Offers of a Pre-Departure Beverage (PDB) [2019 and Earlier]
#181
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,073
Here is the response to my complaint on 1/5 that PDB were not offered on SEA-LAX flt:
Dear philemer,
Thank you for contacting Alaska Airlines.
I am sorry we let down or disappointed you with not having a pre-departure beverage other than bottled water. Our pre-departure limited offering in First Class (bottled water) is a result of our focus on our industry leading "on-time" performance. There are a number of things that must fit together operationally -- when the flight attendants arrive at the aircraft, when the aircraft is ready to board, when catering is completed, etc. We've found that even offering a pre-poured glass of water (or cup of coffee on morning flights) can cause pauses in the boarding flow. There is the concern that expanding our pre-departure beverage service could slow the process and ultimately impact our operational performance. We know we are at a competitive disadvantage in this area and have the discussion often, but at this point there are no plans in the works to change the service.We value your patronage to Alaska.
Sincerely,
Lisa H.
Customer Care Representative
If the above is true looks like we're beating our heads against the wall. This is contradictory to other reports up stream.
Dear philemer,
Thank you for contacting Alaska Airlines.
I am sorry we let down or disappointed you with not having a pre-departure beverage other than bottled water. Our pre-departure limited offering in First Class (bottled water) is a result of our focus on our industry leading "on-time" performance. There are a number of things that must fit together operationally -- when the flight attendants arrive at the aircraft, when the aircraft is ready to board, when catering is completed, etc. We've found that even offering a pre-poured glass of water (or cup of coffee on morning flights) can cause pauses in the boarding flow. There is the concern that expanding our pre-departure beverage service could slow the process and ultimately impact our operational performance. We know we are at a competitive disadvantage in this area and have the discussion often, but at this point there are no plans in the works to change the service.We value your patronage to Alaska.
Sincerely,
Lisa H.
Customer Care Representative
If the above is true looks like we're beating our heads against the wall. This is contradictory to other reports up stream.
#182
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,293
Here is the response to my complaint on 1/5 that PDB were not offered on SEA-LAX flt:
Dear philemer,
Thank you for contacting Alaska Airlines.
I am sorry we let down or disappointed you with not having a pre-departure beverage other than bottled water. Our pre-departure limited offering in First Class (bottled water) is a result of our focus on our industry leading "on-time" performance. There are a number of things that must fit together operationally -- when the flight attendants arrive at the aircraft, when the aircraft is ready to board, when catering is completed, etc. We've found that even offering a pre-poured glass of water (or cup of coffee on morning flights) can cause pauses in the boarding flow. There is the concern that expanding our pre-departure beverage service could slow the process and ultimately impact our operational performance. We know we are at a competitive disadvantage in this area and have the discussion often, but at this point there are no plans in the works to change the service.We value your patronage to Alaska.
Sincerely,
Lisa H.
Customer Care Representative
If the above is true looks like we're beating our heads against the wall. This is contradictory to other reports up stream.
Dear philemer,
Thank you for contacting Alaska Airlines.
I am sorry we let down or disappointed you with not having a pre-departure beverage other than bottled water. Our pre-departure limited offering in First Class (bottled water) is a result of our focus on our industry leading "on-time" performance. There are a number of things that must fit together operationally -- when the flight attendants arrive at the aircraft, when the aircraft is ready to board, when catering is completed, etc. We've found that even offering a pre-poured glass of water (or cup of coffee on morning flights) can cause pauses in the boarding flow. There is the concern that expanding our pre-departure beverage service could slow the process and ultimately impact our operational performance. We know we are at a competitive disadvantage in this area and have the discussion often, but at this point there are no plans in the works to change the service.We value your patronage to Alaska.
Sincerely,
Lisa H.
Customer Care Representative
If the above is true looks like we're beating our heads against the wall. This is contradictory to other reports up stream.
