Trip Reports - Alaska 429 SNA - SEA on Sept. 13 '02

Well, hate to admit it, Alaska comp'd me to MVG-Gold being an EXP on AA. Flying Alaksa a lot more lately. My wife and I went to Seattle from Orange County on 9/13, returning 9/15, departing at 6 pm (9/13), had a great web fare, and were comped to first on both flights. Went for her 20th HS reunion and had a great time!

Anyway, the outband flight in first was AWFUL! Just wanted ot know if this is standard operating procedure on Alaska in first.

We pushed back exactly on time at 6pm. Airborne at 6:08. About 6:20 the FA in first (total of 3 on the flight, 1 in first and 2 in coach) took our drink and meal orders. It was a dinner flight in both classes.

What was unbelievable is that the first class FA, before even getting the first cabin their drinks, was busy heating and serving meals to the coach passengers in the first few rows. We were seated in the last row of first (I think row 3), and kept looking back, amazed. It had to be at least the first six rows had their drinks and meals (not sure what it was) before we in first were even served our beverages.

At 6:55 pm (45 minutes after take off), we were finally served a nice salad with our drink. The first round of drinks were now served separtely, only with the salad.

The dinner was a filet, which came out about 7:20, and was good.

And, they forgot to put the corkscrew on board, so if we wanted wine, had to get the coach class screw-off bottles. Not even champagne was avail.

Is it common on this run (or out of LAX) to have such horrible service?

I am sorry that your AS flight was a littlet bit slower than expected. Unfortunately, the usual procedures on AS are such. The F class F/A was expected to serve the coach pax in the first couple rows... usually it was only the heatings of the meals... usually, AS F F/A first served F pax drinks and peanuts, and then it will heat up the meals for F. Then the Y class F/A will push the cart, and then F class will serve the salad for F pax, and then the main courses... then the F Class F/A will pick up trays from the first section of Y class, and then collect the trays from F, and serve dessert and tea/coffee.

On all my AS flights, the operation is quite efficient, and the F class F/A does not serve meals in the Y class cabin... but I guess the Y class F/As may be new or not feeling too well...

All your other AS flights should be better.

Carfield http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Thank you Carfield, for the vote of confidence. As an AS F/A, I am sorry that your flight wasn't great. Carfield is right about how the service should have been performed. Please let the company know so that these people will be corrected as to the way the service should be done. Chances are that this F/A performs their service this way routinely and might need to be told that there is another way, the right way, to do the service. Thanks again Carfield, and Mile Guy, I hope that you'll give us another shot.