United recently announced a number of fleet changes that will be welcome news to elites at the 1K and Global Services level, clearly listening to customer feedback. Will American follow suit?
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Adding Premium Seats Back to Planes
In the past two weeks, United made a few announcements regarding the number of premium seats they are adding back to their fleet. This is welcome news for frequent flyers as well as those who prefer to buy premium tickets, even those who simply want to buy an inexpensive upgrade from time-to-time.
First, a retrofit of United 767-300 aircraft from 30 business class seats to 46 Polaris seats plus 22 premium economy seats. One of the last moves that American made positively affecting their fleet in a similar capacity was their move to standardize trans-continental flights with A321-T aircraft and offer the only true first class product in the US market.
Matthew covered many of these changes earlier in the week in aggregate but the addition of new CRJ 550 aircraft that are also premium-heavy and a statement of their mission indicated United knew they were missing the market.
E-170/175s Are My Favorite Domestic Equipment
Traditionally, regional jets were both the bane of frequent flyer’s existence and an absolute necessity. Narrow jets like the Embraer 135/145 or CRJ 200, 700, and 900 didn’t have room for rollaboard suitcases forcing business flyers to leave them at the plane door and hope for the best as they waited for them to arrive following the flight. They didn’t offer wifi, nor IFE, little to no first class seats, headspace was cramped and mechanical delays became the norm.
The Embraer 170/175 series changed all of that. Passengers could bring standard rollaboard suitcases on the plane, they came equipped with wifi which in-turn offered IFE to passenger devices, galleys with capabilities for hot meals, longer range and most importantly, 9-12 seats in first class respectively.
Compared to the larger, mainline A319/320s in the United fleet, my chances to upgrade were significantly better because of the E170/175 fleet. While an A320 holds 138 passengers in coach with 12 first class seats, an E175 could run two flights (offering travelers greater flexibility) each with around 64 seats in coach and 12 seats in first. Instead of a pool of just 12 seats by which to secure an upgrade, I have 24 split by a couple of hours over two flights. If those two E175 flights are replaced by an A319, there are just 8 first class seats available.
The E175 is absolutely perfect for flights of about 150-180 minutes and I love the product. Every survey I return for United reflects that I will choose to fly another carrier with a connection if the E175 is not used on my desired route. It is clear that they are listening to their customers, especially with the addition of the new CRJ 550s.
Polaris Lounges Are Best-in-Class
United has invested heavily in its long-haul business class Polaris lounges. While I am a fan of American Express Centurion lounges as well, Polaris lounges are built to a higher standard, feature both buffets and seated dining room space and tend to be very large. Not a single other US carrier has a competitive product to the Polaris lounge, not even American’s Flagship dining first class spaces within their normal Admirals Clubs.
It’s just one more way that United is beginning to lead the pack instead of lag behind it among US flag carriers.
American’s OASIS Initiative Is Universally Hated
American has taken the loathed space efficiencies of the 737-MAX and applied it more broadly to their fleet. These adjustments include lavatories that are so small they are nearly unusable, to the point that American’s CEO, Doug Parker, won’t even sit in it, yet expects customers to do so. Gary Leff continues to remind readers about how bad OASIS is, and he is right to do so – the product is appalling and flight attendants hate it too. When the Daily Show covers fleet changes on one specific aircraft of one specific airline, it’s bad. Really bad.
OASIS is the embodiment of American’s unending mission to make their product worse for their customers. American was just following Delta’s orders up until OASIS, deteriorate the product, increase requirements, make cheap economy fares competitive with LCCs and force faithful customers to buy up for the same experience they used to have included with their fare. But OASIS took it a step further, and for once at least American was thinking for themselves. It’s driving customers away. Customers in the know avoid MAX routes where possible and those who are uninitiated take with them their bad experience on the plane as a bad experience with American.
Will American Follow United’s Lead?
