Say goodbye to First Class on UAL

[The Prussian]

Not good news. Wanta guess where this is headed? Take a look...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCz8he36hsk

 

[GogglesPisano]

Can anyone explain why a non-rev should get first class ahead of a loyal paying customer? Thanks.

If a loyal paying customer paid for a coach seat, why would he be entitled to a first class seat?

Non-revs, on the other hand, are collecting on a perk of employment -- either their employment or the employment of a friend or family member. Lots of professions and industries provide perks to their employees. We could spend all day discussing what perks various employers provide to employees. If I go to a sporting event I don't complain if an employee of the team gets an occasional prime seat when I've paid for the nosebleed section. When a restaurant employee gets a great meal for free I don't get upset when I pay for -- and receive -- the $10.99 special. Let's not even mention the obsceneties at Goldman Sachs.

With all the raping and pillaging of airline employees since 9/11, I think we ought to at least leave them this one perk.

It really is that simple.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Can anyone explain why a non-rev should get first class ahead of a loyal paying customer?

Thanks.

Due to a misguided sense of entitlement.

 

[HockleyPilot]

The air fares they are paying don't even cover the cost of flying their sorry asses in coach, now you want to see them in first class? Whats the matter with you? You'd be great in management. Coming up with even more ideas to screw over labor out of the last few perks that remain. Giving non-revers the available first class seats is the least the airlines can do for the piss poor wages and the the pay cuts and loss of pensions they have forced upon us. And you want to give them to the leaches that pay 200 to 300 for a roundtrip ticket. The mentality of some people never ceases to amaze me!

Yea, I am management. You got me. Darn.

All I was saying is that United treats their pax like crap and maybe they can convince a few of them to buy first next time.

I don't know what people (you, nonrev's) are so concerned about first anyway for? There really isn't much difference from coach to first on UA other than the seats. Most have to pay for them, so whats the point?

The bigger reason UA should be concerned with is why so many first class seats are empty to begin with. Because the product sucks. Atleast Delta's is coming back around.

Later, jump to the conclusion guy.

 

[pipejockey]

Can anyone explain why a non-rev should get first class ahead of a loyal paying customer?

Thanks.

How about this...because since 2001 pilots have taken 50% pay cuts, more if they were displaced to FO, lost pensions, have had reduced quality if life, and are worked more now than they have ever been! Now you want us to give up one of the last perks we have on this job? Whats the matter with you? What is the extent of what you would have us give up? As a few other people have posted, far fewer than I would have hoped, many companies provide some perks associated with their employment in lieu of higher salary. And as I said earlier, most so called "paying customers" don't even pay a fare that covers the CASM.

If there is any misguided sense of entitlement issues that abound, they stem from the passengers who feel they are entitled to be offered an airfare that has pretty much stayed the same for 30 years. Airline labor has been raped for 8 years and some want us to give up even more. Utterly amazing, and beyond belief.

 

[GogglesPisano]

Lots of self-loathing on this thread.

 

[barnyard]

If a loyal paying customer paid for a coach seat, why would he be entitled to a first class seat?

It's not about entitlement, it's about treating your CUSTOMERS as well as you possibly can.

When you put a uniformed crew member (int'l crew rest arguments aside...) in a first class seat and then parade 125 PAYING customers on by to wedge them selves into their seats, your airline has just pissed off 125 PAYING customers. It doesn't matter what they paid, hell a full Y fare can be more than a FC fare in some circumstances. Hell I've seen 219$ FC fares before, you can bet your a$s there are coach customers that have paid more than that.

I'm not advocating that anyone lose their 'perks' but to say that an airline employee is entitled to a FC seat over a paying customer is asinine. Just another example of why service on US airlines at best a joke- the attitude that your CUSTOMERS are just cattle to be herded around.

Why can't the airline find a deserving soul for the FC seat and put the non-rev in the back? When a gate agent offers me FC, I'll say no thanks, or, if there is someone deserving in the boarding area as in a servicemember or a vet, then they get the FC seat offered to me. The most deserving was the woman holding the folded American flag.

