$110 Companion Ticket Valid for COACH class only - Effective August 1st, 2012
#496
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,191
The problem that Alaska may find is that loyalty bought over years can be destroyed very quickly. Furthermore, when consumers gt angry with a company, they tend to patronize a different company even if all other factors are equal. So gutting your loyalty program to bring it in-line with other vendors can simply drive people to those other vendors even if they don't offer anything better.
Of course, if Alaska simply wants to compete on the lowest price and not worry about loyalty, it could just cut the loyalty program completely and join the ranks of Ryan and Spirit.
Of course, if Alaska simply wants to compete on the lowest price and not worry about loyalty, it could just cut the loyalty program completely and join the ranks of Ryan and Spirit.
So the "product" here is the credit card. Not the loyalty program or the airplane seat.
Viewed another way: I may not like, for example, the on-board meals AS sells, but I still want the airplane seat they sell. Same could apply to customers of the credit card. Both may still want to fly AS simply because it suits them, even if they don't like the other product much. I feel that way.
I can see loyalty to the credit card damaged severely (both by actions of AS and BofA). But there are a lot of people who continue to fly AS even if are not part of Mileage Plan and if they are, they may not rely on the AS VISA to earn additional miles. This change impacts the last group, not all AS passengers and not all Mileage Plan members.
#497
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,942
Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
#498
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: SEA
Posts: 12,485
Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
#499
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,191
Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
Those folks will most likely be most negatively affected by any change to any one of the family of products, and have a perception that proportionally is more negative than that of less fan-like customers. I mean, that's why we're here on FT, right? Fans and intense users?
I've mentioned my biggest beef is the poor customer service of AS' chosen credit card partner, now highlighted here:
http://www.geekwire.com/2012/banks-behaving-badly/
And I suppose that, too, indirectly reflects poorly on AS, but not as poorly as it does on Bank of America.
#500
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,946
The problem that Alaska may find is that loyalty bought over years can be destroyed very quickly. Furthermore, when consumers gt angry with a company, they tend to patronize a different company even if all other factors are equal. So gutting your loyalty program to bring it in-line with other vendors can simply drive people to those other vendors even if they don't offer anything better.
Of course, if Alaska simply wants to compete on the lowest price and not worry about loyalty, it could just cut the loyalty program completely and join the ranks of Ryan and Spirit.
Of course, if Alaska simply wants to compete on the lowest price and not worry about loyalty, it could just cut the loyalty program completely and join the ranks of Ryan and Spirit.
#501
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: portland, oregon
Programs: alaska, united, air france, lufthansa,delta, starwood
Posts: 382
Let's stop with the stupid "chip" nonsense.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
#502
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,942
Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
Let's stop with the stupid "chip" nonsense.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
For those based in Alaska fares have not gone down...we don't have the same market conditions as the lower 48...and other then AS taking over a charter route flown by Hawaiian Airlines for Hawaiian Vacations- we've been fairly stagnent with flights to/from Alaska- and even losing some including ANC-SFO/YVR and winter ANC-ORD. Yes the lower 48 and Hawaii have seen massive expansion, but from my home market not as much. I haven't bought a F companion cert but have had family members purchase... But its more I'm concerned what will happen next
Originally Posted by sxf24
Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
It is however another 'chip' of a progression of modifications over the past two years. Other examples were the BR membership access reduction- yes it was a smaller subset as not everyone had a membership. But many chose to not renew or move to another product due to access restrictions.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
#503
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: SEA
Posts: 12,485
Thank Alfred Kahn and the deregulation of the Airlines in 1978 for "more flights and paying less" but the reality is that: the airport experience is demeaning, you get nickled and dimed for everything including but not limited to checked luggage; Alaska's 737 is not a comfortable aircraft for a flight of any duration; the constantly oversold airplanes leads to problems with sufficient overhead space (aggravated by the charges associated w/checking luggage); Alaska-like all airlines pad their schedules to be able to show on time arrivals expecting delays one way or another. All in all, travel today stinks. I have no expectation to pay less for the same or more. I expect to get what I paid for. Alaska sold a product and then stripped it of its value. I actually prefer to use the word "strip" to "chip" because chip infers incremental changes for the worse. "Strip" says the whole panoply of changes have made the card worthless to me.
