Consolidated Horizon E175 Discussion Thread
May 6, 2017, 2:00 pm
#61
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 917
They could prioritize SFO/SJC and put E175s on PDX-OAK at the same time. 3x E175s to OAK is no addition of capacity. It would be a perfectly logical, conservative thing to do if they want to give people a reason to choose AS over WN. Spending a lot of money on advertising in the East Bay and then not offering a competitive product at the East Bay's airport seems like not an ideal business strategy. But as I said above, that's their prerogative just like it's my prerogative to complain about it.
May 6, 2017, 3:23 pm
#62
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,638
I do when Alaska is priced $50+ higher, but unfortunately Southwest doesn't have the ~6:30 am PDX-OAK flight that is most convenient for me. They move their schedules around much more than AS; this summer there's a 5:20 flight (too early) and 7:20 flight (too late for getting into the office for me). I am doing a 6:05 am PDX-OAK leg in a couple weeks; I never saw the AS flight drop below $149, while WN was $63 (and AS PDX-SFO/SJC was $63). I won't pay $90 more to be on the Q400.
May 6, 2017, 8:59 pm
#63
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,989
Just read that the E175 will be assigned to the Seattle to San Luis Obisbo route. But the PDX - OAK flights are still the old, loud, slow, crammed, wait-for-your-carry-on-bags-in-the-PDX-rain, no-water-in-the-bathroom-sink Q400s. Come on Alaska, San Luis Obisbo? Really? How about throwing Oakland a bone and bring back jet service?
It can always be worse.
May 6, 2017, 11:34 pm
#64
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 917
I do when Alaska is priced $50+ higher, but unfortunately Southwest doesn't have the ~6:30 am PDX-OAK flight that is most convenient for me. They move their schedules around much more than AS; this summer there's a 5:20 flight (too early) and 7:20 flight (too late for getting into the office for me). I am doing a 6:05 am PDX-OAK leg in a couple weeks; I never saw the AS flight drop below $149, while WN was $63 (and AS PDX-SFO/SJC was $63). I won't pay $90 more to be on the Q400.
May 7, 2017, 8:58 am
#66
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,638
Hallelujah! All that complaining finally paid off. Hopefully the temporaryness is only temporary. It'd be pretty mean to just give us a one month taste and then go back to the Q400 for another year.
May 7, 2017, 7:15 pm
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,386
So Horizon apparently scores better on consistency of schedule, and sometimes in convenience of schedule. And in my experience, AS prices from Oakland frequently match those from the rest of the Bay Area, even if they don't every time. Overall, it sounds like Horizon's product is reasonably competitive. I'm sure they'll get some other aircraft eventually, but in such a heavily Southwest-dominated airport, I can see why OAK-PDX hasn't been made a priority.
May 8, 2017, 8:51 am
#69
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 2,206
Was just looking at a potential flight booking this fall and saw that MKE-SEA is switching to Horizon. Not that there is a huge difference, but the slightly better service will be nice on one of the longest flights the Alaska E175s operate on.
May 8, 2017, 10:09 am
#70
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS MVPG75K, HH Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, AGR S+
Posts: 366
You'll be seeing more of this as more E175s come on property at QX. SEA-ICT, SEA-OKC and PDX-MCI are a few more that QX will pick up this fall. That said, with both OO and QX flying the E175, market swaps back and forth will happen with different schedule changes for the foreseeable future.
May 8, 2017, 1:27 pm
#71
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 734
May 8, 2017, 2:31 pm
#72
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,638
Seems unlikely to be directly related, but the one OAK-SEA E175 run ends June 30 and restarts Aug 1-26 [I don't know what else that plane is scheduled to do all day]. All 737 otherwise. Hopefully this is still being worked out and the E175 will be permanent on OAK-PDX. It'd be weird to run it just one month and then go back to Q400 full time.
May 13, 2017, 7:09 pm
#73
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: 42,953
Seems unlikely to be directly related, but the one OAK-SEA E175 run ends June 30 and restarts Aug 1-26 [I don't know what else that plane is scheduled to do all day]. All 737 otherwise. Hopefully this is still being worked out and the E175 will be permanent on OAK-PDX. It'd be weird to run it just one month and then go back to Q400 full time.
And the 737's might be deployed on other routes for peak summer travel.
May 14, 2017, 12:54 pm
#74
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: 42,953
E175 teething issues?
Just boarded N182SY for ICT and the rear lav is inop. (will be exciting). Sounds like they've been having issues.
May 14, 2017, 5:47 pm
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,723
I got a chance to fly the E175 from SEA-FAT the other day and I agree with others, it's a great aircraft...good legroom in F and Y and the AS Beyond worked great, just like being on the 737. The only thing I noticed was how high the windows were, so much so that it was more difficult to see down when you're in the air, especially for the aisle person like myself. I was traveling with my kids and the excitement and view of sitting at the window was a little obstructed by the height of the windows. The only time the view is better with higher windows seems to be when you're on the ground.