Food for Thought: F meal IND-PHX

[vantheman63]

Again, My question has nothing to do with how CO receives more revenue in their FC compartments over US; we know that's true, as you and many others have backed it up several times. I just was wondering if the following simple question that i've asked three times is true:

If I am a top tier elite at both CO and US, and i choose to purchase the cheapest possible domestic fares on both airlines, will I be upgraded as frequently on CO as I would be on US?

And I think that question has been answered...."depends on where you fly."

If you do Transcons and long haul, maybe not...if you so up and down the east coast, I can't remember, even as a Silver, before moving fully to CO, riding in the back more than a couple of times.

And you raised the question, "does FFOCUS hold US with a special place in it's heart?"

Interesting question....I don't...I mean, I certainly got bludgeoned with customer service and poor product not worthy of a crack house on the corner of Drug Dealer and Hooker Heaven....but I just moved on. So, I don't.

But ya know what? I kinda think there are many who do believe US is at the bottom of the barrel in terms of customer service...as evidenced by Powers ratings, Zagat and others...

And then this little ditty in the papers today:

The Possible Merger...US Is Not Known A Customer Friendly

Winship said he's most worried that the US Airways approach to travelers would be the one that survives. He said US Airways gave away about 4 percent of its seats to frequent fliers last year -- half the rate of United, American, and Southwest. And US Airways riled passengers last year when it tried to charge for bottled water; it backed down.

"Overall, they have been a pretty consumer-unfriendly airline,"he said. If US Airways is the corporate culture that survives, instead of "a midsized consumer-unfriendly carrier, we would have a mega consumer-unfriendly carrier," he said.

Now...I don't know who "Winship" is...but I do know he's not part of FFOCUS.....

So, apparently it's not just FFOCUS that, as you say, hold US in a special place in their hearts.....LMAO

 

[SS255]

And you raised the question, "does FFOCUS hold US with a special place in it's heart?"

I cannot speak for FFOCUS the organization, but I can speak for myself, a FFOCUS member since its inception: US holds a special place in my heart, and always will. I've been a Dividend Miles member since 1987, and was Gold from 2002 until February 28 of this year. I still fly US, but I credit my miles to CO now. My first flight on US was in 1981. Both of my parents are Chairman's Preferred. And I have a lot of friends who are US employees. Yeh.....it holds a special place in my heart, otherwise I wouldn't even be on this board.

I think that a lot of FFOCUS members who have left the US fold still care very much about the airline, and still fly US.......just not as much as we used to. It's like still being friends with your ex: The relationship is actually much healthier now that you've both moved on to other relationships.

 

[DrBeth]

It's like still being friends with your ex: The relationship is actually much healthier now that you've both moved on to other relationships.

I'm not friends with any ex-boyfriends or my ex-husband, but I can say the feeling of disappointment has mellowed and I have never hated any of them. LOL

I moved my business to Sky Team, not another Star Alliance carrier, because I don't have another one to move to at TRI. But if I were still in that alliance, I'd probably fly US occasionally.

 

[Itestwell]

And then this little ditty in the papers today:

The Possible Merger...US Is Not Known A Customer Friendly



Now...I don't know who "Winship" is...but I do know he's not part of FFOCUS.....

So, apparently it's not just FFOCUS that, as you say, hold US in a special place in their hearts.....LMAO

That is indeed a nice little ditty, but have you seen that UA just restructured many of its fees for passengers, including implementing fees for same day standby? And, what's more, they are not even excluding all of their elite customers, (as US does), only GS and 1K!

If FFOCUS is truly concerned about unacceptable service at ALL airlines, I will await the FFOCUS press release here on the United board.

 

[Itestwell]

FFOCUS has only recently branched out to include other airlines. If they are only waiting for organic traffic to their organization and website, versus doing some advertising/marketing, it’s naturally going to take more than a couple of years to show some growth in that area.

If I were in your shoes, I would be thankful there is still a core of high yield customers that care. Once they’re gone, all you have left is a revolving door of Kettles. FFOCUS does not have contempt for US; Tempe has contempt for high yield customers. You can say “But what about the other airlines/boards?” all you want, it’s akin to sticking your head in the sand.

FFOCUS has only started reaching out to include other airlines? I was under the impression that they changed the "US" part of their name from "US Airways" to something like "unacceptable service" a few years back?

No worries, I am very, very thankful for high yielding customers, both past and present. Don't you worry.

Only Tempe has contempt for high yielding customers? Other airlines don't? It seems that FFOCUS may be the one sticking their "head in the sand" by ignoring the customer indecencies occurring now at DL and UA, instead of reaching out and expanding their core membership. You would think that FT and these DL/ UA forums would be exploding with FFOCUS press releases condemning some of the changes that have been happening at those carriers as of late.

