Comments on: US Airways, United are closest to the bankruptcy cliff http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/ The travel troubleshooter. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:54:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Wayne Dayton http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20826 Wayne Dayton Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:29:46 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20826 No travel agent in his/her right mind would want to get involved in a merchant agreement in order to handle UA tickets. Never, ever pay cash to an airline for tickets...when they go under, you lose everything. This shows the c/c processors are very, very leery of UA and don't want anything to do with them. If you MUST take UA, book on their website, and use a c/c. I don't know why they just don't do as the European LCCs do, even Allegiant here, and have a small "processing" fee attached to the file as partial absorption of the c/c merchant fees...but if you think I am going to pay 3 or 4% more because they take my c/c, forget it. That's a cost of doing business, and if they haven't priced their business appropriately, then they should do us all a favor and shut down, letting a more customer-friendly competitor take over. That's what capitalism and competition is all about. United is a dinosaur whose time has come and gone, and need not be prolonged in its agony for much longer. No travel agent in his/her right mind would want to get involved in a merchant agreement in order to handle UA tickets. Never, ever pay cash to an airline for tickets…when they go under, you lose everything. This shows the c/c processors are very, very leery of UA and don’t want anything to do with them. If you MUST take UA, book on their website, and use a c/c. I don’t know why they just don’t do as the European LCCs do, even Allegiant here, and have a small “processing” fee attached to the file as partial absorption of the c/c merchant fees…but if you think I am going to pay 3 or 4% more because they take my c/c, forget it. That’s a cost of doing business, and if they haven’t priced their business appropriately, then they should do us all a favor and shut down, letting a more customer-friendly competitor take over. That’s what capitalism and competition is all about. United is a dinosaur whose time has come and gone, and need not be prolonged in its agony for much longer.

]]> By: TerryW http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20809 TerryW Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:01:44 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20809 The airline abbrevations used on the graph seem to be their stock quote designation. LCC is US Air, CAL is Continental, ALK is Alaska and AAI is AirTran etc. The airline abbrevations used on the graph seem to be their stock quote designation. LCC is US Air, CAL is Continental, ALK is Alaska and AAI is AirTran etc.

]]> By: Robert Herbst http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20806 Robert Herbst Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:43:15 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20806 Kathy J DAL = Delta AMR = American UAL = United CAL = Continental LCC = USAir JBLU = Jet Blue ALK = Alaska AAI = Air Tran Kathy J

DAL = Delta
AMR = American
UAL = United
CAL = Continental
LCC = USAir
JBLU = Jet Blue
ALK = Alaska
AAI = Air Tran

]]> By: KathyJ http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20800 KathyJ Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:14:01 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20800 Need a legend explaining those airline abbreviations. Which one is US Airways? The source link has tons more links to lots and lots of data; checking a few of my best guesses didn't bring up these charts.. Need a legend explaining those airline abbreviations. Which one is US Airways? The source link has tons more links to lots and lots of data; checking a few of my best guesses didn’t bring up these charts..

]]> By: David Z http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20798 David Z Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:29:07 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20798 And people complain fares are so-called too high or too expensive. Sheesh. And people complain fares are so-called too high or too expensive. Sheesh.

]]> By: P.Rowsey http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20793 P.Rowsey Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:41:56 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20793 Would not be good for CLT if US doesn't make it. Would not be good for CLT if US doesn’t make it.

]]> By: Bruce InCharlotte http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20782 Bruce InCharlotte Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:50:41 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20782 As much as I don't like or fly US, I would not like to experience the impact of its failure on my home airport. According to DOT statistics early 66% of flights operating out of CLT are mainline US, and another 15% are US Express. Oil prices are back on the rise after a record $33 low six months ago. See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/business/06oil.html. As the major expense after payroll, this does not bode well for an industry already weakened by low demand and excess capacity. As much as I don’t like or fly US, I would not like to experience the impact of its failure on my home airport. According to DOT statistics early 66% of flights operating out of CLT are mainline US, and another 15% are US Express.

Oil prices are back on the rise after a record $33 low six months ago. See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/business/06oil.html. As the major expense after payroll, this does not bode well for an industry already weakened by low demand and excess capacity.

]]> By: Scott McMurren http://www.elliott.org/blog/us-airways-united-are-closest-to-the-bankruptcy-cliff/comment-page-1/#comment-20781 Scott McMurren Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:44:38 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7070#comment-20781 VISA/MC/AMEX no more. United wants cash/check ONLY for tickets purchased through ARC (Airline Reporting Corp). Agent or website that processes charge cards pay fee to THEIR OWN processor, assuming all liability. Perhaps UA's CC processor is nervous and wants to hold back more reserves? FAIL! http://tr.im/qYrj VISA/MC/AMEX no more. United wants cash/check ONLY for tickets purchased through ARC (Airline Reporting Corp). Agent or website that processes charge cards pay fee to THEIR OWN processor, assuming all liability. Perhaps UA’s CC processor is nervous and wants to hold back more reserves?

FAIL! http://tr.im/qYrj

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