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sure sounds like AS is scrambling to come up with a consistent reason for why the UG professor keeps flunking its practical exams :rolleyes:
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Lort.... I wonder if Alaska has any interest in fixing this - especially since we're about to have an influx of Pualani elites joining our ranks.
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Originally Posted by UAPremierExec
(Post 36568327)
Lort.... I wonder if Alaska has any interest in fixing this - especially since we're about to have an influx of Pualani elites joining our ranks.
I don't see that they care at all at this point. It's just some minor inconveniences for elites customer from their perspective. |
Originally Posted by JayJ
(Post 36566530)
A couple data point to a failed upgrade from YYZ to SEA last month. I sent a letter to Alaska and received a reply including the following statement:
"Regarding the offer for a paid upgrade through the Alaska app, this option will show up for all guests on the flight that have tickets allowing for a paid upgrade. Anyone booked on the flight is able to purchase a day of departure upgrade until about 1 hour prior to departure. This is not a new change, and has been an option for many years." So apparently, per Alaska, for years now, years I tell you, all complimentary upgrades are held until an hour before flight so that paid upgrades can processed. That has not been my experience until a month ago. The other excuses on why the upgrade was not processed was the following: "While I can not see specific details on how the upgrades were done the way they were or why the flight departed with open first class seats, there are times when this occurs due to weight and balance or inoperable seats. Based on the information we have, it does sounds like this could have been the case if only one first class seat was filled with an upgrade." Have you ever seen a Alaska flight were they downgraded first class for weight and balance reasons? There were no broken seats on the aircraft, I talked to the lead fight attendant. You'd be lucky to talk to supervisors or people who could at least acknowledge the issue, but most of the times it would be agents throwing random claims around to conclude the discussion, and it could be false information on critical issue. Alaska given its lack of premium service and lack of coverage east of CA/WA/OR, will come to realize that if they took away the component of customer care and elite loyalty, the descent rate is quite high. If people started to believe that an airline is inferior to others, e.g. the cases for Frontier and Spirit, they are only flying if the fares are cheaper, and then look at the current situations for Frontier and Spirit. |
Originally Posted by oneworld_wanderer
(Post 36568363)
...Alaska given its lack of premium service and lack of coverage east of CA/WA/OR, will come to realize that if they took away the component of customer care and elite loyalty, the descent rate is quite high.
If people started to believe that an airline is inferior to others, e.g. the cases for Frontier and Spirit, they are only flying if the fares are cheaper, and then look at the current situations for Frontier and Spirit. |
Originally Posted by blue bear
(Post 36568790)
One way Alaska can improve their elite program by allowing GGU and other types of upgrade to be used in more situations. An example is a AA-booked BA flight of mine was cancelled (LIS-LIS-SEA). American redid the booking and part of it was an Alaska leg (LIS-PHL-SEA). Even if upgrade space was available, AS will not allow the GGU to be used - this policy is absurd at best.
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Originally Posted by UAPremierExec
(Post 36568327)
Lort.... I wonder if Alaska has any interest in fixing this - especially since we're about to have an influx of Pualani elites joining our ranks.
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Originally Posted by oneworld_wanderer
(Post 36568851)
Might be too much to ask at this point, I'd be thrilled if they can figure out a way to apply GGU on Hawaiian after the merger.
another likelihood - For simplicity, and with the direction they are going with selling the front cabin more, the upgrade carts will be good for any flight, but will become much more exclusive, with 1-2 offered only at the highest levels. The new AS is going to take every opportunity to monetize those premium cabins even more than they are today. So fewer upgrade certs out there would be a more likely plan. |
Originally Posted by JC5280
(Post 36571746)
I doubt the GGU will remain applicable to all global flights post merger. I fully expect a domestic upgrade, similar to GGU distribution, good for domestic flights, and a more exclusive type of upgrade cert available for international flights. This is how AA and UA used to do the RPUs and SWUs, and AS seems to follow the major carriers, but about 10 years behind them.
another likelihood - For simplicity, and with the direction they are going with selling the front cabin more, the upgrade carts will be good for any flight, but will become much more exclusive, with 1-2 offered only at the highest levels. The new AS is going to take every opportunity to monetize those premium cabins even more than they are today. So fewer upgrade certs out there would be a more likely plan. With Alaska it could be something similar, but I do hope it will be 4 Global Upgrade like what Delta is offering to Diamond. |
Originally Posted by pipeliner
(Post 36566259)
I think the cabin crew can request miles while Customer Care can give out discount codes. At least that has been my experience.
