Monday, June 23, 2008

United
I am a frequent traveller who has empathy with the airlines. With fuel at all-time highs I know profitability is tough. By the time many travellers get to their plane they are grumpy having had to endure added security checks and the general inconvenience of today's travel. Despite gloomy profit forecasts, I have only been on one flight in the past year that was not full (a late afternoon flight to Salt Lake City). Packed flights, limited service, reduced airline staff make for an unpleasent mix. Through all this the airlines, in my opinion, try hard.

Even with my empathy for the airlines, I try to avoid United. If this is not the worst US domestic airline, it has to be close. The seats that are not the upgraded coach are awful. They are so close together it is hard to do anything but listen to an iPod. Forget trying to work on a laptop or even read a newspaper, and if someone in the seat in front you puts the seat back all you can do is sit. Many United employees have had the bulk of their retirements wiped out over the past eight years and have to work out of necessity, which makes many surly. Now I read that United will require a stay over for its cheapest fares (on top of its me-too $15 per checked bag charge) starting in October. My empathy is turning to anger. I am not sure why this helps profitability. I try to schedule most of my business travel as one-day trips, and United is saying that it does not want this business. Well, I don't want United either.

3 comments:

Ralph said...

I am also a frequest flier (two weeks a month avg), US Airways have handed down the worst experiences to me through the last few years. At least United cares....these people go out of their way NOT to be accomodating. Unless I am stuck in hell and they are my only ticket out....I will never purchase another US Airways ticket. Period.

Anonymous said...

Now Delta announces that frequent flier tickets will carry a fuel surcharge - $25 domestic, $50 international. Wonder if the credit card offers for free travel will now come with an asterisk?

Rational Realist said...

I try to avoid US Airways. I had to fly it last month and my experience was OK, but a lot of others on the flight had been bumped and changed and were real unhappy. The crew had a "don't give a s*&t" attitude. Like United, long-term US Air employees have seen retirements wiped out. And many older employees probably worked for good regional airlines that were bought by US Air.

Credit card companies in addition to the asterisk will need a page of disclaimers like drug companies.