Blogger on thinly-veiled AS/WN Battle for California
Sep 1, 2017, 9:42 am
#16
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA1K
Posts: 4,044
small sample size...but everytime i have flown WN in the evening within california, the flight is always delayed.
AS fits my needs, has a better soft product, and i love the 20 minute bag guarantee. if they could add a few more options out of SNA i'd be elated, but i can handle the connection via SFO for now.
AS fits my needs, has a better soft product, and i love the 20 minute bag guarantee. if they could add a few more options out of SNA i'd be elated, but i can handle the connection via SFO for now.
Sep 1, 2017, 9:54 am
#17
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SFO, mostly
Posts: 2,203
small sample size...but everytime i have flown WN in the evening within california, the flight is always delayed.
AS fits my needs, has a better soft product, and i love the 20 minute bag guarantee. if they could add a few more options out of SNA i'd be elated, but i can handle the connection via SFO for now.
AS fits my needs, has a better soft product, and i love the 20 minute bag guarantee. if they could add a few more options out of SNA i'd be elated, but i can handle the connection via SFO for now.
So, plenty of reasons to fly WN, but also plenty of reasons to fly AS...
Sep 1, 2017, 10:45 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,906
It's not surprising to see all the love for AS in the AS forum. A biased group to say the least. The SW forum probably has the same bias there but towards SW.
AS has a lot of growing to do in CA before it can really be considered a statewide competitor to SW. The blog is really just comparing apples to oranges at this point.
AS has a lot of growing to do in CA before it can really be considered a statewide competitor to SW. The blog is really just comparing apples to oranges at this point.
Last edited by Baze; Sep 1, 2017 at 8:35 pm Reason: Fixed an oops.
Sep 1, 2017, 11:11 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,950
I just don't want to fly WN because then I need to worry about getting a decent boarding position and being ready to stand in line at that time. I want to assign a seat and have it as long as I show up before the door closes.
Sep 1, 2017, 11:26 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
Look, I'm no WN cheerleader; I flew them a bit between PDX and ONT as a kid, but a few months ago I decided to, for the first time in ten years, try them getting home from PIT because the schedule worked a bit better than taking AA, and the experience was fairly miserable. I am actively going to avoid them in the future. But they're mostly filling those planes with people who don't fly terribly often, and for them it makes a lot of sense.
Sep 1, 2017, 11:38 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,582
I'll take the WN nonstop v a connection on shorter hops, and for more convenient city pairs (also, on shorter hops).
Sep 1, 2017, 12:00 pm
#22
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
Never quite understood the allure of free same day standby when there are three flights a day (or less), all spaced about six hours apart.
Sep 1, 2017, 12:06 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,720
Sep 1, 2017, 12:29 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,353
in DL parlance, it's called being a "gamer" ... pay maybe half the price of the flight you really want for a flight you're willing to take (clearly most applicable to non-status or MVP-level pax who don't get free SDC)
Sep 1, 2017, 12:33 pm
#25
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: 42,953
Sep 1, 2017, 12:42 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,582
Sep 1, 2017, 8:30 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.
Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.
Posts: 22,307
AS still has a very small footprint at many large CA airports. OAK (4th), ONT (8th), LGB (10th) have seen none of this expansion, while SMF (7th) and BUR (9th) have seen just a touch. AS is not really competitive with WN at those airports, which serve a very large chunk of the state's regional passenger traffic.
Sep 1, 2017, 8:58 pm
#28
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,637
I am happy if you are happy - the of the mysteries of life.
With that said:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would choose a shinny new OO E75 over an uncomfortable WN 737, with pre-reserved seats, premium economy is often priced about the same as WN.
AS also has a form of no change fees, offers refunds if their price goes down. WN may not charge a fee to change, but you are required to pay the new fare.
,
Want no bag fees - get the AS credit card (20k miles). Alaska recently waived fees, relaxed oversized and overweight restrictions on sporting goods (bicycles, golf clubs, etc) - still $75 on WN.
AS has free streaming video and music, I can live without TV for a few hours
Meets all of my needs out of SAN
The AS award program has a HUGE number of INTERNATIONAL partners, offering award flights to most any destination worldwide. For those who rack up miles flying for business, the last thing you want is to fly the same lousy coach seat to another US destination.
With that said:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I would choose a shinny new OO E75 over an uncomfortable WN 737, with pre-reserved seats, premium economy is often priced about the same as WN.
AS also has a form of no change fees, offers refunds if their price goes down. WN may not charge a fee to change, but you are required to pay the new fare.
,
Want no bag fees - get the AS credit card (20k miles). Alaska recently waived fees, relaxed oversized and overweight restrictions on sporting goods (bicycles, golf clubs, etc) - still $75 on WN.
AS has free streaming video and music, I can live without TV for a few hours
Meets all of my needs out of SAN
The AS award program has a HUGE number of INTERNATIONAL partners, offering award flights to most any destination worldwide. For those who rack up miles flying for business, the last thing you want is to fly the same lousy coach seat to another US destination.
Oct 13, 2017, 11:31 am
#29
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,501
WN going to Hawaii?
WN marketing has apparently been working overtime, getting the media excited about the POSSIBILITY of offering flights to Hawaii, visions of sugar-plums fairies are dancing in the heads of the WN faithful WN going to Hawaii
This could be interpreted at least in part as a response to the subject growing competition, I find it hard to believe that WN could offer serious competition to well established AS service out of most West Coast gateways. As indicated in the latest thread in the WN forum, many of the FT faithful are focused on the ability to use companion passes, use RR points, will be interesting to see what kind of restrictions / redemption premiums WN imposes.
This could be interpreted at least in part as a response to the subject growing competition, I find it hard to believe that WN could offer serious competition to well established AS service out of most West Coast gateways. As indicated in the latest thread in the WN forum, many of the FT faithful are focused on the ability to use companion passes, use RR points, will be interesting to see what kind of restrictions / redemption premiums WN imposes.
Oct 13, 2017, 11:38 am
#30
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,637
WN marketing has apparently been working overtime, getting the media excited about the POSSIBILITY of offering flights to Hawaii, visions of sugar-plums fairies are dancing in the heads of the WN faithful WN going to Hawaii
This could be interpreted at least in part as a response to the subject growing competition, I find it hard to believe that WN could offer serious competition to well established AS service out of most West Coast gateways. As indicated in the latest thread in the WN forum, many of the FT faithful are focused on the ability to use companion passes, use RR points, will be interesting to see what kind of restrictions / redemption premiums WN imposes.
This could be interpreted at least in part as a response to the subject growing competition, I find it hard to believe that WN could offer serious competition to well established AS service out of most West Coast gateways. As indicated in the latest thread in the WN forum, many of the FT faithful are focused on the ability to use companion passes, use RR points, will be interesting to see what kind of restrictions / redemption premiums WN imposes.
