Well...these days it is difficult to find anything positive to report about an airline. US Airways delivers nuts and bolts in an average way (meaning the plane works technically and delivers you to your destination for a reasonable price). Mostly on time.
They could stand out from this averageness, however, if they would not make so many Nickeling and Diming efforts. For example the seat selling techniques applied are just downright counterproductive. When checking in on line, all seats except the pre-assigned center seats (different rows, even though we bought tickets together) were $15. This, of course, to compel you to spend another $30 to sit with The Wife (yes, $30, since there was no purchaseable seat right next to one of the pre-assigned centers....psychology, anyone??). Then, we were almost late at the airport, but still went to the underused check-in counter. We asked if we could sit together. Result: Reclining exit row seats for free in a half-full plane.
Then we proceeded through the half empty airport and found out that we could actually go on a 1hr earlier plane, which was not full. However, the representative at the gate wanted $50 per ticked to make this change...again the Nickel and the Dime! Do they realize how bad this looks? Letting us on would not have cost anything, but would have left us with a happy memory...corporate numb nuts! Anyway, we went for coffee, saved the $100, and went on the booked plane. Can't be Nickeled and Dimed!
More from the US Airways front (6/2011). It appears that they are stepping up their "force people to check bags to collect more revenue" efforts. Sitting at the gate, the loudspeaker blasted something like: "If your bag exceeds the size box and you will not check it right now, but wait until we detect your outsize-baggage-sneaking-in attempts at the gate when boarding, you will be charged for the bag when we check it in"-very nice. Several people immediately ran to the counter and checked their bags (for free). Then, when finally boarding my bag was singled out and put towards the "sizer". It was slightly too thick, and the clerkess immediately blasted: this must be checked...but then she got distracted, and another less-eager clerkess winked at me and indicated me to move on the plane...lucky me!
Bottom line: It ain't getting better in those 'friendly skies'! Fly Southwest if you can!