Choice seating

[wildirishrose]

How much do the pax save when they have to sit in the back row on a Trans-Atlantic flight?
Let's charge for special meals and leave the passengers that we have enjoy what little service me provide. When our customer satisfaction scores approach average then we can go back to nickel and diming them.

With all due respect, when you go to a restaurant the "Surf and Turf" is usually more than the Chicken Marsala. When uou go to a broadway play the "front center seats" are more costly than 20 rows back. It's up to you how much you want to spend. Many, many years ago while in training I was taught "Never to go into someone else's pockets" meaning don't assume they can't afford something or that it's expensive to them just because it may sound expensive to you. You have the opportunity to make that pax who paid $198.00 feel every bit as important as the pax who paid for the extra seat and it sounds like you are the kind of person who would do that anyway. We need to think of ways to offset the rising cost of fuel. I wouldn't be surprised if this is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Travelpro72]

Wildirishrose that's pretty spot on.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

This applies to ALL Businesses, just a slight variation, but you get the jist of it!


86-year old lady's letter to bank
This is too good not to share~~~

Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the New York Times.

Dear Sir:
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it.

I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.



From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete.. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.

Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.

In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows: IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

1) To make an appointment to see me
2) To query a missing payment
3) To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there
4) To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping
5) To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature
6) To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home
7) To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier
8) To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7
9) To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service
10) This is a second reminder to press* for English. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.



Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year!

Your Humble Client



(Remember: This was written by an 86 year old woman 'YA JUST GOTTA LOVE SENIORS!!!)

And remember: Don't make old ladies mad. They don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to set them off.

 

[Art at ISP]

I have been reading this thread from the sidelines for a while now. Wildirishrose makes a couple of good points, but they are not applicable in this case.

First of all, you pay a few dollars more to be in the front of a theater because there is something to watch on the stage--so to pay more to look at the bulkhead is not a valid comparison. US has no more legroom in the front of the plane than the back (except for exit rows, and in the other direction the last row of coach on the 330). So to charge people to sit further forward is not a brilliant move--it offers little to no VALUE to the customer. UA has legitimately more legroom in the front of coach, so they can get away with charging for it if someone wants to pay, but US? Nah...

Regarding surf and turf vs. chicken, you're right--the S&T should be more, but on the plane, you're getting the same product regardless of where you sit in coach. Again goes to VALUE--no extra value being in the front of coach on US--you're going to be just as uncomfortable just about anywhere.

I can't help but think that the idea for this comes from Jet Blue which is going to start charging a couple of dollars for exit rows and the front few rows, but again, THERE IS MORE LEGROOM in those rows....and that is not the case on US.

But this all brings to bear a bigger picture, my friends, which is that if this (and other) airlines were being run properly in the first place it would not be necessary to nickel and dime the customer and impose such stupid charges. In US' case, with improved workrules and FAIR labor contracts, the overall cost savings would be significant. How much does it COST in labor and time to collect the extra $5-$30 for moving up forward? I bet they don't even know. And let's not forget a properly running reservation system either---how much time money and customer goodwill has been lost on that nightmare?

The real truth, however, is that if the airlines had fares which reflect the cost of goods (and service) PLUS a MODERATE markup, this conversation would not be taking place. Fares do not keep up with costs....plane and simple (pun intended). If it costs you $75 to fly someone from point A to point B, why would you offer more than 5 seats below that? You shouldn't......

I sound like a broken record, but I do think that rational fares would help the bottom line tremendously. Raise the bottom a little, and lower the high end to make most fares reasonable. The last minute traveler still pays more, but the difference between the highest and lowest fares in a market would be less, and the AVERAGE fare per seat would go up.

The sad reality is that in the day of $110 oil, fares have to go up....there's no way around it. And if they were priced right or close to right in the first place, the nickel and diming which is pissing everyone off would not be necessary.

My best to you all......

 

[crusher]

A merger w/UAL would certainly be one way to rid us of shares and our inept IT dept , who continue to waste time and money attempting to do the impossible , that being, making qik /shares work both effectively and efficiently , both of which will never happen. Hopefully in a UAL scenario , most upper mgmt will come from UAL and not from HP. DP could sit on top , but it's who is under him that will ultimately matter. If Hdqtrs would remain in Chicago , how many of the sandfleas would go ?

