joshwex90

Ironic how the OP indicates that the sUA FA was all about good service to all, when PMUA had a philosophy (for lack of better term) to treat GS like kings, upper elites well, but GMs as utter garbage. I agree that GMs should be treated well, and the higher you are on the totem pole, the better you should be treated. But that was never the UA philosophy, which seemed fine for most on this board who were elites, but not the masses in general

And JetBlue, which is a much fairer comparison on domestic flights

This is patently false. Most people I know in NJ will pay extra, up to a point, to fly from EWR instead of JFK/LGA, and instead of PHL if they're from North Jersey. They will pay extra, up to a point, to have just 0 connections, have under 3 hour/over 12 hour connection, etc. etc. etc. They will avoid airlines that are "to be avoided" (you fill in whatever reason why X airline "should be avoided"). It's not all about price, though price is important. The "kettle" you refer to to is generally a college flyer, who looks to save as much as possible. A typical adult is not like that.

mre5765

I won't. I am sold. Still don't think they will make money in the long run, because eventually they will lose discipline and fly to Dog Patch.

I've been on three WN flights the past 8 days. Two because of a flat tire scenario, and despite arriving at UA's gate on time, the flight departed seven minutes early. No UA personnel in the sterile area, the 1K line utterly useless to help (would not, or could not, put me on standby). Fire up the ipad, and fly WN.

All that was left was business select fare. The 32 or 33 inch pitch was tolerable. Flight left on time; connection was tight, but easy. Yesterday was planned; I've ditched UA for the year; won't be back until January. Wasn't a business select fare. WN wanted another $200 to get into the A boarding group (was B19). No thanks, not unless the center seat stays open. Scored a window seat regardless.

It is just weird flying an airline that has gate after gate after gate at every port, and flights constantly in and out, with not a turbo prop in site. 95 percent of UA ports are ghost towns. Every port has connecting flights. And direct really means direct: you get to stay on the plane (the benefits of paper BPs that are collected as well as scanned).

Free satellite TV over wifi. Endless free snacks. Watched my alma mater come back from the dead to stun the other team.

On my third flight, I was a WN veteran, and advised the family standing in the B boarding that if they wanted to sit next to their little girl, they best move out of line and wait by the gate to be called after A boarded. They eventually listened, and had an entire row when I boarded after.

Nice people work there. They are happy to work there.

No drama with seating. Nice pax; like going to church.

No drama with checked bags.

No drama with oversized carryons because 24 inch bags are permitted.

The only drama is avoiding a window seat. So get to the airport early. B19 scores.

Since as a 1K, COdbaUA doesn't seat me in F, I would rather have 33 inch pitch in every seat, than end up in an E- 31 inch pitch due to irrops. More room throughout coach indeed. And the 737 seats seem wider than anything UA has in economy.

Yeah if they flew to COS, I'd be on that. This summer when I-25 is clear of snow, I am on that. Next fall, when I am AA plat, I am on Alaska.

But the free bag tag the FA gave me went on my duffel bag as soon as I sat in the DEN train to Jeppenson. I am proud to have it there.

When, not if, WN flies 787s across the pond, I am certain 33 inch pitch and a couple rows of say 40 inch-60 inch pitch will go over well. The legacies are toast if they don't shape up. My guess is there will be 787s from the largest ten US markets, some not flying every day, but they will achieve point to point travel.

So the customer probably was a jerk, but the main beef of the author was that he hopped the line. He had already been served and needed his order fixed. Why should he wait in line?

Seems like apologia for bad service. If his order is filled right the first time, no drama.

Well Avios has killer redemption rates on AA domestic so I am going to move hotel and rental card crediting to BA where possible. I can't believe I have to pay BA to assign a business class seat, but $125 is worth it for 8 hours, versus paying WN $200 to guarantee an aisle seat and a drink coupon for a two hour flight.

Agreed. $10 higher fares will drive away customers. Once they score the lowest fare, they will pay extra for leg room, free booze, early boarding. WN and F9 have proven it.


Free at last, free at last, thank you Jeff, I am free at last. I will be toasting you four times on LH F between YYZ and MUC for setting me free. Love ya man.

cblaisd

The breakfast used to be better a decade ago. Most things did on most airlines. Things change. Wish it weren't so, but they do.