#183
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,293
I look at this response and also the one to Greg99( Priority Pass) as Alaska Customer Care no longer in a position to offer compensation when experience is sub standard. Part of keeping revenue up . AS seems no longer accepting responsibility when things go south, until one has a substantial argument.
#184
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,073
You have got to be kidding me. Please reply back to her that she's ignoring official policy (much like many FAs) and ask for confirmation of the current policy from her Supervisor or preferably, Inflight Management. This is absurd and I wouldn't accept it, as it's wrong.
Last edited by philemer; Jan 15, 2019 at 4:30 pm
#185
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,073
official policy?
I've seen the phrase "official policy" used for the PDB issue but I've never seen a link to an official AS doc. that says it's so. Can someone provide a link to this doc? It would make communicating with Customer Care easier.
#187
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: 21,360
I might be mistaken, but I seriously doubt that anyone with access to any AS internal policy document(s) would keep their job for very long after making said document(s) available on FT
#188
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,073
Understood, of course. So the only way we know about an official policy change is if AS makes an official announcement. And I haven't seen one regarding PDB. Has anyone else or is this thread only wishful thinking?
#189
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,293
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...ss/1060625002/
You can also review the response I received from Customer Care in mid-November about this particular subject in post #86 of this thread confirming the policy.
#190
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,989
This is quite a thread to have emerged from my snarky post about getting a gin and tonic at the gate in Ketchikan.
#191
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,073
Alaska's spokesperson, Ann Johnson, was quoted in numerous publications about the new policy, which took effect on November 1st. The policy (as far as I know) was never directly published by Alaska Airlines on any of their official channels. You can read her comments in this article from USA Today:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...ss/1060625002/
You can also review the response I received from Customer Care in mid-November about this particular subject in post #86 of this thread confirming the policy.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...ss/1060625002/
You can also review the response I received from Customer Care in mid-November about this particular subject in post #86 of this thread confirming the policy.
#192
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MM, MVPGold100k, Hilton Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 1,475
Last night on a Horizon E75 flight SFO SEA we were offered a mimosa or OJ with our water bottles at the seat.
#193
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: 21,360
Fri 18 Jan, AS849, IAD-SEA: water bottles on center armrests
a blue blanket in a plastic bag on the F seat doesn’t really make up for lack of a glass of sparkling wine
a blue blanket in a plastic bag on the F seat doesn’t really make up for lack of a glass of sparkling wine
#194
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Standard stuff about getting a choice between OJ and coffee in the morning, and OJ and sparkling wine in the afternoon or evening, regardless of flight length (the FA had told me that they don't do PDB on "such short flights" -- LAX-SFO). They said that they have shared my concerns with the inflight leadership so they know.
Honestly, no one seems to care. Providing a good F product does not seem to be a priority for AS. The "leadership" may or may not be being informed, but the message is not getting through to the actual FAs. This is easy to fix; AS chooses not to fix it.
Flying paid F to OGG next month... on UA. Lie-flats in both directions. P fare, similar price to AS P. I'll status match before the flight. That round trip, plus one more, will complete my match and I'll be UA Gold for the year.
The only real downside is that I'll earn about 10k UA miles instead of 13k AS miles (AS miles are still a lot more valuable). But I think that the difference in quality of product more than makes up for it. I'm not saying that I won't fly AS any more (I will) but on routes where a true premium product is available on another airline, I'll be going with the other airline. I'll still requalify for MVP Gold, though mostly through partner travel (over 15k partner EQM already this year)
#195
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 7K, MARRIOTT PLAT PREMIER WITH AMBASSADOR
Posts: 164
On virgin I’d get the pre flight drink every single time. I never once had them offer and actually was told they could not do that on any Alaska flight until the last few months. We’ve had them offer wine twice and any drink of choosing once. To me the drink you need the most is pre flight. That is maybe the only part of flying I get irritated with, sitting for 30-40 min can’t use your laptop can’t stand up - a drink makes it such a dramatically better experience and start to the journey!