You may also find it interesting that if/when we vote on the boarding issue I will vote for FCFS, but about why I'm flying UA over AA in Europe, have you seen AAs European network? Its pitiful, bottom line is AA doesn't go where we need to go in Europe. We have an apt in a city where AA doesn't fly, neither does US so I will continue flying UA in the meantime. And yes UA does give us free vacation passes but what does that have to do with DOH or FCFS? I hope we get as break on our pass charges but that still does not have anything to do with boarding priority. Also even after the merger we are still smaller in Europe then UA and AA/US don't fly where we need to go. Maybe that will change but we will wait and see. I agree AA gouges us on the pass charges, but maybe that will be one of the few pluses in the merger.
You made the argument in your original posting that you prefer FCFS so that "junior people get a shot at getting on".
But then you made a second statement (AA's poor European network coverage aside) that even though your partner is "not that senior" you still make your flights on UA - a DOH airline.
In my opinion, your second statement about your (wonderful and successful!) DOH boarding experiences on UA mitigates your first statement in support of FCFS, and actually supports a conclusion that with DOH "junior people also get a shot at getting on.
That was my only point. Your two statements appear to indicate that
both FCFS and DOH allow junior people a shot at getting on...your preference for FCFS duly noted.
Maybe my point got muddled by being mixed with the information about AA's poor European coverage (US flies to more European destinations out of PHL than AA does out of JFK...Oops! There I go again!), and the information about AA's egregious (nay onerous) charging of its employees up the wazoo for "non-revenue" flight benefits. (flame off...)
FCFS/DOH Statistics from
American Airline drops below 60,000 employees for the first time since 1987:
AA 59,574 employees (FTE) FCFS
WN 45,861 employess (FTE) FCFS
UA 83,383 employees (FTE) DOH
DL 72,529 emplyeees (FTE) DOH
US 30,310 employees (FTE) DOH
If I have done the calculations correctly, among the major US arlines, 64% of FTE (full-time equivalent) employees (the majority) presently enjoy DOH boarding, while just 36% enjoy FCFS.
Both systems appears to work - in union and non-union shops - and no one under DOH appears to be suffering under some alleged (not by you) unfairness due to US union loving entitlement embracing last minute listing commuting slugs making it impossible for junior ("not my fault you are as old as dirt") people to get a shot at getting on...just to make crazy day trips.
For US/AA it will be what it will eventually be, but the (present) data indicates the majority of the FTE employees of the majors fly daily (justly or unjustly) under DOH and do just fine.
I, like you, hope US/AA vastly improves its European coverage and stops relying on BA and Terminal 5 at LHR to connect pax. I also hope AA's employee travel charges are disposed of promptly. This D2T issue appears to be absolute madness, but I guess its been working at AA for years and AA'ers just love it. (Maybe it's a Pavlovian response)
God Bless US AAll and God Bless the US/AA!
