Offers of a Pre-Departure Beverage (PDB) [2019 and Earlier]
Feb 24, 2019, 9:49 am
#256
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
From now on my AS flights will be limited to short hops where I don't care about the quality of the product and I just want to collect the miles.
Feb 24, 2019, 12:08 pm
#257
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 7K, MARRIOTT PLAT PREMIER WITH AMBASSADOR
Posts: 164
Seems Sporadic
So I was extremely excited because we had been getting the Pre flight drink on almost every flight 7 out of the last 8, but now my last two flights out of LAX no drink offer and no initial order before takeoff. As we have all stated the pre flight drink is such an obvious benefit to the experience. To me that is the only part of the flight I dont enjoy. You are sitting there for 30 to 40 minutes with your seat belt on without using electronics, waiting.. If there was ever a time for a drink to make it go by faster and more enjoyable thats it. I hope they make it a firm policy moving forward I saw first hand the benefits of it the first 8 flights of the year and how it helped calm down stressed travelers through all the snow storm delays and cancellations.
Feb 24, 2019, 2:32 pm
#258
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,080
February 19, 2019
Dear philemer,
Thank you for your reply to our recent communication. We want to assure you we have reviewed your concerns again to ensure you have been treated fairly.
I contacted our Inflight Experience Manager to confirm the changes to our preflight beverage procedure. It was confirmed that in order to expedite the boarding process without interruption our first class guests are now provided a bottle of water upon arrival at their seat. When guests are all seated the crew offers beverages as follows:
Up to 10 am: Coffee or Orange Juice
After 10 am: Orange Juice or sparkling wine or mimosa
I would like to once again apologize for your travel experience with us. It is always our desire to exceed the expectations of our customers. In an industry where customer service is a key feature, this is a necessity. Without customer feedback such as yours, the opportunity for improvements would not be as dynamic. Alaska truly values your patronage and I would like to invite you to join us on a future flight so that we can demonstrate the high level of service that we are known for and that you deserve.
Feb 24, 2019, 4:37 pm
#259
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
PDB *after* everyone is seated?? 
Then they're trying to get doors closed. AS Inflight management is either stupid or they think their FF are, based on a response like that.
Then they're trying to get doors closed. AS Inflight management is either stupid or they think their FF are, based on a response like that.
Feb 24, 2019, 4:56 pm
#260
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Yellow Springs
Programs: AS 75k
Posts: 1,523
Completely agree. Why can't they manage to serve PDBs when they start boarding 40+ minutes before departure?
Feb 24, 2019, 6:56 pm
#261
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SFO, mostly
Posts: 2,204
Exactly! My flight the other day boarded at T-45, door closed and jetway pulled at T -14, followed by safety demo. Actual pushback was not until T +8. Just a water bottle all that time.
Feb 24, 2019, 9:58 pm
#262
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: sometimes, strangely, I find myself at home
Programs: I need to do better in managing my affiliations. Oops, I overshot the runway for status next year.
Posts: 650
However, the reply has me shaking my head because in whole, the response is poorly formed.
For instance, the quoted section above, expresses the "desire" to exceed expectations. The "desire to exceed" is a nice statement but it clashes with the facts of increased costs and reduced benefits in the past year. For example, the guaranteed low airfare got swept under a rug of an asterisk "for the first 24 hours"
And it was nice that they invited you to fly with them again. If that doesn't mean you got a free flight, I hope they don't invite me to dinner.
Feb 24, 2019, 11:30 pm
#263
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: 21,368
Feb 28, 2019, 8:46 pm
#264
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: CONUS
Posts: 947
SEA-TUS last night and no pre-flight service. Certainly plenty of time for the lead F/A to sit on a cockpit jumpseat twice during boarding - and 5-10 minutes for 3 of the 4 attendants to hang out at Door 1L and the galley to chat before boarding door closed. And since I was in row 4, it meant 65 minutes from sitting down to getting a coffee. Crew was nice enough. Just don't think they're trained well enough and don't get good internal communicaiton.
Mar 11, 2019, 6:15 pm
#265
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AS MVPG75k
Posts: 330
DCA-SFO 3/11 Full PDB.
This was my first flight with full PDB for 2019 (1 of 14). Low and behold, miracles do happen in DC! I've given up on a PDB on Alaska, so I stayed at the PP restaurant (Brackets) until T-20. Even after boarding late, the FF offered a full bar service.
Not surprisingly, the in-flight service was a step above any other AS flight this year as well. I wrote into AL to file a positive review for the FA.
This was my first flight with full PDB for 2019 (1 of 14). Low and behold, miracles do happen in DC! I've given up on a PDB on Alaska, so I stayed at the PP restaurant (Brackets) until T-20. Even after boarding late, the FF offered a full bar service.
Not surprisingly, the in-flight service was a step above any other AS flight this year as well. I wrote into AL to file a positive review for the FA.
Last edited by jjmadison; Mar 13, 2019 at 6:02 pm
Mar 11, 2019, 9:45 pm
#266
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: Lifetime AS 1MM & MVPG, AS MVPG100K, AA, DL, HH-G
Posts: 8,258
3/11/19
ANC-SEA
AS130
PDB of bottled water, coffee and OJ on a 6:55 AM flight.
ANC-SEA
AS130
PDB of bottled water, coffee and OJ on a 6:55 AM flight.
Mar 13, 2019, 5:05 pm
#267
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: AS MVPG75K, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 126
LIH Aloha
LIH to SEA got offered juice or sparkling wine during boarding. First in a long time. Nice touch as the plane is a little warm.
Mar 13, 2019, 5:14 pm
#268
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
2 F flights today.
No PDB. Good service on second flight once in the air ^
No PDB. Good service on second flight once in the air ^
Mar 13, 2019, 6:25 pm
#269
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: Lifetime AS 1MM & MVPG, AS MVPG100K, AA, DL, HH-G
Posts: 8,258
3/12/2019
AS 3443 SLC-SEA no PDB. Flight had a fast turnaround due to late arriving aircraft.
AS 99 SEA-ANC no PDB. There was plenty of time since both FA's up front had time to finish their very large coffee drinks, check their phones several times and chat with the other FA's. Once in the air, service was better, but it still took over 45 minutes for the first drinks to arrive. Snack basket was the only food offered. SOE again.
AS 3443 SLC-SEA no PDB. Flight had a fast turnaround due to late arriving aircraft.
AS 99 SEA-ANC no PDB. There was plenty of time since both FA's up front had time to finish their very large coffee drinks, check their phones several times and chat with the other FA's. Once in the air, service was better, but it still took over 45 minutes for the first drinks to arrive. Snack basket was the only food offered. SOE again.
Mar 13, 2019, 7:58 pm
#270
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BUR/LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 300
My QX flight attendants last weekend on LAX-PAE and PAE-LAX offered a PDB as soon as we were seated - juice or sparkling wine (which comes from a can).
I've always had a PDB on QX E175 flights. I don't think I've ever had one on mainline - certainly not on my LAX-GDL r/t last month.
I've always had a PDB on QX E175 flights. I don't think I've ever had one on mainline - certainly not on my LAX-GDL r/t last month.