IAD, and starting this summer, CLE
)
2. DL=Didn't think their SkyPeso mileage program could get any worse, but next year it will be based on revenue which doesn't fit with my 3cpm MR plan
3. AS=Great customer service and major presence in PDX, but they're behind the game with no E+ or plans for it in the future...also, they have way too many nonstops from PDX and nearby SEA which makes it difficult to rack up too many extra miles on MRs....connecting in SEA is just not far enough out of the way like EWR or IAH can be
4. WN=Another switch to a revenue based mileage program and the whole open seating thing never did much for me.
5. US=Zero inflight entertainment (other than wifi) on any domestic or Carribean flights (what's up with that?) and F meals are only served on flights of 3.5 hours or more...and, like AS, no E+
1. AA=After 2013, their version of Silver level elites won't be able to book their E+ seats until T-24 (so no different than UA)...not really interested in flying an MD80 w/zero inflight entertainment to DFW no matter where I'm going (which is what I'm mostly stuck with at PDX compared to UA when I can connect in SEA, SFO, LAX, DEN, ORD, IAH, EWR, IAD, and starting this summer, CLE
)2. DL=Didn't think their SkyPeso mileage program could get any worse, but next year it will be based on revenue which doesn't fit with my 3cpm MR plan
3. AS=Great customer service and major presence in PDX, but they're behind the game with no E+ or plans for it in the future...also, they have way too many nonstops from PDX and nearby SEA which makes it difficult to rack up too many extra miles on MRs....connecting in SEA is just not far enough out of the way like EWR or IAH can be
4. WN=Another switch to a revenue based mileage program and the whole open seating thing never did much for me.
5. US=Zero inflight entertainment (other than wifi) on any domestic or Carribean flights (what's up with that?) and F meals are only served on flights of 3.5 hours or more...and, like AS, no E+
Jun 16, 13, 7:46 pm
#117
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: DL SkyClub Lifer
Posts: 10,000
1. UA is the only major to serve my town, and the only airline to offer direct flights to anywhere more than 225 miles from my town. (So "hub captive" maybe?)
2. Most of the time, UA/*A economy-class itineraries are cheaper than DL/ST or AA/OW, and the non-profit I fly for wants to go with the cheaper option. (But I got stuck on DL/AZ/KL for a trip to Romania last year, and CI for a trip to Bali this spring, and I'll fly FJ to Fiji...
3. Domestic upgrades are nice, although I dropped to silver and am not quite back up to gold, so I'm only really getting them on the flights from and to my town at this point.
2. Most of the time, UA/*A economy-class itineraries are cheaper than DL/ST or AA/OW, and the non-profit I fly for wants to go with the cheaper option. (But I got stuck on DL/AZ/KL for a trip to Romania last year, and CI for a trip to Bali this spring, and I'll fly FJ to Fiji...
3. Domestic upgrades are nice, although I dropped to silver and am not quite back up to gold, so I'm only really getting them on the flights from and to my town at this point.
Jun 16, 13, 8:17 pm
#118
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: WAS
Programs: AA PLT, Honors Diamond, Global Entry
Posts: 477
1. I usually book at least 30 days out, so as a Gold I almost always score E+ exit row aisle/window seating. But even if I can't, I still get E+, thanks to UA's larger E+ cabins vs AA/DL equivalents.
2. SDC is a benefit I didn't even know I wanted until I had it. Now, I use it frequently, and it's very useful, especially for CPU purposes (just scored IAD-LAX CPU on a K fare as a Gold, how about that?).
3. Lufthansa TATL F for 135,000mi+low fees, with wide availability at T-15? Yes, please. The 50% earning bonus as a Gold complements this benefit nicely.
4. I fly out of IAD often, where LH's Senator lounge is nice, when I have time to use it.
5. UA's IAD hub has much more frequency/capacity to west coast than DCA, and usually at a lower price. AA/US/DL/WN are way behind UA out of IAD/DCA in the transcon department.
