golfingboy

My ballpark estimate as an armchair quarter back would be ~20% of AS's paid F customer base. Remember, the average % of paid F in the F cabin in the US is around 15-20%, while the rest is upgraders or non-revs or FAMs.

I did not realize customs was in the S satelitte itself, I assumed when SEA built the new international arrivals facility, customs would be located in that part of the airport. I was wrong.

Only DL customers in paid J or SkyClub members can use the SC after a long-haul flight, most airlines only offer lounge access benefits at the departure point before flying their metal. Some do offer arrivals facilities, but mostly only at the hubs. The general rule of thumb is the connecting airline should assume responsibility to "cater" the premium customers as part of getting some F revenue from an itinerary. AS does not even allow paid F into the BR after arriving from a paid F AS segment. Correct me if I am wrong.

The BR membership is already very expensive compared to other lounge memberships considering AS only has 5 lounges. As an MVPG I am paying $59 per lounge operation, as an 1K with UA I am paying ~$7 per lounge operation. Yes, UA has more premium customers using the lounges, but AS's BR value proposition for the price they want is not good. Lacks the key essentials of a proper lounge, especially for IRROPs handling and in-house reservations support. Showers is another thing.

Even with the already high price, I would even pay $325 annually if they add showers.

As for the number of customers using the shower facilities, you will be surprised at how many customers uses the showers. During peak times, wait times for shower can be as long as one hour. Most cases, it is ~15 minutes for me.

I agree, people do look for the quickest connection, but AS does not offer 3-6x frequencies to many destinations 3+ hours long and finding myself being stuck in SeaTac for more than 3 hours is not uncommon. Once I was stuck for 7 hours and another time overnight. Most time it is ~2 hours. Finding an one hour connection is rare on AS, unless you add a segment down to PDX just to burn the time.

I use the shower at EWR/IAH all the time after a red-eye flight or if it is very late at night when the only thing I want to do at my destination is go straight to bed. I can't sleep when my head is all oily, so it is annoying for me to have to take a shower upon arrival knowing the next morning I will be taking a shower again. But, that is just me.

I do value showers, and I am willing to pay a premium for that. Maybe I am just a minority, but a large majority of people I know would prefer if a lounge has showers.

sxf24

No, the general rule of thumb is the airline providing the C/J service caters to the premium customer.

UA's lounges are subsidized by its international premium customers. AS does not have that luxury.

98103

There's no need for showers in the Boardroom. Sure they're a nice amenity to have following a red-eye arrival or before a red-eye departure, but to suggest it wouldn't cost any more -as someone suggested- is just flat out wrong.

There's of course the amenity and staff end that has been pointed out, but the additional infrastructure required to support 2-4 shower stalls seems to be a bit excessive. I don't think DL has more than 1 or 2 showers in its SEA facility and they're operating multiple overnight flights in from Asia, plus KE's flights - if they're not using the BA lounge.

Lounge showers make sense in an airport with extensive international operations, like LAX, ORD, JFK and ATL, but not SEA.

golfingboy

Not sure if I was clear, but let's say someone is flying AS F connecting to QF F on SEA-LAX-SYD.

On SEA-LAX AS will cater to the paid F customer while the customer is in SEA, then upon landing it becomes QF's responsibility to cater that customer for the LAX-SYD flight.

It is the same the other way around, for SYD-LAX, QF will take care of its customers, but AS will take over that responsibility once the customer arrives in LAX. QF, and no airline that I know, will produce a lounge invitation for paid F or C/J customers into the AS BR before an AS flight.

It is the same with Star Alliance, if I am flying in F on LH connecting in IAD to Y on an UA flight I won't get in the UC by virtue of my F BP.

golfingboy

Fine at least one or two shower rooms. No, it is not going to cost AS a million just to add showers. Amenities and towels are cheap, primarily due to bulk orders and collaborative product marketing for the shampoo/soap companies. Towels are reuseable. If showers are very very very expensive to add to a project that will require a total plumbing overhaul anyway, then many airlines would not install showers at locations where they only have 1-2 flights a day like LH at IAD. Something tells me, the cost to install a shower or two is not exorbitant like some people claim. Labor will more likely be the biggest cost over a few years.

KE passengers do not get in the DL SC upon arrival if they are connecting to AS and if AS did not offer BR admission for paid F AS customers those customers will be sitting in the gate area. Prior to departure to ICN they can use the DL SC.

Bottom line, I want showers, of AS feels it is too cost prohibitive for them then fine, but that will be a con against the BR in my book.

sxf24

Since AS doesn't receive any of the international F revenue from the passenger, why in the heck would it spending money to provide international F-type lounge benefits?

AS currently provides its paid F customers with complimentary access to a lounge with benefits in-line with other domestic clubs. There is absolutely no business case to invest in providing additional benefits like showers.

