why is United so cheap?

[Flopgut]

Bananas: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World (author Chapman) is a great book btw.

 

[Andy]

So it sounds like everyone here is recommending catering every regional flight with a full complement of food to win over more passengers. Lose money on every flight, but make up for it in volume.

 

[wms]

It's been working for successful airlines, because you can charge for it. Managers in most industries are learning that value is more important than cheap to most consumers. Managers come up with the ideas, bean counters either figure out how to pay for it or tell the managers it's unaffordable.

 

[bladeusa]

Byob..

 

[SpauldingSmails]

So it sounds like everyone here is recommending catering every regional flight with a full complement of food to win over more passengers. Lose money on every flight, but make up for it in volume.

Well, if we are to believe that a $10 basket of crap on a flight is going to make or break an airline - we're going to have a hell of a time trying to get a raise now, aren't we?

 

[Andy]

Well, if we are to believe that a $10 basket of crap on a flight is going to make or break an airline - we're going to have a hell of a time trying to get a raise now, aren't we?

There's already a basket of crap that costs at least $10 on all United flights with F, including regionals. What's being advocated is to have $30 baskets of crap on regionals. So instead of throwing out an average of $3 worth of crap at the end of a flight, you guys want the airline to throw away $20 worth of crap at the end of each regional flight.

 

[RT8VA]

I am going to have to go with Andy on this one, as a commuter I don't honestly see much of a difference between airlines other than I avoid the E-145 because it is uncomfortable. Having a vending machine worth of crap that we throw out after a flight just so some one has an extra snack seems like a waste to me. It's basically statistics and the fact that we aren't ever going to lose a customer over a banana. If we had a full plate up there every one on here would be complaining about how we piss away money on too much food, ie you will find a board full of people here that know how to run every thing better with out thinking about the consequences down the road of every decision that is made.

 

[Bringupthebird]

Of course there's the awkward reality that someone who earns over twice what the FA makes is swiping a banana from her basket, a crime she might likely lose her job over if she got caught doing it.

I agree with BYOB.