And being "really upset" seems a little unwarranted. I can get "really upset" about starving children and earthquakes and typhoons, but about a meal in an airplane in First Class that I have the time and income to have paid for (or "paid" for because of the flights I paid for gave me status to be comped the upgrade)? It would be rather feckless to be "rather upset" istm.

Clearly YMV.

Nuance, please. That's just silly and undercuts your points. Some formerly busy UA venues no longer are. Some are much more so. And some turboprops are great; others, not so much. Would hugely prefer an EMB120 A-side seat (or exit row) to any seat on WN. But would pick WN, I suppose, over a CRJ200 (not a turboprop, but the principle is the same). Again, nuance would be helpful

Concur.

Most UA folks are too, as well as all but two Skywest folks I've encountered in fifteen years.

Having an assigned seat is "drama"? You lost me.

Same for me on UA.

He hoped the line would what? You lost me.

gengar

You should probably try premium cabin travel on some non-US-based airlines sometime. They're pretty cool.

There was a time not too long ago - even as late as the 90s - when UA's premium int'l food offerings were at least what I would describe as solid offerings from midrange restaurants.

It's great that there are some things that don't get you upset. That doesn't mean that other people can't be rightfully upset by those things, especially when the greater context is the discussion of UA's success as a business. This is a discussion forum, right?

mre5765

Yes most UA ports are ghost towns. The incredibly shrinking airline. SEA is dying. SJC is dying. DEN is dying. SAN is dying. DFW is dying. ATL is dying. NRT is dying. PIT and PHL are dying. ATH and BKK are gone. Dead dead dead.

If you score the A side of an utterly nasty ExpressJet crewed by an utterly nasty ExpressJet crew great. The leg room still sucks.

Would you pick a nasty Q400 crewed by a nasty Republic crew over a WN 737? You know, the one where your upgrade clears the night before only to be taken away because Republic and UA can't keep track which planes have F yet? A job that should have taken three weeks that is taking three years.

There is nothing more depressing and desolate than emerging from the "concourse" of B60+ in -20 degrees weather, pitch black, snow drifting on the tarmac, and told to walk to a turboprop sitting 500 feet away on the tarmac.
Ridiculous. I can't wait be done with that nonsense.

Whereas on WN, Jabba the hut knows if wants to ooze into the aisle or window, be best to board in the early B. Or better yet buy a second seat as WN people do often require. You see, WN has generous rules, but when crossed, they enforce them. So Jabba won't be sitting with me on WN as long as I too am in the early Bs. So no nasty RJ. Drive to north to DEN this summer when snow is gone. We can car pool and split the tolls.

Drama with assigned seats. UA has an irrops. Family of two, three, or more is distributed across middle seats in the cabin. Mother pleads with a business traveler who plans to get some work done in his aisle seat to switch. On WN, business traveler has no idea which seat he will have, but knows it will be an aisle or window because he boards in A group. Family has no idea what row they will get, but knows they will get a row, because they board before B. No drama.

Hopped not hoped the line.

Enjoy your A319 with pay wifi, and no IFE. UA is so clueless.

No drama with checked bags on UA? Nonsense. 22 inches is smaller than the domestic leader's sizer. And when you can't put your 23 inch bag in overhead bin, due to lack of room, the same bin WN has that fits 24 inch bags just fine. So if WN's bins are full, the 23 incher rides the boot for free.

When AA rebooked me on UA on Monday I had the last row of an A319 and saw first hand the circus that UA's stupid pay bag policy causes. 20 pax crammed in the area by the rear lav because their bag didn't fit. No clue among the FAs to solve it. Finally the purser over rules the FAs in the back who told the pax to stay there until boarding completed. Everyone standing ordered off the plane, 20 bags checked.

You get free bags on UA, like I do, because you are an elite. I had to fly one MM bis to get free bags on UA. WN gives me free bags for zero miles.

