UAPremierExec

The blankets for sale in Y are not the same they provide in F; they're not as long and a bit thinner.

I <3 the "autopilot kit"... been trying to collect them all. Granted they don't have much, the eyeshades + pen are nice.

worldtraveller73

I lost my virginity yesterday.

I enjoyed the in flight video.

I didn't enjoy having to stop at a Virgin counter to get a separate boarding card on an Alaska issued ticket.

I really enjoyed Red, versus Alaska where you have to use your own device.

The worse part for me was the compact seating - it felt much more compact after those premium class upgrades!!

tom911

Was this because you had an itinerary with both Alaska and Virgin flights? I've seen some SFO-DAL-LGA fares that mix the carriers and have been wondering what happens with those.

worldtraveller73

Yes it was a mixed itin. It was booked on the Alaska Website using a companion code:

Alaska: MEX-SFO
Virgin: SFO-SEA
Alaska: SEA-YVR

I had to stop 3 times (in MEX and SFO) to get 3 boarding cards. I think the Alaska counter in MEX should have been able to issue the SEA-YVR boarding cards but they didn't. Instead when we arrived in SFO, I picked up the Virgin boarding card and then the Alaska Boarding Card right next door.

A bit of a PITA but I doubt it will stay like this for long.

Flying for Fun

Last weekend we flew PVR-LAX-SEA-YLW all on AS and had no issues checking bags all the way through. Check-in agent Veronica in PVR was excellent. We had to overnight in Seattle and bags were checked through to Kelowna as it was less than 24 hours and check-in for SEA-YLW had opened. We asked for the bags to be short-checked to SEA. Veronica efficiently changed the bag tags and showed us them to confirm that is what we wanted before putting them on the bags.

We used online check-in and had boarding passes with TSAPre from LAX onward. Although you can check-in online for your PVR flight PVR doesn't allow online boarding passes.

Not sure if your issue was because of the mixed itinerary or maybe the agent unfamiliar with International to International. Once the VX flight numbers disappear everything should run more smoothly. Still a Virgin on Virgin myself and have been avoiding booking Virgin flights although I would like to try First before the seat pitch shrinks. 😁

Cheers

keitherson

Abysmal ground staff.

Horrible policies and procedures.

Why did Alaska buy them again?

Anyone get to see them handwrite gate checked bag tags?

And here Delta tracks your bag to your app...

PDXPremier

I wouldn't have a problem with the music, flowers, and laid back vibe of the VX ground staff if they were still able to be functional and empowered when it comes to dealing with some basic customer service functions like changing a seat assignment for a connecting flight, but unfortunately the laid back vibe translates into a total lack of empowerment....I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it's not that they won't, it's more that they can't based on the severe limitations of their reservations system.

Eujeanie

PDX, did you do this grueling trip to get Gold? You haven't changed your info...the minute I got back from my very fun trip to DTW back in the day (and it WAS fun - you should do a MR sometime when half the plane is doing the same turnaround for the same reason, a lot of camaraderie) I was changing my info to Gold.

jinglish

I can attest to that! We looked surprisingly chipper after our 23- and 47-hour runs back in March.

Eujeanie

Never saw that post, but YES, it was so fun. The best part was telling my family why I had to go to DETROIT (double miles), on THAT DAY (cheapest fare)...AS has not done a double miles run in a looong time, have they?

Next year, for the first time, we WILL NOT make Gold...we're still traveling a lot, but no 2-stop puddle jumpers (EUG/PDX/SEA for every flight) like we've done the past few years.

Will we survive as just MVP??

PDXPremier

My wife and I actually did this trip to requalify for MVP status since a bunch of our travel this year was with miles or using DL VDB credit so this helped get us "caught up"....the VX mileage run from a cost standpoint (two cross country trips for around $135 total) had to be one of the best AS mileage run opportunities I've ever seen....and it wasn't just a one or two day event....folks were booking these trips for well over a week....I don't think we'll see this good of a MR opportunity on AS(VX) for awhile. The only way we can reasonably get MVP Gold is if they run double EQM promotions like they did with DTW, but I've not seen one of those since (hoping they come back someday).

PDXPremier

1) Well, they've not done a double EQM promotion since DTW, but they are currently doing a double RDM promotion right now which I've already taken advantage of back in September (PDX-DTW-PDX...and earned around 10,000 RDMs....red eye there and back in PDX by 8:45am the next day...a mileage run doesn't get any better than that!).

2) You WILL survive as just an MVP....we still get upgraded and enjoy the free bag allowance...I would say the biggest bummer is that we can't get on the upgrade list when traveling with our two kids although on our SEA-FAT flight last April, they went ahead and upgraded all of us anyway

Eujeanie

I feel your pain.

Since that DTW year (can't remember when it was) we have requalified for Gold each year, but it took lots of unexpected trips (weddings mostly) plus all the other ones we planned in advance, but had to do the 2-stop puddle jumpers each time.

Next year we are already all planned out...7 months out of 12 and we JUST make MVP...I have so much respect (and pity) for the 75K's!

PDXPremier

Why aren't you doing the 2-stop puddle jumpers anymore? Did you move?

Eujeanie

Can MVP's cancel/change at the last minute with no penalty? That is what I think I would miss most. That, and getting guaranteed Gold upgrades (both regular and GGU)...I will surely miss that. Oh, can MVP's book Exit Row for free?