Is US Airways’ Upgrade Process TOO Equitable?

Jeanne Marie Hoffman July 14, 2014 American Airlines, US Airways 2 Comments

I wrote a post for Pizza in Motion laying out why the US Airways upgradeÂ procedureÂ is better than American’s Airlines’.

Please note, we are only talking about the procedure. Â I don’t think either of us would argue that US Airways’ first-class product is better than American’s (and I don’t think Doug Parker would either!)

Ed at Pizza in Motion has written an rebuttal to my argument, suggesting that US Airways’ process isÂ too fair and too democratic.

His very first headline is, “Less Democracy, More Capitalism Goes A Long Way“. Â Well, Ed. Â Our country was founded on democracy. Â I guess US Airways is more American than American!

He also later laments that on US Airways, if a top-tier elite buys a ticket last-second, there’s a chance that a low-tier elite could have already gotten upgraded and taken away any chance of that top-tier elite getting upgraded on that flight.

So Ed is basically arguing that a top-tier elite who books a last-second trip without planningÂ deserves the seat in first-class more than a low-tier elite who planned ahead. Â “Aren’t there economy-plus seats?! Â Isn’t there priority boarding?!” he laments. Â (Okay, so he didn’t say this. Â I just watched A Christmas Story out of season and forÂ some reason Ed’s post made me think of Scrooge…)

Do you agree with Ed? Â Do you disagree? Â Click on his post and let him know! Â Tell him you love fairness, democracy, and AmericaÂ (but not American)!

Soon, you’ll be able to vote for your choice out of the two.

And, donâ€™t forget to join the discussion on each of these posts to have a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Â Here are the links:

Heels First Travel (Why US Airways is Superior)

Pizza In Motion (Don’t Let Scrooge Win)

Note: We at Heels First really respect those at Pizza in Motion and any references to miserly capitalists are done tongue in cheek.

2 comments

Pizzaman
July 14, 2014 at 12:45 pm

I’m not a miserly capitalist. I’m a capitalist that likes to spend money!

Ultimately, I think that top-tier elites should be upgraded more frequently than lower-tiered elites because they put in more hard work (butt in seat miles). And, you do, too, Ms. Jeanne, even if you’re not willing to admit it publicly! 🙂

And, my last-second comment refers to the fact that due to the busy schedule of a frequent business traveler, last-minute schedule changes may be out of your control. Does that mean you’re supposed to get stuck with 27E, the seat United seems to have personally reserved for me?

Or, is it better for the airline to make sure that those last-minute changes don’t hurt their most frequent travelers?

But, hey, if you want democracy….

- Jeanne Marie Hoffman
  July 14, 2014 at 2:13 pm
  
  “I’m not a miserly capitalist. I’m a capitalist that likes to spend money!”
  
  Touche!