beckoa

Agreed. With the new GIDS system AS is implementing, hope they can have a similar page for us, both via the internet (mobile too) and an app

FAIPDXFlyer

mmm. I wonder what that might mean? More routes? More mainline? I think they should make a go at nonstop PDX-LIH/KOA and PDX-AUS.

I am glad they are making PDX a priority, AS has until very recently had a "position and hold" mantra with respect to PDX.

Curious what new things AS has in store for PDX.

~FAI PDX Flyer

maokh

I keep telling them PIT .. fly me there. The route manager was at my table, but there must not be something economical about it i guess.

Some employees were mumbling "i heard about that!" ... they know certificate collection is a complete joke, and how its either a complete unnkown among golds. the question asked was, "i have no idea what to do with these so i just burn them in the fire place" (gasps in the crowd)

It might also be interesting to note that someone from Kenmore air was on site to talk a little bit about the partnership. Its very exciting i think.

Exiled in Express

Split the difference and start MDT. Base a Q400 there to link to PIT and PHL.

maokh

If anyone is up for a jet pool to PIT, let me know

bzman

Quote:

" There were only about 2000 passengers that flew more than 75K last year. "

I will bet they find this number increases significantly this year. I for one have always milked my AS miles to just over 40K --- enuf to qualify for Gold, but then I split miles with CO to qualify over there as well. I actually hit 75K for the first time in '09, mainly under the misguided hope that I would be "tapped on the shoulder" for the elusive MVP Gold plus that we were hearing runors about.

This year Alaska gets my attention at the expense of others, so I can get the elusive 75K card and "priorities" . Right now, I am only getting bumped on AS 50% of the time Next year, I will see if the MVPG+ is worthwhile, as I will take my CO status down to Gold in order to see how often I will get the bumps on AS.

I am betting that the MVPG+ will get me over the hump, and I bet that there are a lot of people like me who can divert flights to AS...

OverThereTooMuch

As someone who has "acquired" paper certs from various sources over the last several years, I'll be sad to see the program end. I'll miss you, F!

But I'm surprised to see that it took so long to start the move to ecerts.

SEAFFLYER

For the longest time AS kept saying no to seat power, batteries are where its at. But it seems like the during the last year or so, AS might have been rethinking their position. Any discussions about that at the lunch??

maokh

Yeah, it gets brought up every time. The stance is that this will no longer be an issue in the future as computer technology improves. The big issues is weight and cost. When you have companies changing from metal to plastic carts to save 3,000,000 gallons of fuel a year, i dont know how the heck you are going to convince them that putting in power is economical.

Infact, I completely agree with this. If they were operating long, international hauls, id have serious issues with this line of thinking -- but they dont.

Buying a 1 hour 30 minute wonder is probably not the best travel laptop. Right now there are dozens of laptops on the market today that can last even the longest alaska flights with time to spare. One of my coworkers recently purchased a macbook pro and he lasts the entire workday (and some of the next) without his charger. "Oh, i left it at home. doesn't really matter, i never bring it to work." he says.

morerainplease

Wow, YMMV. At least mine does. I carry a spare battery in my bag. Not cheap. But it does weigh less than a power supply.

morerainplease

I think they said Jan business in PDX was up 5% YoY. So they think their plan is working.

And the North Satellite is "the future" at SEA. It's the only place where gates can be expanded, apparently. So they're looking at building a Board Room above the terminal. "Something with lots of glass."

doog

This would be a dream come true. Even if they could only do one-ways on certain carriers it would make award travel SO much easier. On the downside, it seems like they've been saying they're working on it for a while now. Did you get any idea if this is coming any time soon?

jackal

maokh's probably talking about the sealed-cell 8-hour battery option on the newest MBP. Like the battery of an iPhone or iPod, you can't take it out, but it lasts a very, very long time. (8 hours is the claim, and usually, Apple's claims are fairly conservative.)

STILL...maokh, try doing ANC-SEA-EWR, much less ANC-PDX-SEA-LAX-DCA. Either way, your battery will be shot, and you may be left in the streets of the Financial District of Boston in the wee hours of the morning with a dead phone and no way to contact anyone, frantically waving the next cabbie to drive by (who is out to do nothing but rip you off). That's not exactly a fun situation to be in.

Ahem, beckoa...did you miss this?! I would have expected outrage from you!!

I, for one, will be sad to see these go, too.

eponymous_coward

If you're doing ANC-PDX-SEA-LAX-DCA, you're not seriously taking a business trip- you're mileage running, and kind of deserve what you get.

That being said... I find it interesting that AS considers WiFi a necessity, but not power, even though AS trip length is WAY up from where it was a while back (with many more transcon/midcon/non-leisure destinations than the days where it was a lot of 2 hour CA flights + MX), and with many competitors having inflight power in one form or another (VX, UA, AA, CO, DL).

jackal

It's not mileage running if you stay for three days (or a week!) in DC. I'd never dream of doing all that to get to DC just to turn around on the next flight home the same way :cough:beckoa:cough:...