6. I don't mind UA's subpar domestic F food, mediocre IFE, or lack of wifi birds. Part of my pre-flight routine involves filling my laptop and tablet with videos, and in the airport, grabbing a sandwich to eat (when flying mid/transcons).
7. I really like UA personnel. Premier desk, United club, GAs, FAs, all of them tend to be very pleasant and effective 90% of the time; and even post-merger, I've found CO folks similarly great. (Maybe I just have low expectations that are easily met by airline employees...).
8. Friends and family tend to fly UA, whether they're nearby or 2,400mi away. Much easier to plan group trips in premium cabins around a single airline/alliance.
2. SDC is a benefit I didn't even know I wanted until I had it. Now, I use it frequently, and it's very useful, especially for CPU purposes (just scored IAD-LAX CPU on a K fare as a Gold, how about that?).
3. Lufthansa TATL F for 135,000mi+low fees, with wide availability at T-15? Yes, please. The 50% earning bonus as a Gold complements this benefit nicely.
4. I fly out of IAD often, where LH's Senator lounge is nice, when I have time to use it.
5. UA's IAD hub has much more frequency/capacity to west coast than DCA, and usually at a lower price. AA/US/DL/WN are way behind UA out of IAD/DCA in the transcon department.
6. I don't mind UA's subpar domestic F food, mediocre IFE, or lack of wifi birds. Part of my pre-flight routine involves filling my laptop and tablet with videos, and in the airport, grabbing a sandwich to eat (when flying mid/transcons).
7. I really like UA personnel. Premier desk, United club, GAs, FAs, all of them tend to be very pleasant and effective 90% of the time; and even post-merger, I've found CO folks similarly great. (Maybe I just have low expectations that are easily met by airline employees...).
8. Friends and family tend to fly UA, whether they're nearby or 2,400mi away. Much easier to plan group trips in premium cabins around a single airline/alliance.
Jun 16, 13, 8:57 pm
#119
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
Interestingly, I asked a similar question about 3 years ago. In general, at that time UGs (international on SWU and domestic UDUs), E+ and routes/hubs were mentioned as the main reasons. The big change this time around is award availability. Very few people mentioned it last time. I wonder why the change. I suspect a couple of reasons. 1) PMCO award/engine has made it much easier to find and book awards, and 2) the poor award availability on DL has become so well known that flyers view it as a real competitive advantage for UA.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
Now, my focus is cashing in the miles that I learned through prior years of now extinct loyalty. Hence, award availability is for the first time, a priority.
I'm sure there are others flowing through the same decision tree.
Jun 17, 13, 6:13 am
#120
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Chicago: ORD, MDW
Programs: United Million Mile Flyer, Hilton Silver, Marriott Gold, DL, AA WN
Posts: 514
What does "BIS" stand for? I forgot.
Is there a Forum thread with a list of abbreviations used regularly in Flyer Talk?
I am in semi-retirement, and like many others, it has become time to reap the benefits of award travel.
On the other hand, could it be that disappointed "over-entitled elites" are spending elsewhere and flying on CO dba UA for free?
Is there a Forum thread with a list of abbreviations used regularly in Flyer Talk?
In the past, I was committed to 1K status. I had no time/energy to fly more than I was already flying on paid BIS. Therefore, miles were basically just accumulating and the only use I had for them was to fly family.
Now, my focus is cashing in the miles that I learned through prior years of now extinct loyalty. Hence, award availability is for the first time, a priority.
I'm sure there are others flowing through the same decision tree.
Now, my focus is cashing in the miles that I learned through prior years of now extinct loyalty. Hence, award availability is for the first time, a priority.
I'm sure there are others flowing through the same decision tree.
On the other hand, could it be that disappointed "over-entitled elites" are spending elsewhere and flying on CO dba UA for free?
Last edited by iluv2fly; Jun 17, 13 at 7:33 am Reason: merge
