US Tanks in SmarterTravel.com Reader’s Choice Awards

[N965VJ]

Least Favorite Domestic Airline
by SmarterTravel.com Staff - October 27, 2008
<SNIP>

Winner: US Airways

US Airways just can't win with SmarterTravel readers, who've also said it's the airline with the dirtiest cabins and gave it the worst ranking in the customer service, in-seat comfort, baggage service, on-time service, and standard economy section categories.

Linkage

Dirtiest cabin, too!

 

[FWAAA]

It's probably just a coordinated effort to smear US by a few disgruntled former US CPs and Plats, probably led by the Ffocus group. The airline is actually well-liked and respected by its current high-yield business customers.

 

[SS255]

I was surprised to see that WN won Best Value Frequent Flyer program. I certainly do not agree with this result, unless WN has changed their rules so that points do not expire.

I think what it boils down to is managing expectations, and WN really IS the winner at that!

 

[luvthe9]

Well, some people out there like us, my last 3 day trip was full everyday. (And no complaints that I heard)

 

[N965VJ]

Well, some people out there like us, my last 3 day trip was full everyday. (And no complaints that I heard)

A hundred times on the blackboard: “Full loads do not mean profitabilityâ€￾

I’m glad to hear the Kettles aren’t chewing out the front line staff for being a crappy airline, though.

 

[Art at ISP]

It's probably just a coordinated effort to smear US by a few disgruntled former US CPs and Plats, probably led by the Ffocus group. The airline is actually well-liked and respected by its current high-yield business customers.

FWAAA,

I stand corrected in my earlier post--I now get the sarcasm, and withdraw my objection to the above post.

To those US folks reading, however,

Maybe if your SENIOR management decided that good loyal customers who spend tens of thousands a year on US were an ASSET rather than a LIABILITY, there would have been a different outcome.

MANY if not MOST high yield business travelers have left US for other carriers--for a number of reasons..and most of you know what they are.

US is no longer competitive with other full service carriers--for similar fares, frequent travelers WILL go elsewhere.

 

[FWAAA]

Art: I sincerely apologize for not making the sarcasm more evident in my post. It wasn't meant to be a serious attack. A facetious response? Yes. Serious? No.

I just wanted to get the jump on the typical apologists.

Please accept my apologies.

 

[LCC_#1]

FWAAA,

I take personal offense at your comment. FFOCUS is an ADVOCACY group. We speak up on issues good and bad. The issue is that management could care less about high yield customers--the few you have left.

No offense, Art, but I know of few FFOCUS members that aren't constantly fueling the hate US Airways fires. Whether here or FT, all I ever see if anyone farts is WRITE THE DOT!! The American public believes anything they read as it is. When there is constant biiatching about US, most will assume the worse. You and a few may truly be advocates, but MANY are nothing but trouble makers acting like they are concerned and trashing the company at the same time.

 

[tadjr]

Just like I wont rah rah 100% for the company, I cant agree 100% with the poll results in some categories either. A couple of categories have me confused and wonder who voted and how much is accurate (other than the Perception of the voter).

At least for the readers who voted in our poll, perception and reality are totally different when it comes to on-time service, except for their view of Southwest, the airline voted the best. According to DOT reports measuring the percentage of on-time arrivals between August 2007 and August 2008, Southwest had the second best record of U.S. airlines, following Hawaiian, an airline not included in this category because of its relatively small size. On the other hand, the second place and honorable mention airlines in this category, Continental and JetBlue, turned out to have the 10th and 14th best on-time records, respectively, in the DOT report of 19 airlines. US Airways, which readers voted last in on-time service, was actually ranked number 3 by the DOT. Perhaps SmarterTravel readers' memories are haunted by bad memories from 2007 when US Airways' on-time performance was abysmal.

This could be one explanation as to why we ranked so low in On Time when we actually havent been that bad this year.

IFE-Southwest has no in-flight entertainment and so was excluded from this category.

Voting Breakdown:

Northwest............2.77%
US Airways.........2.71%

I thought NW also didnt have IFE on domestic flights? If so, how did they rank ahead of US in this category too or do they still offer it on some planes and therefore ALL the smartertravel readers were on a NW IFE plane or are the results possible skewered?
Just makes me wonder about the rest of the results (good and bad) and how they came up with the results when these two categories appear to be out of whack. I agree with a lot of the poll info, but if you're going to be honest about things, then be honest about them when there is some good that happens otherwise it makes me question the intent and honesty of some of the poll responders.

 

[DCaf]

I take personal offense at your comment. FFOCUS is an ADVOCACY group. We speak up on issues good and bad. The issue is that management could care less about high yield customers--the few you have left.

First of all Art, you fire back at FWAAA as if he is a US employee, and although I don't know for sure, I've always assumed from the condescension and snottiness, and his "handle", that he worked for AA. He, or she, just bops over to the US board to stir the pot a little. Anyway, not important, just an aside. But here's my main point.

I gather from all your posts that you were a happy US customer prior to the merger, with lots of perks that have since been taken away. I understand your displeasure. I'd be ticked off too, but I think I would just move on to some other airline that made me happy. I know you've flown WN, but the tone of your posts suggests you still long for the olden days of USAirways. I don't think they're coming back. With all due respect Art.

 

[sharktooth]

Your observation supports Art, myself and others are always preaching "Perception is reality". It's no longer enough in modern business to be on-time or the cheapest fare. You have to balance all of the factors in order to create a perception of value for dollars spent.

Indeed. The information age has created a new metric for winning, that of perception.

Old institutions (the Pentagon) have trouble changing, therefore their "body-count" metric from centuries ago did them no good in Vietnam, where the battle for hearts and minds was like a vague mosquito bite to them. Ignoring that led to the American loss. Actually, that problem is still alive with the Bush/Cheney marvelous adventure in Iraq, the problem which still lives amongst the "spreadsheet gurus" of Temple City. They still think that "numbers" trump all, ignoring that global opinion has a much broader and more intelligent outlook, and, the numbers crunchers will lose, yet again.

Unfortunately, if the employees allow this to occur, they will lose; salary, seniority and benefits.

 

[vantheman63]

Funny...I saw this today and sighed, then chuckled...

Isn't the "positioning" for the Tempe crowd..."carrier of choice?" And, "on time, reliability and cleanliness" or something?

Is this airline succeeding at ANYTHING? LOL

Oh well....first time I've checked in here in a while since I really don't fly US unless there is no other way to get from point A to point B.

$17K spent on buzzing around from August 15 to October 15...85% went to CO....14% went to WN...and then one ticket, an SMF-PVD O/W that I paid $0.06 per mile went to US....in F none-the-less as I finish up my last year as a CP.

Anyway...doesn't look like much has changed...headed to MAD next week on US....in Envoy...that will be interesting.

 

[delta777]

Much like LCC's decision to delay delivery of the A350, why am i not surprised.

 

[DrBeth]

It is my understanding that this poll was completed by 10,000 readers. And if I had been one of them, I probably would have agreed with the "awards" given to US, unfortunately. My experiences have been similar.

 

[john john]

"Perception is reality". It's no longer enough in modern business to be on-time or the cheapest fare. You have to balance all of the factors in order to create a perception of value for dollars spent.

You just mention Southwest without saying their name