 

[tadjr]

so to pay more to look at the bulkhead is not a valid comparison. US has no more legroom in the front of the plane than the back (except for exit rows, and in the other direction the last row of coach on the 330). So to charge people to sit further forward is not a brilliant move--it offers little to no VALUE to the customer.

From the number of requests I get each day from customers to "move forward in the plane", there is obvious some value for some people to sit near the front. I personally dont care where I sit, and the Preferreds already have this choice, but IF someone doesnt want to sit in the back or a middle seat, they now have the CHOICE to purchase a seat that THEY will feel more happy with. If you book early enough and can get a non Preferred seat 9C or 9D, there really isnt any need to "buy" 5C or 6D, but for someone who has to buy a ticket last minute and gets "stuck" with 32E or 34E, they may well think that buying 6D has value TO THEM at that point in time. Of course, if they dont want to buy that seat, they can take the chance that it will still be available to them at the airport if they check in early enough on day of departure.

Regarding surf and turf vs. chicken, you're right--the S&T should be more, but on the plane, you're getting the same product regardless of where you sit in coach. Again goes to VALUE--no extra value being in the front of coach on US--you're going to be just as uncomfortable just about anywhere.

Its not just about sitting "in the front of US", its about not necessarily having a middle seat ANYWHERE on US. Again, if people dont think it has value to them, they are not required to purchase it and can take their aisle or window in the back or middle anywhere. (Or they may get lucky enough that no one wants to buy it and they can get a bargain and snag it for free day of.)

How much does it COST in labor and time to collect the extra $5-$30 for moving up forward? I bet they don't even know.

It shouldnt cost US anything in labor since customers will be buying it online themselves when they go to do online checkin.

The sad reality is that in the day of $110 oil, fares have to go up....there's no way around it. And if they were priced right or close to right in the first place, the nickel and diming which is pissing everyone off would not be necessary.

I agree to a point, however if you can snag the $69 ticket cross country, book online, have 1 bag under 50 pounds to check, use the kiosk, dont care where you sit and bring your own snacks, you can get a great deal. On the other hand, the more "service" you need to travel, the more you are going to pay. I see on the news all the time about just charging more and include it all in the raised price. There are definitely people out there that would not buy a flight if the prices were raised. I've seen people "shopping" that think $100 to fly Florida to New York is too much. If you dont need much, you can get a cheap flight and the more you need, the more you pay. If you are computer savy, why would you want the price of the tickets raised across the board to cover the current ATO or REZ fees for ticketing? If you arent checking bags or lugging your entire closet with you, why would you want prices raised to cover someone who is bringing everything including the kitchen sink?
I think the biggest problem I have with everything they are doing and its a disservice to the customers and employees alike is to continue acting like we are a full service airline for everyone, status quo just with more charges and fees. I feel THAT is the reason people feel like they're being nickel and dimed to death. They need to change the customers expectations of just what they are buying. We all know WN isnt always the cheapest and they dont have any of the frills that airlines (used to) have, yet they've managed to get customers to expect little and deliver. There is obviously a market for the Spirits, Easyjets, Ryanairs and Skybus of the world (although the fares offered by Skybus were ridiculous, the concept of cheap and buying up is what I'm addressing).
US needs to desperately quit trying to be everything to everyone. First needs to change to Business, Coach to Economy and rebranding, repricing and reevaluating the service levels from top to bottom need to happen if they want to be a viable alternative going forward. We're already heading in that direction just without the support and leadership from Tempe in regards to telling people what to expect and being able to deliver on "their" promises of what they are selling.
Just my personal opinion of the way things are heading.

 

[SolidCactus]

We need to think of ways to offset the rising cost of fuel.

That couldn't be more true. CHARGE MORE. Across the board. Charge prices that are based on the cost of the good sold, not prices that the customers want to pay - and if demand decreases, eliminate the route...

The oil companies don't seem to be having a hard time doing this...

 

[happy01]

tadjr,

I see that somebody has done their homework or workwork. The plan does not appear to have to much impact on airport operations except during irregular operations when we start moving people around like chess pieces. Then the person who paid their $5 is going to want it back now, not contact reservations for a refund but we will see how it goes. The only problem with this is that it is phase 1 of a multi-phase project to change the pricing scheme. Now this may not be bad but with Tempe's demonstration of marketing skills in the past, I shutter. KISS is not a concept they understand.

