Choice seating

[SolidCactus]

I think US should have copied Air Tran, and instead of charging for a premium seat (which we all know for the most part, none of the seats are really premium) - charge for a seat assignment. It's a great way to nickel and dime. It really makes EVERY seat somewhat premium. Seats are assigned on the day of travel OR pay extra today to secure your assigned seat

 

[WCT]

The public that purchases coach seats are getting the wrong end of the stick.
First, there is no value given for your money. The seats are already there and that isn't going to change---ever!
Second, unless the plane is configured with massage seats, they aren't any better than first class.
What I'd like to see: All passengers request the middle seat. If they can't fulfill your request, they have to put you somewhere, right? It would be in an isle or window seat without a charge because you didn't request that seat. That, or a lot of people sitting in the middle seat would be traveling alone. Gotta love that!

Just raise the stupid airfare for every ticket and get it over with.

Better yet, give all middle seat pax's free headsets and cocktail, food voucher, clean pillow and blanket if available? Heck, if they bring no carry on baggage too! I think more pax's might be willing to cooperate and give up there seats. Lot more stress relief for us fa's!! Especially during high travel, summer time. Kids out of control.

 

[SolidCactus]

Better yet, give all middle seat pax's free headsets and cocktail, food voucher, clean pillow and blanket if available? Heck, if they bring no carry on baggage too! I think more pax's might be willing to cooperate and give up there seats. Lot more stress relief for us fa's!! Especially during high travel, summer time. Kids out of control.

Hell, US needs to start thinking like politicians. They could actually "spin" the nickel and dime policy to make it seem like a benefit!

raise the price of all seats by $35
give a "special" on all middle seats ( - $35 )

This way, it creates an incentive to want the middle seat

the same could be done for legroom...

willing to accept less legroom, save $35!

this way, nobody is disappointed. the people who pay for less legroom think they got a deal, and those who didnt think that some poor other pax has even less than they do

 

[InternationalShannon]

Hell, US needs to start thinking like politicians. They could actually "spin" the nickel and dime policy to make it seem like a benefit!

I think this was a bad decision because it's going to be VERY hard to regulate at the gate.....we're having a hard enough time as it is getting oversold pax who bought A seat on the plane, and they're already yelling about "not the middle" as it is.......how are we going to handle an oversold passenger who ends up in 14b that paid the extra $5 or whatever? Refund it at the gate? What if he's the last one to clear the list? Will he get the TFC we were previously offering because we couldnt give him what he paid for?

We have way too much at the gate going on to be worried about not collecting five dollars.

Oy Ve.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> We have way too much at the gate going on to be worried about not collecting five dollars.

That could start to affect the stellar on-time performance stats if Tempe isn’t careful.

 

[SolidCactus]

That could start to affect the stellar on-time performance stats if Tempe isn’t careful.

You guys are right. i was on a Jet Blue flight last week where a lady had a dog in the exit row (which is premium). Long story short, another "premium" seat from the first few rows would not switch with her. It got heated to the point where she was screaming and she would not move because she would lose her premium seat that she paid for!!! It took about ten minutes before a guy stood up and said something like, enough already, I'll switch with her. The entire plane clapped. It was a real lousy experience for everyone involved. I'm sure this new policy will cause you some grief too.

 

[john john]

I'm sure this new policy will cause you some grief too.

Was it an emotional support animal?

 

[SolidCactus]

Was it an emotional support animal?

She just kept referring to the animal as a "service animal". I do think it was emotional support.

 

[UAL_TECH]

Not to blow the water out of the expectations of the FFers’ but you do realize that even though you don’t get a RC CoCola and a Moon Pie for pre-board
that every airline in the Nation is loosing money. Get ready for a new paradigm wherein you stick your credit card into a slot and are charged for every time you pull the call button and if you don’t tip the FA, be happy if you are ‘allowed’ the privilege of using the bathroom.

Believe me, it’s not something that ‘any’ of us wants, but that’s how it’s going to be.

JMHO

B) UT

At least until oil reaches $130 a barrel, then it will get worse. h34r:

 

[trvlr64]

If US really wanted to make some serious $$$ for "choice seats", Doug should think about selling the Co-Pilot seat at a real premium. I'm sure there are some want to be pilots that would love to sit way up front.



How about selling the Sky Marshall's seats in FC too? Make one of them sit in coach and sell the other off for another premium price.



And for the want to be Flight Attendants in the FF crowd, sell of the FA jump seats too.


WOW !!! I just helped US make a sh!t load of money with just these 3 ideas. And if Doug decides to use any of them I want some compensation.

 

[john john]

She just kept referring to the animal as a "service animal". I do think it was emotional support.

Sounds like a possible lawsuit
The laws government and management put the front line workers in the middle The Air Carrier Access Act. You have to satisfy everybody or else

 

[InternationalShannon]

Sounds like a possible lawsuit
The laws government and management put the front line workers in the middle The Air Carrier Access Act. You have to satisfy everybody or else

If the animal has paperwork as a therapeutic pet that a dr felt was medically necessary for her, then we cater to her needs, just not in the damn exit row.

 

[john john]

just not in the damn exit row.

you sure about that

 

[jimcfs]

WOW !!! I just helped US make a sh!t load of money with just these 3 ideas. And if Doug decides to use any of them I want some compensation.

I'll give DP a freebie after my Kettle Klass trip to LAS this week... get the BOB to provide a vegetarian option for our non-North American Kettles. I sat next to the brother of Abu from the Simpsons on my way out to LAS this week. When they were bringing around the BOB to purchase, the FA told us the options, and he asked "You have a corn salad?"
FA: "Yes, we have a Corn off the Cobb salad".
Abu bro: "Is it vegetarian?"
FA: "It has corn and turkey and cheese."
Abu bro: various words in other language that I assume were curse words.

He kept mumbling. To shut him up, I gave him my bag of the dozen or so pretzels when the drink service came around. Then again, I had planned for my trip in Kettle Klass by bring some snacks with me.

There are many more people who want that vegetarian option, that I'm sure one could be created. You might only need to stock a couple per flight, but it would make the Abu Kettle's of the world happy.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

I'll give DP a freebie after my Kettle Klass trip to LAS this week... get the BOB to provide a vegetarian option for our non-North American Kettles. ........................There are many more people who want that vegetarian option, that I'm sure one could be created. You might only need to stock a couple per flight, but it would make the Abu Kettle's of the world happy.

Saw a news item this week that 73 million Americans are vegetarian (I try go veggie mostly, myself), so it's not just our Hindu visitors who would be pleased.