The big three (Delta, United, American) have played copycat since American completed their “merger” with US Airways along with Delta and United. All of the carriers have typically followed Delta’s lead, though not in operational efficiency from Basic Economy to revenue requirements for elite qualification. Frankly, it’s been boringly predictable.
However, from time-to-time, some changes are positive for customers and the big three tend to mimic each other in those trends as well, like when American originally followed United’s Basic Economy lead disallowing an included carry-on but then rescinded this policy instead opting for Delta’s approach to allow them.
With the stock price performing terribly compared with their peers, the carrier losing money on actually flying customers (though remaining profitable overall due to their lucrative credit card contracts) maybe American will wise up and follow United’s lead. Perhaps it is wishful thinking, after all, this is the year I intended to return to American after leaving them. However, American doesn’t really have much to lose by reversing course. American can certainly see the benefit of premium-heavy aircraft like the A321T, and that the rest of their strategy isn’t working, is it too much to imagine that American won’t follow United to the premium promised land?
What do you think? Will American follow United’s lead in adding premium seats and equipment back into their fleet?
No, why should they? Your response to UA’s move is to crawl back to AA, even though your SWUs don’t clear and the coach experience is crap.
If people like you aren’t going to actually change their flying preferences when airlines actively degrade the experience, what incentive do they have to change course? Whining on a blog while handing over your wallet does nothing.
Personally, I would go long *A and short OW at the moment if you’re looking for upgrades and awards on longhaul J out of the US. UA is adding seats, AA is taking them away. The math is pretty clear.
Eponymous coward, you’re correct in part. I left for a bit to see if United was better and if the grass was greener. It wasn’t for the year that I split, then the revenue requirement increase with zero recognition for flying their partners sending me back to American. These changes and American matching the new requirements has me back on the fence again. From a revenue standpoint, I have once again split my loyalty 50/50.
yes you may a hypocrite for moving back to AA but what do you actually value the status for?
In your “United wants fewer 1Ks..” post afaik you say the upgrade % is about the same, the long haul upgrades seem to be a tie too, perhaps AA on hard product is more meaningful than UA winning soft product.
That basically leaves earnings on partners, which is a shambles for United, but would you get to 15K PQD with AA even with partners crediting? If the answer is no then you are going to be the 75k mile elite whichever way you go.
I don’t know what your upgrade % is a top tier, or what it would be a 75k one, but it doesn’t seem impossible that if the long haul upgrade benefits are minimal then becoming a 25k elite in both by being a schedule and price flier makes more sense. But it comes down to what do you really value out of the 2nd top tier.
I wouldn’t disagree with that.
I disagree I’m a 15+ years Senator and 5 years Platinum executive. I’ve been to a lot of lounges in the network of Star alliance and One World. Yes I hold them both so I fly quiet a bit. But so far I haven’t seen a lounge that beats the Flagship lounge besides the Qatar and Turkish Airlines lounges. In my opinion the LH Senator Lounge is going down hill in quality not even talking about the LH fleet.
In regards to Polaris lounges, I wouldn’t argue there are better in the world. I love Qatar’s business class lounge in Doha, Cathay’s the Pier (with a champagne reception and private cabanas) but as I mentioned in the post, Polaris leads of US carriers, not globally. That being said, Polaris would hold its own against some pretty impressive competition but not on the level of Turkish at IST, nor Etihad at Abu Dhabi.
Emirates first class lounges in Dubai beat any other lounge also Singapore Kris lounges.
I’m an AA ExP. I fly from a non-hub west coast city.
I threw away 6 SWU last year. I buy business and first on CX, BA, Qantas and Qatar.
Upgrades never happen. With the exception of JFK to LAX or SFO, AA has reduced or eliminated premium cabins. They can’t compete, except with BA’s business class, the worst in the industry.
AA is basically America West. They’re out of their league and operating like a LCC in markets where we’re looking for a premium product.
Something has to change. In a market where we have three airlines, it would be nice to have some choice.