-Barnyard

 

[Abernathy]

Wow, something customer service oriented, what a shock. I could never figure why they didn't do this before.

Because then no frequent flier would ever pay full fare for a first class domestic ticket. They would just sit standby hoping for a shot at a first class seat for the coach fare. The airline would inevitably lose the customer that would have paid a grand or two for the first class ticket but instead went "fu** it" and got the same seat standby for coach fare.

 

[thruthemurk]

It's not about entitlement, it's about treating your CUSTOMERS as well as you possibly can.

When you put a uniformed crew member (int'l crew rest arguments aside...) in a first class seat and then parade 125 PAYING customers on by to wedge them selves into their seats, your airline has just pissed off 125 PAYING customers. It doesn't matter what they paid, hell a full Y fare can be more than a FC fare in some circumstances. Hell I've seen 219$ FC fares before, you can bet your a$s there are coach customers that have paid more than that.

I'm not advocating that anyone lose their 'perks' but to say that an airline employee is entitled to a FC seat over a paying customer is asinine. Just another example of why service on US airlines at best a joke- the attitude that your CUSTOMERS are just cattle to be herded around.

Why can't the airline find a deserving soul for the FC seat and put the non-rev in the back? When a gate agent offers me FC, I'll say no thanks, or, if there is someone deserving in the boarding area as in a servicemember or a vet, then they get the FC seat offered to me. The most deserving was the woman holding the folded American flag.

-Barnyard

You may have a different opinion when the ink on your license dries.

 

[barnyard]

You may have a different opinion when the ink on your license dries.

Nice try.

I notice you don't try to argue or refute my points. Got anything constructive to add???

 

[CA1900]

If a loyal paying customer paid for a coach seat, why would he be entitled to a first class seat?

Because it's a specifically loyalty benefit in their frequent-flier program.

 

[aewanabe]

Barnyard, it's called dilution of product. Airlines that upgrade their Elite-level FFs have a set procedure to do so, and it's done ahead of non-revs. Elites typically can use mileage instruments, sticker-type products, or system-wide upgrades to get that Business-class seat. If said Elite(s) does not feel that particular flight is worth using the upgrade instrument, then it goes to a non-rev, or out empty.

If we constantly upgrade pax just for being there (CO, NW, DL, and now soon UA domestic aside for elites), there is zero incentive for passengers in the know to spend money on a product they will most likely receive for free. With a few exceptions, elite level FFs are savvy about flying and about non-revs being offered First, and most don't care. The other 200 pax who are "pissed off" about the crewmember in First aren't likely to ever give the airline enough business to earn the upgrade.

 

[GogglesPisano]

Because it's a specifically loyalty benefit in their frequent-flier program.

Understood. I believe we were discussing upgrading run-of-the-mill coach pax ahead of a non-rev or vice-versa -- not FF's.

 

[propdog]

You may have a different opinion when the ink on your license dries.

I think he is a corporate pilot-hence the attitude against employee Business/First travel.

I fly all over the world in FC....it is part of my employment package. I agree with upgrading elite/platinum members on domestic flights. But international....it is a whole different story. It is an airline's premium product...and they charge a premium for it. Airlines have asked routine FC passengers their opinion on passenger upgrades....they absolutely do not want a coach passenger paying 1/5th of what they paid in a nearby seat. The majority of them don't mind an employee...they have travelled enough to understand employee perks. If they get pissed off seeing me in my pilot uniform sitting in business class, tough $hit....I don't get pissed off at my doctor for parking his Mercedez in the VIP parking spot at the hospital.

That said, I treat my FC privilege with respect. I usually dress in business attire for personal travel. I have helped FAs with some cabin-pax issues. I once was invited to the flight deck as they wanted an extra oipnion with a fuel system problem....I was glad to be of some help. At the end of the day....a pilot upfront in business is a great asset.

 

[CA1900]

Because it's a specifically loyalty benefit in their frequent-flier program.

er... "specific," I meant.

Understood. I believe we were discussing upgrading run-of-the-mill coach pax ahead of a non-rev or vice-versa -- not FF's.

Ah, OK -- that's indeed different.