Comments on New Magazine & Question on Overweight Baggage Fee

[US1YFARE]

http://usairwaysmag.com/
in 1 word...........YUCK! The typeface should be the stylized flag w/ USAIRWAYS in the same font as the planes.

1/2 thought out as usual

come on people in Tempe

 

[NAPAUS]

Seems like AW management isnt very good with "detail oriented" stuff... Hopefully someone will awaken to the fact that the large presence of the EAST coast ( oops dirty word in PHX) is VITAL to the survival of new US! They seems to playing the same "game" that the old US mgmt ( Colodny) did with the PSA merger- only in reverse!!!

Moving the weight around wasn't an option, I knew I would have to pay a fee, and I really didn't mind, just thought it was still $25. I checked 2 bags, the 58 lb one and a 47 lb one, and I also had a carry-on that was bulging at the seams. I was bringing all of my clothes and such back to college for the semester, and I also had a bunch of Christmas presents I was bringing back to PIT (like lots of heavy books), so there wasn't much I could do about it.

I'm not the type that sends in letters to complain about things like this, but perhaps I will dash off an e-mail. They've devalued elite status so much, perhaps they could give preferreds some extra baggage allowance (or even just a discounted overweight fee) like most of the other Star carriers do.

As for the problems I see with the new US Airways Magazine, they don't affect me in any way. I know how to navigate around an airport without a map, and I don't speak Spanish. But there are plenty of people out there for whom those things would be quite useful.
I agree that leaving out the Spanish customs/immigration instructions was probably an oversight, but again, it was a sloppy one by someone who wasn't thinking with the right mindset. The airport maps and the other Spanish features, those I think were more deliberate though. And again, even if they do fix/revert the changes, with the lead times for the magazine, it'll be until at least the March or probably April issue before it's fixed.
I agree, and I can't believe they said that about FLL. How do you think that makes the FLL customers feel, that they're a failed experiment? And it surely hurts confidence that the remaining flights will stick around for people booking future tickets. It's almost as bad as Bronner from RSA opening his big mouth and saying inappropriate things. If FLL was a failed experiment, you don't have to say so. And really, I don't think it was--they didn't give it any time at all to develop, and yet the routes that they still have there now are doing quite well.

 

[FlyUs]

Interesting to see that LAX is now considered a key US city.

 

[tadjr]

Moving the weight around wasn't an option, I knew I would have to pay a fee, and I really didn't mind, just thought it was still $25. I checked 2 bags, the 58 lb one and a 47 lb one,

but perhaps I will dash off an e-mail. They've devalued elite status so much, perhaps they could give preferreds some extra baggage allowance (or even just a discounted overweight fee) like most of the other Star carriers do.

The charge to $50 has been quite a while, at least since Nov 2nd last year and it also applies to customers traveling international in coach. Personally I think it should be $25-30 (Airtran is $30) and I wouldnt have too much of a problem collecting for 8 pounds over. We give customers the option of repacking or checking something else if they only check 1, but many dont want to repack. We used to have boxes or used supply boxes if there are empty ones for people to repack, but we've been advised to quit dumping out supplies to get an empty box for people to repack. I still hear the "they didnt charge on the way down" a lot. Thats why they need to make sure there are scales (AND SIGNS ABOUT THE CHARGES) at all positions. Had a guy the other day tell one of the agents they had the same things in the bag that they brought down. When he opened up to repack he had a bag of oranges in there. Funny, I didnt know they grew oranges to ship in PIT!

Gold Preferred and higher already get extra baggage allowance. You get to check 3 bags (not over 50 pounds each) for free. Since the kiosk wont do it since it doesnt take status into account for bag checking, just tell the agent at the counter that you are Chairman, Platinum, Gold and that you need to check your 3rd bag. If they advise its an extra charge, just remind them that Star Gold or higher gets the 3rd bag free. We dont have a lot of people that do this (many dont check any) so they might not be too familiar with it.