Have been a 1k on UA for a while. One of the worst in upgrades even with system wide vouchers and that too on domestic. Really don’t know why the vouchers are even issued, if the intent is to keep selling the seats. They don’t mind selling the seat till last minute even it means getting $100. Have not travelled much on American, but I do have great experience with Delta even as gold, but now stuck with United because of hub.
Quantity and quality are two distinct things. I’ve read more and more about diminishing Polaris in-cabin service and am going to assume that United will play a similar game with expanded “premium” classes. Premium in comparison to economy. My last F flight meal was appalling (IAH-LAX) and in so far as F&B is concerned, UA sits last; hard product is comparable domestically.
I fly year round and I’ve taken AA completely off my table (except in the 1-2 instances where they are the only option available to me). After hearing of all their backwards logics (smaller seats, smaller bathrooms, removing screens, etc,) I just couldn’t keep giving them my company’s business. I made the move to Delta As such I have to take way more layovers, but I feel better and generally have a better experience.
I began flying at 3 years old from the Braniff, BOAC, Pan Am era. From the middle east, South America, Australia and Asia destinations , I am a quality Analyst; and in my humble opinion, it is not the equipment, the ambiance or the fluff that is relevant, it is the genuine people that are in the industry, and due to the professional, observant, and genuinely caring staff of UNITED Airlines, I will Always be a loyal client.
Thank you team UNITED!
Best regards Theodore Kneten.
Who cares about the rich people? What about us in the back? It sucks and it gets more expensive and restrictive every day.
Not all those that fly in the front are rich. Some have to fly as part of their job in economy and only fly in the front when the airline upgrades them due to status, with fewer seats in the front those rare reprieves from confinement come even less often.
However, your assessment of life in the back of the plane is not quite correct. We have already hit peak restrictive travel and carriers are starting to add perks back as cited in this post several times. For example, American (as mentioned) has already reverted back to allowing carry-on rollaboards with Basic Economy tickets, United has started to allow some Basic Economy tickets to earn miles and points, and these changes (more premium economy seats and first class seats) make it more likely a non-elite passenger will be seated in a better section too due to full flights.
But most importantly, it is not more expensive to fly. In fact, it is the cheapest it has ever been to fly, both domestically and internationally. Last week there were business class roundtrips (not mistake fares) of $1,000 roundtrip between the US and Europe. The US west coast to Asia is routinely $400 in coach, east coast to Europe flights can be purchased for less than $200 and even after adding in checked luggage, sub $400 fares are the norm. I flew to Florida throughout the winter on direct flights from Pittsburgh for $46 each way on average (meaning sometimes the flights were even cheaper than that). But empirically, factually, scientifically – it is not getting more expensive, it has never, ever been less expensive.
Kyle, thank you so much for this reality check regarding airline fares. It was mystifying to me why so many people mistakenly thought fares were sky-high until I realized they were comparing them with fares they recalled from decades ago—and not bothering to account for inflation. How I wish basic economics were taught in US high schools.
Agree!
And at least as far as international business and first class flying is concerned, we are in a golden age. Even while the back of the plane experience is getting worse, in the front it is better than ever (I am leaving out UA’s on board food and sometimes service when I say that).
Quick observation regarding AA in thid discussion….as an AA, MM have have yet to ‘bag’ sn upgrade…on this past wrrks flight i was #13 on the ‘waitlist’ not to mention my freezing while seated in ‘window’ next to a poorly sealed 737 ‘escape’ hatch, necessitating
A request for a blanket..at first replied by ‘gosh, we dont normally have them anymore’ dedpite thid being an internatiomal flight…
The lady FA must have noticed the ‘look’ on my face and graciously resurrected ome much to my appreciation…the Xian Warrior seating configuration is yet another Bane’ my having much rather preferred the tried & true ‘Mad Dog’ MD 80, to the ‘ traveler-toxic’ 737 variants….