Happy employees? Yeah right. Arriving at COS, half the time the green checked bags are sent to baggage claim and you know it. One time a checked through bag doesn't show up on the carousel. I go to the baggage room at COS, and the clerk tells me he has no idea where my bag is, and starts to fill out a paper claim form, but it might be on the next flight from DEN (in those days UA flew 737s to COS). Since the prospect of waiting all night for my bag did not appeal, I inquire as to why he can't use my bag tag to see what city it is in. He then replies: "---- ---, I am not filling this out for you" and tosses it at me.

Ground people at UA and UX are simply miserable people, and this forum has posts every day proving it.

cblaisd

Sorry that you are so very angry. We just have very different experiences. Be well.

mre5765

Why are you sorry? Did you toss the bag claim form in my face?

I am beyond angry at the last straw. I am happy to be free. Happy to fly other airlines that still like customers.

Be well too.

kettle1

Agree 100%. I now only choose UA for nonstops that AA or DL do not fly. UA has become my 3rd choice. And I fly 3-4 days a week.

Wondering? Do people that defend UA for everything ever fly other domestic carriers?

cblaisd

Because it's regrettable to see someone who is so knowledgeable about UA, who has posted the majority of times very helpfully, being so very upset with life -- and so I'm sorry for you. That is all.

Thank you. It is appreciated.

Yes.

(Although your question contains an inaccurate question-begging assertion )

tom911

The workers on the UA side just approved a new 3-year contract, so at least that is out of the way. Maybe things will change some, down the line, now that they have that out of the way.

Happydayy

If I pay 5-10k for a flight and the breakfast is of McDonalds quality, then I am upset, really upset. You get better food in Y on a flight of similar length on OS.

Actually, since I know how bad it is, I would be sad rather than upset...but I doubt I will ever pay for F on UA. For a proper F on a top airline...much more likely.

dcpdxtrans

+1. The croissant is terrible. That is why I get the yogurt & usually bring something from the airport. As I've posted elsewhere, even when flying F, I still bring my own food. I can say that my last flight the fruit was excellent.

kettle1

Look at UA vs DL:

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=D...rce=undefined;

How did #1 UA become #2
Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/business/1...#ixzz2lYMR4a8n

I blame management. I will not mention Unions, as every time I do my post gets removed. UA (sometimes works for me) but as an investment - NO WAY. I'll buy DAL or ALGT.

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=A...rce=undefined;

Or AA.

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=A...rce=undefined;

The new UA needs to bring back the past. CEO Frank Lorenzo. He was great. And for those that do not know his BIO:

When I call CS in Houston with the "NEW" UA, why do I always have a "problem".

Ecuacoflyer

I totally agree. Many feel frustrated that they cannot provide the service they want to provide. One example was the lead FA on a 787 who said they had to fight to keep cups in the lavatories because some "pencil pusher" had calculated the fuel burn in a year by having cups onboard. There are many who buy only on price but the cost of losing one "premium customer" per flight is more than the marginal savings by cutting small items. At least it has not gotten to the point of asking you to bring you own toilet paper.

In a conversation on a recent flight with a UA FA I compared service on recent flights with Emirates and she was very aware of the difference in reputation. Much of what Emirates provides is "low hanging fruit" as far as a cost/benefit analysis such as the crew picking up headsets, blankets and pillows while preparing the cabin for landing. It saves money by reducing the cleaning crews job and turn around time, reduces theft and leaves the cabin neater.

fastair

A contract, that IMHO is 2 years and 364 days too long. While it passed by great numbers (70/30) the only people I know who voted for it were A) most of reservations (great job protection), B) people getting "bought out" ( they don't have to live with the contract and their buyout was contingent upon ratification of agreement,) C) newer hires who saw an immediate pay raise bigger than the longevity raises they would have otherwise gotten, and D) people who were starved into submission like the Germans on the Eastern front 70 years ago. It was a well orchestrated divide and conquer plan to buy off enough minority groups to add up to a simple majority. The labor consulting firms earned their fees.

You won't see many of these people at the airpirt, as other than reservations, many are now retired and at the other end if the spectrum, many are now "downsized" into the ranks of unemployment. Of the "starved into submission" group, many of them are already regretting their choices as we won't see dime one of our retro, sign on bonus or pay raises until UA can get IT to rewrite the payroll system to reflect these changes, UA ETA on that (per them) is 2nd half of Dec.