Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
I might also point out that UA E- is 31"- that's where they get the space for E+- and AS's pitch matches WN's (32"), and is better than CO/DL standard pitch in a lot of their planes (30-31").
I appreciate the facts you're laying out here, but I'm not sure they're relevant to my argument. AS may match or beat E-, but it's a rare day that a UA elite sits in E-. I've been a 1K for a few years now and I honestly can't remember the last time it happened to me. Maybe once when I switched flights at the last minute during the holidays. AS may match or beat CO and DL's standard pitch, but CO is installing E+ and DL is installing EC. So it'll be a rare day that a UA/CO or DL elite is sitting in a tight pitch seat. As for WN, I think we all understand that the concept of "elite benefits" is foreign to them. More power to them, but not my kind of airline.
My point is that four of AS' competitors -- DL, UA/CO, B6, and VX -- have or will soon have more leg room available, either free as an elite benefit or as a buy-up. As a 1K and MVPG based in SEA, I find myself taking less and less transcons on AS these days, because now I know that I can fly nonstop to EWR and IAD and have an excellent chance of being upgraded to F, with exit rows and then E+ as fallbacks. I'm only going to requalify MVPG this year because of a couple of trips to LIH and KOA, and I'm going to have to do my first MR ever, though a very short one. Next year, I don't know.
Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
AS also isn't a particularly elite-heavy airline, so the impetus for this would likely have to be "squish the cattle".
Do you have data to support this? The last time I flew BOS-SEA, having booked my flight three weeks in advance, I was 21st on the upgrade list.