wanderlust4life

OCTOBER 4 UPDATE

The perks have once again been taken away and only 'more legroom' remains. The clauses about the free drink perk (were added back yesterday) in the terms and conditions have now also been deleted. So it wasn't just a couple words removed.

Such inconsistency is simply unacceptable.

OCTOBER 3 UPDATE

The perks have returned. Id put money on it that there were enough complaints for secretly stripping the policy without decently notifying anyone. The second attachment shows the update.

PAST WEEK
The benefits of a free drink and priority boarding have 'quietly' vanished from the preferred plus seating policy.

I reached out to an AS supervisor for clarification and received confirmation that these changes were implemented recently.

The supervisor did state that this is only temporary as the airline is in the process of getting ready to launch the new policy that is supposed to include all priority boarding, free drinks, and more.

The free drink benefit technically has always been given only to 'paid' upgrades to preferred seats. Those given complimentary access to those seats such as MVPs and AA elites who never got the free drink anyway. MVP Golds/75ks continue to receive a free drink regardless of where they sit in the Main Cabin.

Since the priority boarding perk is already given to all elites, those with no status actually paying for the preferred seats are the ones really impacted by this policy change. A $15 seat upgrade got you a free drink, priority boarding behind elites, and spacious seating. Now, just a seat!

I personally think its wrong to have stripped down the preferred plus seating product to just a hard product "perk." Fortunately, as a 75k, I currently get complimentary access, priority boarding, and a free drink anyway.

Hopefully the new Y+ program will begin soon so that flying in the Main Cabin can be more comfortable and worthwhile for applicable pax.

PV_Premier

To be fair, to get access to these seats on any other US airline for a non status flyer costs a lot more than $15 per segment and typically also doesn't include a drink and/or improved boarding position.

AS Flyer

I think $15 is the minimum charge. It depends on the distance flown.

wanderlust4life

wanderlust4life

Yes most definitely. A PDX-LAX flight on AS would cost $15 but the same flight on AA would cost $38. Keep in mind though that anyone can purchase those AA MCE seats as early as booking whereas an AS non-elite passenger has to wait until 24 hours prior to secure whatever is leftover. Regardless, that $15 went a lot further up until last week.

wanderlust4life

Well the temporary period for having no free drink and no priority boarding has ended! Im sure the airline received enough complaints for taking away the benefits and not notifying anyone.

The perks are back up on the policy page as they were a few weeks ago.

PV_Premier

It may have been a policy change that was reversed, however AS is not particularly well known for keen editing when it comes to revisions on their website. Almost every time they change or add a partner, they nerf something in the data table related to eligible fares, earning percentages, etc.

I think it's a coin toss as to whether this got changed and then rolled back or whether they were intending to edit something else and haphazardly deleted that data. Nonetheless I'm glad to see the policy isn't changing at least for now.

OverThereTooMuch

missydarlin

If was nerfed. The policy remains changed.

PDXPremier

I honestly don't see what the big difference is....if you don't drink, you're pretty much just paying for the seat anyway...."priority boarding" isn't really a "perk" in my book when most folks in coach will board whenever they want to anyway.

PV_Premier

won't make the OP happy...

missydarlin

But do I win the money?

dmodemd

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...red-plus-seats

Now shows back to more legroom only, consistent with missydarlin's update.
My head is spinning....

wanderlust4life

It does matter. My sister paid $50 last week for a preferred plus seat at online check in for a flight from KOA-SJC. The flight was full with several non-revs. The gate agent denied her priority boarding due to the policy change. Now if you have ever flown through Kona, Hawaii, Alaska uses HA ground agents who are very strict and can be nasty if you go into the XA line when you are suppose to be in the XB line. The agent refused to let her board in the priority line and had to get in line with all non-elite. She ended up finding no space for her roll aboard and had to gate check her carryon which was all she was traveling with on this trip. She had to empty half of the carryon in the aircraft to take out her computer and other fragile items and it wasn't smooth boarding whatsoever. She paid for the seat so she could have a better chance of getting bin space and a more comfortable ride. The drink was just a nice add on if she wanted to have one or not.

As a 75k for several years, I called Customer Care on behalf of her to demand an explanation and compensation. I provide proof of the gate checked baggage ticket as well. The Customer Care agent was very accommodating and truly felt for my sister that she paid the highest amount of money for a preferred plus seat and didn't receive what she expected. The agent issued a travel credit for $50 plus 15K miles as a good will gesture that would amount to an upgrade to first class pending availability and/or fare selection that she could use on any future Alaska flight.

And the other day, another person posted that they were denied priority boarding due to the policy being changed and they paid $15 so they could get onboard sooner to secure bin space.

So that is why I created this thread. I didn't feel the need to post my sister's experience because I actually thought people would think what AS did wasn't right. I was wrong. I should have realized that almost everyone here takes these seats for granted since they are entitled to them for free at booking practically. Makes sense though, why should an elite care about the non-elite spending money for checked bags and waiting in the long lines when an elite will never have those issues.

dmodemd

I agree customers should get what was published at the time they paid for the service product.

I had a similar issue with ANA. I specifically bought ANA coach seats due to 8 abreast seating on the 787 and the corresponding seat width.
Then they introduced premium economy and changed economy to 9 abreast. I was not notified and happened to notice the equipment change before I checked in. I complained and asked for Premium Economy, the next class of product that meets or exceeds what I paid for. Of course I was denied and told I got the "class of service" I paid for...

Magically overnight I was upgraded to Premium Economy (maybe my Star Gold status helped to op up me?).

So, I have a personal issue with the advertised specs of the product being changed after you purchase the product.

I think Alaska needs to proactively notify every customer who has purchased Preferred Plus on an upcoming flight, notify them of the change in the product, and offer them a refund.