 

[ringmaruf]

The charge to $50 has been quite a while, at least since Nov 2nd last year and it also applies to customers traveling international in coach. Personally I think it should be $25-30 (Airtran is $30) and I wouldnt have too much of a problem collecting for 8 pounds over. We give customers the option of repacking or checking something else if they only check 1, but many dont want to repack. We used to have boxes or used supply boxes if there are empty ones for people to repack, but we've been advised to quit dumping out supplies to get an empty box for people to repack. I still hear the "they didnt charge on the way down" a lot. Thats why they need to make sure there are scales (AND SIGNS ABOUT THE CHARGES) at all positions. Had a guy the other day tell one of the agents they had the same things in the bag that they brought down. When he opened up to repack he had a bag of oranges in there. Funny, I didnt know they grew oranges to ship in PIT!

As I said, I had no problems paying the fee, I mean, really, I was even the one that volunteered to the agent that my bag was overweight. I was just surprised that the fee had gone up, and am surprised in retrospect that the agent never actually told me what the fee was.

Gold Preferred and higher already get extra baggage allowance. You get to check 3 bags (not over 50 pounds each) for free. Since the kiosk wont do it since it doesnt take status into account for bag checking, just tell the agent at the counter that you are Chairman, Platinum, Gold and that you need to check your 3rd bag. If they advise its an extra charge, just remind them that Star Gold or higher gets the 3rd bag free. We dont have a lot of people that do this (many dont check any) so they might not be too familiar with it.

I had no idea I could check three bags, that might be useful in the future, thanks for the info. Now I'd just have to figure out how to juggle three bags and a carry-on from the bus to the ticket counter.

 

[tadjr]

Now I'd just have to figure out how to juggle three bags and a carry-on from the bus to the ticket counter.

Get a little fold up duffle bag. Pack it inside one of your two big bags. Just before you get to the counter, take it out and put shoes, books, jeans, etc, up to whatever you are overweight and you only have to drag it 20 feet to the front of the line! Do reverse when claiming.

 

[noname]

Get a little fold up duffle bag. Pack it inside one of your two big bags. Just before you get to the counter, take it out and put shoes, books, jeans, etc, up to whatever you are overweight and you only have to drag it 20 feet to the front of the line! Do reverse when claiming.

Tad.. glad to see you are still around and offering excellent advise to passengers. In some ways I wish I was still around to see how it all unfolds. Best of luck!

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

Don't like the new mag at all. Thought the name "Attache" was kinda classy and actually branded it as something other than a standard bad airline mag. Upon looking through it during my 50 minute delay this morning ("Ladies and gentlemen, we appear to be number 22 for departure"), I have decided it should be renamed "US West Magazine"? It is USAir taking over Piedmont all over again. Pittsburgh and Washington EVERYWHERE, Charlotte, Baltimore, Syracuse and Dayton nowhere. The magazine might as well become a device for the Phoenix and Las Vegas chambers of commerce.

For example, there's a section called "In the Hubs" (for the record, I DO think this is a great idea for a monthly column) that tells of happenings (in this order) in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Charlotte. The Las Vegas and Phoenix pages have big color photos. The rest get inundated with ads (especially Charlotte). And when did Pittsburgh become a hub again?

But by far the worst things are the maps. As someone who has a degree in Geography, let me tell ya, THEY SUCK! Poor color choices, small, hard to read print, and from the look of the teeny tiny map of Europe, we don't even fly there...only our Star partners do. Overall, I am very disappointed.

I won't go into the fact that there are no synopses of movies, and no Spanish, German, Italian, French, or Dutch instructions for customs and immigration anywhere.

 

[US1YFARE]

Don't like the new mag at all. Thought the name "Attache" was kinda classy and actually branded it as something other than a standard bad airline mag. Upon looking through it during my 50 minute delay this morning ("Ladies and gentlemen, we appear to be number 22 for departure"), I have decided it should be renamed "US West Magazine"?

Not surprising. 1/2 thought out and catering to anything and anyone WEST of Tempe. For them, the alphabet begins with with Phoenix and Las Vegas. I didn't think LAS was a hub either, just a focus city.

 

[PhxMama]

The charge to $50 has been quite a while, at least since Nov 2nd last year and it also applies to customers traveling international in coach. Personally I think it should be $25-30 (Airtran is $30) and I wouldnt have too much of a problem collecting for 8 pounds over. We give customers the option of repacking or checking something else if they only check 1, but many dont want to repack. We used to have boxes or used supply boxes if there are empty ones for people to repack, but we've been advised to quit dumping out supplies to get an empty box for people to repack. I still hear the "they didnt charge on the way down" a lot. Thats why they need to make sure there are scales (AND SIGNS ABOUT THE CHARGES) at all positions. Had a guy the other day tell one of the agents they had the same things in the bag that they brought down. When he opened up to repack he had a bag of oranges in there. Funny, I didnt know they grew oranges to ship in PIT!

