Back in the Air: Why Jet Blue Dogs United
August 14, 2014
Don’t tell anybody, but I have only been on 2 airplanes since June, and one was today! You see, air travel is no longer something I look forward to since it devolved to “bus service in the air” a couple of years ago. It was a long slow death spiral, but consistent and very much depressing.
As long time readers of NPS know, I am no longer a fan of United airlines. After 10 years of being a 100K member and 1,560,787 miles, United finally used up ALL of my remaining loyalty. That’s right. Every drop. I’m stuck with United since I live near a major hub of theirs, but I plan to do what I can to avoid flying with United.
So, for the first trip back from the famed “no fly July” we’re giving Jet Blue a shot. Lets compare and contrast, from the sublime to the stupid.
Why Jet Blue is Better than United (a one trip comparison)
1. flies modern equipment (new embrear regional jet vs United prop (?!) jet)
2. has a better commuter terminal for East coast travel at IAD (Terminal A, the “walmart” terminal sucks)
3. costs less (by $200 to get to Boston and back)
4. people at Jet Blue seem to like their jobs (at United they all know Jeff Smisek sucks and they hate working for him…really)
5. whole cans of soda water by default even in cattle class
6. United loves to talk about what they are “gonna” do, but they never get it done –> WIFI = not that hard
7. Jeff Smisek sucks and he is the CEO of United
Not that Jet Blue is perfect mind you. I don’t like paying $50 for an extra bag as a newb, but I have to have my bag of electronics for this trip. I also don’t like paying $30 more so I can get on first and stow my instruments, but I am sure as heck never checking my precious violin. So that all sucks. This trip will cost me $160 more than planned. Maybe #3 up there is wrong.
In the end it is clear that I need an airplane.
p.s. Here is a comparison between United and Delta FWIW.
We Interrupt No Fly July for NYC Tourism?!
July 18, 2014
If you follow NPS, you know about no fly July which basically gives me a chance to slow down and think away from airplanes. You may also have figured out that this year has (thankfully) been a light year of travel so far. After more than a decade of road warrior work, that feels pretty good FWIW.
Anyway, no fly July plans were interrupted this year for a trip up to NYC. United was its usual awful self. For the first time ever, I paid revenue for what was essentially a jump seat on a propjet. United has gone completely to the dogs.
Propjet on @united express. pic.twitter.com/O6Q4DTvfd9
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 17, 2014
It got better. The NJTransit train from EWR was convenient and fast.
Once we got to NY, we started with a game of Escape the Room, which was pretty fun all told. The only problem with the game is it is not puzzley enough and relies too much on random finding. But we had a good time (even though we ultimately did not escape the room).
We regrouped at Butcher’s Daughter near Little Italy to plan a quick trip down to Battery Park. Where we took a very touristy sailboat ride to the Statue of Liberty.
tourist sailboat in the NY harbor. https://t.co/NoH3TakCmN
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 17, 2014
Statue of Liberty
Dinner at Keste with Jason and Haley was fantastic and authentically italian as always. A quick trip to Mulberry Project was kind of disappointing due to the thundering dance beat. Good drinks, wrong atmosphere.
View from the Cigital apartment in NY.
We’re staying at the apartment again. Midtown 36th floor penthouse. It’s gorgeous in NY this week. Kind of Fall-like weather. Not bad. I guess nature is playing along with no fly July.
More NY impressions…
Morning way up north at the cloisters. A visit to the conservatory gardens in central park. Excellent tapas at Txikito. Comedy at the upright citizens brigade. Late nightcap at Ayza wine bar.
The Cloisters
A walk down the high line after a very late but decent breakfast at the Petit Poulet (right across the street from the apartment) is a good way to start the day. Follow that with coffee at the superb Happy Bones. Then a first visit to the 9-11 Memorial museum. When you go, plan to spend over 3 hours.
Liam Finn at the Poisson Rouge
A late night begins at Le Poisson Rouge (LPR) for a Liam Finn show. Great show. Excellent use of charisma. Followed by midnight dinner at the Blue Ribbon.
Liam Finn also loves customer 42 (starbucks identity of NPS)
Sunday included a trip up the Empire State Building next door, a visit to the Brooklyn flea market (meh), lunch #2 at The Meatball Shop, an Iranian film (close curtain) at Film Forum and dinner at L’Asso.
The apartment and its tall next door neighbor.
Way down there is the roof of the apartment.
Time to go home (on the Acela).
United Gold->Platinum Ripoff
February 10, 2014
This week, United sent me some dead tree mail “offering” a “limited-time opportunity to ensure Platinum status for 2014.” Seems that I only flew 68K miles on United, so I need 7000 more to make Platinum this year (what used to be 100K).
Guess how much United wants to charge me for that? $1449.00
Wrong.
United, after 1.5M miles and ten years of 100K status, you have sealed your fate with this nonsense. I’m flying any other airline I can find this year. Too bad IAD is a United hub.
Jeff Smisek somehow managed to break the United loyalty program.
It’s 2014 and United Airlines Sucks
February 4, 2014
Two months in a row without flying anywhere. But I have to go to LA for the first trip of 2014. What kind of seat can I get for my 100K status and 1.5 million (that’s MILLION) miles? How about a crappy economy window seat! Yay?
United airlines just sucks.
Jeff Smisek, are you still the CEO? You should be compensated like the CEO of the Greyhound bus lines. That’s what you operate now.
United airlines new plane.
No fly Noel 2013
December 1, 2013
No question about it, 2013 was a rough year of travel. My plan to do around 30 trips turned into a complete FAIL with a 40% higher than planned 42 trips. Ouch.
