"Modern" airline seating
I read the other day about how airlines are having trouble capturing and keeping business travelers. Airline travel represents even more of a buyer’s market than in previous years, according to media reports. Being a Premier Executive flyer on United (a lofty title until you consider the titles “above” me, and I’m still not permitted to use that coveted ‘red carpet’), I thought I would call United and discuss my upcoming business. I observe that while I am a Premier Executive, I almost never get upgraded in cross-country flights. There are simply higher classes of frequent flier who get in line ahead of me. Now, I think this is completely fair – the people who are flying 100,000 miles a year are entitled to ‘dibs’ on seats and service that respect the human condition. However, if this is a buyer’s market, perhaps it is time to review the relationship. This review is also based on some new personal circumstances discussed below.
What do I get as a Premier Executive?
1) The regular economy seats in United provide a profoundly inhumane experience, but are required in order to create an additional class: Economy Plus. You cannot have Economy Plus without Economy. One must provide steerage class seating in order to prod you into an impulse buy, hoping to avoid lower limb thrombosis. As a Premier Executive, I can reserve Economy Plus seats for no cost and in advance. Check!
Buttock View Section
2) While I cannot use the Red Carpet entry (reserved for 1st, business class, Global Services, 1K members), I get to board ahead of Seating Area 1 (think on that for a second: every flight has reasonable people confused that the number one on their ticket does not mean they board first). Why does this matter? Because of the consistently “limited overhead storage” that leads to some unfortunates being forced to check their carry-on luggage – adding 20 minutes to their flight experience on the receiving end in some cases. I don’t have that problem, because I can board first and get my bag into the overhead nearest my seat; a luxury when exiting the aircraft. Check!
So the benefit of being a Premier Executive amounts to this: I get to avoid the miserable flying experience of the people behind me both on line and on the plane. My experience is still mediocre, with no laptop power, no on-demand video, no internet access, uncomfortable armrests, etc. But at least I’m better off than those people back by the lavatories (given the ratio of lavatories to passengers, I call this the Buttock View Section).
Now, I have a new employment situation that will find me on an airplane virtually every week. Since airlines were eager to get business traveler dollars, and I have a lot of business coming up over the next few years, I thought I would engage my current vendor. I offered a modest proposal: Since I would be a higher class flier in a matter of months at my current rate of travel (1k), why not grant me the status now to ensure I continue to procure the services of United for these next few years? Yes, this is unfair to the existing 1K members, and therefore perhaps untenable, but I thought having an idea would help the United rep get creative in her attempt to keep my business. Even if advancing me to 1K early is not “aligned with United policy,” what ideas would she offer to keep my business?
I will spare you the extended phone call, I’m certain you can recreate the experience for yourselves and be fairly accurate. Bottom line: the entire conversation was about their policy. The poor lass was left telling me how important I was to United, while offering absolutely no reason for me to continue buying her product offering. I mentioned the in-flight experience as compared to other airlines – on-demand video on JetBlue and Virgin America, Internet access on Virgin America – and her only response was to talk up the Internet access in the Red Carpet Club. (Two problems there: These clubs are all on the GROUND and membership would cost me over $300/year.)
Personal Preference
My advice to the United Airlines Owners (employees) is this: We have come a long way since Henry Ford was able to offer any color of car, so long as it was black. If you continue to engage your customers by simply repeating your “policy,” and ignoring customer-centric approaches to business, you will lose. You are about to lose me. Does that matter?
For my new job, I commute from DC to San Francisco. If I flew every week, that would be 251,576 miles per year. If every other week, the miles would be 125,788. Currently, I’m flying every week – a pace that will continue for at least the next six months. Yes, I will be a 1K member in a few months – but United’s failure to consider loyalty strategies that are based on something other than schadenfreude regarding my unfortunate fellow travelers is a potentially fatal flaw.
For all other airlines: Does anyone out there need a frequent flier? I have approximately 200k miles per year for the winning conversation. You may reach me in the comments section below.
8 Comments
Hi John,
I just read your post and can sympathize with your experience! It would be great to chat if you wouldn’t mind. I manage the loyalty program at Virgin America and would be happy to discuss your situation. Please feel free to contact me with any available time.
Best wishes,
Brett
For those curious, yes – Brett and I are chatting offline this week. For those less curious, yes – this is how to run a 21st century business, at least from a marketing and customer service point of view. Good first impression, I’ll let yas know how it goes.
Bravo Brett! As a fellow Premier Exec I can sympathize with John’s situation. I look forward to hearing the outcome – it’s refreshing to see Virgin embrace the current trends in marketing for the socially networked age.
As a former 1k flyer with United, Virgin America remains my airline of choice for domestic travel, my only regret is their limited route selection.
Having recently flown United and even worse, American, I can attest that domestic business air travel (read: economy) is a torturous and miserable experience. Where do these airline employees take their customer service training, Fry’s?
How did American might permit this situation to degenerate into the cesspool that is domestic US air service today?
What you’re complaining about is endemic to the squeeze every dollar mentality created by your Republigoon friends over the last ten years. Pay employees peanuts, and this is what you get. Make saving $10 on a flight more important than service, and this is what you get.
You’re anger at United is misdirected. All the airlines have similar and worse problems. Flying SFO to DC, you don’t have many choices if your time is worth anything. Expecting a return to the 1950’s is a ludicrous expectation.
You’re begging for in-flight video (on some tiny, unwatchable screen) shows just what an ignorant jerk you are. Get an iPad. Meals? Even when they were plentiful, they were never good. It isn’t a restaurant, or a movie theater. It’s transportation.
I would bet everyone will have in-flight internet access shortly – as you know even UA is offering it on PS flights, as a test. Get all the in-flight entertainment junk off the planes and let people get their own, personal experience.
Expecting UA to give you 1K status based on your plans to fly at 1K level “sometime in the future” is just typical of Republigoon greed. Put in the miles like everyone else, sport.
My anger at United may have been misdirected, but your vitriol directed at me is just puzzling. Aside from the (misplaced) political silliness, you appear somewhat ignorant of airlines flown by other countries – most of whom have not forgotten how to create a tolerable experience in the air.
Also, I never expected UA to grant me advance status – although they have done this in the past, you should know. I simply provided them with the business opportunity. Thanks for your comment, and I’ll get back to putting in the miles on Virgin.
Comparing US airlines to foreign carriers is just ignorant.
Most of these carriers are subsidized by their home governments in some way – Emirates, Singapore, Malaysian, Air India, etc. Easy to run a “high service” airline when you don’t have to worry about the bottom line.
And service standards in foreign countries can be higher because they don’t have unions and/or onerous labor laws to deal with. SQ for example – the FA’s get one five-year contract and then they’re out. Find a husband or move into management, the only two choices. And most of the foreign carriers pay a pittance compared to the inflated union contracts in the US.
Look at Japan Airlines, flying in an Asian market with all of these issues stacked against it – now bankrupt.
UA should have granted you a “challenge match”, but I’m quite sure due to the pending merger with CO everything has been disrupted.
Just one observation: Virgin America is not a foreign airline.