Originally Posted by
acarney
I just fly for leisure travel so I’m always paying out of pocket and looking for the most affordable F ticket. Usually just going PSC to LAX (or LAX area airports) with a connection in SEA or PDX and rarely found Alaska to have the cheapest F fares. Often they’re $100 to $200 more then Delta. Though I will note that this year if I look for travel in October on that route AS seems competitive, I usually book about 90 days before travel though so maybe F on AS jumps up faster then Delta. Either way, I do agree that getting lounge access with AS F is nice, and I really wish Delta did that, but I now hold the Amex Platinum card so lounge access isn’t an issue in SEA any more and isn’t an issue if I’m flying Delta.
I don't factor in the missed AS mileage because I don’t fly enough to really gain a huge amount of miles. I try to keep everything in AS mileage wise since I’ll do a few short hops between PSC and SEA/PDX every year but out of pocket is my main driver.
With Alaska I love that they include access to the Boardroom in addition to the other benefits. Also on most flights you are given a decent snack or meal depending on the length of the flight. When you factor in checked baggage+Boardroom Day Fee+Alcoholic beverages which are also included in Alaska's Preferred Cabin as well. Sometimes the price difference between Preferred/First are worth it when you factor in the $25 bag fee each way. Upgrades are not allowed to use the Boardroom its either award or paid F.
Hope this helps!