Bellerina

I’m fine taking the shuttle or walking. The D lounge is my least favourite so maybe I’ll find out how long the train from N is. I’ll have a good amount of time. And there’s always hoping my gate changes!

Maybe I should looking again at the Amex Platinum...

ctporter

Its actually fairly quick, head down to the either the trains for the S gates or the N gates once you clear security. take the train to central terminal where you can cross over to the train that will take you to the lounge you prefer, and reverse when it is time to leave. The longest part of the walk will be getting from security (if you use TSA Pre or Clear) to the N gate train. Once you are ready to go back to the B gates just take the train to the main terminal (baggage claim) cross over and take the train that will take you to where you can transfer over to the S/B/A gates train. It lets out at the end of B, close to your gate.

Bellerina

Wasn’t hard. Took 12 minutes lounge to gate. And I got the trains pretty well timed. Boarding bit of a cluster.

nearlysober

I flew out of D7 on Thursday but went to the N lounge - I had gotten there early enough to allow for the transit time and I was taking in two friends who had not seen the new N lounge yet. It's worth the extra travel time

Just found out they offer beer flights (at N at least) - not sure if they have that at all lounges now, but a cool feature.

navydevildoc

Beer flights are an N-Specific thing. One of my favorite parts of the N lounge.

nearlysober

Visited the JFK lounge on Saturday while doing a mileage run from SEA. Quite nice in terms of style and design, I really liked it.

What I didn't like was that on Saturday, the lounge closes about 2 hours before AS's last flights out of JFK (1hr 45min before SEA / 2hr 20min before LAX). I realize that evening flights out of JFK on a Saturday are probably the least busy in term of business travelers... but there were plenty of people on the flight and plenty of people in the lounge when they booted us. And since the lounge closed at 5:00pm, by the time I got there about 4:15pm the soup was gone, the salad bar decimated, etc.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that when I'm flying AS out of an airport with an AS lounge, that I can use that lounge (late redeyes I get maybe not). Even keeping the lounge open just 1 more hour would at least allow folks on the SEA flight to stay until boarding started. 6:30PM would make it close enough for that LAX flight too.

Bellerina

Agreed. Seems like poor planning to close so early. I would be giving feedback at Alaska Listens. I wonder if keeping it open one more hour changes the shifts they have to have at the lounge. Given the lounge is open until 9PM on every other day, 6pm doesn't seem like it would be a huge stretch.

Bellerina

My sister is going to be flying through SEA on Saturday with a 3 hour layover from BOS. I live in Seattle and would love to catch up with her for a couple hours if possible. I am a Lounge member, so I could bring her in with me if I were there.
What are my options to get airside and enjoy the lounge with her? Could I buy an AS flight for Saturday night, check in to get the boarding pass, and then cancel with funds going to my wallet after I enjoy the lounge? I have plenty of flights to still buy later this year, so I know I'll use it. Can I cancel a flight after check in?
Or do I try and find a super cheap flight on any airline for Saturday and then just throw it away?

Would love any suggestions.

RAD_PDX

There was a story that made the news here in Portland a few months back about how SEA was going to become the first airport in the country since 9/11 to allow a select number of non-ticketed passengers through security each day. I'm not sure of the current status of the program or any more details. Even if this works, you are of course left without a boarding pass. Perhaps a friendly lounge agent would help, but they'd be bending the rules so I certainly wouldn't plan on it or expect them to.

Do you absolutely need to spend time in the lounge with her? 3 hours is plenty of time to exit security.

williwaw

Here is the SEA Visitor Pass program: https://www.portseattle.org/page/sea...r-pass-program

But RAD_PDX is right about the boarding pass issue if you go that route.

Bellerina

Ok, I was just about to reply back that the test program has ended, but thought I better check. And it's back! Applied for the guest pass as it doesn't appear full for the day. I assume this means I can use the lounge since I normally just use the fingerprints to get it. Hopefully they don't ask about the boarding pass. Worse comes to worse, I guess I could buy a last minute flight and then just cancel it and use the funds (like I was originally planning to do).

be_rettSEA

While this would work (I've cancelled flights after check-in, prior to departure for various reasons), it's technically against Alaska's policies. You are buying the ticket with no intent to fly, just to gain lounge access. While doing this once won't likely raise any red flags for Alaska, it's still definitely frowned upon. It sounds like the SEA Visitor pass is still active, and you may still have time to make it work before this weekend: https://www.portseattle.org/page/sea...r-pass-program

I'd say try that first, and then, if not approved in time, look at flight options to get you into the secure area. What you do with the ticket (fly it, let it go unused, cancel/refund) is up to you.

rustykettel

Keep in mind, as of today AS is temporarily pausing use of the fingerprint machine for lounge access.

https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-airlines/coronavirus/

Bellerina

And I don't HAVE to spend time in the lounge with her, but given she'll need to be at her gate 40 minutes early (say 50 minutes to clear security and get to the gate even with Clear PreCheck), that cuts it down to a little over 2 hours. Seems like a hassle to go find something slightly better in the area and deal with stress of getting back when all we want is a chat and some cocktails to catch up. Plus I don't have a car, so it just adds a bunch of expense to either Zip car or Uber it somewhere.

Has anyone checked in for a flight before and then been able to cancel it? MVPG so I won't have cancellation fees.

rustykettel

Yes, I've called in and the agent did it no questions asked. make sure you do it prior to departure. Refundable ticket if you want it back on your form of payment or non refundable ticket if you don't mind it going to your Wallet.