Really? Then, how come they rank dead last on pretty much every survey and can't report a profit when everyone else does?

Again, the point of this this thread is that for some of us, United is delivering. I'm not going to repeat everything I've already said earlier in the thread but I and others have certainly acknowledged that the financials clearly suggest that something is wrong and it needs fixing.

That said, why must you respond with the same exact criticism that others have already made in this thread and which have already been acknowledged as fact? It is also a fact that I and many others are moving more and more of our flying to UA because of the quality of the product which from our perspective is indistinguishable from the rest of the market. Please read this entire thread for that perspective and feel free to add any additional thoughts. Thanks.

You explicitly stated that UA is "generally a fine airline." Fine airlines don't rank dead last; underachievers do, and that's that.

If you are happy with UA, stick with it. However, that doesn't change that fact that UA is bleeding cash left and right as more and more flyers drop it like a hot potato. I'm top tier with AA and I can see why all of my colleagues have switched away from UA, just like I did and I certainly don't regret my decision.

+1

Here let me add the noise :D

Still I could live with the low CPU rate, the erratic service in GF, substandard lounges, PQDs, revenue-based RDMs, and the date/flight number specific LH GPUs, but the final straw was raising the redemption levels for LH F. That was the only thing in the program I cared about. Of course UA could build GF to LH standards. Build an FCT in ORD with transport to the plane, service to LH standards (only allow the best of the best stews in that cabin and eliminate employee class: that's what J is for)'and caviar and macadamias in F and I am back in the fold. Wouldn't need LH F redemptions then.

After I complete EXP on the dAArk side, I will do an analysis to see if the revenue based RDMs cancel out the higher redemption levels for LH F. But I will never get a M+ credit card again. Happy with Amex plat, Amex SPG, and Barclays Arrival. Must. Have. Points. Portability.

I am sure having a lot of fun playing with my DEN/YYZ/MUC/FRA/JNB award that I scored back when LH opened the flood gates in November. I've iterated on the award several times, and have now have it simplified to DEN/MCO/FRA/JNB. Still hoping for DEN/FRA/JNB before departure next week. No change fees during my final year as a 1K. Still as generous as LH is on F award redemptions (seriously, it is trivial to find an LH gateway city that gets me F to FRA or MUC, and I assume DUS), UA is ridiculously stingy on domestic awards close in, even in economy. What is the point in UA offering saver F on UA and LH metal if those of us in flyover country can't get to the gateway.

And I get to play the game again in September. My last bitter sweet hurrahs on M+.

17K PQM and 3K PQD so far this year, and due to lifetime Gold, zero incentive to strive for gold or silver. Last year I was at 100K PQM by this time and probably 9K PQD.

Next year redemptions on CX via the dAArkside and LH via the portable cards.

I've had 5 segments on DL this year. Miraculously as a Sky silver from Flying Blue, I am one for five on upgrades: a Friday afternoon flight from SJC to LAX (remember when UA owned that route). Incredible; my CPU rate is higher as an AF silver on DL than a 1K on UA. If CPU mattered to me, I sure wouldn't fly UA. DL's lack of F redemptions rules it out for loyalty though. This game is all about long haul F; I'm too old to fly J.

I am on a lot flights where M doesn't get you instant upgrade (even had this with B recently). In this case there were no instant upgrades available - probably because I bought the ticket 3 days in advance (there were still 3 first class seats available though). I used a Regional hoping that would give me priority over someone else with a M fare. Does anyone know if that is actually the case?

First, I didn't say anything. Another poster did and I simply responded.

Second, I am CK/EXP with AA and GS with UA and neither is via any status match. I fly both airlines a lot as do most folks in my company. We are giving UA more business, not less, based upon our satisfaction with UA. I was simply asking you why you were repeating arguments already made and AGREED to by others (including myself) in this thread. It doesn't serve any purpose.