We shall see if we see more activity from FFOCUS that is not "US- centric", holding true to their "new" name.

 

[BoeingBoy]

I was under the impression that they changed the "US" part of their name from "US Airways" to something like "unacceptable service" a few years back?

Nope, your impression was wrong. It was just last year. In fact, it's been less than a year since the change.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a press release either - I can't remember FFOCUS ever issuing one. We work with our members who experience unacceptable service, let the members know what the policy board thinks about certain changes airlines make, and occasionally involve select members of the media - no press releases.

Jim

 

[Itestwell]

Nope, your impression was wrong. It was just last year. In fact, it's been less than a year since the change.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a press release either - I can't remember FFOCUS ever issuing one. We work with our members who experience unacceptable service, let the members know what the policy board thinks about certain changes airlines make, and occasionally involve select members of the media - no press releases.

Jim

According to this FFOCUS blog post, (http://ffocus.org/?q=node/10), the change took place March 4, 2008. That's a little over two years?

Fair enough. Let us know if the policy board finds any of the changes at other airlines unacceptable via the respective airline thread. I would think that things such as excluding elite members from fee waivers would be at least as big as being served chicken in a tin.

 

[Furloughd4now]

I was just speaking with a friend of mine who told me at some point they used to line up the plateware in foil (like they currently do on CLT/HNL) but instead of small portions they had them all piled on top of one another. They all broke and as a result they had no plates for the dinner service.

So my friend being the crazy kewl person she is said "TV DInners for everyone tonight" It lightened up the load!

 

[BoeingBoy]

According to this FFOCUS blog post, (http://ffocus.org/?q=node/10), the change took place March 4, 2008. That's a little over two years?

Yes, that is when the mission statement changed officially. As a result of members leaving US for other airlines, BTW. But you have to remember (or be aware) that FFOCUS is an all volunteer organization of individuals spread from coast to coast. Many changes to make good on the mission statement change took quite a while. For example, FFOCUS had an "in" to people at US for when members couldn't get an issue resolved through normal channels, but had to first get volunteers for similar roles for other airlines and then cultivate the relationships with people at those other airlines. So while the mission statement changed, and there were some web site changes reasonably quickly, it took time to put it all together.

If you read the mission statement, you know it says "The purpose of these changes is to enable FFOCUS to provide more frequent updates to its membership with more timely information, as well as to be better able to respond to rapid changes in the Frequent Flyer landscape. Furthermore, we will be able to become an ombudsman for those who primarily fly US Airways and other major carriers on a frequent basis." Nowhere does it say that FFOCUS issues press releases, takes on every change that every airline institutes, etc.

Take the UA standby fee not exempting lower level elites - that's a tradeoff. First, UA wasn't the first to institute such a fee, they were the last. Second, they exempt certain fare classes instead of all elites. Third, they allow confirmed standby on earlier or later flights, while US only allows it for earlier flights. Fourth, I don't recall FFOCUS making a big thing out of US instituting the Move Up program (US' version of UA's confirmed standby).

Jim

 

[SS255]

IIRC, Art presented US management with a "wish list" of changes, one of which was free standby for all elites. I believe that this was the only "wish" which was granted, but it was much appreciated by FFOCUS members, including myself. I don't believe that FFOCUS ever made a huge stink about the standby charge (or maybe it just got lost in the sauce given all of the other downgrades), but we were very appreciative when US revoked it.

One of the things I do not like about CO is that only Platinums can do a Same Day Change (to any flight +/- 24 hours), but only if the fare class is available. Luckily, CO usually opens up most fare classes at check-in time, but if the flight is pretty full, good luck. Standing by on US, even if only for earlier flights, is a heck of a lot easier for sure.

 

[DrBeth]

As we've repeatedly said, the policy committee reacts to what our members share via the forums, via private message and e-mail, and via the Contact Us link on FFOCUS home page.

For as long as I've been one of the contacts under the Contact Us link on the front page, which has been since the front page was redesigned in the last year or two, I have never received a complaint e-mail about any airline other than US Airways.

If one is a member and reads the forums, one will see that there aren't many serious complaints regarding other carriers. Currently there is a popular topic concerning Spirit's new carry-on bag fee, which most members are against, but by the same token, our members don't fly Spirit, so the item is currently one of discussion, not action.

Members also post trip reports in the forums. If there is a problem with an airline, we advise them to follow the normal channel of writing to that airline's customer relations department first. If they don't receive fair resolution, the policy committee will offer to look at the issue and decide whether it needs to be addressed by one of our committee airline liaisons.

BTW, Delta also charges Silver Medallions and general members for same-day standby. Only Gold and higher are exempt. They've been doing that for a long while now.