So let me get this straight. You are all willing to write off the merger because a handful of people on an internet chat board are upset because their ox has gotten around to being gored. I understand that loyal FF's are important because, among other reasons, it should be cheaper to keep a good customer than to find a new one. However, if the cost of the perks narrow the gap to the point that it is no longer cheaper, then those perks need to be re-evaluated. Now unreturned calls and e-mails are indefensible, but if someone is willing to hold a grudge over not getting some re-heated meal on their flight to the point that they'll sit waiting for a connection in ORD rather than take a non-stop, then I think they need to join the rest of the airline world in adjusting their expectations.
LCC is not just a re-painted old U. It's an airline that is set out to provide decent value to the customer. "Carrier of Choice"?, We'll let the customers decide. The triage that U is undergoing may be messy and it may seem like it's taking forever, but it is vital for the airline's survival. It took far more than 6 months and 2Bil to get U in the mess it was, so I say take LCC for what it is and base your support (or lack of) on what's going on today, both good and bad, and let the nostalgia rest.
As for multiple DOT reports, that seems like a counterproductive way to get the company's attention. If that leads to reduced bookings and resultant belt-tightening just to survive, do you think the money that goes into sweetening FF programs will be there, or will it be spent giving away $39 seats just to regain lost ground? The people running this airline have not forgotten who has the most influence. Yet everyone from management to shareholders to labor and customer representitives want to believe that they are that person and spend way too much time and effort trying to prove it to themselves. Open dialog with reaonable expectations goes alot farther than shaming the airline with the DOT.
