mre5765

CO's inflight magazine has been renamed to Hemisphere?

Not true. CO brings routes that will eventually be UA metal routes once there is a single operating certificate (expected 2012 according to $MI/J). SWUs work better on UA metal than partner metal.

So for example instead of playing paper SWU roulette on LH to India , you get to use an SWU to confirm a seat in advance in BF for an economy price (W fare), which is an unangled lie flat seat. And it is nonstop from EWR, which is a major time saver.

Whereas if you win LH paper SWU roulette, if you booked booking economy your reward is angled flat seating which doesn't work for sleeping. If you lose you get one of the worst hard Y products I've experienced.

If you booked C, with the LH 747 reducing F from 16 to 8, you have a much lower chance of upgrading, even if you have a C, D, or J fare, and you get angled flat in C if you lose SWU roulette.

So use a drink chit to get a mixer.

channa

Remember that CO Elites only get four (4) drink chits a year.

geckoflyer

Ok...I don't mind (not) paying for bad $2 mixers...but don't touch my drink chits! ...channa...I have read quite a few of your posts about CO with mild trepidation...but this one takes the cake! I think I'm with you (in an overall sense) regarding the new UA/CO!

channa

I'll give you another. If you want one of the "specialty drinks" in the back, it takes two (2) chits -- one for the mixer, and one for the booze.

That's right, it's possible to use 50% of your annual CO allocation of chits for one beverage.

ande777emt

I've never failed at a chance to burn a paper SU from C > F, and I've been on quite a few 333's and 346's.

Using later flights or flights with lower F bookings (like FRA-IAH) seems to be pretty effective for me.

MBS MillionMiler

Yep!

I've said it before, there hasn't been ONE positive for 1Ks since this merger was announced.

Don't forget we no longer have a saying in when we get our SWUs...We used to have the choice of taking them right away, or wait until Jan 1. Now, they're dumped on us right when we hit the 100K/120 level.

• I liked getting a meal or drink from Y when in F without a fight.
• I liked the 500-miler upgrade system.
• I liked having the option as to when I received my SWUs.
• I liked getting 8 CR-1s a year.
• I didn't mind paying for an occasional drink in the RCC (whoops, I still have about 30 RCC drink chits--I didn't use them then, and haven't had a 'free' crappy glass of wine yet).
• I liked the prospect of lifetime 1P for MM (for when I'm not traveling so much in the future)...Not being knocked down a tier for upgrades with the new 75K level trumping me.
• I liked RJs with first class, especially on 2+ hour flights. MSP-EWR on a ERJ? Are you kidding me?!?!?!?

Ohhh---now I can fly to Chihuahua, Mexico on what's going to be UA metal. Yay.

I too, said from the beginning...This ain't going to be good. My signature sums up my feelings pretty well.

mduell

Let's not pretend that UA doesn't have some CRJ2 butt busters, like DEN-SBA.

emanon256

Here is a sign of what we are getting to CO

Now that my primary work flight is all on Continental Regional Jets, operating under the guise of United Express, I have seen the biggest decline in service and competence ever!!! These used to be SkyWest CR7s, now, post merger, they are all ExpressJet and GoJet ERJ-145s and or SkyWest CRJ-200s. I do have to say, the ERJ is far more comfortable than the CRJ. But at least the SkyWest crew seems competent.

So, my rant. The last 5 weeks have all been old CO Metal with the new paint job flying as Untied Metal, i.e. UA Operated, with CO crew.

Last nights flight was the worst by far. We get told that the pilot called in and is running late. We are also told that there are no on-call ExpressJet pilots in Denver. Suddenly, after the Superbowl ends, the gate gets a call and announced that the Pilot is on his way. Wow! They seriously allow this? Now, maybe it was another reason he was late, but this just looks bad.

We board the plane. Get all settled in and comfy. And the FA tells us to get off the plane, that this is not actually her flight, and that she is on the wrong plane. (Second time this has happened in 4 weeks).

Well, after some fighting with ops, turns out it is her flight. We board all over again.

