And if you checked bags, I bet one of those airlines put priority tags on them and they actually came out in the first group of bags. the carrier I suspect has been so efficient that I have actually found my checked bag already on the carousel the last 3 flights on a leisurely stroll from their H/K 20 something gates;)...that is what truly impresses me most, that and a 20 minute from plane to cab with checked bag at terminal 5...as the priority bags were unbelievably the first to arrive unlike the ole hometown carrier I endured where an hour wait in T5 on a C ticket was par for the course

LarkSFO...good point on spending the extra money to avoid UA. I own the company...so easy decision for me, but maybe not for others...
All my best for 2014.

And, I hope the economy keeps improving to the benefit of your business!

Post your open req's on LinkedIn! :)

I own my own company as well. And my $$$ will be going to DL and AA.

Why do some a defend UA 100%. I travel almost everyday on several carriers. UA is among the worst domestic. International UA is the worst. I fly FC or business class on every flt. I guess being based in SFO, DEN, you are stuck with UA. Enjoy.

For those lovers of UA, just once fly another carrier and see how your flt is? Compare. I have flown UA enough miles butt in seat to know - I'm done.

You mistake me for someone you need to ridicule to make yourself feel better about flying this carcass of an airline.

I'm not mad at the business decisions that United is making. I'm mad at the dumb, lack of business decisions they are making. It's one thing to cut a route because in the grand scheme of things they could make more revenue somewhere else, it's entirely another to do so because your back is against the wall and you need to do it to keep the charade up for nitwit investors. It's an entirely different thing to not only cut the route, but continue to advertise that you go there and sell the route on your own metal for a month after you cut it. All the while telling yourself how smart you are because you're catching the wave of the whole industry going on the upswing.

While you are technically correct that I am "still flying United" you wont be for long...I have the back side of a trip to do, and then I'm through. It's rather relieving, honestly, to be free of the nonsense and shenanigans this airline pulls on people every day. It's nice to know that I will at the very least be treated better than self loading freight. It's nice to know that I will have an experience where, if things do go wrong, I'm not told to kick rocks, like I have been on United. It's nice to know that employees of the airlines I will fly from now on actually place an emphasis on service, like United did prior to Jeff Smisek's regime. I sampled many airlines last year, and the service I got was miles above what United provides. Even raggedy, broke American Airlines. Even ratchet, hillbilly Delta Air Lines.

I am a Mileage Plus member since 1996. I flew through the summer of hell in 2000 and while it was awful, nothing compares to how things are now. You can see it on people's faces. Very few of the United employees I encounter in my travels are happy. Nearly all of them have bad things to say about their management. And while the number of straight up middle fingers toward passengers has decreased, very few of them in my experience are willing to go the extra mile, especially when things go wrong.

You know what's really funny? I said the same thing, too, that United's problems weren't affecting me, so what's the fuss about? You say you've had no problems with them, then continue to fly them. And when they do something that sets you off - again - like they did before when their labor woes fell into your lap - be sure and not say anything about it, okay? Lest someone feel like they can ridicule you because you express your opinion about being treated badly.

Oh, by the way, a number of United's labor issues haven't been resolved yet. You don't think there isn't a chance their strife won't land in your lap again, particularly with the gutting of service they've been doing now?

In other words: 'da eff outta here with that. :td:

I certainly do not defend UA 100%. And I'm out of SFO, limiting my options greatly. BUT: Regarding TATL anyway, I have flown both VS and BA this year, both in their latest business class. I've posted these impressions in other places, but in summary:

Regarding VS: UA>>VS in the seat comfort, both the new and the old VS C seat. VS wins out in the service aspect though. And their London club - wow!
Regarding BA: BA>UA for the window seats only, UA=BA for the other seats. On-board service aspect was similar, although BA's London club is huge and very nice (but not quiet)

I point out these data points, with the understanding that your experience may be different for the routes you fly. I don't care too much about the food - UA's has been fine for the last year or so. BA and VS do serve theirs on nicer plates.

PS: I own my company too. And regarding the other post, assuming that I can get a reasonable meal and a good night's sleep on the airline I choose, I can use that $2000 savings much more creatively than to pay so much extra for my TATL "sleep" time on board.

I fly UA weekly, DL 2-3x monthly. Great service on both with this pattern for the past 5 years.

Neither of these companies love me, it's a business relationship. I don't need to try validate my decision here with rants about one or the other.

Yes, that's a good (and healthy) way to think of it! :)

And to where will you status match next year? :rolleyes:

Do you realize the "greener" maxim is meant to be facetious? :rolleyes:

I don't know what the future holds. It may be that the AA/US merger will be a big disaster like the UA one. For now the FF program is better and the miles (after Jan 31) will have more value. I'm not naive enough to think a devaluation isn't coming after the merger is completed.

I will be stuck with UA or AA for the forseeable future. The main reason is that with Delta, international First awards are not bookable on partner airlines. The general level of suckiness for SkyTeam also is a factor.

Ah - that "love" thing again. No one should be changing their behavior because of someone else's experiences. But you really need to simply see that there are a number of folks here who spend real money to buy premium tickets who have certain expectations of service levels that should come with such tickets for whom UA has stopped delivering value for those expensive tickets. Without changing anyone else's flying pattern (and certainly not yours) it seems to me that UA should be concerned about that but from the available evidence does not seem to be. That's all about business relationship and not romance.

And to folks that think if you greatly reduce your UA flying you should unsubscribe from the forum - why? I went from a 150-200K GS to what would have been a silver last year but for my lifetime status but I still fly UA when I have to. Knowing the state of things is useful to me then. I subscribe and scan a number of forums here for companies that I use only occasionally for the same reason.

The question is not whether a company can actually "love" me, but rather if they act as if they do. Companies that behave as if they love me--through their friendly manner, kind treatment, and anticipation and fulfillment of my special needs--are much more likely to get my business than their indifferent, hostile, or incompetent competitors. UA has moved from the former group to the latter, while I find that AA seems to love me.

I continue to post on UA forums in the hope that someday UA will rediscover Marketing and start paying attention to what their former loyal customers have to say.

If I understand this, you acknowledge that they don't love you, but you will give business to someone who pretends they do.

That might not be outlying behavior on FT, but it certainly is IRL.

I pay DL and UA to get me around for business, and not for a warm and cuddly. My customers don't pay me for warm and cuddles either.

You might imagine I'm having a hard time getting my hands around this...I am. That's my issue though. It's a free country and I respect your right to take your business to someone for your own reasons.

Fair enough. I'm not sure others possess your objective clarity.

RNE, all about objective clarity. Plus entomophagy. Oh, and alien abduction, too.

You're having trouble understanding why I would prefer an airline whose people are nice to me and give me the things I need? You think I should instead choose the airline that makes me feel unimportant and undesirable, while also failing to deliver the services I care about? You seem to be saying that because a corporation can't really "love" you, then it doesn't matter how they treat you. Okay.