PSA - if you are flying with United or any US airlines, be prepared to pay more and get less...

[IronWing]

There is one rewards program on AA but several tiers of status. Now back behind the ropes commoner...I have a plane to board.

That rope thing cracks me up. Did the pinhead who came up with the glamour lane ever bother to go to an airport and watch people board?

 

[K1052]

That rope thing cracks me up. Did the pinhead who came up with the glamour lane ever bother to go to an airport and watch people board?

 

[IronWing]

This behavior I don't understand. In the ideal world I would that guy who leaps across the gap just as the door is closing. Why would anyone want to be on the plane any longer that absolutely necessary?

 

[K1052]

This behavior I don't understand. In the ideal world I would that guy who leaps across the gap just as the door is closing. Why would anyone want to be on the plane any longer that absolutely necessary?

With the dawn of luggage fees it's the carry on bags. The fight for bin space is a no holds barred free for all so getting on the plane sooner makes it less likely you'll have to gate check.

 

[purbeast0]

Wow I'm glad I didn't sign up for that Chase Sapphire Reserve card at this point. I was going to sign up to that shortly or have my wife sign up for the United Mileage card to get 50k more points but I don't know now. The whole not getting a seat until the day of the flight is pretty stupid and not something I really want to deal with.

 

[IronWing]

With the dawn of luggage fees it's the carry on bags. The fight for bin space is a no holds barred free for all so getting on the plane sooner makes it less likely you'll have to gate check.

The airlines are filthy money grubbers about luggage. They want to sell hold space to shippers so they really don't want passengers to check luggage so they set up a bizarre system that penalizes people who check bags and rewards people who bring oversize bags to the gate.

 

[K1052]

The airlines are filthy money grubbers about luggage. They want to sell hold space to shippers so they really don't want passengers to check luggage so they set up a bizarre system that penalizes people who check bags and rewards people who bring oversize bags to the gate.

Pretty much. Also the outright hypocrisy of airlines resisting any increase to PFCs so that airports can actually rebuild themselves while scooping up every fee imaginable is pretty hilarious.

 

[Exterous]

With the dawn of luggage fees it's the carry on bags. The fight for bin space is a no holds barred free for all so getting on the plane sooner makes it less likely you'll have to gate check.

I think a lot also stems from people not wanting to check bags at all. Last several Southwest flights I've been on had quite a few people who had to gate check because all the overheads were full. I also look more fondly apon their boarding process as I'll be reduced to a commoner very shortly.

Wow I'm glad I didn't sign up for that Chase Sapphire Reserve card at this point. I was going to sign up to that shortly or have my wife sign up for the United Mileage card to get 50k more points but I don't know now. The whole not getting a seat until the day of the flight is pretty stupid and not something I really want to deal with.

This won't apply to award tickets

 

[purbeast0]

I think a lot also stems from people not wanting to check bags at all. Last several Southwest flights I've been on had quite a few people who had to gate check because all the overheads were full. I also look more fondly apon their boarding process as I'll be reduced to a commoner very shortly.



This won't apply to award tickets

Oh did it say that in the article? I didn't make it all the way through and just kinda skimmed it. That is good to know at least.

 

[dullard]

their boarding sucks. you think that being in Group 1 you would board first after the disabled, uniformed military, families... but noooooo if you part of the gazillion rewards programs they have you go before group 1. so by the time Group 1 is called half the plane has already boarded.

I accidentally flew American on one leg last week (bought United tickets from United and somehow was given an American flight). When it was time to board, I thought the gate agent was about to pass out when announcing who gets to board first. It went something like this:

Now boarding anyone in gold, silver, platinum, star, diamond, opal, agate, amber, azurite, feldspar, something I picked out of my nose last week, aquamarine, aventurine, BREATHE DEEPLY BEFORE CONTINUING, elite, emerald, oneworld emerald, platinum oneworld emerald, sapphire, oneworld sapphire, platinum oneworld sapphire, ruby, platinum oneworld ruby--I mean gold oneeworld ruby since platinum oneworld ruby doesn't exist as that would be silly, and executive platinum members.

 

[K1052]

I think a lot also stems from people not wanting to check bags at all. Last several Southwest flights I've been on had quite a few people who had to gate check because all the overheads were full. I also look more fondly apon their boarding process as I'll be reduced to a commoner very shortly.

It didn't seem so out of control before all the fees. Also your average leisure or inexperienced traveler appeared to be more prone to check since they pack everything except living room couch.

With the spread of EQDs and further stratification of elite tiers coupled with crappier earning/redemption options 2017 will probably be my last year as an American elite. I'll simply pay a little more to fly whoever I want now, fortunately I have some latitude at work on that.

 

[Ns1]

Please try convincing my company's bean counters on that one.:|

I once used a terrorist attack as justification to change airlines from Qatar to Emirates. Be creative.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

don't buy the lowest price ticket then?

I agree with this. The last two vacations the wife and I took we chose not to cheap out and enjoyed the benefits of not buying the cheap tickets.

 

[Svnla]

I once used a terrorist attack as justification to change airlines from Qatar to Emirates. Be creative.

The company that I used to travel a lot for work, HR worked with the travel agency from Headquarter for the flight tickets for everyone. Employees could ask for window or isle seat and what kind of food and drink they like but other than that, everyone would get whatever passed down to us. At least we were allowed to keep the miles.