Trip report from the non-preferred point of view

[KCFlyer]

Just got back from a cruise last night and had the air travel booked thru the cruise line - AA from MCI-SJU and US from SJU-MCI. Back in the coach cabin where most of us non-preferreds end up sitting. Heres the short summary"

1. AA - Clean planes...on time departure...one drink service between DFW and SJU... pretty tight seats.

2. US - Planes appeared to be as clean as the AA planes...two drink services between SJU and CLT...on time departure (and early arrival) from SJU-CLT, 15 minutes late from CLT-MCI, but this was due to about 30 passengers arriving from a Cancun flight that was running late. The captain held the flight for those connections. One drink service. Pretty tight seats.

There you have it - US was very similar to AA in what passengers on the back side of the curtain got. Reading some of the posts on this board, I expected to find an aircraft with filthy seats and graffiti on the walls with an overflowing toilet. Didn't find it. Found the crews attitude to be pleasant and professional.

I will say this - for all the badmouthing from the elites I read, I know of at least 30 people who were thrilled with US yesterday...it being spring break and all, the next flight with any availability between CLT and MCI was not until Tuesday. But they made it home Sunday. Many of them even had their luggage meet them. And it was because of the people involved with those flights. The lowly "liabilities" to the balance sheet....the employees. I don't know if any of those 30 would take time to write to thank those folks, but I thought I'd let you know that it was noticed - and impressive.

 

[Harry Callahan]

Thanks KCFlyer. It is nice to read something good for a change.

 

[USCREW]

The stars must have been aligned perfectly🙂

 

[vantheman63]

I will say this - for all the badmouthing from the elites I read, I know of at least 30 people who were thrilled with US yesterday...it being spring break and all, the next flight with any availability between CLT and MCI was not until Tuesday. But they made it home Sunday. Many of them even had their luggage meet them. And it was because of the people involved with those flights. The lowly "liabilities" to the balance sheet....the employees. I don't know if any of those 30 would take time to write to thank those folks, but I thought I'd let you know that it was noticed - and impressive.

KCFlyer, first off, glad to hear everything went well....for the record, my flights yesterday, BGI-CLT-PVD went well. On time, with luggage, etc.

However, what I don't know is what you paid for this trip.

My personal opinion is, "when you pay $0.10 or less per mile, it's one thing, when you pay $0.20 per mile, which I frequently do, it's another." And I can't stand Snd Castle pricing either, FWIW.

In any case...if your expectations are met then you got a great product and deal. When they are not, it's time to move on....I myself can and will only complain so much. Perhaps that the worst thing....I've moved on and don't care much any more.

 

[KCFlyer]

KCFlyer, first off, glad to hear everything went well....for the record, my flights yesterday, BGI-CLT-PVD went well. On time, with luggage, etc.

However, what I don't know is what you paid for this trip.

My personal opinion is, "when you pay $0.10 or less per mile, it's one thing, when you pay $0.20 per mile, which I frequently do, it's another." And I can't stand Snd Castle pricing either, FWIW.

In any case...if your expectations are met then you got a great product and deal. When they are not, it's time to move on....I myself can and will only complain so much. Perhaps that the worst thing....I've moved on and don't care much any more.

My airfare was paid thru the cruise line - and was NOT among the lowest priced fares available. Not by a long shot. In fact, if I break it down, my fare was about $800 per person for the trip. I fully realize that I was subsidizing some bozo who paid $250 for the trip. Don't like it, but I guess that's life in the big city.

But my point was this - I flew AA one way, US the other. The experience was the same...actually a little BETTER on the US legs. I originally asked my TA to look into first class airfare - he talked me out of it. In retrospect, I have to agree, all the additional money would have bought was more legroom. So yes - if I was paying for first class, I may well have been disappointed. But I find that few folks sitting up front actually PAID the first class fare. I also understand that if someone expects to still fly across the country and back for under $200, the rest of us have to deal with the cuts to make that fare possible

For the record, while you had to buy food on board both AA and US, At least US managed to provision enough to actually serve those who wanted it. The gate agent at DFW (AA) suggested I buy something at the airport, as they usually didn't have enough provisioned for the flight....she was right, they ran out of BOB food about 5 rows ahead of ours. Good thing I had a sandwich in my bag.

 

[longing4piedmont]

I'm glad it went well for you.

Hey...anything is an improvement when you are used to flying the big brown turd....right KC?

 

[SS255]

My brother and I flew from LAX-AVP via PHL on Thursday, returning yesterday (Saturday). The flight was booked less than 24 hours in advance, since it was for a funeral. We paid a total of $670 per person......not too bad for a last-minute booking. We in exit row for the LAX-PHL leg, but we were able to confirm F for the return at the time of booking.

My brother has no status with US, so I got to experience the trip through his eyes. Everything went perfectly smoothly.....either on time or (gasp) EARLY! Even US 1421, on which I have had horrible luck....pushed back 5 minutes early and arrived about 10 minutes early. Granted, the weather was sunny, but it was extremely windy on Thursday at PHL and AVP.

I will summarize my trip with 2 points:

1) People who do not have status really do appreciate the niceties of flying with a companion who does have status. I think sometimes we lose sight of that when we complain. (And I am also guilty of this.)

2) When you are trying to get somewhere for a funeral, alot of other things take a backseat.....like onboard service, coat closets in F, etc. I was just very thankful that US was able to accommodate me and my brother at the last minute, on a holiday weekend, for less than it would have cost me to fly from PHL-BOS, and $400 less per person than what UA wanted. (And UA's schedule was less than ideal.) The fact that everything went 100% smoothly (except for that ultra-rough DASH 8-100 landing at AVP due to heavy winds), far exceeded my expectations.

