JHIN

On three flights in a row I think how AS boards F class has a flaw.

AS should board all F class first period end of story! And yes that's after those who need extra time or have small children.

Then after F class all 75K MVPs etc. IMHO and personal on 3 flights in a row I've had my fill of pushy 75K MVPs wanting to literally jump the queue. I paid F for a reason and don't care if your a loyal customer. Maybe it's the gate agents and how they announce the cattle call? Or company policy. While I'm at it Id you paid for F whilst onboard then I think FAs should serve you first - if you upgraded then you can wait. And if using mileage then same as paid F IMHO.

Actually it made me think that F class starts at check in whether in person or online and continues even through the airport processes and I don't think ANY airline has achieved legendary customer service in regards to this but perhaps Alaska could lead the pack here!!

SayNoToCoach

I hate how quickly coach boards after F does. I was literally putting up my bag after I got to my seat and some guy bumped hard into me. I guess I'm extra sensitive cuz I recently had back surgery.

Chugach

For whatever reason, AS can never quite figure out boarding. It is probably my least favorite part of the AS experience.

Orwaid

I agree that the boarding process could be improved.

I can only surmise it is because AS is also hellbent on closing the boarding doors at t-5.

Doc Savage

Don't They Know Who You Are?

MonThruThurs

Meh, deal with it. It's 2015 and AS F isn't CX F.

WinSea

I think one of the reasons people are getting annoyed is because there are just so many MVP GOLDs and 75Ks, esp AS tend to match status with other airlines. As a pure 75k member, I think they should limit how many 75k/Golds to grant each year.

and btw somehow I remember they do limit how many people can achieve 75k, anyone knows?

Rich Boykin

I somewhat agree with the OP, but i'm less concerned about the on plane experience, and more about the line / gate management aspect of it. I've been waiting to board on an F booking and had someone ask if they were boarding row 25. Its a mix of gate crew, quality of PA system at the gate, and corporate policy.

tusphotog

Why/how could they limit it? I'd be willing to bet the number of 75Ks is probably less than 2% of the number of people in the MP.

The boarding process sucks on AS. Supposedly AS had several "test" locations for an "improved" boarding process that never went anywhere.

A lot of y'all love to bash WN and say it's a "cattle call." But it's the most organized boarding process of any airline out there. AS and especially QX remind me of a cattle call. It needs to be fixed.

Meh. I'm tired of the pushy people that expect the world to bow down to them.

WinSea

really? only 2%? I feel like there are more than that.

beckoa

Well that 2% flies a bit more often

rwinn

I think Southwest's system is great and UA's use of multiple dedicated and clearly marked lanes might be the best for a carrier with assigned seats. Alaska has some elements in place and should probably redesign the process and the boarding lanes.

The groups should probably be revisited (maybe F, 75K, MVPG, and upper tier elites don't all need to be in the same group.) Should everyone in that group (such as a DL Plat) use the first/MVP Gold lane to board even when seated in Y? Or is that lane actually reserved for first class passengers and MVP Golds?

In many cases the bulk of main cabin passengers seem to follow right behind into the first/MVP Gold lane even when the process has moved on to general boarding. It might help if the lanes were more clearly marked, and having long descriptions of each group may be confusing and more ambigious than just using numbered groups. Announcements and PA system quality could stand to be improved in many cases, too. The current gate displays found in most airports are a good start but I think having a bold headline that lists the boarding group would go a long way toward eliminating confusion.

CDKing

2% may actually be kind of high. IIRC When it first rolled out only a few thousand qualified.

The problem is F, MVPG 75K, MVP Gold plus partner elites are called at the same time and there is no sending people back if they are attempting to board early. For instance DL silver is not supposed to board until after the large first group.

Plus no real separation of groups, they don't even finish processing the line before the next group is called. The carpet is worthless because its not the one closest to the agent so they cannot see you. Makes you feel like a line jumper vs one who is supposed to jump the line. Then again at PDX there's gates without a carpet

Eastbay1K

It sounds like you have a couple of rants. At least.

Re: Boarding, WN has the most civilized process of all these days. However, it would never work with an "at your leisure" lane for F/MVPG. What will work best in the long run is if AS actually enforces its boarding process, period. Your kid is 3 or 4? Go away and get to the back of the line. Your row number or status hasn't been called? Go away and get to the back of the line. Some shock therapy, done with a smile, would do good.

Re: Onboard, once you're in the F cabin, you're in the F cabin. There should not be classes within the F cabin once you're seated there. Speaking of seated, last minute UGs that can't sit together and throw tantrums are another story, but that has nothing to do with the FAs serving the F cabin uniformly pursuant to the company's service standard. What about the passenger that paid for an immediately upgradeable high fare (i.e. full Y) that didn't immediately upgrade, that cost more than a P (right into F) fare? [There can be a myriad of reasons for this, i.e., company policy, need refundable tix, etc.]

dave1013

I think the exact opposite is now in effect since AS is granting 75K status to top elites of some other airlines.