This goes with the 1 bag plan. Looks great on paper but when the single gate agent is faced with multiple passengers with multiple bags but not delay the flight, CRA goes right out the window.

They would have to contact the Refunds department for a refund, not the Reservations department. They would only qualify for a refund if the seating chart has been updated noting the move, otherwise they wouldn't get a refund.

 

[john john]

I’m handicap the law says I get an aisle seat up front at no charge

 

[john john]

I'm with you on that one. It seems the employee's are either one way or another. I would love to see them employ Ghost Rider's again.

Yea I know it is the entire front line workers fault. Those damn front line workers need to get it together they are dragging down this airline. A least we know were management is "ONE WAY"

 

[tadjr]

I’m handicap the law says I get an aisle seat up front at no charge

What law is that? I'm sure those aisle chair customers I used to drag to the back of the plane would be hollering left and right if that were true. Also, the bulkhead seats are still P seats that can be assigned in advance so ask for one if you are requesting a WCHR for your customer.
** Just curious if you're also the customer that says they just had knee surgery and are on crutches and need an exit row seat for the extra leg room because they cant bend their knee?

 

[wildirishrose]

Yea I know it is the entire front line workers fault. Those damn front line workers need to get it together they are dragging down this airline. A least we know were management is "ONE WAY"

I AM one of those front line workers my dear

 

[john john]

What law is that? I'm sure those aisle chair customers I used to drag to the back of the plane would be hollering left and right if that were true. Also, the bulkhead seats are still P seats that can be assigned in advance so ask for one if you are requesting a WCHR for your customer.
** Just curious if you're also the customer that says they just had knee surgery and are on crutches and need an exit row seat for the extra leg room because they cant bend their knee?

http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Mar/17/130800.html

“Airlines may not keep anyone out of a seat on the basis of handicapâ€￾
Accessibility of Facilities
“New aircraft with 30 or more seats must have movable aisle armrests on half the aisle seats in the aircraft. ["New aircraft" requirements apply to planes ordered after April 5, 1990 or delivered after April 5, 1992. No retrofit is required (although compliance with on-board wheelchair requirements became mandatory on April 5, 1992 regardless of the plane's age). As older planes are refurbished, accessibility features (e.g., movable armrests) must be added.] “Carriers may not charge for providing accommodations required by the rule

 

[tadjr]

OK, on the synopsis, no where does it say they must sit in an aisle seat in the front of the plane. Since (on most newer planes) all the armrests lift up on the aisles, they have a choice of about 50 seats to choose from that doesnt require them to pay to reserve it. Also, this is what the entire refunding of someones prereserved seating comments were about. If it became necessary, you would move someone out of the special seat and refund their money so someone with a disability could sit there. I really dont think its going to happen all that often though since there are plenty of seats onboard where people didnt pay to sit.

 

[jerseyfinn]

Tadjr,

Thanks for the explanation.

If you're saying that as a preferred, I can book a flight and reserve those set-aside preferred seats as usual and at no additional cost, then I really have no problem with this. But I gotta be honest when I say that I doubt Tempe's character and their intent based upon their past track record. I can understand perfectly the urge to milk a few extra dollars out of customers, especially in these very difficult days of high fuel costs which torpedo the balance sheet. But you know what? The product at US is so dubious to begin with & I've been played like a violin by Tempe so many times that I'm not sure I'm willing to play the game anymore. Granted, this and other tactics may be the norm of the future for most airlines, but I would rather give the money to another carrier than let these folks get over on me one more time.

I just don't see coughing up a dime on those shoddy TA 757s with the tight elbow-to-elbow seating even if you're on the aisle. US already has a weak TA product experience on those birds. If I thought I had an airline that gives a sh!t about the customer, then I could play ball as I tried to do with US. But hey, all pax are caught up in these times which are gonna impose a lot of changes on them. Isom can repeat his mantra about on-time departure/arrival with your bags, but until it happens for real at stations like PHL ( and without those 45 to 60 minute waits for the bags to show up ), I'm feeling pretty jaded. But when you have management which can't clearly define the product, execute a constant product experience, and keep their ops in order, then it gets kind of hard to accept any more change.

Also let me also say that we do appreciate the front-liners and the back-liners who try to do the job well. Unfortunately Tempe has taken the lustre off of those fine folks.

Barry