Say goodbye to First Class on UAL

[eaglesview]

So also what you are saying, and I agree "A non-rev should NEVER be in First Class ... NEVER. The coach passenger with the most miles in the bank should receive the complemantary (suprise) upgrade allowing a non-rev to take their coach seat.

I agree ... completely. No non-rev should ever receive a premium cabin seat if there is a paying passenger who would have liked to receive the free upgrade. This entire business is not about the labor force, it is about the paying customer !!

TransMach

Let's see, judging by your profile you are not an airline employee. You probanly airline a lot and want YOUR caboose in the airline seat and NEVER (your word) hava an airline employee in the seat. My occasional upgrade will never come close to making up the 300K I lost in ESOP stock alone let alone the 35% paycut. You will have to excuse us airline employees who don't feel real bad about getting the occasional upgrade.

 

[aewanabe]

TM, 100 percent wrong. 1000 percent maybe. Passengers whom have earned the right to upgrade through their elite FF status will most likely be in F or J anyway. Note this is DIFFERENT than upgrading passengers from Y if it's oversold; to my knowledge no US airline will take employees in a front cabin while leaving Y pax at the gate. I've been bumped from numerous AA, UA, and DL flights in demonstration of this.

After that, absolutely fill the big seats with non-revs. One of the few decent perks left. You like to say the airline is about the customer; if you take great care of your employees most will take great care of the customers in turn. Non-status pax whom would like to sit upfront can fly more to earn the miles, or *gasp* buy the actual F-class seat! Now there's a concept...

 

[GogglesPisano]

Ummm, you need to go back and re-read the original post.

I should have been more specific. The thread creap we were discussing involved upgrading paying pax vs non-revs. thanks.

 

[propdog]

So also what you are saying, and I agree "A non-rev should NEVER be in First Class ... NEVER. The coach passenger with the most miles in the bank should receive the complemantary (suprise) upgrade allowing a non-rev to take their coach seat.

Some airlines have tried this before....but failed. But they found out they are losing revenue by offering their premium product for grabs at the gate. Many frequent customers stopped buying the full-fare FC product in hope of getting upgraded. If you want to get upgraded on a domestic segment, come try your luck if you are a frequent flyer. But if you think you can snag a $12,000 FC seat from LAX-SYD at the gate after having paid just $1,500 in coach...you are way off. Airlines do what brings them most revenue....and the current policy works for them. For corporate pilots with high miles on their frequent account; airlines are not going to change their policy to help you snag an almost free premium seat on an international flight. Like your company, our company is in the business of making money too.

And to the corporate pilots...let me tell you this too. Your company buys you tickets on deadheads. Sometimes you get business class tickets, sometimes coach tickets. My company does the same for me. They 'buy' me business class tickets (space available) on our own metal as part of my employment package. They 'buy' me confirmed business class tickets on international deadheads. They 'buy' me confirmed coach tickets (upgradable to first) on domestic deadheads. This has been an industry standard for airlines around the world for decades....especially for pilots. If that is so important for you, try putting your resume in next time they hire.

 

[Mr.B]

Due to a misguided sense of entitlement.

So when ANAgives all the jobs to the Nipponjin job (ala JAL), will you be singing the same tune?

Thought so.

 

[Mr.B]

some airlines have tried this before....but failed. But they found out they are losing revenue by offering their premium product for grabs at the gate. Many frequent customers stopped buying the full-fare fc product in hope of getting upgraded. If you want to get upgraded on a domestic segment, come try your luck if you are a frequent flyer. But if you think you can snag a $12,000 fc seat from lax-syd at the gate after having paid just $1,500 in coach...you are way off. Airlines do what brings them most revenue....and the current policy works for them. For corporate pilots with high miles on their frequent account; airlines are not going to change their policy to help you snag an almost free premium seat on an international flight. Like your company, our company is in the business of making money too.

And to the corporate pilots...let me tell you this too. Your company buys you tickets on deadheads. Sometimes you get business class tickets, sometimes coach tickets. My company does the same for me. They 'buy' me business class tickets (space available) on our own metal as part of my employment package. They 'buy' me confirmed business class tickets on international deadheads. They 'buy' me confirmed coach tickets (upgradable to first) on domestic deadheads. This has been an industry standard for airlines around the world for decades....especially for pilots. If that is so important for you, try putting your resume in next time they hire.

well said sir!