US1YFARE
Veteran
- Mar 31, 2004
- 3,932
- 54
:blink: WHAT? I've flown about 25 non-RJ flights on CO this year, only 5 of them were on a 8-FC seat 737. I believe either the -500 or -300 is the only one with 8 seats.
Letter from a former US Customer
- Thread starter DrBeth
- Start date
:blink: WHAT? I've flown about 25 non-RJ flights on CO this year, only 5 of them were on a 8-FC seat 737. I believe either the -500 or -300 is the only one with 8 seats.
737-500s at CO have 8 F seats.
737-300s and 737-700s have 12
737-800's have 16 F seats but going to 18 to 20 depending on type
737-900's have 20 F seats if I am not mistaken
757-200 Intl have 16 Business First seats
757-300 have 24F
767s have 25 or more BF seats
777 has 48 or 50 BF seats
CO is actually expanding F seating.......
737-300s and 737-700s have 12
737-800's have 16 F seats but going to 18 to 20 depending on type
737-900's have 20 F seats if I am not mistaken
757-200 Intl have 16 Business First seats
757-300 have 24F
767s have 25 or more BF seats
777 has 48 or 50 BF seats
CO is actually expanding F seating.......
Travelpro72
Veteran
- Jan 30, 2005
- 4,964
- 455
All of that expansion that Continental is doing I must ask how they are going to afford all that additional glassware? They'll be filing bankruptcy soon with the fifteen million a year price tag that Tempe stated. 
This airline is a joke. I'd connect in Des Moines, Iowa before giving Tempe one dollar.
This airline is a joke. I'd connect in Des Moines, Iowa before giving Tempe one dollar.
Nice, I booked a flight with CO this week. I have gold status there (but only because I'm a good customer of American Express - I didnt actually earn it). I havent flown them since last year. I can't wait to see how good first is. I have first going to PBI, and coach going home...
It is not about service it’s about MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!and a lot of it was made by people involved and lest set the record strait there was a few millionaires with ALPA retirees
The USA airline business is a deregulate business. Business as usual in the good old US of A
Your point is well taken. The problem with ALL the Frquent Flyer programs is for the TRUE FREQUENT FLYER (Business people that TRULY FLY on a REGULAR BASIS and are subjected to outrageous Fares at spur of the moment travel) they are lumped into the pool with the Ma & Pa Kettles that travel semi frequently. There are many Business people that travel 50 weeks out of the year and DESERVE "ULTRA Premiere" Classification. There is nothing worse than having a F/C cabin filled with bottom tier DM members that somehow found themselves UP FRONT when a Bonified CHAIRMAN is stuck in Coach. And yes, IT DOES HAPPEN.
vantheman63
Senior
This is exactly right. Well stated.
It really gets to the heart of my personal issues with US and why they are ANYTHING but my "Carrier Of Choice." Gawd, is this airline anything but that.
Because of the fact I need to work and be productive and that I'm typically flying to, say, SFO from PVD via PHL/CLT, I do not and will not risk buying Y and "hoping" for the upgrade. Instead, I buy it....and that my good friends is the disconnect with US.
First, it's not worth it, ESPECIALLY when you consider what CO and or UA offer...for a comparable price.
Secondly, and this still just f-ing baffles me...it's not refundable at that comparable price. CO with their "Y-Up" is actually less money and refundable....UA is slightly more.
Better service, better pricing....I mean, yeah, the FF thing is "irritating," but for me, the deal breaker is the service and pricing.
"Carrier Of Choice?" Hardly.
Considering all the negatives I do not understand the company's reasoning.
Can anyone please explain the aim of the FF changes and what the company would expect to gain from these changes? I don't see it.
(Perhaps something more than "this company s**ks" kind of explanation.)
Can anyone please explain the aim of the FF changes and what the company would expect to gain from these changes? I don't see it.
(Perhaps something more than "this company s**ks" kind of explanation.)
Twice-
You're really off the mark here. US doesn't have low fares. They still fleece travelers everywhere with high fares on small, uneconomical aircraft. They have always done this, the only difference is that now the product (a major part of which is the FF program) is vastly inferior.
There are some inherent high costs in operating US (short stage lengths, primary airports etc), but much of US's outrageously high costs are self-imposed. In fact "LCC" is actually the HIGHEST cost carrier in the industry, so they should really call themselves HCC, as they are 'lower' cost than no one. We're dumb enough to have terrible contracts, so you've done your part.