And the fact that I could make the trip alot more comfortable for my brother, who was terribly distraught over the sudden loss of his "second mother," was much appreciated.

Thank you, US, for coming through for us when it really mattered.

 

[KCFlyer]

Hey...anything is an improvement when you are used to flying the big brown turd....right KC?

Actaully no. One of the "buy on board" snacks that I paid $5 for is free on the big brown turd.

 

[Ignacio]

Actaully no. One of the "buy on board" snacks that I paid $5 for is free on the big brown turd.

Ding Dong Airlines. You have to love them.

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

heartfully appreciative that you were able to find value in your trip kc. :blink:

now...can we have a comparative first class trip report, please? ya know...from the other side of the "curtain"...

recession = kettles don't fly

 

[InternationalShannon]

Even when someone tries to point out that we're not that bad, the people with the ugly attitudes have to throw niceties like "big brown turd" around. How disappointing.

 

[SolidCactus]

The fact that everything went 100% smoothly (except for that ultra-rough DASH 8-100 landing at AVP due to heavy winds), far exceeded my expectations.

Hi SS, isn't landing at AVP always horrible? I swear, 9 times out of 10 our winds are 15 MPH plus, and it just tosses that Dash all over the place. I take it that an airstrip located in a valley surrounded by mountains isn't the most ideal...

Honestly, the US coach experience is not much different from that of any other airline. I actually had coach on CO a few weeks ago and we ran into issues with weather at EWR and I was in coach for about 5 hours on what would normally have been a 3 hr trip, and by the time I got off that plane, I was ready to freak out. I had the middle seat, the plane was hot and I had an overweight guy next to me. I basically had to sit sideways for 5 hrs. In my opinion, I say screw the legroom, give me a wider seat. So to put it into perspective, that coach experience was lousy. I didn't think that I had any more legroom on that CO flight than I did on any US flight.

I fly US Coach a lot. Even though im a Chairman, I'm that guy who always buys tickets the day before, even sometimes the same day. I pay 5 times as much, get middle seats, and usually don't end up upgraded. I can't even buy first because it's all gone.

I really REALLY appreciate upgrades.

 

[galley princess]

Thanks for the kind report.

Actually, you guys are the reason that when I fly domestic, I fly in the back. I have a good time with domestic passengers, because their expectations are appropriate and I don't have this sinking feeling that the service is disappointing. You can't really mess up a beverage service, (although Tempe tries, by not giving you ice or other stuff) and if the stars align and you're on time without a mechanical, then yes, US is as good as anyone.

That's why some of us really wish that they would just jettison the stuff that they're not good at or committed to. If there was no first class, then no more complaints about predeparture beverages, absent coat closets, lousy food and absent tools. In a sense, US would really start to compete then. As it is, the nightmare accountants want their cake and to eat it to. They want to pull all of the cost out of First class, but keep the first class ticket price and still call a somewhat larger seat "First Class". The belated miserly add ons are too little , too late and in a plastic glass.

I won't bore you with the details, but the same is true for our International service. The standard just isn't there. If you don't want to exceed expectations, at least meet the minimum.

Someday, an economics teacher is going to write a chapter on US on how to really mess up a merger.

In the meantime, if you fly coach US, actually that's your best value.

 

[SS255]

Hi SS, isn't landing at AVP always horrible? I swear, 9 times out of 10 our winds are 15 MPH plus, and it just tosses that Dash all over the place. I take it that an airstrip located in a valley surrounded by mountains isn't the most ideal...


I fly US Coach a lot. Even though im a Chairman, I'm that guy who always buys tickets the day before, even sometimes the same day. I pay 5 times as much, get middle seats, and usually don't end up upgraded. I can't even buy first because it's all gone.

I really REALLY appreciate upgrades.

Yes, AVP landings are usually somewhat rough, but this was way beyond what I can ever remember experiencing. I could feel the wind shaking the plane. My mom once sat next to a non-revving pilot who told her that AVP is the hardest airport at which he's ever landed because it is on top of a mountain. Still...I'm a huge advocate of supporting our local airport so we continue to have one; thus, I will endure those awful DASH and CRJ200 flights from PHL, CLT & ORD. (UA flies CRJ200's into AVP, as well.) Plus, I love the descent, when you emerge from the clouds, and there is the Wyoming Valley! 🙂 I got a bird's eye view of the Luzerne County courthouse, the Wachovia Arena.....and my best friend's parents' house at Glenmaura (behind the golf course) as we paralelled I-81. (Sorry for veering off-topic!)

And I hear what you said about the last minute bookings. I usually book well in advance, even when flying for business. But when I had to book a flight with less than 24 hours' notice, F was already full. I don't know if it was full of Silvers or Chairmen....I'll never know....but I really wish they would hold a few seats open for last-minute bookings. Luckily, my outbound flight was right at the 3-day window, so I squeaked in before the Silver window opened up. I guess after all of those transcons where I may have gotten an upgrade at my window at the expense of a CP or PP who booked at the last minute, my karma finally caught up with me!

 

[InternationalShannon]

.

I really REALLY appreciate upgrades.

Meet me at Bravo 13 with a Venti Starbucks. CDL with Extra whip. We can't meet on D, they'll be onto me.

I'll be the one with the FREE UPGRADE for ya.

Oh, botherway, can you tell those people in Tempe that are about to fire me that I'm only kidding. That'd be great. wink wink.