A Letter to US Airways

November 20, 2008

Dear US Airways,

I am a 20-year member of Dividend Miles and had been part of US Airways’ history from Piedmont, to US Air, to US Airways, and to this merger between US Airways and America West. Since 1998 I have held elite status – Preferred Plus, Gold Preferred, Chairman’s Preferred, and Platinum Preferred. I weathered two bankruptcies prior to this merger. And despite any issues that I may have encountered previously, the former versions of this company still knew not to bite the hand that fed them, their loyal frequent fliers, the customers they could count on to return time and time again through both prosperous and challenging economic times.

The last three years have seen the withering away of the US Airways I used to love, from the reduction of first class cabins and services, the removal of class-of-service bonuses, the addition of more fees than any other American carrier, a lack of respect for both employees and customers, and the removal of the Preferred Qualification mileage minimums and Preferred bonuses.

The first purpose of this letter is to thank you for rescinding the decision to take away the 500-mile minimum and the elite bonus miles for those few who elect to continue doing business with you.

However, it is truly unfortunate that it took the company seven and four months respectively to realize that these decisions were slaps in the face to your most loyal and high-revenue customers. Believe it or not, it is not just about the chance of upgrades, it is about flying a carrier that offers the total package of value, quality service, and loyalty benefits.

Therefore, it is with great sadness that I must tell you that this reversal came too late for me. I already moved on to Delta and Northwest this year, where I felt valued as a customer, where services and benefits have remained at a level with which I am comfortable, and where if flying coach, I do not have to pay for a basic, non-alcoholic beverage.

Perhaps this is the beginning of a movement towards a better US Airways, but I will not be a part of the journey. You lost me early on when you failed to recognize and appreciate the value of customer loyalty such as mine.

Regretfully,
C’est Beth

TRI-ATL-RIC November 20

20 NOV 2008
DL 5612 TRI-ATL 7:14AM- 8:29 AM CRJ seat 8B exit aisle no seatmate

We boarded on time and the door was shut 10 minutes before departure. We backed away from the gate about five minutes early and were airborne by 7:16 am. There was no in-flight service “due to the short duration.” We landed 33 minutes early at 7:56 am.

I spent my extra time in the B25 CRC, which is much nicer than the B10 location! I had mini muffins, yogurt, and good coffee!

20 NOV 2008
DL 1726 ATL-RIC 9:51AM-11:32 AM MD88 seat 25D exit aisle

We boarded a few minutes late, but coach was over half-empty, so we boarded quickly. The 14 F seats were full; four were upgraded at the gate and I was 6th on the list. When my Gold status rolls over this weekend, I’ll do better! However, I did have the exit row aisle on the two-seat side, so it was fine! Flight time was scheduled for one hour seven minutes at 29,000 feet.

Not sure why, but we sat at the gate for quite a while and did not push back until around 10:09 am, 18 minutes late, and took off 46 minutes late at 10:37 am. Weather here looked fine and RIC was OK, too. The pilots never said the reason for the gate delay. Our taxi was quite long. I thought we might be driving to RIC instead of flying!

We had a standard bev service. We were served snacks first, a choice of TWO bags of peanuts, TWO packages of large DL-branded Biscoffs, or one of each. I had peanuts. I broke down and “self-medicated” with a Bloody for $7.00. It was going to be a long afternoon meeting starting at 2:00 pm and I was not driving! I paid with my DL Amex as they have handhelds and they also provided me with a receipt, too. I did not need one, I just wanted to see it! The FA gave me a Coca-Cola/DL-branded plastic cup with ice and a slice of lime on the rim, a full can of mix, and one mini to mix myself. The charge on the receipt was for the Finlandia mini.

We had a number of military personnel on leave on board and the FAs asked us to allow them to deplane first out of respect and so they could greet their families quicker.

We made up a little time in the air and landed at 11:46 am, only 14 minutes late. Nothing like padding!

Flight grade = A-; would have been A+ if not for the unknown departure delay.