Bottom line, I want a first class suite on my SEA-LAX flights. If AS feels it is too cost prohibitive for them, it will be a con against AS in my book.

hgdf

I think it's more about the airline than the airport. DL's new club in the S satellite has showers, but then again, they're operating SEA as an international gateway.

I just don't see AS's connecting passengers as the likely bathing types. The only time I feel really inclined to shower at the airport is during a layover following a long-haul redeye. How many AS passengers fit that description? Are people really getting that funky on the way down from ANC?

tbau

I'd be curious to know what exactly is meant by the cryptic:
"In order to ease traveler anxiety about waiting for the train, improvements to the communications systems for the train and train lobbies are planned."

Does that mean that in the future we get "next stop baggage claim" announcements in 8 more languages instead of the 3 or 4 (?) that we get now? If so all I can say is FINALLY!!!! That will really ease my anxiety.

eponymous_coward

The flights AS runs as redeyes to SEA are usually the Hawaii ones, plus some Alaska service.

I don't see those as particularly lucrative.

And as for AS running the new SEA Bored Room™ as an international arrivals lounge for partner premium pax... yeah, right.

(Besides... AS BR membership includes DL SkyClub admission, with nifty showers included, so we're REALLY talking a tiny slice of pie here.)

jackal

The requirement is for an F BP dated the same day. It can be used before departure, after arrival, or even at the PDX BR if you are flying out of PDX on a Q400 with no F and connecting (same-day) in SEA to an AS flight in F.

I was assuming train arrival notifications on the platforms--something like "the next train is arriving in 60 seconds." On tight connections, such announcements would definitely ease my anxiety--even knowing the trains are running two minutes apart, I find myself getting antsy when waiting for a train on a tight connection.

I usually fly a red-eye out after a long day at work and connect to a transcon, which means that I'm already funky when I board in ANC and I'm really, really funky when I arrive on the east coast. A shower in SEA would probably make the passengers sitting next to me a little happier.

I would love a shower in SEA, and while I would personally find some use for it and some others here would enjoy it, too, I'll admit that it probably would not be not a profit center for AS and we are not likely to ever see one. (That said, a SEA BR shower would actually interest me in purchasing a BR membership again, so that'd be $600 so far [$300 from me and $300 from golfingboy] towards the construction and operation of the shower.)

dsldog400

If showers were installed at SEA, I would gladly be willing to pay an additional $15-$30 (or pay with miles) to use one, especially if it made a night time connection more acceptabe. Even for elites, every benefit & comfort does not have to free.

Even though I easily manage to stay clean while traveling, paying for a shower and being rejuvenated in order to be comfortable while remaining inside the terminal behind security would be better than spending the time & money for a motel, and then maybe leave SEA on a later flight.

I hate spending money for a short hotel stay that ends up being a shower with no sleep time. For example, a few days ago, I worked all day in PA after a short sleep night, flew PHL-SFO non-stop on UA (missed the AS PHL-SEA by 5 minutes) that evening in E+, stayed awake for 3 extra hours because of time zones, and checked into the SFO Hyatt (cheapest of the cheap motels was Travel Lodge North at a whopping $135 for the last 2 rooms, normally $45-65) at 11:45 pm. Outbound flight was at 7:30 am.

What I got for $170:
1: Free shuttle ride to the Hyatt
2: An unexpected big upgrade as a Diamond, courtesy of the desk agent that I didn't need or deserve
3: 3 hours sleeep. After shower, computer work, print boarding passes, etc., got to bed at 2:30 am and awoke at 5:30 in order to catch 6 am shuttle
4: No time for free coffee or snacks
5: No time for a free trip to the members' lounge
6: Out the door at 6:10 am to get shuttle
7: Felt good, felt clean, slept good, but still starving & in need of coffee when I got to airport on time, and after a stress free checkin, realized I left my 2 newspapers on the hotel desk

How much would a behind security shower have been worth to me? Probably $100 that night to avoid the shuttle & motel bill.

I have done the same type of motel trek at SEA by using the SeaCrest Motel on some real cheap rates, but could be just as happy with only a shower in the Board Room.

jackal

It would be tacky for AS to charge for a shower in the Board Room. However, I would totally pay for a little post-security transit hotel room or cabana and shower in situations like yours (which I've been in many times).

formeraa

In this day and age of ala carte pricing, why would it be tacky to pay $15 for a shower in the BR. To operate showers, it requires at least one full-time cleaning person to clean the showers after every use and probably a "shower checkin" agent to manage the waiting list and calling up the next person during the peak times. Additionally, supplies (soap, shampoo, towels, etc.) do cost money.

jackal

Well, I guess AS isn't beyond tacky--they did try to charge for baggage for First Class passengers--but if they did charge for showers in the BR, they'd be the only carrier to do that.

Also, the DL SC showers at SEA don't have dedicated staff. The concierge handles the scheduling and the contract staff that takes care of janitorial duties takes care of cleaning the shower.

beckoa

I think its the same contract staff that also plays bartender for your every need- including a Diet Coke...