NoLaGent

Well put. I'd also say that for the West Coast where the shorter flight times make WiFi less important to me, they're already the hard product leader on the pmVX planes. The WiFi will be a somewhat fair trade-off to losing the most comfortable recliner in the sky once the cabin mods start to roll out.

BaconSF

VegasGambler

As a lowly mvp, F upgrades are pretty rare for me. I am usually flexible with travel plans so I tend to shop for good (cheap) fares... so I'm usually dead last on the upgrade list. Once, on the way back from Hawaii, I was the only one on the list who didn't clear.

tusphotog

There's a nice feeling having two major airlines with a large hub in your home city. If WN doesn't fly the route when I need to fly, AA works great.

AS is great, and I'll continue to hit 75K, but I'm not going out of my way to fly AS anymore, especially when it costs more and involves a stop in Seattle. All I care about these days is getting to my destination for a reasonable price, in relative comfort, with the least time spent in an airplane. Given how an AS agent in LAX treated me last week when I boarded a plane 17 minutes before departure, it's getting hard to minimize time spent onboard. Especially since they said the "new boarding process" would start 30-35 minutes before departure.

formerstarQB16

Sad to say, but I am in the exact same boat as you. Finally made the decision over the weekend that I'm done with AS, after several years of MVPG.

When, on average, I'm stuck on the tarmac at PSC for 1x to 2x the time the flight is actually in the air, something is wrong. While I understand the travel experience at Sea-Tac is not entirely AS's fault, a significant percentage of it is. Alaska loves to blame ATC, but I know for certain (via ATC'ers at Seattle Center) that much of their excuse in bunk. They are pushing their gate usage too high, which has a domino effect once ATC has a minor hiccup. I understand why they're doing it, but they are severely underestimating the effect it is having on both customer and employee morale. Every single flight I've had with them for the past several months results in one or two frequent flyer's openly criticizing the airline while on the plane. The flight attendants, likely because of frequent delays, have developed more of a surly demeanor. Dating back to the pilot shortage, my experience flying Alaska over the past 18 months has been abysmal.

The final straw for me was the sudden lack of "U" availability. Without the GGU's and automatic Gold upgrade fares, MVPG provides very little value to me. Especially considering Alaska is typically non-competitive on first class fares compared to Delta. The lack of availability appears to be a choice made by Alaska management. That choice has resulted in them losing my business. I'll take Delta and their lower fares, better first class, far superior lounges, far superior route map, and ability to avoid Sea-Tac.

Very frustrating for this once proud Alaska loyalist.

VegasGambler

I agree with you. Those waived change fees though. No one else offers that, and it's just worth so much. Easily several hundred dollars a year, if not over $1000. Not because I pay a lot of change fees, but because when I book something and the price drops, I can't "down-fare". This was somewhat mitigated when you used to be able to claim fare difference when a flight dropped in price, but still not as good as waived change fees, because I'm often willing to change flights or airports (I'm in SF so I have 2 choices for a departing airport, or 3 if it's a really good deal out of SJC).

Once AS drops the waived change fee (it's just a matter of time... gotta "compete" with the other airlines) it will be hard to justify but right now that's the main sticking point preventing me from status matching to UA, despite the vastly superior network. The miles too (so much more valuable, and you earn so many more), but that wouldn't be enough incentive without the waived change fees.

notquiteaff

PDXPremier

I was under the impression that if your wife was on the same record as you, the waived change fees/re-fare would apply to her as well....my wife travels with me most of the time as well which means we're either both MVP or both MVPG....did your one international trip you took without her really bump you from MVP to MVPG?? If so, yikes, I bet she regrets going with you

VegasGambler

I'd rather take a bus than Southwest.

Ok maybe that's an exaggeration but I just don't see the point. They used to be a no frills low cost airline. Now they are a no frills airline that's just as expensive as everyone else.

I used to fly them almost exclusively. Then when they were delayed for 20 consecutive flights (not exaggerating) I rage quit and moved all my business to VX F (which is as close to the total opposite of Southwest as you can get without leaving the US). I was extremely happy until AS bought VX, and now we are where we are.

I don't know which airline I'm going to (or even if I'm going) but it's sure as hell not going to be Southwest.

notquiteaff

notquiteaff

Eastbay1K

Short hops, where WN is the only airline flying the city pair (which for me is now almost anything out of OAK to the south), I don't hesitate to get on WN. Otherwise, it is nearly free agentville here for the past few years. I've kept my 75K (barely) and just bought a couple of trips because I'm close enough that it makes sense - for the 50K bonus, and to gift MVP status. Oh yes, and the Bored Room (AL) passes, for when I'm not in F and when the Priority Pass Go Away sign is out.

If you've paid any attention (not the poster I'm quoting, just generally) to life and what you've learned and continue to learn, really the most valuable lesson is how you deal with change. I once thought I'd never see the day when I wasn't flying UA. On that note, I thought I'd be flying Air Cal in "almost first class" seating around the west for my adult life. Well wasn't that an unfortunate lesson at 20-something years old. I thought my Alaska Airlines travel would be through the peace and tranquility of the SEA and PDX airports, civilized beyond belief, and that I'd have a three course meal between here and SEA, and then a more opulent three course meal, salad cart included, on my connection to ANC.

I used to think lots of things. I still do, despite that my fragile little mind is pretty full. But now, I think that I can remember the good ride that AS gave me for three-plus decades, that it still gives me a good ride from time to time, and that I won't feel bad or make excuses when the Eskimo sees me riding another. While he may have given me some cookies, and a myriad of baggage tags, he never gave me a ring!

Calculon

notquiteaff

milypan