AS Lounges in SEA Leaving Priority Pass (9/1/2018)
Jul 19, 2018, 8:56 am
#31
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
The post showing the Priority Pass update was posted after @jackal’s post about merging the threads in which they said they’d change the thread title if it was confirmed. All this was in the last five hours or so. So I agree that this is essentially confirmed now. (I’ve used the report post button to suggest a thread title change.)
Jul 19, 2018, 9:31 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
The post showing the Priority Pass update was posted after @jackal’s post about merging the threads in which they said they’d change the thread title if it was confirmed. All this was in the last five hours or so. So I agree that this is essentially confirmed now. (I’ve used the report post button to suggest a thread title change.)
Jul 19, 2018, 11:14 am
#33
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
Jul 19, 2018, 2:09 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fort Worth TX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 475
I have sent 3 Twitter requests to AS to confirm and got no response, so something is not right here. Until an official announcement from AS, I will consider this a rumor. Coming from a blogger is yet another reason as well.
Last edited by SEA777GUY; Jul 19, 2018 at 2:11 pm Reason: added
Jul 19, 2018, 2:16 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Priority pass website being updated is more then enough proof at this point.
Jul 19, 2018, 2:31 pm
#37
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,823
The United States is a unique airline market. Three major carriers representing the major alliances plus three big +1s (i.e. AS + B6 +WN) and three big ULCCs (G4+ F9 + NK). The only similar country is China which has half as many big carriers. America also has, probably, the most sophisticated financial markets in the world.
Priority Pass built its business around sending passengers to otherwise empty lounges so everyone benefits; the advent of the CSR made Priority Pass access much more easy to obtain for Americans which has placed a huge burden on PP lounges in the US. Until the ecosystem stabilizes (e.g. more restaurant "lounges" CSR eliminating unlimited guests, etc) it will be difficult to manage.
The big question: will Chase follow Amex and operate CSR lounges?
Priority Pass built its business around sending passengers to otherwise empty lounges so everyone benefits; the advent of the CSR made Priority Pass access much more easy to obtain for Americans which has placed a huge burden on PP lounges in the US. Until the ecosystem stabilizes (e.g. more restaurant "lounges" CSR eliminating unlimited guests, etc) it will be difficult to manage.
The big question: will Chase follow Amex and operate CSR lounges?
Jul 19, 2018, 2:52 pm
#39
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,823
Depends on whether they play the long game, or the short game. Amex has/will have soon lounges at DEN+DFW+IAH+JFK+LAS+LAX+LGA+PHL+MIA+SEA+SFO. With lounges in DC + Chicago + Boston + Atlanta (maybe not needed due to DL partnership) + Houston + Phoenix (Airspace/Escape?) + Detroit (also with a partner) they'd cover the vast preponderance of US connections. Just half a decade in, that's not too bad!
Jul 19, 2018, 2:56 pm
#40
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
Maybe once the SEA N terminal is finished, AS will have enough space in their large lounge to resume accommodating Priority Pass. But I'm sure they'd much rather sell memberships to the extent they can. And AA will have moved out of SFO T2 in that timeframe, presumably with an Alaska Lounge in the Admirals Club space following shortly thereafter; that will probably make it easier for AS to sell lounge memberships.
Jul 19, 2018, 3:22 pm
#41
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,445
Not to mention that the effective annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve is much lower than that on the competing Amex Platinum because Amex's travel credit is both smaller ($200 rather than $300) and more restricted (incidental fees from a single airline rather all travel), and the fee is higher to begin with ($550 vs $450). Yes, most FlyerTalkers with that card probably get that full $200 (in part by knowing the ways to game it), but I suspect a good number of Amex Platinum holders don't. With that revenue difference, I find it unlikely that Chase has the revenue from this credit card to justify building their own lounges.
Jul 19, 2018, 3:44 pm
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
Jul 19, 2018, 4:42 pm
#43
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: SFO
Programs: Free agent; tend to fly DL and UA most
Posts: 41
Alaska has been promising a much better lounge experience for awhile now. Still, have not seen much except for the introduction of baked cookies instead of boxed cookies .
They have been trying to force frequent travelers to buy memberships for the last few years.. But, Many have given up memberships because of dismal conditions. Wonder if perks given to employees of Microsoft and Amazon include lounge membership?
They have been trying to force frequent travelers to buy memberships for the last few years.. But, Many have given up memberships because of dismal conditions. Wonder if perks given to employees of Microsoft and Amazon include lounge membership?
Jul 19, 2018, 5:16 pm
#44
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
AMZN employee here. Can't speak for MSFT, but can confirm lounge access is not part our Alaska perks. The AS benefit available to AMZN employees is essentially a one-time fast-track to MVP status, but only on Alaska metal: After flying 2 round trips on AS metal, they increase your YTD Alaska EQM balance to 20K, thereby giving you MVP. Oddly, they don't also increase your YTD Alaska+partner mileage balance. So if (for the sake of a simple example) your YTD Alaska miles and YTD Alaska+partner mileage balances were both 5K, after they up to you to MVP, your YTD Alaska balance would be 20K, but your Alaska+partner balance would still be 5K. Its a cool benefit in that it gets you to MVP quickly and jumpstarts you on your way to MVP Gold, but because of that quirk the additional 20K to get to MVP Gold has to be solely on Alaska metal.
Here's the T&C of the Amazon offer (found via google):
https://www.alaskaair.com/promo/AS16...-offers:amazon
I can understand AS wanting to restrict to AS metal.
Jul 19, 2018, 9:54 pm
#45
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AS MVPG, HH Diamond
Posts: 232
If AS is expecting PP users to now buy memberships, they should have kept us out of the lounges to start with as having been in all three in SEA, there's nothing that leaves me with any strong inclination to shell out money for a membership, even at a discounted MVPG rate. They're nice for some quiet (most of the time) but I can just go find a corner somewhere and hang out and if I'm thirsty or hungry spend far less on a (better) drink or snack over the course of the year than I would spend on a membership. The food and overall experience just aren't worth it to me, and aren't on par with one of the SEA DL Sky Clubs, which I would consider paying for.
I'll miss the pancake machines, though my blood sugar levels will now probably improve.
I'll miss the pancake machines, though my blood sugar levels will now probably improve.