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United CEO and Longtime Director Says Board Missed Signs of Airline’s Decline
CEO of United offers insight to airline's issues since its merger in 2010. (skift.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I also used to fly Continental all the time time from IAH. United's investment bankers nickeled and dimed the airline and service to death. I have friends who are pilots for UAL, and have heard the stories first hand about how horribly UAL has treated it's employees, all to drop a few more pennies to the bottom line. I now fly exclusively SWA domestically. It is the only airline where I get the feeling that almost all of the employees are happy to be there. I will take an unassigned seat with a happy flight crew over an assigned seat with a rude and unhappy flight crew any day.
No shit! I use to fly Continental about 90% of the time and could go non-stop to most cities from Houston. Then they bought, aka merged with United, and moved the headquarters to Chicago, which wasn’t a good move, as higher cost of living and crime, but then again, I believe Continental was the company bailing out United.
Now, booking a flight from Houston, United doesn’t even come up on my radar. Their non-stop flights are usually $100-$200 higher than the rest of the airlines, if it not already booked up, since using a smaller plane. I couldn't even book a same plane 1 stop or non-stop to Anchorage last year, which was a staple in the past, depending on what time of the year, for the non-stop.
Another pisser is that United removed their non-stop Houston to Paris, and now we get saddle using Dulles, Chicago, or Newark, as a connection to Europe. Oh I can fly to London, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt non-stop, but not Paris.... but even those flights are higher price than other airlines. Kicker here is now to Europe, I might need to stop twice, if not going to one of the cities I mentioned before. Yes, I know there is code sharing; however, I just book directly with those airlines, to get a nice 1 stop connection.
So now I am taking Southwest airlines and AA (US Airways) out of Houston, which US Airways has helped out AA, as far as product, which usually I look to go through old US Airways hubs like CLT or PHX, and avoid DFW at all cost. Also, I am taking Turkish airlines to Budapest this year, business class, 1 stop for way cheaper I could with United.
In the end, since the merger, they managed to drive a customer who used them about 90% of the time, to use them twice in the last 5 years. Oh by the way, the United staff are far more rude, compared to the helpful Continental staff and the new website for bookings now sucks, which is reason I took Southwest last week to New Orleans!
Now, booking a flight from Houston, United doesn’t even come up on my radar. Their non-stop flights are usually $100-$200 higher than the rest of the airlines, if it not already booked up, since using a smaller plane. I couldn't even book a same plane 1 stop or non-stop to Anchorage last year, which was a staple in the past, depending on what time of the year, for the non-stop.
Another pisser is that United removed their non-stop Houston to Paris, and now we get saddle using Dulles, Chicago, or Newark, as a connection to Europe. Oh I can fly to London, Amsterdam, or Frankfurt non-stop, but not Paris.... but even those flights are higher price than other airlines. Kicker here is now to Europe, I might need to stop twice, if not going to one of the cities I mentioned before. Yes, I know there is code sharing; however, I just book directly with those airlines, to get a nice 1 stop connection.
So now I am taking Southwest airlines and AA (US Airways) out of Houston, which US Airways has helped out AA, as far as product, which usually I look to go through old US Airways hubs like CLT or PHX, and avoid DFW at all cost. Also, I am taking Turkish airlines to Budapest this year, business class, 1 stop for way cheaper I could with United.
In the end, since the merger, they managed to drive a customer who used them about 90% of the time, to use them twice in the last 5 years. Oh by the way, the United staff are far more rude, compared to the helpful Continental staff and the new website for bookings now sucks, which is reason I took Southwest last week to New Orleans!
United fell apart long before the merger with Continental. The sharp pencil boys (accountants) destroyed the service a nickle and dime at a time. They eliminated items like the button hole in the dinner napkins, priority bags (they had the tags, just no service), and no ground staff after you left the gate.
When they bought the Pacific service from Pan Am they reached the apex of passenger treatment with Royal Pacific Service, but allowed the business model to sink below that of an intercity bus line.
After 9-11 the situation at United went from bad to worse. Passengers dropped from client, to customer, to adversary status, and was treated as such by staff. One could receive more cordial service at the DMV.
In these times there is a cat and mouse game going on with fares, misdirecting websites, and no where to find concise rules and lowest fare classes. The fees are also problematic. Everyone has different bag policies, boarding marching instructions, and food that runs from silly to stupid as far as value goes. Even the First Class food is less appealing than the "chicken or beef" economy offerings of the 60's and 70's.
Oscar should take a few flights on Emirates or Singapore in economy and mandate staff to emulate it on every United and United branded flight. United First can be fixed later.
When they bought the Pacific service from Pan Am they reached the apex of passenger treatment with Royal Pacific Service, but allowed the business model to sink below that of an intercity bus line.
After 9-11 the situation at United went from bad to worse. Passengers dropped from client, to customer, to adversary status, and was treated as such by staff. One could receive more cordial service at the DMV.
In these times there is a cat and mouse game going on with fares, misdirecting websites, and no where to find concise rules and lowest fare classes. The fees are also problematic. Everyone has different bag policies, boarding marching instructions, and food that runs from silly to stupid as far as value goes. Even the First Class food is less appealing than the "chicken or beef" economy offerings of the 60's and 70's.
Oscar should take a few flights on Emirates or Singapore in economy and mandate staff to emulate it on every United and United branded flight. United First can be fixed later.
Pretty much what I was going to say. I got tired of being treated like a piece of meat as a Premier Executive, and walked away from UA about the time of the merger. Been using SWA domestically since, and couldn't be happier.
On SWA we all agree we're on a bus in the sky, and everyone, including the flight crew has a good attitude. Cheaper, more efficient, cleaner airplanes. And nobody promises something they can't, or are not willing to deliver.
On SWA we all agree we're on a bus in the sky, and everyone, including the flight crew has a good attitude. Cheaper, more efficient, cleaner airplanes. And nobody promises something they can't, or are not willing to deliver.
DFW resident here. Southwest is the worst option. Just priced DFW-MCO for September. $240 with AA, $450 with Southwest. Plus, I like seat assignments. I do hear the complaint you have with United often. Continental was a GREAT airline. It sucks United dragged them down.
As for SWA vs AA, I guess it depends on your particular circumstances. I just checked DAL-MCO for mid-September and found some nonstops at $84 each way (and some $84-$104 on Fridays and weekends). And that includes 2 bags. In my experience, if you're reasonably attentive to checking in 24 hrs in advance, you're likely to see the plane less than half full when you board. And for an extra $15 each way, you're pretty much guaranteed a prime seat.
Air France non stop IAH-CDG :)