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How many are REALLY leaving UA? [2014 edition]

How many are REALLY leaving UA? [2014 edition]

Old Feb 19, 2014, 7:23 am
  #301  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
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Posts: 5,549
Originally Posted by Chevelter
I enjoy reading flyertalk regularly (daily) for the tips I learn, the heads up we often get about what's coming down the line (i.e. enforcement of carry on rules) and, yes, even the complaints. It's good to get a sense of what is bothering people. But flyertalk seems like an alternate universe to me because when I fly UA I rarely have any complaints at all. Sure, I get the occasional broken F seat or boarding problem, but nothing that would cause me to vent such vitriol as some of the people here do. I admit that UA isn't what it used to be, but what is? I don't like all the RJs, that's for sure. But overall I'm still quite happy and am treated very well. My actual flying experience doesn't match up with a lot of what is said here, and I find that interesting.
Use the ignore post button (click on user name to see this)...with about 12-15 such people on your list you will find you can get the gems without the hyberpole and inane faux business analysis.

Remember also this board is <0.1% of flyers and a highly non-random subset at that.
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 7:29 am
  #302  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Midwest
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Posts: 261
Originally Posted by CO_Nonrev_elite
I agree, and my experiences for the most part have been good, but when you open your eyes (general comment, not your eyes), you see that the competition is offering a significantly better experience in more or less all areas. It's frustrating to see the airlines that you invested your money in make what just seem to be the most utterly ridiculous anti-customer choices
I admit this is possible, since I virtually never fly any other airline it would be hard for me to know if what I'm getting with UA is inferior to what others offer.
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 7:49 am
  #303  
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Originally Posted by halls120
Kokonutz - did you get a response from 1KVoice?

Two years into the merger, and UA still can't deliver a consistent product across the breadth of the airline, even on simple things like taking meal orders and offering PDBs. Sad, when you think about it.
Not yet. There's really nothing they can say, though, that changes the fact that, as you say, UA simply does not deliver a consistent or competitive product.

Maybe they should have gotten their act together before they tried to lure us back by comping us 1k status.

<shrug>


Originally Posted by Chevelter
I admit this is possible, since I virtually never fly any other airline it would be hard for me to know if what I'm getting with UA is inferior to what others offer.
Until the Houston boys took over, that was me. But after Smisek drove me away I found how neglected I had been as an airline customer.

Wifi
Pre-order meals
Happy employees
Promises that are honored
Did I mention wifi? Even Southwest/AirTran has freaking wifi, for God's sake!

All of these and more are out there if you take off (or allow Smisek to rip off) your UA blinders. ^
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 8:01 am
  #304  
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let's see .... being based out of NYC, if I switch to AA i'll get :

1. no more nonstop to HKG/NRT upgradable by certs or miles, and no more nonstop to PEK/PVG period

2. only 5x nonstops to SFO instead of 18-20x

3. only 2x nonstops to LAS instead of 5-7x

4. no more nonstops to major destinations like AMS/FRA/MUC/BOM/DEL/TLV/FLL/YVR ... love to trade all those options for a nonstop to GIG

5. angled slanted flat on most J flights, and 100% slanted if i'm not heading to LHR/GRU/HKG

6. most short-haul has to depart out of the third world country known as LGA

7. most european routings would go through LHR, the land of APD extortion

8. brand new MD88 instead of ancient 739ER

tough decision indeed /s

Last edited by 787fan; Feb 19, 2014 at 8:09 am
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 8:02 am
  #305  
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Originally Posted by kokonutz
Not yet. There's really nothing they can say, though, that changes the fact that, as you say, UA simply does not deliver a consistent or competitive product.

Maybe they should have gotten their act together before they tried to lure us back by comping us 1k status.
If this is the measure, UA *never* had its act together. It just used to throw out compensation like candy to placate elites and distract them from how bad it was. Is UA really less competitive now than it used to be, or less consistent? If it is I haven't noticed.

UA was, and still is, a decidedly average airline that flies to a reasonable number of destinations. I've never had any greater expectations of them, and rarely have they exceeded that expectation. They achieve those expectations now, as far as I'm concerned.

I shudder to think what you will do when an AA employee takes a dislike to the new US rules and scowls at you while giving you a cheeseburger, or takes your meal order the wrong way, or when DL cuts a route that they used to fly for years. With respect, it seems that your tolerance levels may be low
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 8:15 am
  #306  
 
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Originally Posted by Chevelter
I enjoy reading flyertalk regularly (daily) for the tips I learn, the heads up we often get about what's coming down the line (i.e. enforcement of carry on rules) and, yes, even the complaints. It's good to get a sense of what is bothering people. But flyertalk seems like an alternate universe to me because when I fly UA I rarely have any complaints at all. Sure, I get the occasional broken F seat or boarding problem, but nothing that would cause me to vent such vitriol as some of the people here do. I admit that UA isn't what it used to be, but what is? I don't like all the RJs, that's for sure. But overall I'm still quite happy and am treated very well. My actual flying experience doesn't match up with a lot of what is said here, and I find that interesting.
Book a premium cabin international award ticket on a partner airline, see how many miles it now takes, and get back to us.
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 8:23 am
  #307  
 
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Originally Posted by Chevelter
I enjoy reading flyertalk regularly (daily) for the tips I learn, the heads up we often get about what's coming down the line (i.e. enforcement of carry on rules) and, yes, even the complaints. It's good to get a sense of what is bothering people. But flyertalk seems like an alternate universe to me because when I fly UA I rarely have any complaints at all. Sure, I get the occasional broken F seat or boarding problem, but nothing that would cause me to vent such vitriol as some of the people here do. I admit that UA isn't what it used to be, but what is? I don't like all the RJs, that's for sure. But overall I'm still quite happy and am treated very well. My actual flying experience doesn't match up with a lot of what is said here, and I find that interesting.
Couldn't agree with you more
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 8:33 am
  #308  
 
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Same here. I have flown DL and AA, mostly during UA irrops and have not found them any better. I was put in RJs which are no better than UA. And I know that DL's Skymiles is horrible - I have a bunch of Skymiles which so far have been unable to redeem for the dates/times I wanted, except with the highest redemption miles.