Quick observation regarding AA in this discussion….as an AA, MM have yet to ‘bag’ sn upgrade…on this past weeks flight, i was #13 on the ‘waitlist’, not to mention my freezing while seated in ‘exit window’ next to a poorly sealed 737 ‘escape’ hatch, necessitating
A request for a blanket..at first replied by ‘gosh, we dont normally have them anymore’ despite this being an internatiomal flight…
The lady FA must have noticed the pained ‘look’ on my face, and graciously resurrected one much to my appreciation…the Xian Warrior seating configuration is yet another Bane’ my having much rather preferred the tried & true ‘Mad Dog’ MD 80, to the ‘ traveler-toxic’ B737 variants….
AAFREQ, I hate to say this but I got you beat. Last week on an AA flight to PHX I was number 33 on an upgrade waitlist of 75. I am not sure why they even display it.
UA is not better than UA not even closer… Not many of us have J class on business trips less than 7 hours and premier upgrades list are getting longer and it seems that everyone are 1K or Platinum Exec or buying full fares in economy. I just got off on UA 1009 flight IAH-BOG operated by 737-8 used in domestic markets where the Wi-Fi operates only over continental US… No seat screens and Private screening (streaming on board) didn’t work either because the United Wi-Fi wasn’t able to connect assuming that internet of any kind was available… the power plugs didn’t work properly ejecting the connector every five seconds… Adding a horrible service with a crew that had a very bad attitude and not eatable food… Only one guy was nice, all others were horrible… NO PILLOWS for a red-eye flight…I had the full row for me allowing me to sleep using my backpack as pillow… I have much better service in A319 of AA DFW-BOG or MIA-BOG routes. From now just AA.
There is just no way that I would reconsider either United or American. It is abundantly clear that both airlines have removed service from their business models using convenient direct routes to lure passengers. So, we changed our own business model. To keep my traveling employees happy, we book the majority of flights with Delta or Jet Blue, with larger connection gaps through major hubs. Plus, for any flight over 3-hours, we will pay for 75% of the cost for business or first class tickets. To help offset some of the perk, we do arrange more Skype and telephonic meetings, and require Uber or Lyft transportation where available. I need my sales force in the game and comfortable. And, as my grandmother used to say, “Don’t go where you’re not wanted.”
JetBlue is a great option in FLL, BOS or JFK but not really practical outside of those locations, in the same way that Alaska is perfect for travelers in LAX, PDX, SEA but mostly useless outside the west coast. As for DL, their frequent flyers seem to be very happy, their performance is great too – I just can’t trust them. They made far too many sneaky moves that were not customer/passenger friendly, some of which, just can’t be forgiven. Additionally, the miles earned are worth half that of the competition in some cases and that’s just too far a chasm to cross.
However, I think it’s great that you have made an active choice for your business and colleagues that is based on your experience and what is better for your team. A lot of Delta elites agree with you.
Are you kidding me Kyle Stewart? Cheaper than ever? What airlines are you flying and for what purpose? I own a company of consultants, we travel nationwide, I have seen an exponential increase in fares for the past several years. Just yesterday, I had to explain to a client why we can’t get from FOUR different locations to the ski areas of CO (for business unrelated to winter sports) for under $1100/RT and that’s domestic. I’m sorry but I guess it’s all relative. I don’t take flights that have 1, 2 or more stopovers just to get a lower fare. I go with the lowest possible fare that allows carry on luggage and is the least drama ridden as the airlines today make it so difficult to get to one’s destination on time. Weather related issues are at an all time high too. I’m happy for you that you feel it’s less expensive than ever, but I am not sure how many people will agree. I have been an AA traveler for years as I lived in a main hub city for US Airways and I can’t stand them. I have had their credit card for years too but may switch to JetBlue.
