nova08

Offering respectable drinks for a reasonable price (Similar to any other airport bar) is one thing. Offering poor quality for an even higher price is another.

Xyzzy

Please be fair. The pr quality drinks are free.

u600213

No Wifi login at DCA club today 9/13/13
Evan Williams Bourbon free same as IAD.

woofly

+1^ Its a joke: each of the following provide solid offerings at UC mid liquor prices.
IAH-A Bring on Chilis
IAH-B I'll walk to the new seafood bar
IAH C I'll walk to the wine bar
IAHE E - Cat Coras or the Fox Sky Bar
ORD - F bring on chilis massive beer
ORD B - Rick Bayless Frontera great margarita
ORD C - Hot dog stand has better music and the player piano drowns out the new electronic announcements.

(If you cant tell I have had way too much time due to IRROPS near UC's lately)

Also just received the Boiler plate from 1kVoice

bocastephen

Herb Kelleher and his successor - although I think they care more about employees than passengers as their vision involves empowering employees to take care of passengers - which has mixed results.

I believe Larry cared - he wasn't as dynamic and out-there (or loud) as Gordon, but he carried Gordon's plans through pretty thoroughly. The most important feature of Larry's tenure - his willingness to listen and to change when the evidence suggested it was the right thing to do.

We had DO's and mega-DO's under Larry - no other airline exec would have been so open and accessible to customers.

When rather sinister changes were planned to OP some years ago, he listened to the OP staff who complained those changes would kill the program and drive customers away - so those plans never came to fruition.

When we got 50% EQMs, he was willing to restore 100% EQMs for web bookings, then scratch the whole program altogether when the numbers didn't pan out as expected, and customers remained hostile.

He pulled out F seats from aircraft, but when customers complained and our very own Cigarman made a good case for restoring the seats, they went back in, along with some extras.

In short, Larry realized that an airline was not just getting you from A to B, but also a product and he was able to balance the product with the need for the business to make money and remain solvent. He was always honest and upfront with people and never told someone "you'll like this change", then delivered a stab in the back a la Mullin at Delta. Spending $1 to earn $1.10 was something he was willing to try, and that's the difference. Now we're cutting 0.10 to save 0.10 - yes we're getting wifi and streaming and new club furniture, but these are largely 'catch-up' features, not innovative features. Today's management has already clearly stated their plan is to reduce the UA product to the 'industry norm', rather than being the trend setter.

So, here we are - UA Club now charges for any drinks beyond swill, serves virtually no edible food, is eons behind AC MLL (as a domestic lounge competitor in a similar financial constraint), even trails the US Club of all places!

I'm starting to agree with others that our current state is not about company leadership, but rather aligning to metrics with a specific financial payoff - a motivation created by an inept BOD with virtually no airline experience trying to pander to investors instead of taking care of customers and employees.

Given Gordon's well known fondness for things distilled, perhaps this change hits close enough to home that it might inspire a return?

UA-NYC

Since UA is now honoring the "free" tickets from yesterday, IMO there's no chance in hell now we're going to see any improvement on this drink downgrade. It's all coming out of the same pot o' dough.

Xyzzy

He absolutely did. On my flight last night I saw a couple of employees (including the GA) wh recognized him and personally thanked him for things he had done for them.

GeneralVeers

I disagree that pmCO was "giving away the store". When you got a club membership you realized you weren't getting the food offerings that United gave, but you were getting free mediocre drinks. Now we get nothing.

None of this has anything to do with United "giving" me anything. It's not like a comped Delta Diamond club membership. I pay over $400/year for this SERVICE, which United has degraded to the point of being worthless. I no longer get the SERVICE for which I PAID, so I will drop my lounge access.

Why not serve the alcohol at cost then? A 1.5 Oz pour of Bombay Sapphire is about $0.50, plus $0.25 for bartender, cup, lemon, and ice, so we'ere at 75 cents. Hell, I'll pay them a dollar, and it's still a 25% markup.

Wines at $12??? Give me a break. I can go into any top restaurant in Vegas (where I'm based) and get a real glass of wine for $12-$14.

Baze

There is a fine line between taking care of the shareholders and taking care of the customers. If you are on that line then both sides are happy. Right now Jeff S seems to be pushing so far to the side of the shareholders he is forgetting that without the customers there will be no inline to make the shareholders money. So yes, the stock is doing ok but at some point the loses will continue to mount up and the investors will realize this ain't such a good airline after all, lets put our money elsewhere. So if something doesn't change to actually bring value to the customers side of things this airline is doomed. You can't keep charging more and giving less. First the HVF will leave, then the middle group will leave and pretty soon the kettles will leave too. So all this with charging for just above swill, giving swill away and charging more for decent than bars in the airport on top of the increase in membership prices. It is a failing formula that will soon crumble in on itself.

astroflyer

Air Canada has some pretty incredible lounges that include:

Fresh homemade food: they even make their hummus in house. Daily soups, salads, snacks.

Several beers on tap

A very nice open bar of top-shelf liquors

Comfy seating

Free wifi

Friendly staff...I've yet to have anything but the most pleasant experience...no "lounge dragons" here.

I'll take a Maple Leaf Lounge over the old United Club any day.

enki

My exact thought when I saw the news.

bocastephen

ops, well that would explain the addiction I have to their hummus...and I'm guessing the soups are made in house too, which explains my addiction to some of those incredibly delicious soups.

Sad to say, I've actually scheduled connections on AC so I had time to spend in the MLL having lunch and working. They are probably the best domestic-style lounge in the industry.

edcho

Either that or they can blame their sagging financials to this free tickets incident.

dogloverjb

As a follow-up to my Chase response I emailied them "Now that they have devaluated the UA Club membership, will you be dropping the annual fee?"

They responded:

Dear dogloverjb,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us again in
regards to your United MileagePlus account ending in 2213.


I regret our level of service does not meet your
expectations. I understand and respect your position
regarding this issue, however, there are no plans on
dropping the annual membership fee.

I have forwarded your feedback to the appropriate
department for further review. I sincerely regret any
inconvenience this situation may have caused. We will
continue to keep any and all pertinent information you
send us regarding this, on file for your account.

Thank you for your business and loyalty as a United
MileagePlus cardmember since 2009. If you have any further
questions, please reply using the Secure Message Center or
call the phone number listed below.

Thank you,

xxx
Senior Service Specialist
Specialty Response Team

I wanted at least to get this suggestion in their radar.

ctownflyer

If only!