I don’t think anyone here is arguing that AS should be everything to everyone. We’re just asking them to be something to someone.
Alaska airlines has a few very strong things going for them which makes me absolutely loyal to them over any other airlines.
To set context, I'm a seattle based flyer who typically looks for the cheapest deals but would likely value the following list as any west-coast/alaska/hawaii based flyer:
- Free changes (2 months out) and price drop refunds!!!! In a world where AA/UA/DL/JetBlue cost so much for changes, and southwest isn't on google flights for quick fare drop alerts (making it mostly meaningless unless you check daily), for a cheap-deal flyer, this is absolutely invaluable for anyone who flies cheap. Very cheap $25 same-day changes. If I see a route where Delta/JetBlue are costing similar to alaska, i'll pick alaska just on the off-chance that the fares drop/plans change and I can get a refund.
- Very easy to attain mvp status without revenue requirements, specially if you take like 1 roundtrip to middle-east/asia in the winter and 1 roundtrip to europe in the summer, mixed in with a few flights around the west-coast etc. Or use a companion pass for a hawaii vacation etc. It is shockingly easy actually to get status, I've gotten mvp last several years without even trying because i have some family in asia and take a random international vacation otherwise on a cheap icelandair flight. MVP gives the spacious 6th row seating if you book far-out. I've never not been upgraded to premium economy as a lowly mvp.
- Very few cases of schedule-change saturdays, something which I've been screwed on all 3 UA/DL/AA if i book far-out (which i do, being a cheap revenue flyer). JetBlue and southwest are better here though in terms of no schedule changes. This is important because like most people I have a job and if I book a 5pm Friday flight, it means I can only catch 5pm, not 4pm after the dreaded schedule change.
- Great award chart for cathay/japanair, something that used to be AA niche, and great award chart
with availability for iceland/condor to europe, for a 7-8 hour flight, great going to south-america with LAN/AA, and decent if-not-great availability to asia/africa with emirates. Being seattle-based, stopovers give a free addon. Serves my purposes just right.
I don't know why people don't like alaska. I love it for everything its gotten me.