Living in a hub city can make you “hub captive” driving up prices though costs should be lower (because you won’t have a connection) because the carrier knows you have fewer convenient options. To provide some support for my position, however, here is an article from the Atlantic in 2013 that analyzes the 30-year decline in the net price of airfare including fees – this is before Frontier and especially Spirit became the behemoths they are now (http://bit.ly/2GKOjdo). I often find that Pittsburgh to Charlotte is unconscionably expensive ($400-700 for a direct 50-minute flight) because they own the route and can charge what they want, but when comparing PIT-CLT-MCO for example, the price is remarkably cheaper even though I am flying further and taking the same flight from PIT to CLT. That’s just the way they price fares and why so many have turned to Skiplagged.com for Hidden-City tickets because the pricing model (for all flag carriers) is predatory and prohibitive from hubs. Here’s a more recent report from CNN detailing the trans-Atlantic price drops that make the costs historically low (not just from discounters but as an effect of discounters) (https://cnn.it/2By7Pqr). You can also see this post (http://bit.ly/2SvwJBj) which outlines the cost differential historically when compared to previous years with statistics furnished by the US Bureau of Transportation.
Lastly, if you’re in an American hub, even their Basic Economy fares allow a carry-on and personal item as does Delta, United is the only major that does not. You’ve also limited yourself to flights that do not include connections, and while your team is flying to a leisure destination in peak season for that leisure destination without the added benefit of, well, leisure – it doesn’t change the fact that flights to ski destinations in the winter, direct from a hub will be more expensive and always have been. You state that it is all relative, and you are correct in so doing, but the fact is that for most travelers even including additional fees, airfare is demonstrably lower in 2018 dollars than ever before. That being said, as experiences are relative, I feel your pain as your experience given the conditions you have set out still cause fares to be higher than otherwise achieved.
Separately, I love JetBlue and if they are a viable option, I think you should switch. They treat their customers well, offer little perks, tons of space in standard seats, a great loyalty program and IFE with new-ish equipment.
Kyle. When will you call out Delta’s ridiculous hassle for premium members to get their free Economy Comfort upgrade. On United and Alaska, when booking online, as soon as I log in, I can select the premium economy seat because it recognizes me. On Delta, when I was Platinum and now that I am Diamond, I first have to book in a terrace, check the box for complimentary Comfort upgrades, complete the purchase. And then go back to see if an upgrade came through (it always does) and then change the seat the computer assigned me to the one I want. Delta should match other airlines and simply allow me to book the Comfort seat as I am making my reservation.
I don’t fly Delta often (though I am tomorrow) but will look into that further with DL flyers.
Agree with this point. ‘Required upgrade’ from economy to comfort class is ridiculous. AA and UA both let me book their extra legroom at booking (mid tier elite on both). I. 6’2” and fly coach. Rarely get upgrades so economy plus type product is critical to me. A shame because overall Delta runs a superior airline – but legroom is my top priority.
I thought that the generally accepted view was that, over time, all reward schemes get worse, which is certainly true compared to the 80’s and 90’s. Hotel schemes ? Supermarket schemes ? Car Rental schemes ? All of them cutting back.
To me , no point in bitching…..Delta forum, BA forum…all full of complaints.
We just have to accept that’s the way it is today.
All I ask is that any airline gets me there safely….the rest of if ? I don’t give a toss.
I disagree. Southwest has enhanced its program by offering Companion Pass in the US and making it even easier to obtain over the last couple of years. Hilton has drastically improved an “ok” program to one of the best in the business, missing just two aspects that would make them world-beaters (http://bit.ly/2N8xcnm). I would also argue that due to the execution of Hyatt’s Globalist upgrade policy on the day of arrival in addition to suite confirmable in advance plus the concierge perk makes them a close second-place despite their monumental increase in required nights (instead of stays) despite their smaller footprint.
AA wants to be lcc in the US and a somewhat premium carrier in the rest of the world. The inconsistencies show in their service offerings, their failures and financial performance.
Passengers have choices and are making them. It is time for AA to think about what they want to be.
Great points. I think it’s also time for Wall Street to make it clear that Parker’s plan isn’t working. While the market price has already determined as much, it just doesn’t seem like he gets it and a stronger hand is necessary.
United planes to Hawai’i suck.
They run out of EVERYTHING in First Class.
It Is a JOKE!