The purpose of this thread was to point out that some of us are having consistently good experiences on UA. However, we agree that something is wrong given the financial situation. This was already discussed and agreed to before you posted. I'd like to think we all want UA to make changes and succeed, not just repeat ad nauseum negatives in a thread designed for positive experiences.

Another system-wide outage
 

To answer the question: yes, ignorantly blissful

UA compared to bliss:

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-bl...irlines-sucks/

I just wish the herd would stop clogging up the front of the line and getting in the way of the GS folks that get to board before them.:D

I think this is a key fact. You got elevated to GS (which is sure as hell cool compared to 1K or PP, let alone PLT on pmCO ;)) and the level of service was a ++ for you. I on the other hand had United's old version of GS so Jeff's version was a ---.

Another example, I have a friend who flies out of EWR, he was "presidential platinum" before the merger. Became GS. He was happy as a clam in 2012-2013, said it was much better service than he ever got from pmCO. [Now he is less enamored of UAL, and is giving them less business, they are now his domestic airline out of EWR, he flies OALs overseas].

I think the point that you come into dealing with United and where you came from is very important in setting expectations. What may exceed the expectation of a pmCO flier is far below what many of us elites from pmUA expected.

I might finally add that there are a lot of pmUA GS who post here and are either (1) flying UAL less or (2) have stopped flying them at all. But I can't off the top of my head think of a pmCO flier on FT who became GS with the merger and has gotten P.O.ed and left.

And among my circle of friends (and my friends from college-I just graduated), I'm the only one that has elite status on any airline-and I'm a lowly silver :p

Exactly-expectations and the resulting execution are huge

I have mixed feelings here.

On one hand, the service I received is about par (except for Mumbai... don't get me started there) or a bit better. My upgrades are clearing. AVOD is now the norm in all international 777 - that is great. And they kept E+ for Golds and up. On this, I am satisfied.

Also, they made GPUs/RPUs good for over a year. That is also a change I liked.

I feared PQDs for a bit, but turns out I have almost $13K at this point in time. It is not an issue - yet. It may become one.

But, on the other hand, I find they sometimes get out of their way to give a feeling of cheapness that wasn't present before. I mean... paying for booze on transpac (or even TATL), really? How much money is this really saving them? Food went down in Y (I think in J too, albeit I am a less regular customer) - I think they corrected it a bit though, last few times no more "chicken-or-veg" "Indian" options to East Asia.

I am certainly not pleased with what will happen on March 1, 2015, because it will mean that I will be making about 40% less reward miles. At the same time, where can I take my business? To Skypesos?

The changes do provide me an incentive to start looking around and have possibly a second carrier. An Asian one, in my case (maybe Hainan airlines... if I can afford their J out of Boston). I did not have that incentive before. Well, over $20K is not HVF, maybe they can fill my seat with someone spending a boatload of money.

This is all OT of course - but while the regional would put you ahead of other 1Ks on M fares (not that there would be many), the PN bucket (where the auto-UGs come from, IIRC) always opens up ahead of R.

As a lowly 1K I used to stay out of the line for that purpose. But thanks to UA further eroding the free checked bag allows, carry on overhead space is harder to come by. So, if I see a line in lane 1, I join it, and if there are GSes and uniformed military who show up later and try to squeeze by me, that's just too bad. The boarding system sucks, but that isn't my problem.

Show up early if you want to board ahead of 1K, F, J, 0P. Or do what I've seen some GSes do, and boarding through the exit lane.

Just completed an IAD-FRA-CDG-FRA-IAD itinerary in Y. Both of the TATL UA and intraEurope LH flights left on time. Service on UA was as it should be (decent meal, frequent beverage service, polite and helpful GAs and FAs). Although the fare was no bargain (~$1800), UA performed exactly how it should. Maybe we are beginning to see the ship beginning to turn. I hope so. Will be flying IAD-ZRH-TLV-ZRH-IAD later this week. I hope to receive the same service quality.:p