In 2014 I am getting serious about travel reduction. My plan for next week is to create a centralized travel plan for 2014 WAY ahead of time and stick to it. You heard it here first—I am shooting for 20 trips max next year. Truncated air travel will be accompanied by revitalized business-related guest house usage at Coal Stove Sink. It’s better to have guests here at my house than it is to fly around too much. I guess that will mean fewer talks as well.
The 2014 Tripometer does not lie: TOO MUCH TRAVEL
To add insult in injury in the too much travel department, United airlines continued to suck throughout 2013. I am not a fan of busses, and airplanes have become busses somehow. Just awful.
Even with all of those trips, I managed to accumulate only 68,691 miles on United which means my status is going to drop to Gold (where because of my lifetime 1,527,990 miles it will bottom out forever). United, I am done with you. (Hey Jeff Smisek, you suck so much you just lost a loyal customer.)
Fortunately I had much better luck with hotels. Kimpton rocks my little travel world. Hopefully I can keep that going in 2014.
For now, I look forward to resting my weary bones beside the fire during December. Much needed battery recharging begins now.
It’s 2013: Uber Wins, United Loses
November 23, 2013
My latest United airlines experience leads me to believe that air travel has finally degenerated to bus service. I don’t do bus. Two long-ish hub to hub flights on United (IAD—ORD) were crowded, cramped, and involved mandatory ads displayed on a device you can’t turn off.
United DirecTV CRAP shows mandatory ads.
Oh I know all about getting the screen to sleep with the volume control button. But there are several ads that you are forced to watch. They have nothing to do with safety. That is just unacceptable.
How is it that United airlines can get DirecTV to work but can’t get Wifi installed? I guess unlike most Americans, I don’t like plastic showers or TV. Go figure. Maybe I am from the wrong social class.
Did you know that United pays Jeff Smisek almost $10 million per year? Imagine if United spent that money installing wifi on their planes instead.
And how is it that I can no longer be comfortable in economy plus on a United flight? Air travel used to be a bother. Now it is just like riding a bus. An overcrowded South American bus. What’s next, livestock? Worse actually. What’s next is cell phone yabber from sales droids.
Jeff Smisek has absolutely ruined United airlines. I think the time has come for me to drastically cut back on travel and to use another airline when I do fly. Any other airline.
After 1,524,754 miles on United, I am done.
All is not lost in 2013, however. This year I started using Uber. Uber is great. I’ve used it in NY, Boston, Washington, Amsterdam and Paris so far. There is no Uber in Des Moines.
Uber has a name that fits.
Try it, you’ll love it. No more broken down crappy taxis driven by clueless drivers lacking communications skills.
Thank the gods that no fly noel is almost here.
Welcome to Iowa (Des Moines) 800 Locust Reprise
November 22, 2013
I was just here! And now I’m back. WTF?!
At least there is snow this time.
Grimey window view of Des Moines dusting.
Where there is snow, there should be fire.
I am back in room 402 here at 800 Locust. Nothing has changed but the weather.
Silly couch.
Big old bed.
Glass shower with room for an entire family.
Compared to ultra luxury in NC we’re thinking high three showerheads. We’re also thinking TOO MUCH TRAVEL.
United, thanks for the wifi and the upgrade on the 40 minute hop. I so hate United airlines. Jeff Smisek sucks.
Time to go home.
But before you head out, make sure to visit Mr Filet for breakfast (a superb greasy spoon parked under a garage) and Palmer’s Deli for lunch (in the habitrail). Classic Des Moines and great places.
Caveat Emptor: United’s Award Accelerator ripoff WARNING
October 28, 2013
I have been ignoring the upsell crap on United check in machines for years. But this year I may actually need to plus up to hit 100K miles (I know, that should be a good thing. And what the heck good is United status anyway?). In my haste to let the long line behind me at Dulles keep moving I must have misread the fine print on the upsell machine. (Did I mention that the line was long?!)
What I thought were Premier Miles that counted toward status turned out to be mere mileage balance miles that I apparently just paid $0.026 per mile for. Fuck that. I don’t need that kind of miles.
I tweeted United. Here’s what the new improved “friendly” United has to say.
United does the twitter BADLY.
I’m not done. Expect to hear more from me and quite possibly the FTC before we’re done here. Hey Jeff Smisek, more bad management. And more mistreatment of the people who provide your revenue stream. It is amazing that United airlines is still in business. I feel completely violated and ripped off.
And while we’re at it, United just did this on my flight to Europe: There was bad weather. There was a delay. I understand that. But after postponing departure from 5:45pm to 11:30pm, United required me to be at the gate at regular departure time. So I got to spend 6 hours at Dulles airport. Sorry, Dulles is just not that interesting.
Who the heck is in charge of United airlines?
Jif:Peter Pan::United:Delta
October 5, 2013
Are all airlines the same? When it comes to short hops on the east coast, I recently found out through some experimentation that the answer is no.
I am a longtime United flyer based at IAD. So I am pretty much stuck in a bad marriage. Watching United’s quality of service plummet and never recover has been a major disappointment. Jeff Smisek is one of the worst CEOs in history from an operations perspective.
Is Delta any better? Well lets compare notes.
Terminal B looks like this.
IAD Terminal B != Walmart Terminal A
Terminal D looks like this. (FWIW, Terminal A is even worse.)
Terminal D has a gorgeous drop ceiling.
A United regional jet looks like this (vine).
A Delta regional jet looks like this (vine).
Delta has wifi. United has stories about how hard it is to install wifi in airplanes.
Delta operations at IAD are smooth and professional. United put us all on a plane, then deplaned us all due to an Easyjet computer operations error. Just amazingly bad. Easyjet is the worst United subcontractor of all, and there are a bunch of bad ones.
All told, Delta won this experiment hands down. Too bad IAD is a United hub. I’m stuck.
But in the end it is all just peanut butter.
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