Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
The bottom line is AS doesn't want to make a play for premium transcon California-JFK.
They fly to LAX/SFO/SEA/PDX/LAS out of JFK. Other than PDX, the other ones are all premium market now. And I don't know you can say they don't want to make a play, when they are charging more than premium options?
Originally Posted by
bbinchi
I'm an MVPG member who does not fly for work. I've maintained MVPG status for three years running and I feel fortunate to have been able to do so. I usually buy the least expensive fares in a given market and, therefore, I have low expectations of upgrades. In fact, on transcon flights from/to SEA I have no expectations of an upgrade. I'm happy enough sitting in an exit row aisle seat.
Tomorrow I'll make a mileage run SEA-BOS-SEA and I've been looking at availability for the past few days. On each of my flights there had been four First Class seats available starting six days ago and they were priced at $1,069. (I was checking only on Alaska Airlines' website.) I thought that seemed steep given the product but I really don't know what the market will bear. I could presume that those seats were sold as my SEA-BOS flight is now sold out in F and the return has only one seat showing available for $1,069. Or perhaps MVPG 75Ks or other MVPG members who purchased more expensive fares than I did have been upgraded. I'll never know. Again, I'm happy enough with the arrangement I have but thought it interesting to read "...in many cases $900 to well over $1000 for SFO/LAX. These are not good prices for what they are offering" and then to see First Class fares >$1,000 on my flights.
BOS-SEA will be a very interesting market this year. AS is pricing its traditional F product 50% higher than mint and 60 to 70% higher than Delta F. I don't know how many seats it's selling at the price level that the public see, but we will find out at some point. Premium transcon fares have fallen a lot across the board.
IDK, there are a lot of people flying Y who have boardroom memberships or priority pass who would benefit from lounge access at JFK.
I think that's a minority of people flying in y. I have and do use pp, but I know people with it that don't use it because they got it with credit card and never found the benefits of lounge.