Potreroflyr

nearlysober

Just noticed on the AS website that next month the D lounge will be closing an hour earlier starting next month (10pm Sun-Fri & 9pm Sat).

9pm is pretty dang early to be closing... even 10pm is early given how many times I've flown out of SEA after midnight. Is it a seasonal change?
Luckily the other lounges are open later if you're trapped with a late flight... seems odd to close so early on Saturdays though.

eponymous_coward

Maybe they're trying to not have a lot of action near the low D gates? High D is now American (from the last time I came in).

ashill

akdancer

My first time at this lounge. Very empty of pax, who were out-numbered by staff (on a Sat). Nice views, but food is about same as west coast AL's. No Treveri; "American champagne" from J. Roget is the offering, local, as with the beer. Staff very friendly.

No service desk that I could see.

Men's restroom: anyone opening the door will slam anyone standing at hand-towel dispenser. Poor layout.

I normally use EWR, but changed to JFK to check out the lounge. On balance, I'd prefer EWR and Admiral's Club over this. Acceptable, but not a game-changer.

NYC Flyer

If EWR is geographically better, understandable. I find the EWR AC depressing and way past its prime. The AS club at JFK has more light, great views and a better complimentary bar.

akdancer

Good point on geography, but from Manhattan I think EWR is easier to get to than JFK, though the TSA gantlet at EWR is awful. Trade-offs?!

Back when we lived in Brooklyn Hghts, with no AS at JFK, EWR was "the place". Maybe I just know it better, and now having been to the JFK AL, I would not hurry back. Agree that it's attractive compared to AC at EWR, but neither has a service desk for AS pax - perhaps that should be prominently noted by AS.

NYC Flyer

When I was primarily based in Manhattan (west side), I avoided EWR. Most traffic nightmares to/from airport were associated with EWR. I am generally pleased with the LIRR>Airtrain (or even the subway if I'm coming from midtown east) to JFK.

As for the service desk, I don't think there are any AS employees at JFK. They seem to be outsourced, so I'm not sure what they'd do in the lounge other than call AS reservations. My only data point is that I once had an issue with an AA booked award where the AS computer insisted needed a paper ticket. It was clear that the check-in counter staff were third-party (they spent 15 min on phone with AS), and maybe the gate too (10 min on phone after counter staff failed to correct the PNR). I do think I've seen the guard/dragon/bouncer person at the door trying to help someone with a ticket once, though (probably calling AS).

akdancer

Thanks for your observations. Driving to JFK much easier than to EWR (esp. last Sat. - 35 min), but I'd take MTA/NJT/AirTrain to EWR over MTA/AirTrain to JFK. (I rarely used LIRR, and taking PATH to EWR is unattractive - but good to have as Plan B.)

About staffing at JFK's AL: I had extensive conversations with 3 employees there last Sat. (More employees than guests that day!) They *are* AS employees, but non-union. Any service desk must be staffed by union people. So if that's accurate, there is little they can do. What I wonder is whether AS will leave it like that, or ever add the service desk people.

NYC Flyer

Interesting. Are the check-in counters staffed the same way or third-party? Either way, they seem woefully incapable of anything but the most basic check-in functions (not incompetent, just untrained/not authorized).

ashill

Of course, Alaska Lounge staff are unable to help with reservations at any of their locations, even in SEA, because they're non-union (as noted by @akdancer). It's a rather odd situation that AS has put themselves in, since on other airlines, the excellent assistance with rebooking when needed is one of the biggest perks of the lounges.

fly18725

Eastbay1K

Yes, and as you'll notice with just about every other airline lounge, the entire F&B service staff is contracted out, unlike at AS. I've been quietly screaming for years to have a desk with an authorized (i.e., union) agent. I recall my "you've got to be effing kidding me" reaction likely in the early 90s the first time I was sent out of the lounge to deal with an agent-required situation.

Dyoungman1

Probably already been posted, but how long is the PDX lounge closed for renovations?

Dyoungman1