UA to improve Y product?
 

With the upcoming improvements in the front of the aircraft, I am sure I remember some time ago Tilton saying something to the effect that UA needed to "improve the experice" of the customers in Economy, particularly on transpacific services.

Am I imagining it? If so, anyone care to take a guess on when and how the product would change?



Mark

Nothing can feel like much of an improvement when you are sitting in a seat with a seat pitch of 29 or 30 inches. Perhaps they could convert the Y cabin on all international flights to E+ seating configuration.

I don't think I've heard that. Why would they put
money into Y? It just makes no sense at all.

I'm guessing if you improve the brand, people will demand the service. More demand, means higher ticket costs.

I'd like to see power ports that work on domestic flights ... that are longer than 3.5 hrs. Maybe just in E+, C, and F. =)

....desperately searching t'internet now for the article... :cool:


Mark

All I can say is the Transpac 744's desperately need better IFE in Y. My last flight to SYD was awful, even in E+. It would be much easier to forget that I am in the back if I had a seat back TV. :)

AA tried it fletwide few years ago. Didn't work (for them).

I vote for making E+ a separate cabin with improved seats (IFE) and food. Charge for this premium but give elites a discount :D

Mr Tilton said many things and if I believed all of them...

UA could very quickly improve Y experience, IMHO of course.
Stop charging for booze and I'll be a very happy flier in Y, especially E+.
I could even survive without serious complaining in E- if my bad luck put me there.
Non-complimentary alcohol in Y is one of my main peeves against UA (we all have them, don't we?... ;) ).
If UA wants to compete against quality airlines and be perceived as full service carrier (to quote Mr Tilton loosely yet again) it has to match (or at least try) competitors service level.
Bring the booze back! Now... !

It would "improve experience" without cabin improvements. :D

I'm pretty sure Tilton has said First and Business will be improved, but not Economy.

There really is no benefit to improving Economy, as you don't get it back in the aggregate. SQ, QF, and LH (other then SFO-MUC on the A346 ;) ) all have a "superior" Economy experience to UA, yet UA has little problem filling the back to NRT, SYD, and FRA.

The impression that I get from talking to non-FTers and non-elites about travel (talk about some frustrating conversation!) is that improving the IFE to a level comparable to that of B6 would be the one single improvement to Y that would draw the most pax to domestic Y. I'm guessing that most UA elites don't care all that much about it, but, geez!, people rave about the B6 DirecTV IFE! It has the advantage (unlike comping booze) of being a one time investment (maintenance aside). Problem is I have no idea how much capital that investment would represent. And, I'm not saying it's the wisest investment either.

So, at this point in time I have no plans to hold my breath waiting for UA DirecTV IFE.

If they're going to put the planes in hangars to retrofit the C/F cabins, they should do something with Y. Admittedly I don't fly back there very often for more than an hour or two, but it's just plain horrible.

The least they could do is put power plugs. I wouldn't mind too much if they kept everything else the same, but if I'm stuck on a 744 in Y+/-, I'd like to use my laptop for entertainment.

After seeing what SQ plans to do with its Y product, I asked myself why I keep flying United to Asia.

Other than the 100% RDM, there is really no point flying UA 744. I do hope in-seat power gets added as part of the Y improvement. How much would that cost to add power in 30 744? I am sure it is a lot cheaper than PTV.

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_U...atfeatures.jsp

I just went to the SQ website following your link. I hadn't paid much attention to what they're planning. Wow, C and F are ubelievable! Wouldn't it be nice if we had something approaching that?