eponymous_coward

I would suggest that we hermetically seal our predictions and keep them in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnalls' porch until 2011, and then see how we did.

- AS will expand service out of SJC as their new Bay Area focus city.
- AS will add service to at least one of the following cities during 2010: ABQ, CLT, PHL, STL, SLC.
- AS will switch from Row44 to Aircell/GoGo after realizing that being able to actually use wifi on some flights beats a theoretically better system that lacks any venture capital to deploy it in real life.
- AS will introduce MVP Platinum/Diamond/(insert precious metal here) as a 3rd tier.
- AS will announce a Milage Plan partnership with another Skyteam partner.
- AS won't join Skyteam, though. Or be bought by anyone/join any alliances.
- The long awaited AS/DL elite reciprocity will come by June 20, 2010.
- AS/AA elite reciprocity won't happen or be announced in 2010. More's the pity.
- AA one-way awards WILL come to AS MP, though.
- AS will not announce a DEQM promotion during 2010.
- AS will show an overall profit for 2010. (The last two are sort of related.)

Anyone else?

maokh

My predictions for 2010:

- In an effort to earn more guaranteed revenue from EAS, AS will move their hub to ADK, and discontinue direct service between SEA and PDX, YKM, YYJ, and EAT, but re-route all these flights through Adak.
- AS will finally launch the long sought after SEA-PIT 4x, 2x of which will make use of their new yet-to-be-delivered 48 F configured aircraft, with full bar/restaurant lounge in the aft of the aircraft, called "The Eskimo Club"
- AS will drop plans to deploy row44/gogo, remove 20 aft seats from all aircraft to make room for the installation of servers that will store "The Best of the Internet", downloaded 4x monthly.
- AS will add two additional flights to the SEA-LAX route
- AS will launch MVP Platinum and MVP Unobtainium, in which the latter you will be provided your own personal Toruk during irregular operations (however, as the name implies, you will never be able to fly the 1,000,000,000,000,000 yearly miles required)
- AS will add meal choices in first class to flights under 3 hours
- SeaPort Airlines will attempt a hostile takeover of Alaska Air Group, but fail after shareholders realize voodoo donuts will not be offered throughout the AS route system after the merger
- AS mileage plan will partner with Falkland Islands Government Air Service, Greyhound (launched with a DEQM offer), and Icaro Air.
- MVP Gold and higher will have the option of using jumpseats on overbooked flights
- Another top pot donut offering will be available on the SEA-PDX run in march

ANC

AS will up its baggage fees to abide with the airline fee matching conspiracy


AS will add additional service to MSP either ANC, PDX, or even possibly OAK

FreequentFlier

AS will move more of its Bay Area service to SJC from OAK (and especially SFO).
AS will move closer to one of the two alliances (SkyTeam and OneWorld) it is currently aligned with but will still not become part of that alliance
AS will add new service to SLC and SAT

ANC

personal wish like me and PHL OR is there some type of reason there would be a good amount of traffic to such a destination? Its kinda like PHL in that its pretty much a final stop in the AS system and not a gateway to partners or international partners like say an ATL or ORD. Id love to see MKE too but some cities just arent viable without good partner connections out of them, a huge business need, or lots of tourism Takes at least one strong part of one of those 3 or a good combo of all three. Aint a whole of of business involving the west coast at CLT, PHL, or MKE. Not many people say Im heading to vacation at MKE, PHL, or CLT. Nor do any of them have any decent amount of AS partners there. Granted US scareways isnt in that great of shape and is rather vulnerable for route encroachment. With US tapping into ANC even more it will be interesting to see if AS retaliates with SEA-PHL or SEA-CLT and includes a "direct" ANC-SEA-PHL flight. AS doesnt mind partners dabbling in Anchorage but they usually lash back at non partners trying to establish in Anchorage.

eponymous_coward

And AUS does?

(OK, AA, but they barely count.)

ANC

AUS Texas has a lot of business tied to the north slope and Tesoro is 80 miles up the road. So they fit into the business catergory more so than partner or tourism. Granted I am still baffled why they wouldve chose AUS service over SAT

wildway

Iceland Air partnership.

A Central American destination. Wishful thinking, I know, but it never hurts to dream.

CZBB

My QX predictions;

QX will expand into flying into Alaska, with new Q400 combis
QX will start and end subsidized (by the city) air service to YCD, in much the same way they served YXS
QX service within California, from their SJC (maybe OAK) hub to SBA, BFL and FAT
QX will be rumored to be looking at one of the new small (100seat) jetliners like the C-Series to replace the CRJ700
QX will become the G4 killer, taking on some of G4's LAX routes into teh Northwest (like BLI-LAX)
QX will start service from PAE to GEG and PDX, and residents will go Wow! that Q400 really is quieter than a Cessna. (ok maybe not the last plat)

ANC

I think they shouldve bought Sun Country or made a strong bid... yeah yeah I know my wishful thinking too Couldve got some good destinations and an "all boeing 737 fleet" aircraft but Ive been corrected and apparently they lease the 738s at Sun country Dont wanna encroach on NW you know...even if they are out of business which leads me to believe that DL pressed AS for the partnership more so than AS towards DL. I think DL did that to squash any significant potential Northwest(no pun intended) expansion by AS. Had NW been dissolved and DL not having a close deal with AS they couldve rolled right into the midwest unabated

tusphotog

I just want a second TUS-SEA flight......Preferably a 7a departure out of TUS and a 7p departure out of SEA.

rybob1

My Predictions:

• AS installs Lumexis IFE (See this also)
• AS Expands LIH service with either PDX-LIH or additional SEA-LIH service.
• AS continues its expansion on PDX with PDX-MSP and the return of PDX-MCO or PDX-MIA
• AS cuts one additional frequency between PHX and SEA, possibly shifting it to PDX instead.
• After much debate, Row44 wins out, and -800 type test aircraft enters service Q2 2010.

COS flyer

New Routes: Maybe none as there are not many planes coming into the fleet. If there are new routes - SAN-Hawaii will be on the list. QX may do Everett.

Change of Service: Because Alaska loves Delta so much, look for (and you're going to hate me)...increased bag fees (more flights for me on Southwest), new pay for choice seats , internet (charge for all) and it will be Row 44 since it has to work between Seattle-Alaska, and finally the one everyone hates to talk about - since cookies went away, what's next - Golds will pay change fees (also more flights for me on Southwest)

My real hope is that Alaska and Horizon are doing well enough that they don't have to go with the industry nickel and dime fee increases. I think there is a reason Southwest traffic has exploded. I would be happy with on time flights at a good fare and no added services or fees with the same great customer service we have all come to love. ^

rybob1

Can someone explain to me why when TUS had a second seasonal flight, it was a summer flight, and not a winter one? It would seem with the combination of snowbirds and college students, a second winter flight would make more logical sense.

jwright

Because there were government statistics that documented the demand for Austin perhaps? What, did you think Bill Ayer flipped a coin or something?