Let me count the ways why
airline travel is no fun anymore. TSA inspections of luggage are now a
necessary invasion of our privacy. Passengers often become sick from
poorly filtered cabin air. Seat pitch is often so narrow as to not only
be uncomfortable but often unhealthy. Food ... there is no food. Paying
for your luggage to accompany you is ridiculous. Paying for a window
seat is even more ridiculous. Boarding in numbered waves is cumbersome
and irritating. Mileage plans offered by the airlines are such a joke
that TV ads make fun of them, and fares are often adjusted up or down on
a daily basis.
Oh, the joys of airline flight.
Re. Ralph Nader's letter to United CEO, Jeff Smisek
Dear FlyersRights:
Apparently
Smisek either never observed or listened to Gordon Bethune, CEO of
Continental, who, along with COO Greg Brenneman, pulled the airline
back from the brink of a third bankruptcy in 1995 with their famous "go
forward" plan. It's recounted in Bethune's book about it published in
1997, "From Worst to First". Bethune replaced the infamous Frank
Lorenzo, who for almost twenty years, ran the cheapest, worst airline in
the business. Continental was a horrible joke. Bethune is quoted as
saying "Anybody can make a pizza without cheese. But who's gonna buy
it?" Bethune actually was an airline guy. He was an airframe mechanic,
a pilot, and ultimately ran the 737 Division of Boeing. Brenneman was a
financial wizard. They made a great team and built Continental into a
once again great airline. It's about revenue from services rendered,
not costs.
Smisek
was hired to be Continental's General Counsel. He is a lawyer who
doesn't give a damn about employees or customers. All he cares about is
his immediate paycheck, his bonuses, and his stock options, as well as
keeping his Bots of Directors happy. He inherited the top job at
Continental when Bethune, then later his successor Larry Kellner
retired. Smisek engineered the United merger secretly then shafted the
City of Houston by moving the remaining corporate people to Chicago
without any discussion with Houston officials beforehand. And when
Southwest Airlines proposed building a new terminal at Houston Hobby 3
years into the future to service the Caribbean and Latin America, Smisek
said it would harm operations in Houston and they'd have to cut back
operations at IAH. The day after Houston City Council approved the deal
with Southwest over United's objections, United laid off 1200
Houston-based employees in retaliation. So much for future cutbacks. If
the new Southwest flights to Latin America were 3 years away, why was
it that United needed to instantly lay off people?
The
people who run United Airlines are cut from the same cloth as Frank
Lorenzo. Ruthless, bean-counting, cost-cutting, greedy, and don't
really care about good service or their customers. In the end they will
pay dearly for their business stupidity.
-RC
Dear FlyersRights,
Although
a long and loyal UA traveler, as you are aware, I am among several
people I know who are also long and loyal UA travelers that are
concerned w/the direction of UA, under Jeff. I am going to write him
this week about some of the same items Mr. Nader wrote. Having said
this, I am not surprised w/the policies he has implemented, inasmuch, as
he did the same at CO before the merger and his training is finance
and economics, to the supply side, aka "trickle down" economics, aka
Ronnie-the-Teflon-president-
Reagan!!!!
-MH
Dear FlyersRights,
I understand that
families may now be at a disadvantage by not being able to board
first. However, they do permit them to board AFTER the first wave of
passengers so that they can still obtain seating together. They don't
have to wait so long that they have to split up. I for one am glad they
can no longer board first. It was getting so bad that other
passengers, including those of us willing to pay the $12.50, were at a
big disadvantage. My point was, everything isn't great with any one
airline. But if all you do is criticize, even those airlines that
still give the flyer a few breaks, then who is going to listen to you?
Probably not even Congress unless you are even-handed in your
approach.
Now,
a description of a recent flight experience: I've not flown Allegiant
for 13 years. Harrah's used to use them for charter flights to their
casinos years ago, and I flew them on Harrah's ticket back then. Well,
I saw an ad for $33 each way from Austin to Vegas. Of course I knew
ahead of time that there would be add-ons. I paid for my seat
assignments, my carryon luggage, and early bird boarding. In fact, on
both ends I was the first person to board. That $66 ticket ended up
costing $140.00, but that was still $190 cheaper than the closest
competitor. I should add that the seats don't recline (I'm fat but
short, so this doesn't bother me in the least); all beverages and snacks
cost $$; but other than that I liked saving that amount of money.
This was the cheapest flight I've ever had for the distance, and I've
been flying for 45 years. The leg room was ample, even on Row 21,
although the seating was narrow. At least I didn't have to use my seat
belt extender, ha! ONE BIG DRAWBACK: Allegiant, going all the way
back to those charter flights 13 years ago and extending to today, has a
policy of NOT turning on the air until well into the flight after
takeoff. Both then and now passengers were sweltering on board. Now
THAT I don't appreciate.
-RS