Every carrier, whether it's Continental or Spirit, is paying these fuel costs. US is not special. United's policy is very different. US is the only carrier that has chosen to punish it's customers in this way. If they thought every one else was going to follow, they have been grossly mistaken. US and what they do are not even on anyone's radar, no one takes them seriously within the industry anymore.
So from this thread it appears that twicebaked is the junior executive in Tempe who devised this moronic change to the US Frequent Flyer program.
Seriously, though - US dividend miles that US awards for US flights are free to US, since it owns the printing press and controls the redemption process. Stingy "enhancements" like discontinuing the 500 mile minimum have nothing to offer in the way of cost savings or revenue generation. My elementary school age daughters can understand that - but then again, they're top tier at AA, which hasn't yet followed US' position on this one.
Frequent flyers don't mind airlines recovering high fuel costs. But mean-spirited punishments like this one make no sense.
US has chosen to punish those who fly a lot of very short flights while not punishing the $129 NE to MCO crowd. The booze must really flow freely 24-7 at that sandcastle. How else to explain such a moronic decision?
Seriously, though - US dividend miles that US awards for US flights are free to US, since it owns the printing press and controls the redemption process. Stingy "enhancements" like discontinuing the 500 mile minimum have nothing to offer in the way of cost savings or revenue generation. My elementary school age daughters can understand that - but then again, they're top tier at AA, which hasn't yet followed US' position on this one.
Frequent flyers don't mind airlines recovering high fuel costs. But mean-spirited punishments like this one make no sense.
US has chosen to punish those who fly a lot of very short flights while not punishing the $129 NE to MCO crowd. The booze must really flow freely 24-7 at that sandcastle. How else to explain such a moronic decision?
BoeingBoy
Veteran
- Nov 9, 2003
- 16,512
- 5,865
The only thing I can come up with is two-fold.
First, a substantionally higher percentage of the short-haul routes out west have direct low cost carrier competition, primarily WN. Thus average fares are generally lower on the western short-haul routes than is the case in the east - few routes with average yield under 50 cents a mile in the east vs few routes with average yield over 50 cents in the west (and many under 30 cents). So in true Tempe "what's true in the west is true everywhere" fashion, they may see the 500 minimum miles as giving out something that isn't deserved - aren't relatively low fares enough???
Second, I suspect that they're starting to see an increase in mileage redemptions on other carriers relative to US. From tidbits about the DM program in the annual report, it appears that the average DM redemption on another carrier costs US as much as $800+ on average vs just the incremental cost on US of something less than $50 average. How to limit those OAL awards going forward? Limit the number of "free" miles US gives out. Who to limit? Those fliers getting the 500-mile minimum who are flying on low fares - and that's most short-haul fliers if you only look at what is occurring out west.
Jim
Oh I totally agree, and know where you're coming from. I am a bona fide Chairman, and I get very pissy when I see Gold and Platinum up front. Keep in mind, the credit card programs don't earn you status. You still have to fly to get that.
I think BoeingBoy hit the nail right on the head. On the west coast, or any market which WN has gotten into, they have totally changed the way flights are priced between all the airlines. You guys are totally right. The fares are artificially low in some markets because of the jacked rates people are charged for the PHL/BOS/DCA routes. And for the prices we pay to fly between these airports, you're totally right... It is a shame that they are penalizing these travellers.
Actually before I get corrected... On the Visa card programs, we can ask for 10,000 miles to be converted to preferred for each card, making a total of 20,000 - but in order to do that, you have to charge $25,000 per card, and you still have to call in and request that those miles are converted... But 20,000 is far from Chairmans...
There are many reasons why this could happen. The bottom tiers paid, used miles in advance or were booked on the flight and cleared when their upgrade window opened. The others above them booked late after the front was full or there were no upgrade seats available at the time they booked and seats cleared later and the bottom tier snagged it somehow. If a top tier is unable to clear in advance, they dont necessarily get the seat later when something opens up since our system cant do that. At the airport day of, its usually first come first served IF seats are open on the flight in front. We used to have a coordinator that would go thru the Preferred list day of to clear anyone who was unable to get it in advance (and also reserve group/family seats, etc), but unfortunately that was one of the positions that they've cut since we're STILL understaffed. I know not every station has these, but it did help with us taking care of our Preferred and families.
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