US First vs AirTran Business
Mar 18, 2010, 2:21 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
I have read all the time on flyertalk, that people like being addressed by their names in first. There were no pre-flght drinks offered in Charlotte, or MCO. My AirTran flights from MCO we did have pre-flight drinks. On the whole I liked my expereince with US, however they need to work an being equil to CO and United.
Mar 18, 2010, 2:44 pm
#17
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
Jim
Mar 18, 2010, 8:34 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: US Chairman's, Marriott Platinum Premier, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Hertz 5*, Etc.
Posts: 403
Mar 18, 2010, 8:40 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, United Silver
Posts: 575
Mar 18, 2010, 9:04 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: US-CP, UA, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Avis,
Posts: 4,549
Mar 20, 2010, 10:39 am
#21
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Programs: DL Silver, UA Silver, Marriott Lifetime Silver, IHG Plat, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,695
In FLL, DL served pre-departure alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages when I departed on Friday, March 12 on an 11:00 am flight, so it's either select FL cities or just a US-FL licensing issue.
Mar 21, 2010, 9:00 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Programs: US Airways Chairman, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 60
Airtran Business Class is Better than US
I fly AirTran fairly regularly. I find their business class to be superior for a number of reasons:
1. Upgrade Availability. I fly PHL-ATL and PHL-FLL/MCO/PBI fairly frequently. On PHL-ATL at a minimum, I never have trouble upgrading.
2. Pre-boarding. AirTran is very good about pre-boarding the business class cabin. I rarely have to fight my way to the front of a crowd to get on the plane and get my bag up above me in the front of the bus.
3. Cleanliness. The AirTran planes are newer and the seats are generally quite a bit cleaner. Nothing grosser than putting your laptop in the seatback pocket and finding that there are napkins from the last 48 hours of flights stuffed in there.
4. Upgrade prices. You can get an east coast upgrade for $49 - hardly a budget buster. I often buy one when flying home on Friday afternoons instead of paying the change fee to move flights. It is cheaper to upgrade than to change.
There are other reasons, too (wireless Internet, happier flight crews, better pricing, etc.), but the AirTran product is definitely a better product. I wish they would start a mini-hub at PHL the way Southwest has.
1. Upgrade Availability. I fly PHL-ATL and PHL-FLL/MCO/PBI fairly frequently. On PHL-ATL at a minimum, I never have trouble upgrading.
2. Pre-boarding. AirTran is very good about pre-boarding the business class cabin. I rarely have to fight my way to the front of a crowd to get on the plane and get my bag up above me in the front of the bus.
3. Cleanliness. The AirTran planes are newer and the seats are generally quite a bit cleaner. Nothing grosser than putting your laptop in the seatback pocket and finding that there are napkins from the last 48 hours of flights stuffed in there.
4. Upgrade prices. You can get an east coast upgrade for $49 - hardly a budget buster. I often buy one when flying home on Friday afternoons instead of paying the change fee to move flights. It is cheaper to upgrade than to change.
There are other reasons, too (wireless Internet, happier flight crews, better pricing, etc.), but the AirTran product is definitely a better product. I wish they would start a mini-hub at PHL the way Southwest has.
Mar 22, 2010, 12:52 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
Vetrue, however US does offer upgrades from $50, for much the same product. Plus, you get star alliance earning programs.
Apr 16, 2010, 3:02 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
I just did ,Try US Silver
I paid to try US Silver for 90 days. At $215 it was cheaper than the one way upgrade for MCO-PHX-LAS. The RT flight will be enough miles to make the 7,500 miles needed to finalize the card. What a deal, for unlimited upgraeds etc.
Apr 16, 2010, 9:56 pm
#25
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott LTG, HHonors Diamond, Nat'l Exec
Posts: 3,581
Apr 17, 2010, 10:27 am
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
Apr 25, 2010, 6:54 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
This past trip to MCO-PHX was really nice. The US employees do seem their Perferred passengers well. I enjoyed trying the US Airways Club and service in both classes was very good. For those of us based in MCO, US is a good choice overall. In the future I think most, if not all my trips will be on US or Star Alliance.
Apr 27, 2010, 2:44 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Programs: AA Plat, Sixt Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum, Avis First, Caesars TR Diamond, Mlife Gold
Posts: 4,928
More Miles than I thought!!
According to MileCalc it's 4,698 RT not counting the DEQM bonus as I don't think that counts when trying to qualify for the race to preferred.
With the Double Preferred miles promotion, I have 5 flights and 7396 Preferred miles. What a great promotion, I only need 204 miles to secure silver for the rest of the year! Plus, my (K) Premium Economy ticket on Virgin Atlantic earnes 125% LHR-JFK.
I guess I should go for the 50,000+ miles, for the more reasonable Buy up to Preferred rates. I could end the year at Chairman's. The flights MCO-Western Canada area reasonable cost wise and would get me a great amount of miles. US Airways has been a nice airline to me, all of this plus a free club membership for three months. If only United's Red Carpet clubs were not so restrictive (MCO only United travel).
Apr 25, 2011, 7:33 pm
#30
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Central Florida
Programs: MP 1K/Onepass Plat 1MM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 562
There's some weird Alcoholic Beverage Commission rule at MCO-- not sure if it is county or state--- they can't serve pre-flight cocktails there. They used to, maybe 3-4 years ago; not entirely sure when they stopped and TBH occasionally they slip up and "forget" but when I've forgotten where I am, and asked for a drink, I'm always gently reminded that they can't serve on the ground in MCO.
More likely USAir is too cheap to buy a liquor license.
