I might be done with Alaska Airlines

Old Apr 30, 2018, 7:13 pm
  #16  
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Originally Posted by ucdtim17
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.
"Demand" is irrelevant, it's PRASM and that is a function of ticket price. Looks as though AS runs about $100 cheaper than AA. Maybe that's the reason for the no evening flight.

AS likely has that aircraft repurposed to a more profitable route.
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Old Apr 30, 2018, 9:00 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by Often1
"Demand" is irrelevant, it's PRASM and that is a function of ticket price. Looks as though AS runs about $100 cheaper than AA. Maybe that's the reason for the no evening flight.

AS likely has that aircraft repurposed to a more profitable route.
Somehow I doubt AS is really losing the SJC-PDX market to people booking SJC-PHX-PDX or SJC-LAX-PDX.

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]
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Old May 1, 2018, 12:23 am
  #18  
 
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wasn't the SJC-PDX route retimed and changed courtesy of the QX failures and overexpansion?
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Old May 1, 2018, 12:26 am
  #19  
 
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Sorry to disappoint you, it's not the upgraded Recaro seats. It's as slimline as slim can be.
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Old May 1, 2018, 2:15 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by NoLaGent
I'm certain our segment of travelers has grown substantially with the deval of the major FFP's and the decreased cost of front cabin travel at purchase within the last few years.
AS remains a solid bank, for the time being.
Yup along with the devals I went UA 1K -> AA EXP -> AS MPV75 and am happy enough with AS but still fly AA/DL/B6/UA when their F is cheaper than AS.

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!
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Old May 1, 2018, 6:18 am
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by kouichi
Sorry to disappoint you, it's not the upgraded Recaro seats. It's as slimline as slim can be.
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.
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Old May 1, 2018, 8:00 am
  #22  
 
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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.
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Old May 1, 2018, 8:07 am
  #23  
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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
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Old May 1, 2018, 9:01 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
If all airlines move to similar seats, I’ll have get some sort of cushion
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?
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Old May 1, 2018, 10:28 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by UAPremierExec
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.
I don't know if it's the same seat as HA but Delta has been installing slimline seats as retrofits for ~5 years. AA is getting a bunch. UA has been using them.

https://www.fool.com/investing/gener...d-smaller.aspx
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Old May 1, 2018, 10:32 am
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by kouichi
Sorry to disappoint you, it's not the upgraded Recaro seats. It's as slimline as slim can be.
[citation needed]
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Old May 1, 2018, 10:41 am
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by UAPremierExec
wasn't the SJC-PDX route retimed and changed courtesy of the QX failures and overexpansion?

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.
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Old May 1, 2018, 11:03 am
  #28  
 
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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.
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Old May 1, 2018, 11:24 am
  #29  
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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.
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Old May 1, 2018, 2:48 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by IStream
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.
Alaska only seems to value loyalty when the economy is doing poorly and they need to fill their planes.


When the ecomony is up and up and planes are full, they treat loyal elites as a nuisance.
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