New East A320 configuration.

[IMisstheAladdinTrays]

Has anyone had the displeasure of working this plane yet? Have any of the FFer's had the displeasure of riding in the Front Cabin? In case you are unaware, there are only 1.5 overheads left for carryon bags in the FC cabin. Care to share your thoughts? I think anyone at corporate, who had anything to do with this, should be FIRED...and they should be required to pick another person from corporate to go with them...just for good measure!

 

[insp89]

Has anyone had the displeasure of working this plane yet? Have any of the FFer's had the displeasure of riding in the Front Cabin? In case you are unaware, there are only 1.5 overheads left for carryon bags in the FC cabin. Care to share your thoughts? I think anyone at corporate, who had anything to do with this, should be FIRED...and they should be required to pick another person from corporate to go with them...just for good measure!

If they fired everyone that should be fired at corporate,
What would they do with our Concession Money?

 

[USPHLElite]

If they fired everyone that should be fired at corporate,
What would they do with our Concession Money?

You can find the discussion here:

http://www.usaviation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32466

I did fly one on 12/6 from Denver. No place to put our coats and no room in the overhead so we had to place them on the floor. The sand castle does not need jackets so why have closets?

 

[US1YFARE]

OH GOODIE. I love rehashing things--especially when they relate to the dumb *** ideas coming out of Tempe.

 

[furloughednow psa]

America West does not know or care how to cater and treat the business traveler. They never have and it will bite them in ass at the end. AW has always been a poor product and has passed that on. US at one time had a competitable product but that to is long gone. They just dont get the concept that individuals spend over fifty thousand a year flying your airline. I dont blame the CP for leaving others charge the same fare with much better service. They just dont care.

 

[hp_fa]

I'm not trying to start or participate in a flame war so don't take the question incorrectly.

If a A-320 seat configuration with 136 seats or so in it could bring in the income that a 150 seat aircraft configuration can bring in don't you think either LCC or some other airline would be all over it? B6 configures at 156 seats if I recall.

I just don't think there are enough business passengers, or their companys/clients, willing to pay for that kind of configuration.

 

[Singleflyer]

My compay does pay that and will continue to do so if there is value. That is why they don't fly us on cattle cars. They know how much travel takes out of a person, aqnd wants us comfortable and rested. That way we feel better and are more productive.l

 

[FCYTravis]

If a A-320 seat configuration with 136 seats or so in it could bring in the income that a 150 seat aircraft configuration can bring in don't you think either LCC or some other airline would be all over it? B6 configures at 156 seats if I recall.

I just don't think there are enough business passengers, or their companys/clients, willing to pay for that kind of configuration.

The aircraft reconfigurations have already cost USAir this 85,000-mile Platinum Preferred customer.

I'm writing this from the RCC at Washington Dulles, where I just got off a United A320 red-eye from SFO. Spent the flight in Seat 6A, a bulkhead EconPlus seat with unlimited legroom. Plenty comfortable, bought a snack box for $5 to munch on (try that on a night-time US flight) and I had clubs on both ends of the flight.

With the reconfigs pulling hundreds of F-seats out of service across the fleet and aircraft downgauges coming on transcon routes (my March Envoy award flight SFO-PHL just got downgauged to a 319 from a 321), I can see the handwriting on the wall for the Preferred upgrades, even for Plats. US F vs. UA E+ is debatable. US E- vs. UA E+ is no competition. Buhbye, US.

I'll miss all the outstanding US employees... you are all truly the heart and soul of what could be and should be a great airline, if only you had managers to match. :down: 🙁

 

[RowUnderDCA]

I'm not trying to start or participate in a flame war so don't take the question incorrectly.

If a A-320 seat configuration with 136 seats or so in it could bring in the income that a 150 seat aircraft configuration can bring in don't you think either LCC or some other airline would be all over it? B6 configures at 156 seats if I recall.

I just don't think there are enough business passengers, or their companys/clients, willing to pay for that kind of configuration.

There are in bigger markets. Atlanta metro has more travellers willing to pay for the value-added services and amenities than Charlotte metro. NYCmetro has more than PHL metro.

I think that increasing presence and market share in the bigger markets allows carriers to do a few things:

1) offer seat miles at a lower cost (larger aircraft)
2) offer a more varied set of service levels
3) offer a more rational pricing system, because the carrier has relatively less need to provide bottom of the barrel fares to fill the plane (depending on circumstances) and can induce more up-buying by a larger business market.

This is the main reason why I THINK that Parker is choosing DAL to pursue instead of NW. NW and LCC, domestically, have the smaller metro markets. I think the hybrid strategy of rock bottom costs could work for a limited time for a combined LCC/NW, but would be most vulnerable to true LFC's and would be induced into adopting the most onerous, yield-management pricing schemes.

I've said all along that USAirways should focus on being BOS, LGA and DCA's hometown airline, instead of SYR, ROC and RIC or even CLT or PIT. I think that Siegel couldn't see his way to transform, physically, the old US into such a hybrid type carrier without major disruption to the structure (including employement structure) of the old US. But he was thinking bottom up. I think Parker is thinking top down. Something like this: I CAN transform LCC into the true hybrid (more WN-like) efficient operation if I'm in larger markets, but I can't compete with WN in the secondary markets.

Just musing. I still don't think the regulators will see that vision and it won't happen. just a guess.

 

[AtlanticBeach]

If a A-320 seat configuration with 136 seats or so in it could bring in the income that a 150 seat aircraft configuration can bring in don't you think either LCC or some other airline would be all over it? B6 configures at 156 seats if I recall.

B6 recently announced that they will change the A320 configuration to 150 seats. Average pitch will be 35 to 36 inches.

 

[Revolutions]

Can anyone tell me how the reconfig has impacted the seat pitch in the F Class Cabin on the East A319/A320/A321's?

About a year ago I tried HP's F Class on the A320 and it was by far and away the tighest, most uncomfortable F Class seat I have ever been in. The seats themselves looked like they were stolen out of an old school bus.

 

[jimntx]

I just don't think there are enough business passengers, or their companys/clients, willing to pay for that kind of configuration.

Maybe that has not been your experience at HP, but at my airline, AA, (and I'm guessing at UA, CO, and DL at least) there are not only "enough", there are too many. Everyday in coach, we have at least one disgruntled FF who was unable to upgrade to F/C. Now granted, he didn't pay the F/C fare--like the people who did get seats upfront --but, he is paying full-fare coach (or close to it).

In the past 6 months, I have had maybe 5 legs in which F/C was not completely full. Non-revs rarely get to sit in F/C.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Average pitch will be 35 to 36 inches.

If that is true, they could bring back the old Western Airlines jingle from the 70's: "you get three feet for your two legs on W e s t e r n A i r l i n e s". (Boy am I showing my age)

 

[USPHLElite]

Can anyone tell me how the reconfig has impacted the seat pitch in the F Class Cabin on the East A319/A320/A321's?

About a year ago I tried HP's F Class on the A320 and it was by far and away the tighest, most uncomfortable F Class seat I have ever been in. The seats themselves looked like they were stolen out of an old school bus.

If you are not sitting in an isle it is nearly impossible to get up to go to the Lav if the person in front is partially reclined.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> I just don't think there are enough business passengers, or their companys/clients, willing to pay for that kind of configuration.

A vicious circle.