SFO Gold lunch
May 15, 2011, 9:57 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
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Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wonderous device: BlackBerry9000/5.0.0.1067 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)
Would like to know about progress fixing the OLCI upgrade loophole...
Would like to know about progress fixing the OLCI upgrade loophole...
May 16, 2011, 11:31 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,705
May 16, 2011, 1:38 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: LAX based
Posts: 315
But was there in good spirits! 
Well, at least till the painkillers started to wear off... 
In case any one thinks otherwise, what happened was a couple years ago for the OAK GOLD lunch, that same morning I had an ingrown toenail cut out and then went directly to the lunch... so in uniform, minus one shoe... weeble wobble...
But this time I'm going all formal... I'm wearing BOTH shoes!
Well, at least till the painkillers started to wear off... In case any one thinks otherwise, what happened was a couple years ago for the OAK GOLD lunch, that same morning I had an ingrown toenail cut out and then went directly to the lunch... so in uniform, minus one shoe... weeble wobble...
But this time I'm going all formal... I'm wearing BOTH shoes!
May 17, 2011, 6:27 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: GEG
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Lifetime SkyClub, AS MVP
Posts: 2,413
Notes from the Lunch?
The next posting is reserved for the ritual and traditional "sharing of notes from the Gold lunch".
Who will submit first?
Who will submit first?
May 17, 2011, 6:54 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,705
I didn't take notes.
(1) Spinach salad - I don't like spinach, so I ate the oranges off of it. The accompanying roll was cold and not fantastic, but acceptable. Served ala AS F cabin - one roll on your tray Unlimited butter, however.
(2) Steelhead salmon (crusted) w/israeli couscous. Really tasty - one of the better entrees ever at a luncheon.
(3) Maple Creme Brulee. Deserves its own post. I think it has one.
As for substance, here are a few random thoughts. I'm sure others will chime in with more.
Upgrading glitch should be resolved later this year (4th Q?)
Additional website functionality coming - more personalization
Visa card has a lot of benefits we don't know about, such as Sonoma winery comp tastings, etc. More publicity to us might make us aware. Also perhaps some discounts for AS-sponsored events.
Better partner award searching (more airlines, too) hopefully on the way soon.
Lack of intra-Cal services and Bay Area/SEA services apparent and hurting us. (Looking at current June schedules, OAK/SEA has no AS jet after 9am until 555pm, and only 1 midday QX. SFO schedule is weak, too.) Noted, but I don't expect any improvement.
Question about more OO service - is this temporary stopgap, will we see more, etc? Seemed to get an awkward reply.
Summary - seems to be a great airline if you want to fly to the outer Hawaiian islands from the Bay Area, with good UG chances because there aren't too many elites on the routes.
Someone wanted free cabin pets for MVPG - not gonna happen - but perhaps FF#s for pets w/a free trip after X paid ones.
I'm sure I'll think of more later.
(1) Spinach salad - I don't like spinach, so I ate the oranges off of it. The accompanying roll was cold and not fantastic, but acceptable. Served ala AS F cabin - one roll on your tray
Unlimited butter, however.(2) Steelhead salmon (crusted) w/israeli couscous. Really tasty - one of the better entrees ever at a luncheon.
(3) Maple Creme Brulee. Deserves its own post. I think it has one.
As for substance, here are a few random thoughts. I'm sure others will chime in with more.
Upgrading glitch should be resolved later this year (4th Q?)
Additional website functionality coming - more personalization
Visa card has a lot of benefits we don't know about, such as Sonoma winery comp tastings, etc. More publicity to us might make us aware. Also perhaps some discounts for AS-sponsored events.
Better partner award searching (more airlines, too) hopefully on the way soon.
Lack of intra-Cal services and Bay Area/SEA services apparent and hurting us. (Looking at current June schedules, OAK/SEA has no AS jet after 9am until 555pm, and only 1 midday QX. SFO schedule is weak, too.) Noted, but I don't expect any improvement.
Question about more OO service - is this temporary stopgap, will we see more, etc? Seemed to get an awkward reply.
Summary - seems to be a great airline if you want to fly to the outer Hawaiian islands from the Bay Area, with good UG chances because there aren't too many elites on the routes.
Someone wanted free cabin pets for MVPG - not gonna happen - but perhaps FF#s for pets w/a free trip after X paid ones.
I'm sure I'll think of more later.
May 17, 2011, 8:55 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SF East Bay
Programs: 189 miles short of AS MVP, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,226
I might add:
earliest AA agreement to include benefits for AS elites is 4th quarter. I think we have all heard that before and as we found out with the DL benefits that we probably shouldn't hold our breath.
Someone mentioned in Q&A about AS Visa purchases being credited toward status like some other airlines do. RR asked what people thought about it and almost everyone agreed that it should be BIS miles that earn status and not whether you charge a bunch on your AS Visa.