On AA, the service was better, but their FF program is tied to BA's for international to Europe and SE Asia and BA/AA add fuel surcharges for flying. Sometimes the revenue ticket was cheaper than using the miles. May be AA is somewhat better if I fly them enough, but from and to IAH/DEN/SFO my options are limited.

Only WN is better, but due to their lack of international ops, I have decided to stick with UA for now.
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 8:41 am
  #309  
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Originally Posted by Chevelter
I admit this is possible, since I virtually never fly any other airline it would be hard for me to know if what I'm getting with UA is inferior to what others offer.
Look at some of the benefits competitors offer at your level that UA does not offer. Yesterday I flew AA BOS-DFW-SMF. As with most of my mainline flights with them, wi-fi readily available on both segments. I left the gate at BOS #1 on the upgrade list and enjoyed my comped pastrami sandwich and Sam Adams in coach, only my second domestic flight in coach this year (out of 22). If I hadn't upgraded non-elite friends with my two expiring systemwides I would have easily been up front just on status.

I also did an AA Madrid trip last month and cleared systemwides on the lowest economy fare at booking. How much more would I have had to pay UA to upgrade with a systemwide? How much extra would I be out if I didn't clear? Not a consideration at AA as you don't pay extra for a higher fare.

UA isn't offering 1K/UGS flyers comped food/beverage in coach, systemwides on rock bottom fares, or wifi on just about the entire mainline fleet (last number I saw was 25%). If UA offered these benefits, would you use them?
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 9:14 am
  #310  
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Originally Posted by LaserSailor
Use the ignore post button (click on user name to see this)...with about 12-15 such people on your list you will find you can get the gems without the hyberpole and inane faux business analysis.

Remember also this board is <0.1% of flyers and a highly non-random subset at that.
Yet UA seems to highly value the input from here (or at least claims to).

http://www.dailynews.com/lifestyle/2...o-an-obsession

Things that make you go Hmmm.
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 9:17 am
  #311  
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Originally Posted by Superguy
Yet UA seems to highly value the input from here (or at least claims to).

http://www.dailynews.com/lifestyle/2...o-an-obsession

Things that make you go Hmmm.
They're probably ignoring those same 12-15 people
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 9:21 am
  #312  
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Originally Posted by star_world

I shudder to think what you will do when an AA employee takes a dislike to the new US rules and scowls at you while giving you a cheeseburger, or takes your meal order the wrong way, or when DL cuts a route that they used to fly for years. With respect, it seems that your tolerance levels may be low
I confess that my standards are high and tolerance for poor service low. That's what happens when you pay premium fares: you expect premium service. Had I upgraded to that experience I likely wouldn't have been as picky. But as I say in my email, the cheeseburger is not the point...it's the tipping point. @:-)

But so long as AA gives paid premium passengers the option of ordering their meal online in advance, I'll never have to worry about ordering anything from an employee...other than some booze. AA sets that expectation...and meets it. UA sets the expectation that I will get my meal preference on account of my elite status...and fails to meet it.

And that's the bottom line: UA sets expectations fairly low, and STILL can't meet them.

Last edited by kokonutz; Feb 19, 2014 at 9:27 am
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 10:25 am
  #313  
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Originally Posted by 787fan
let's see .... being based out of NYC, if I switch to AA i'll get :

1. no more nonstop to HKG/NRT upgradable by certs or miles, and no more nonstop to PEK/PVG period

2. only 5x nonstops to SFO instead of 18-20x

3. only 2x nonstops to LAS instead of 5-7x

4. no more nonstops to major destinations like AMS/FRA/MUC/BOM/DEL/TLV/FLL/YVR ... love to trade all those options for a nonstop to GIG

5. angled slanted flat on most J flights, and 100% slanted if i'm not heading to LHR/GRU/HKG

tough decision indeed /s
+1 I would have similar issues from SFO, would lose both TATL and TPAC nonstops as well as horizontal lie-flat seats on many routes.

I do envy the AA ground and in flight service which is more consistent and light years ahead of UA, but it is not worth giving up the better seats and nonstops.

However I will be dumping UA to FRA as soon as LH completes its business class retrofit. No reason to put up with UA unreliability and crap beer once I hit $10k spend.
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 3:32 pm
  #314  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: UA GS/1K x6yrs, Ex-AAExecPlat, Delta 360, Mariott Plat, Hyatt Diamond, AMEX Centurion, Avis First
Posts: 165
Originally Posted by Baze
And if 1 in 10 of the GS (500) leave because they are fed up they and those GS averaged $50K apiece that is a loss of $25,000,000. Hmmm, lose $25,000,000 to gain $12,775,000. Even if it is 1 in 20 GS (250) leave that would be a loss of $12,500,000 so they really only gain $225,000. Not good economical sense.
A quick AMEX report shows I've spent $75,580 with UA in the past 12 months ... thank you for your loyalty?

Last edited by circitmage; Feb 19, 2014 at 3:46 pm
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 3:35 pm
  #315  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
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Originally Posted by Always Flyin
Book a premium cabin international award ticket on a partner airline, see how many miles it now takes, and get back to us.
You can't ;-)
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