https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/...hoo&yptr=yahoo

I like UA’s response (paraphrasing) “We’re always looking to enhance customer experience, but we’re not actually doing anything”.

If more people in the back of the bus opt for Delta, UA’s margins are going to disappear.

I already know what Kirby thought when Delta announced this - “What a bunch of freakin’ idiots - trying to entice customers with a better in-flight experience. What in heck are they thinking????”

Maybe they’re waiting to see if this actually moves the needle for passengers before responding.

I’d be shocked if it did. Customers aren’t going to pay more in order to get food that’s going to turn out to be just as bad as all other airline food.

I suspect a good deal of DL’s revenue premium comes from strategically failing to put a hub in Chicago.

While some posters are likely to chime in with the better experience that DL offers them, in general, people either book for price or convenience. A small number book for aircraft type / cabin availability; another small number (myself included) book for legroom. Food might be a tiebreaker for some, especially on FlyerTalk, but honestly — how much extra would you pay for a really good in-flight meal? I can get better food on the ground at my origin, connection, or destination, with a greater deal of choice, for a lot less than any revenue premium DL thinks they can charge.

Maybe UA is remembering the disasterous AA more room throughout coach initiative that was quickly undone when customers failed to pay more for a couple extra inches of legroom.

Part of DLs strategy is measuring NPS (Net Promoter Score). A majority of passengers sit in the back. If those passengers have a good/not bad experience they will likely book with the airline again in coach or even buy up to extra leg room economy or that once in a lifetime premium cabin trip.

For example, AA generally has good premium cabin seats on international routes. However, people fly them in coach and get stuck with the "Oasis" interior and assume the whole airline is garbage.

We'll see if this DL gamble pays off. I can see this potentially driving more CC signups too.

I’m always thoroughly impressed by some utter BS metric like NPS

which sounds just about right for an airline that Kirby has publicly described as lowest margin in NYC among the Big 3, and the one that tells their New York investment bankers to connect at Seoul Incheon if they want to head to Tokyo, Shanghai, or Hong Kong.

I don't think that argument perfectly applies to airlines. Y on DL and Y on UA is comparing Marriott Courtyard and Hampton Inn. Not a huge difference unless you're a loyalist. JW Marriott v Marriott Courtyard is more applicable to J v Y on either airline. Each have their pros and cons but not too many will pay a large premium for a hotel in the same class.

I think the point is less about NPS, but absolutely is about the fact that the “verbal brand” - the stories your customers share with each other about your brand - matters so much more in 2019 than a decade ago.

Pre-digital media it used to be that a company could broadcast out the narrative they wanted, via the channels they chose, and the customer would have limited methods to share and build on others experiences - something reserved for celebrities and the likes of Michelin.

DL have done a better job overall in this, and were an early adopter. That said, UA knows the importance of this — or at least learned the hard way. The investments in social media team, proactive recovery, and storytellers speak volumes here. Bottom line, you just can’t treat non-elite customers as stowage any more without consequences and verbal brand damage.

Who says DL is going to charge a premium for the same cabin as UA?

If the promise of a better experience draws customers away from UA and/or AA, I’d say DL is the smart one. I look at UA’s response and think, “UA doesn’t give a ...”.

DL - “We’re improving by now giving out bellinis and food choices in coach”
UA - “We’re improving because we haven’t had anyone assaulted recently”