I think they want to push the AS Visa especially here in the Bay Area that is dominated by SW and their Visa Card. There was some discussion on how much referral bonus should they offer. 2,500 miles? 5,000 miles? This could be it's own thread....
Oh, one more thing...They are working on updating the mobile Apps and are trying to make one better than those that are already out there. I think this is more for the IPhones because they mentioned the Blackberry's had some issue with the back end programming.
earliest AA agreement to include benefits for AS elites is 4th quarter. I think we have all heard that before and as we found out with the DL benefits that we probably shouldn't hold our breath.
Someone mentioned in Q&A about AS Visa purchases being credited toward status like some other airlines do. RR asked what people thought about it and almost everyone agreed that it should be BIS miles that earn status and not whether you charge a bunch on your AS Visa.
I think they want to push the AS Visa especially here in the Bay Area that is dominated by SW and their Visa Card. There was some discussion on how much referral bonus should they offer. 2,500 miles? 5,000 miles? This could be it's own thread....
Oh, one more thing...They are working on updating the mobile Apps and are trying to make one better than those that are already out there. I think this is more for the IPhones because they mentioned the Blackberry's had some issue with the back end programming.
May 17, 2011, 11:47 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,957
Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wonderous device: BlackBerry9000/5.0.0.1067 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)
Ooh... I have a blackberry
Ooh... I have a blackberry
May 18, 2011, 5:26 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,201
May 18, 2011, 8:45 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AS MVPG 75K, HH Diamond
Posts: 144
You forgot the questions about service within California from Oakland into airports such as SNA or BUR. The food was good and the people from AS in attendance were nice. I can't say the questions asked were fully answered. Lots of dancing around specific issues.
I didn't take notes.
(1) Spinach salad - I don't like spinach, so I ate the oranges off of it. The accompanying roll was cold and not fantastic, but acceptable. Served ala AS F cabin - one roll on your tray Unlimited butter, however.
(2) Steelhead salmon (crusted) w/israeli couscous. Really tasty - one of the better entrees ever at a luncheon.
(3) Maple Creme Brulee. Deserves its own post. I think it has one.
As for substance, here are a few random thoughts. I'm sure others will chime in with more.
Upgrading glitch should be resolved later this year (4th Q?)
Additional website functionality coming - more personalization
Visa card has a lot of benefits we don't know about, such as Sonoma winery comp tastings, etc. More publicity to us might make us aware. Also perhaps some discounts for AS-sponsored events.
Better partner award searching (more airlines, too) hopefully on the way soon.
Lack of intra-Cal services and Bay Area/SEA services apparent and hurting us. (Looking at current June schedules, OAK/SEA has no AS jet after 9am until 555pm, and only 1 midday QX. SFO schedule is weak, too.) Noted, but I don't expect any improvement.
Question about more OO service - is this temporary stopgap, will we see more, etc? Seemed to get an awkward reply.
Summary - seems to be a great airline if you want to fly to the outer Hawaiian islands from the Bay Area, with good UG chances because there aren't too many elites on the routes.
Someone wanted free cabin pets for MVPG - not gonna happen - but perhaps FF#s for pets w/a free trip after X paid ones.
I'm sure I'll think of more later.
(1) Spinach salad - I don't like spinach, so I ate the oranges off of it. The accompanying roll was cold and not fantastic, but acceptable. Served ala AS F cabin - one roll on your tray
Unlimited butter, however.(2) Steelhead salmon (crusted) w/israeli couscous. Really tasty - one of the better entrees ever at a luncheon.
(3) Maple Creme Brulee. Deserves its own post. I think it has one.
As for substance, here are a few random thoughts. I'm sure others will chime in with more.
Upgrading glitch should be resolved later this year (4th Q?)
Additional website functionality coming - more personalization
Visa card has a lot of benefits we don't know about, such as Sonoma winery comp tastings, etc. More publicity to us might make us aware. Also perhaps some discounts for AS-sponsored events.
Better partner award searching (more airlines, too) hopefully on the way soon.
Lack of intra-Cal services and Bay Area/SEA services apparent and hurting us. (Looking at current June schedules, OAK/SEA has no AS jet after 9am until 555pm, and only 1 midday QX. SFO schedule is weak, too.) Noted, but I don't expect any improvement.
Question about more OO service - is this temporary stopgap, will we see more, etc? Seemed to get an awkward reply.
Summary - seems to be a great airline if you want to fly to the outer Hawaiian islands from the Bay Area, with good UG chances because there aren't too many elites on the routes.
Someone wanted free cabin pets for MVPG - not gonna happen - but perhaps FF#s for pets w/a free trip after X paid ones.
I'm sure I'll think of more later.
May 18, 2011, 9:50 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SF East Bay
Programs: 189 miles short of AS MVP, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,226