Gold Preferred and higher already get extra baggage allowance. You get to check 3 bags (not over 50 pounds each) for free. Since the kiosk wont do it since it doesnt take status into account for bag checking, just tell the agent at the counter that you are Chairman, Platinum, Gold and that you need to check your 3rd bag. If they advise its an extra charge, just remind them that Star Gold or higher gets the 3rd bag free. We dont have a lot of people that do this (many dont check any) so they might not be too familiar with it.

I am unaware of elite trvling with extra bag for no fee. Where is this info posted as hp rez has never been informed? Thanx

 

[ringmaruf]

Did anyone stop to think that the reason the first issue was "West" centered is to educate the larger eastern customer base of some destinations they now have access to? They also probably had some longer term advertising contracts that they had to honor as well which give this edition a decided western feel?

But they're not educating the eastern customer base to new destinations. There's no western feel. It's all about LAS and PHX, two destinations that US customers always had access to. I'd have thought it was a great idea if they'd made it about new smaller destinaions out west, but they didn't. The old Attaché would often do spotlights on small cities like GSO or ILM or ABE, just to recall a few from recent months.

They also probably had some longer term advertising contracts that they had to honor as well which give this edition a decided western feel?

Well since the magazine is run by the Attaché publishers, I'd think that any long-term ad contract would be with East companies. Not buying that one.

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

Did anyone stop to think that the reason the first issue was "West" centered is to educate the larger eastern customer base of some destinations they now have access to? They also probably had some longer term advertising contracts that they had to honor as well which give this edition a decided western feel?

I think the issues will even out as time progresses. Pace is doing the thing and they did Attache so relax for a second.

Piney, I would relax, but I fear that "Tempe-Centricity" is the airline's new theme. Need I bring up the numerous company publications that assume everyone system-wide knows the Valley of the Sun's geography like the backs of their hands, cheers only for the Phoenix Suns and Cardinals and know exactly which airport has a conference room above gate A-12 (give you one guess which airport it is...clue: it's in Arizona...I know because I called corp communications and asked)

Besides, still doesn't excuse the piss-poor quality maps.

 

[US1YFARE]

DP says in his welcome aboard letter that the new US offers the amenities of a full-service carrier--is he serious?

The font used for the the title is terrible--it should definitely match the logo.

are these the terminal maps they are using?

http://www.americawest.com/awa/content/tra...rminalmaps.aspx

if so, they are hard to read on the website also.

first impressions are everything, and so far, very unimpressive.

 

[trvlr64]

I agree with CLTBWIDAYSYR. I spent my PIT - PHX flight today reading the magazine cover to cover. Who proofed this rag? Did someone in PACE have a stroke before it went to the publisher? And is that same person colorblind?

The insides reaked of LAS. Who cares? It truely was just the America West Magazine with some east coast references. Enough of LAS, please. If you want to do a whole section on LAS then do it like it was done in the Attache magazine. Have a complete section of about 8-10 pages together. I don't need or want to see multiples ads and articles placed throughout the magazine about LAS.

And as to the color scheme for the maps and airport terminals and overall "Your Guide" section. What colors are those in the color palate? YUCK!!! Return to the blue and white. That looked classy.

This magazine will never have the distinction of being called an "award winning" magazine. It's too busy inside and made my eyes tired just reading it.

:down: :down: :down:

Put back the stylized flag too on the cover. Take a look at your old issues of Attache. Right there above the word Attache you will see the flag and USAIRWAYS in the font style that's on the planes and used throughout the company.

 

[tadjr]

I am unaware of elite trvling with extra bag for no fee. Where is this info posted as hp rez has never been informed? Thanx

Its a Star Alliance thing so its only for US flights. Oh wait, we're all the same now, only different.
When HP operated flights come under the Star Alliance banner, you'll get a boatload (overload) of new information and special instructions on how to handle things differently in certain cases.