P.S. If you don't find the 737 to be comfortable, I don't know why you're even in this forum or how you've ever tolerated flying any airline in the past.
For those based in Alaska fares have not gone down...we don't have the same market conditions as the lower 48...and other then AS taking over a charter route flown by Hawaiian Airlines for Hawaiian Vacations- we've been fairly stagnent with flights to/from Alaska- and even losing some including ANC-SFO/YVR and winter ANC-ORD. Yes the lower 48 and Hawaii have seen massive expansion, but from my home market not as much. I haven't bought a F companion cert but have had family members purchase... But its more I'm concerned what will happen next
If capacity out of Alaska has been stagnant, it is because demand is stagnant. Expecting AS to operate non-EAS routes on a charity basis for Alaska residents is idiotic.
#504
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ANC
Programs: AS MVP, Club 49, Global Entry, National Emerald Club, Hilton Silver
Posts: 1,392
Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
For those based in Alaska fares have not gone down...we don't have the same market conditions as the lower 48...and other then AS taking over a charter route flown by Hawaiian Airlines for Hawaiian Vacations- we've been fairly stagnent with flights to/from Alaska- and even losing some including ANC-SFO/YVR and winter ANC-ORD. Yes the lower 48 and Hawaii have seen massive expansion, but from my home market not as much. I haven't bought a F companion cert but have had family members purchase... But its more I'm concerned what will happen next
For those based in Alaska fares have not gone down...we don't have the same market conditions as the lower 48...and other then AS taking over a charter route flown by Hawaiian Airlines for Hawaiian Vacations- we've been fairly stagnent with flights to/from Alaska- and even losing some including ANC-SFO/YVR and winter ANC-ORD. Yes the lower 48 and Hawaii have seen massive expansion, but from my home market not as much. I haven't bought a F companion cert but have had family members purchase... But its more I'm concerned what will happen next
#506
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: portland, oregon
Programs: alaska, united, air france, lufthansa,delta, starwood
Posts: 382
Let's stop with the stupid "chip" nonsense.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
#507
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ANC
Programs: AS MVP, Club 49, Global Entry, National Emerald Club, Hilton Silver
Posts: 1,392
#508
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: SEA
Programs: No status anywhere :(
Posts: 867
So then what you really meant is that it is worthless to YOU.
#509
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: Lifetime AS 1MM & MVPG, AS MVPG100K, AA, DL, HH-G
Posts: 8,235
Let's stop with the stupid "chip" nonsense.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
The reality is that we have access to more flights and are paying less for tickets - on average - then we ever have in the past. If you expect that pay less but continue receiving the same benefits, the only chip is the one on your shoulder.
You do not state what your status is, so I can't speak to that, but if you have been MVPG or 75K for several years, you would see how different this company is today than it was not so long ago AND how the treatment of the elite tiers has fallen off badly in the last 3-4 years.
The number of airlines flying into and out of Alaska has not changed much for several years. Yes, you can throw out the once per day JetBlue and Frontier flights, the once or twice a day US and DL flights, and whatever the H##L United may or may not be doing this week, but they have absolutely no impact on the travel experience or cost for the vast majority of travelers. Their fares closely match AS. None appears ready to increase service into or out of Alaska.
#510
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: deep within the Eskimo lair
Programs: TubWorld, Bar Alliance, Borratxo Legendarium
Posts: 16,968
Agreed. Seattle Airlines, I mean Alaska Airlines seems to more or less pretend we don't exist. Sure, they introduced Club 49 (which basically is worthless), but other than that, we have been ignored. Fares are sky high as always, routes are being either demoted to seasonal or ended alltogether. We have gotten one new route in the last 3 to 4 years (ANC to KOA). They had to slash ANC to OGG frequency to get it though.
The fact is that population of the state of Alaska is about equivalent to that of North Dakota, and they are spread out over a lot more land space. I'm guessing AK has a heck of a lot more jet service than ND does.