Originally Posted by Mike Jacoubowsky (Post 21310850)

For years, maybe an entire decade, UA and other airlines were struggling to survive. They had no choice but to throw anything they could our way and hope we'd stay. They were really in fear of us leaving. The downward spiral likely created cash-flow thinking (at the airlines) as well, which is severely detrimental to long-term health but offers great opportunities for the customer.

They did not have a sustainable business model.

They do now.

We can (and I do) complain about the interiors of some planes in Y... but they've made substantial investments in a better international product in C. The planes are obviously maintained better, as I rarely have significant delays anymore. And they fly where I need to fly.

But they're not tossing out CPUs and e-certs like candy anymore. As a Plat I'm getting far fewer upgrades than I used to as Gold. Far fewer. But for me, I'm not buying a ticket with any expectation of being upgraded. I got over the frustration of ending up #1 or #3 on the list of those who didn't make it long ago. If UA found someone willing to pay $250 for that upgrade, so be it.

Oil at $100/barrel and UA (and others) have found a way to keep their planes in the air and fly when and where I want to go. Who knew.