Originally Posted by PDXPremier
(Post 36566487)
Same experience this weekend on SEA-PDX...U space open within 24 hours but the system is now set up to charge everyone regardless of elite status.
Originally Posted by JayJ
(Post 36566530)
A couple data point to a failed upgrade from YYZ to SEA last month. I sent a letter to Alaska and received a reply including the following statement:
"Regarding the offer for a paid upgrade through the Alaska app, this option will show up for all guests on the flight that have tickets allowing for a paid upgrade. Anyone booked on the flight is able to purchase a day of departure upgrade until about 1 hour prior to departure. This is not a new change, and has been an option for many years." So apparently, per Alaska, for years now, years I tell you, all complimentary upgrades are held until an hour before flight so that paid upgrades can processed. That has not been my experience until a month ago. The other excuses on why the upgrade was not processed was the following: "While I can not see specific details on how the upgrades were done the way they were or why the flight departed with open first class seats, there are times when this occurs due to weight and balance or inoperable seats. Based on the information we have, it does sounds like this could have been the case if only one first class seat was filled with an upgrade." Have you ever seen a Alaska flight were they downgraded first class for weight and balance reasons? There were no broken seats on the aircraft, I talked to the lead fight attendant. Yes, seen weird things ex-GUA. Seats blocked due to w&b in F and WL dropped. Fixed in end... Just barely. |
Originally Posted by oneworld_wanderer
(Post 36571988)
Delta is a good example to follow, that at Platinum level you got to choose Regional Upgrade Cert, and at Diamond you can choose Global Upgrade Cert (which upgrade DL and their joint venture partners AF/KLM/etc), at this point KLM is Y -> J directly.
With Alaska it could be something similar, but I do hope it will be 4 Global Upgrade like what Delta is offering to Diamond. |
Originally Posted by SEA737
(Post 36557491)
They still process upgrades in advance (recently got ~3 days on DFW-SEA, and regularly get even further out on lightly-loaded regional routes), but they're definitely optimizing for revenue when they think they might still sell the seats, or just to have last minute seat availability.
I obviously wish they would just give out upgrades, but I always thought it was a bit insane from a revenue perspective that they would regularly upgrade up to F0 at 24h out up to last year or so. Never mind that it takes away from paying F pax when there's no other F seats available when your flight cancels, or you just want to SDC. As a MVPG got upgraded at T-23 last week AUS-SEA. Included my companion also, double win. But as a Gold the upgrade should have been at T-72 correct? Anyway spouse and I were happy with the flight and the upgrade. |
Originally Posted by MauleFlyer
(Post 36575619)
As a MVPG got upgraded at T-23 last week AUS-SEA. Included my companion also, double win. But as a Gold the upgrade should have been at T-72 correct? ...
T-72 is when the *MVPG upgrade window opens*; you won’t get upgraded before that time, but just because the window is open doesn’t mean AS will actually release any upgrade space at that instant |
Originally Posted by MauleFlyer
(Post 36575619)
As a MVPG got upgraded at T-23 last week AUS-SEA. Included my companion also, double win. But as a Gold the upgrade should have been at T-72 correct?
Anyway spouse and I were happy with the flight and the upgrade. The fact that U space remains available and upgrades are not being processed is contrary to AS' written policy. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f19ec8bbc5.jpg Once within the upgrade window above, if an upgrade is available for your flight, you will be upgraded immediately. If there are no upgrades available for your flight, you will remain on the waitlist until one is available. James |
Originally Posted by Flying for Fun
(Post 36575778)
If U space was available at T-72 then, yes, you should have been upgraded then provided there were U2 available and your placement on the upgrade waitlist was #1 & #2. If only U1 was available, you would be skipped.
The fact that U space remains available and upgrades are not being processed is contrary to AS' written policy. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f19ec8bbc5.jpg Once within the upgrade window above, if an upgrade is available for your flight, you will be upgraded immediately. If there are no upgrades available for your flight, you will remain on the waitlist until one is available. James Now it's not that when would U space be used for upgrade, it's if U space would be used for upgrade at all, at least on certain routes. |
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