She doesn't do the safety demo, she hits the button that plays the audio portion, but she didn't actually demo anything, in fact, she went to the bathroom while the recording was playing. She also never does the exit row briefing (I was in the exit row).

As the dink cart comes by, I order a drink. Then I get told, "This route doesn't offer alcoholic beverage service." I didn't feel like arguing with her, so I let it go. So far, I've been on this route every week this year, and twice I ordered alcoholic beverages, and both times I received them. I seriously think she was just being lazy.

So after the Superbowl fiasco, and the crappy FA, I get to the hotel 3 hours late. Thanks Continental, for turning United into poop.

emcampbe

I've never heard of GoJet 145s. Perhaps I've just gotten really lucky to get one of their CR7's on every one of my GoJet flights.

Then again, perhaps the fleet page is just out of date. http://www.gojetairlines.com/index.p...d=29&Itemid=72.

emanon256

I thought some of my BPs said operated by GoJet, but I guess they were all ExpressJet.

tryathlete

It happened. I flew codeshare CO from IAH to ORD on a FRIDAY evening and got a UDU! My business companion, a lowly 1P was #14 on the UG list, but I snagged a seat in domestic F on a 737-900. WOW!

Let me say I was totally impressed. New airplane, 20-- yes 20 seats in F. UA offers A319 (8 seats) and A320 (12). I think the added seats on this totally packed flight was why I was able to pull it off. I sat in 5B and was served one of the best cheeseburgers I have had, watched a newer movie on my own seatback screen without paying for it as they have to in Y, and was served by a professional and courteous FA who tended to my every need without any requests.

This 1K is starting to like CO. By the way-- the UG came in the President's club (I am a RCC member) two hours before the flight.

Now I have to see what TPAC is like-- although it might mean flying through EWR. I suspect the layflat seats on UA, and SWU's are going to be the better deal, but business first is supposed to be pretty good-- akin to nicer old UA-C.

All of you 1K's thinking of moving to AA== give it a chance. CO's domestic F is 1000% better than the UA product== maybe more like PS.^^^

emanon256

I am not sure what plane you were on, but that sounds nice. Is this the new norm? My experience in CO F was far different.

Last year I flew on 3 CO Domestic F, EWR-DEN and all 3 were on 737, and none of them had video in the seat back. They all had shared video, and the seats were not any better or worse than UA domestic F. Honestly, it was pretty much the same, though the food was better on CO.

I also flew once on SJD-EWR in Business/First international (Thats how it was marketed) I bought a full fare so I could confirm the upgrade in advance. It was a 757, and I was expecting something akin to PS. Sadly, it was just like UA's domestic 757. 24 F basic domestic seats, not much leg room, and a shared TV.

sbm12

The CO TPAC flights are all on 772s and they all have a full flat seat. It is wider than the new UA C seat in some configs and severely better than the old UA C seat.

I think that's quite a stretch - it isn't like PS F or C - but it is a very good domestic F product. I'm willing to forgive them the place mat, hot nuts and decision to charge extra for a mixer that I'd never drink anyways in exchange for the IFE, power, food and generally quality service I've received up front.

steve64

The key phrase here is probably "last year".
The seat back TVs are relatively new. They've been on most 737-900's for awhile (ironically, the newest deliveries don't have it yet).
The -800 conversion has been going on awhile now and is basically complete (again, the exception being new planes).
The -700 conversion didn't start until last year.
I think the -500 will not get the TV's. But I also think that fleet is only about 24 planes.
In my (PHX) market, I don't see the smaller birds so my viewpoint might be completely different from yours

Sounds like a 757-300. A horrible bird (IMHO)
All of the CO 757-200's are configured as BizFirst. Trust me, you'll know right away when you enter the First cabin on one of these birds. It's a sweet ride to score one of these on a domestic flight (or "short range" international, but I'm not opening the debate of CO's heavy use of 757-2 over the Atlantic)

Steve

emanon256

Well this is Excellent news, and I hope something that starts popping up on United metal domestically.