United Airlines - Creating a Really Big, Really Bad, Poorly Operated Airline

On February 20th of this year I wrote a post entitled, What do you get When you Mate Elephants, pontificating on the merger of Continental and United.  My comment was : . . . the new United took the worst features of both airlines and created a really bad airline.   But maybe things will get better over time!"

Since that post Sue Ann and I have made a trip to London in March and today I am absolutely livid about my experience trying to book a business trip to San Diego in mid-April.  What have I learned about the new United from these experiences?

First, the mating of United and Continental didn't even produce an elephant, it produced a Mastodon, bound for extinction!  Service quality on United has become marginally acceptable unless you are used to traveling in a cattle car.  Schedule options have gotten worse as they integrate the schedules of both airlines into one.  Prices have increased significantly.  The rewards program has gotten worse, not better.  Seats in the exit rows or "premier" areas where you get a whole 2 inches more of leg room, that used to be available to gold level frequent flyers at no additional cost,  now cost $50 to $75 per flight segment more than the new higher priced fares.   The United Clubs are more congested than the general seating area at the gate.

So if you like lower service quality with limited options, combined with higher prices you are going to love the new United.  But the good news is it will condition you for ObamaCare!

What do you get when you mate Elephants?

There seems to be a business theory going around that if Mega Corporation C mates with Mega Corporation U, the offspring of this mating process will be a new Corporation that is quick, agile, customer friendly, and provides phenomenally outstanding customer service to its customers.

Well the reality is when you mate elephants you get elephants not gazelles!  The same is true in business.  The next time you fly out of Houston on the new United Airlines remember the new elephant created is not a gazelle, in fact it isn't even an agile elephant, its more like a decrepit Mastodon!   One wonders if there might just be too much in-breeding in the airline industry these days.

If you remember the Proud Bird with the Golden Tail, that once was Continental Airlines, well you are going to be very disappointed with the new United Airline.

Such a shame, my opinion, the new United took the worst features of both airlines and created a really bad airline.   But maybe things will get better over time!

Marc