AS Flyer

A couple corrections. The 737-900ER's all have working Wi-Fi now. It was iffy before but they're up to speed now.

Catering is done in LAS so this breakafast was not boarded the night before. Sadly, that excuse can not be used. It was boarded in LAS.

AS Flyer

You made this point too but, for perspective, $1400 gets you from NRT-BKK in F on TG. $790 gets you from ANC-KOA on AS in F, a similar distance. Someone else mentioned BKK-HKG. Its just over $900 on TG. SEA-SAN on AS is $509. There are a number of reasons international airlines are able to offer a much nicer product. They don't upgrade being the biggest I think. You pay for what you get, therefore you should get what you pay for. Many of them are also subsidized by their governments in ways that U.S. airlines are not or ever have been. There are a number of reasons it's not realistic or reasonable to compare international First Class with U.S. domestic First Class - if one wishes to do that then, as another poster asked, are they willing to give up free upgrades and would they rather pay for a nice product? All that said, I agree, a PDB is a reasonable expectation... even on a U.S. carrier

AS Flyer

This happened quite a while ago. Probably a couple years ago anyway. For a couple months there's only one airplane that RON's in LAS but normally there are two. In any case, it's more cost effective to cater these flights there since they're now having to cater the LAS-BLI-HNL flight there too.

pdxasflyer

Unfortunately, there went AS's excuse for a deplorable meal. I'll go back to my original statement - fire the company that caters that flight.

Like others have posted, when I fly coach (regardless of carrier) I buy my own food and bring it on board. Infinitely better. And, up to now, the food on AS has been generally good, but bear in mind I've experienced this on departures from SEA, PDX or LAX. Still, I expect that in F, the food quality should be better than what I can buy in the terminal at some food joint, again regardless of carrier.

If an AS representative - senior staff - would have been on the flight, someone would be in someone else's office having some 'splainin' to do.

In case anybody misunderstands, I'm a huge fan of AS and have been for years for many of the same reasons beckoa mentions. I have flown DL, UA, AA, VX, US and WN, both in Y and F (except for the last three carriers-Y only), and can say that AS is not top of the heap, at least not consistently regarding their F product. DL and AA both do some things nicer than AS (PDB's) and some things not so nice (delivering F meals from a cart). AA and DL both have greater leg room than AS (at least from memory) and in-seat power ports. VX has that in coach, IIRC. Still, I prefer to fly AS, all things considered and weighed.

In Y, I like how VX and WN deliver soft drinks, coffee and water (taking an order and coming back with it on a tray). More and more I'm beginning to relate carts to cafeteria-style service.

Friendly crews mean a great, great deal and can sometimes provide enough reason to overlook the other shortcomings, no matter how bad. And, my props regularly go to AS crews who, IMHO set the standard for all other domestic carriers, WN and VX included. They're friendly, funny (when appropriate), professional and sometimes hard-nosed (when the situation calls for it). Despite a few I've encountered that I feel are in the wrong job, most FAs are simply the best.

So, in short, I believe AS can improve measurably on their F product without breaking the bank and having to go over the top. There is a delicate balance to be struck between the Acctg, Ops, and Marketing depts to find out the right spot. Today, they aren't there - yet. I care for AS F, but just happened to have a bad experience that should be easily corrected.

Alasdair Mackenzie

I just got back from a first class trip to Kauai and I have to say it was awesome. drinks as we were seated and great meal options. (oh and the drinks all through the flight). Whatever we wanted we got it. Thumbs up here. But, there is no way id pay business or "first class" for short legs.

ChrisInSD

Yes, I think it gives infrequent travelers on AS the impression that they aren't a "real" airline as they can't deliver an F product like, frankly, the legacy carriers can. As such, these folks are unlikely to fly AS again, which is unfortunate.

A lot of people outside of SEA/ANC don't really "get" AS already and think it's some obscure carrier--many believe (with its frankly inappropriate name) that it only flies to the state of Alaska as some sort of tourist airline (a la Air Pacific).

ethanwa

So true. I have overheard people so many times say "Wow, they are going all the way to Alaska" or "they are from Alaska! crazy!" when I'm in a place like Orlando. Actually NO I'm from Seattle, where Alaska Airlines is the main hub and actually headquartered, which makes no sense really.

I agree with you, calling it Alaska Airlines is misleading and may actually hurt them in some markets where they just have a flight or two out (aka east coast). I know for me, when I here something like Icelandair, I think Iceland, that's all. But when I hear American Airlines, US Airways, Virgin America, even Southwest.... just from the name you know what you are getting.

baliktad

This sounds like every breakfast I have eaten on AS ever. I am fine with almost all of AS's lunchtime/dinner offerings, but the hot breakfasts are truly awful. Every "asparagus" I have ever been served on AS is as you describe: 2 or 3 small, soggy, wilted, pathetic "stalks". The "bacon" is some form of curled, paper-thin rubber that serves only as a chewy base for the salt to adhere to. I love eggs with my breakfast but cannot stomach the vile concoctions AS calls "quiches." And I don't know what AS' obsession is with the thing they call "chicken sausage" but it's similarly tough, bland, and inedible. The only edible thing they serve at breakfast time is the apple pastry thing that really is more of a dessert than a breakfast.

I wish they would just give up on hot and offer some cold cereal/granola and yogurt with fruit. Here's the breakfast I was perfectly happy with last year on on DL MCO-MSP, a 3.5 hour early-morning flight from a non-hub. I can't remember if the scone/muffin was warm or not, but the point is, even this cold essentially boxed breakfast vastly outshines AS' pathetic excuse for a hot meal in the morning.

Eastbay1K

Well, actually, Southwest you now know what you are getting. But once upon a time, it had a much more limited route structure, and was must more focused on the South and Southwest, with nothing in the Northeast nor Northwest, nor even the East Coast at all.

tusphotog

I stand corrected. Thanks.

+1. I've been saying this for awhile now. Cereal and some fruit and yogurt is a great breakfast choice. I've had that breakfast on PHX-ATL and PHX-DTW and find it perfect. Usually they have an option of a warm croissant or bagel on the PHX flights.

beckoa

I am not a cold cereal fan and would consider any attempt to change a menu to such a devaluation. Perhaps a (tiny) box of shelf stable cereal or two would be helpful to have for several F pax who disagree, as AS caters milk already, but I would not be a fan if AS switched to something similar to DL's offering. Sure the veggies aren't as fresh as they were 3 hours ago, but still the dish works. And on transcons they have a nice fruit plate too along with a warmed pastry.

ChrisInSD

Yup--"Alaska Airlines" just sounds cold. Pack your coat! But they seem to be in love the image of Alaska and Eskimos over there in SeaTac. I imagine this conversation has been had, more than once, in the real "Board Room" however as their network has grown.

Longdrive

No kidding, who needs the wall?

Westcoaster

I agree. We had a bowl of granola cereal with cold milk and fruit on a west coast AS flight last year and just loved it. My husband liked the cereal so much he asked the FA what brand it was so we could buy some. She said that it was made up special for AS and commented that a lot of passengers had asked about it.

On a longer flight they could add more fruit and a warm pastry perhaps. Just no asparagus for breakfast, please.

tusphotog

Fair enough. I think anything with eggs is vile. Besides, on most west coast flights that RON away from a hub the breakfast is the exact same thing in the back--a (greasy) breakfast sandwich.

On the longer DL flights, they do offer a hot option: usually some sort of omelet. Perhaps on the long flights with a food choice, they should do what DL does: give you a choice of a cereal or a hot choice. It'd probably save them some money, too.

FWIW, AS did offer cereal, fruit etc on breakfast flights back in about 2004-2005ish.