Time To Make Money

[Hope777]

If we need to be like DH,WN,B6 it is time to get rid of first class. No one pays for it, so lets get rid of it. LOW FARES and cram them into 132 seats on a 319. Give the Passengers what they want, low fares and crap service.

 

[PSA1979]

That is NOT the answer either. There needs to be a balance. US Can not afford right now to annoy its best customers any further.

I know of not one FFer who thinks we should get a F/C upgrade on a $49.00 GoFare day in and day out.

But what do you do to retain the high yield customer who buys mostly refundable tickets, but on a weekend decides to take a short romantic weekend with his wife and buys a GoFare. Do you deny him access to F/C when he spends $25,000/yr on your airline.

[post="235918"][/post]​

Just replace each FFer with 510 $49 go fares. Simple math!

 

[ClueByFour]

If we need to be like DH,WN,B6 it is time to get rid of first class. No one pays for it, so lets get rid of it. LOW FARES and cram them into 132 seats on a 319. Give the Passengers what they want, low fares and crap service.

[post="235907"][/post]​

Jetblue has either 32" (front of plane) or 34" pitch, leather seats, and PTVs.

Airtran has a business class.

LUV's pitch is 32-33" and the seats are all leather.

US' coach pitch maxes at 32 on the airbus, is more like 30-31 on the boeings, and the seats are nasty fabric. Cramming them in is relevent, or so it appears.

With the reduction in mainline service, the choice is often an RJ on US. That's a whole new kind of torture. Many VFFs only stick to US due to the ease of upgrades--take that away, and you might as well just mail an LCC the check for that revenue.

Not everyone is so enlightened and sticks with US because US treats them well.

 

[speedbird86]

But what do you do to retain the high yield customer who buys mostly refundable tickets, but on a weekend decides to take a short romantic weekend with his wife and buys a GoFare. Do you deny him access to F/C when he spends $25,000/yr on your airline.

[post="235918"][/post]​

You get them there safely, on-time, with their baggage, with a smile and a thank you. Do it all again on the return home. Oh one more thing, make a little money. :blink:

 

[whlinder]

I think this needs to be at least looked at, despite the protestings of frequent flyers. Like Piney said, there needs to be balance, and I think that balance could come in the form of smaller F cabins and perhaps a coach section similar to United's economy plus.

What do you do about the high revenue customer who buys a go-fare? Upgrade them at departure after trying to sell the F seats and after elites on higher fares have been upgraded.

 

[Hope777]

on most aircraft, we would be able to get an additional 4 rows and at 6 per row thats 12 more seats we could sell. Sorry but for U to survive, EVERYONE must give ! ! ! ! !

 

[mbmbbost]

If US ever actually moves towards a more point-to-point network, I could see First class not being missed much. But as long as most flights from a not so small place like BOS require connections through PHL or CLT, I can't see why frequent flyers here would choose an all coach US product, or have any loyalty to US.

 

[MCORORES]

I have always said we should keep the FC cabin but make those your full fare coach seats. Therefore the preferred pax can still get their upgrades and it frees up more inventory in the other cabin for sale.

 

[GadgetFreak]

If we need to be like DH,WN,B6 it is time to get rid of first class. No one pays for it, so lets get rid of it. LOW FARES and cram them into 132 seats on a 319. Give the Passengers what they want, low fares and crap service.

[post="235907"][/post]​

Everything I have read tells me that those airlines you mention give the average flyer better service than US. That is a big part of the problem. Most people I know would rather fly JetBlue than US and would probably pay a bit more to do so. You are really missing the problem. What US should do is what Delta is doing. Cut the price of first so that people will pay for it. Fill it with paying customers. No one will pay the kind of price US typically charges for first, it isnt worth it. At prices like at DL, people would buy first. There arent enough people willing to buy $2500 walk up tickets anymore. So the airline tries to sell some at $2500 and some at $29. It isnt working. They need to sell the plane at a reasonable price, including a reasonable premium for first. And provide service that people will pay for it. Deltas new fare structure looks to do that.

 

[Rob]

Doesn't Star alliance membership require first class? You'd have to give that up, too.

 

[Justme]

You are really missing the problem. What US should do is what Delta is doing. Cut the price of first so that people will pay for it. Fill it with paying customers. No one will pay the kind of price US typically charges for first, it isnt worth it. At prices like at DL, people would buy first. There arent enough people willing to buy $2500 walk up tickets anymore. So the airline tries to sell some at $2500 and some at $29. It isnt working. They need to sell the plane at a reasonable price, including a reasonable premium for first. And provide service that people will pay for it. Deltas new fare structure looks to do that.

[post="236188"][/post]​

GadgetFreak for CEO!!!

 

[Hope777]

Freak, you do bring up some vaild points. The product we have in F/C is poor to say the least. You can not expect people to pay for crap service. However, Delta has a better route network. We fly, with the exceptions of weekend service, thru HUBS. The point to point service we need to survive, was eliminated by prior MANAGMENT and has never been replaced. Even the New FLL Focus city is nothing more then a mini HUB. Marketing has always been a thorn in the Companys side and it appears they are doing NOTHING for long term survival of this company. But, you can not fly most people around at budget prices in F/C and lose revenue. I know over the Holidays most passengers sitting up front were over flow from the back. Again a chance of filling more seats on the same plane with 24 seats compared to 12. And Rob, how much longer is Star going to put up with our service anyway before they throw us out. A wide seat with extra legroom is NOT First Class.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

I ve always wanted to see a progressively more comfortable, roomy seat as you move to the front of the plane... I'd like to see five across seating..... You'd seat the highest paying pax in the 'three seat' side with no middle seat occupant, then others on the two seat side... further back in the plane you'd go to six across econ plus seating then standard six across coach seating. Free drinks would be provided to preferreds or something... complimentary buy on board meals to those that pay for it or are preferred. Otherwise the domestic service is the same.

 

[mrman]

You get them there safely, on-time, with their baggage, with a smile and a thank you. Do it all again on the return home. Oh one more thing, make a little money. :blink:

[post="235949"][/post]​

As happened this Christmas

 

[Winglet]

Doesn't matter. U still can't compete due to it's business model and fleet structure. In order to compete with SW and JB, U employees are going to need to give an additional 25% of what's left of their compensation after this last slaughter.

U employees might as well decertify the unions and let Lakefield do what he wants. What's the point of paying dues to a union if it doesn't protect your job, workrules, or compensation.