I might be done with Alaska Airlines
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Except you can't do that if they don't have an evening SJC-PDX flight as the OP mentioned.
Out of all the routes/times ex-SJC, you'd think that'd be one of the higher demand options. They'll try to match or surpass WN on any route out of SJC but will leave the PDX-based business travel market to WN, or ask people to drive up to OAK/SFO (of course no F seat on OAK-PDX either, for a few more weeks at least). Bizarre.
Out of all the routes/times ex-SJC, you'd think that'd be one of the higher demand options. They'll try to match or surpass WN on any route out of SJC but will leave the PDX-based business travel market to WN, or ask people to drive up to OAK/SFO (of course no F seat on OAK-PDX either, for a few more weeks at least). Bizarre.
AS likely has that aircraft repurposed to a more profitable route.
#17
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,635
Yes generally "the airline had more profitable use elsewhere" is a reasonable answer to most scheduling decisions but this one is questionable for the reasons I mentioned. They have plenty of other dubious routes out of SJC and SFO; an evening SJC-PDX flight is not one of those. It seems like basic, essential route if you have a hub at PDX and a focus city at SJC.
[side note as an OAK partisan it is nice to see a seemingly irrational decision to not offer some basic service at SJC when it's always the opposite]
#20
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 493
Actually hadn't flown UA for about a year until last week because I actively avoid them, and was shocked by how grumpy and inattentive the flight attendants were in transcon F - I've gotten used to the AS friendliness over the past 18 months!
#21
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,854
I pray you are wrong. There will be a REVOLT if its the same seat as Hawaiian. Not only do some of us know how to throw a party, we know how to get the medias attention and also Congress, and also high ups at Delta who would love a "captive" audience. Id rather deal with SkyPesos than be stuck in the same seat on a HA 717 for 6 hours.
#22
Join Date: Apr 2007
Programs: Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 475
I've been 75K since the program started and been traveling 90K+ miles/year with AS & partners since 1999. The accelerating de-differentiation of AS isn't going to make me stop flying AS altogether but it has and will make me stop using them exclusively. If I and others like me go from 100% AS to 50% AS, it will have an impact on AS. The only question is whether the revenue loss from people like me is more than made up for by the nickel-and-dime revenues they'll get from everyone at the expense of loyalty. Loyalty is hard to quantify, which makes it undervalued in the corporate context. Having run a business myself that benefitted from highly loyal customers I think AS is making a mistake but they won't find out for four or five years.
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,489
I recently flew my first slimline seat on Air Asia in April. Not Recaro, but Mirus Hawk, and it was hands down the most uncomfortable seat Ive ever flown in my life. If all airlines move to similar seats, Ill have get some sort of cushion
#24
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,834
Get ready for the $25 carry on your own cushion fee. If Wall Street demands it, we will oblige without question. How many millions are they leaving on the table by including a cushion of any kind in the price of a ticket?
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
I pray you are wrong. There will be a REVOLT if its the same seat as Hawaiian. Not only do some of us know how to throw a party, we know how to get the medias attention and also Congress, and also high ups at Delta who would love a "captive" audience. Id rather deal with SkyPesos than be stuck in the same seat on a HA 717 for 6 hours.
https://www.fool.com/investing/gener...d-smaller.aspx
#27
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,635
SJC-PDX is generally 3-4x mainline and 1x OO/QX; the QX problems have been going on pushing a year now, so they could certainly arrange for an evening SJC-PDX flight one way or another if they wanted to.
#28
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 10
Same thoughts as Istream have and doing the same thing. No longer feel valued. So no longer exclusively fly Alaska. But wondering when it all shakes out if devaluing their most loyal and frequent customers makes it more profitable for them in the end or not. Cause they might not know it but feel there's probably a lot of us out there now that will be doing this.
#29
formerly jackvogt
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: Delta SkyMiles,
Posts: 822
I recently flew Alaska and I found every aspect to be extremely enjoyable. 5.5 hr flights and then a couple short hops across WA. Seats weren't amazingly comfortable but what airline is. Airlines don't keep flights just to satisfy a few loyal customers. They obviously thought the later flight wasn't making enough money for them and I totally respect that. If you were a Diamond on Delta and were based in Atlanta, I can guarantee upgrades would still be few and far between. The great thing about living in America is that you can fly other airlines if you don't like the one you're flying. Thats the beauty of the free market AND these loyalty benefits would be non existent if there was no competition. I always fly whichever airline gives me the best price and schedule.
#30
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 48
I've been 75K since the program started and been traveling 90K+ miles/year with AS & partners since 1999. The accelerating de-differentiation of AS isn't going to make me stop flying AS altogether but it has and will make me stop using them exclusively. If I and others like me go from 100% AS to 50% AS, it will have an impact on AS. The only question is whether the revenue loss from people like me is more than made up for by the nickel-and-dime revenues they'll get from everyone at the expense of loyalty. Loyalty is hard to quantify, which makes it undervalued in the corporate context. Having run a business myself that benefitted from highly loyal customers I think AS is making a mistake but they won't find out for four or five years.
When the ecomony is up and up and planes are full, they treat loyal elites as a nuisance.