beckoa

Sounds like AS owes you 19 bars.

AS Flyer

If you're in Premium you are supposed to get a chocolate automatically if you're Gold or 75K. Outside of Premium Class it's one or the other, a drink or a chocolate but not supposed to be both. Problem is, there are times where there are more Gold's and 75K's than there are chocolates. In that case, there are times where all we can offer is a smile and (hopefully) your choice of cocktail if you'd like one. Policies and procedures have changed so much over the last year or so. Couple that with an entirely new group of FA's coming in from a different airline that had different policies and procedures and it's no surprise that things are inconsistent. It doesn't make it any better, but it's definitely not surprising. I think management is spending the next year or so just letting things settle, with much less change than we've seen in recent times, so that should help hopefully.

Single_Flyer

Interestingly I saw two of the chocolate bars sitting in the galley when I went back to the lav. So they didn't run out. Maybe one of the FAs needed it more than the elites.

I wish management was letting things settle... unfortunately that doesn't seem the case across the company. So many negative changes/devaluations this year (change fees, lounge passes, price guarantee, saver fares, award ticket routing... I could go on). I am/was one of Alaska's biggest fans (check my posts and my blog). I just can't figure out what management is thinking.

AS Flyer

I hope that's not the case. I have to believe there's something more to it - I think the FA's, for the most part, have had plenty of those chocolate bars and most I know don't really eat them when they're left. That said, I'm sorry if what you say is the case - it's not okay to deny someone something so we can keep it for ourselves. Especially something like that.

I can't speak for those things that affect the Mileage Plan program, but the onboard product has seen many changes as well. I think it's management's intention to let that settle for a bit and let the FA's start delivering a more consistent product. That's what I hear anyway...

beckoa

@AS Flyer, always appreciate your feedback and perspective.

isaac.chambers

Funny...every flight regardless in Premium or not....drink or not....i have always had a chocolate bar offered and i just bring it home to give away to colleagues and friends. In fact a small pile of 6 blue chocolate bars are sitting in my fridge right now....this has been the most consistent thing since they started offering them on pmVX metal. The overall service generally is all over the place in terms of execution - but this one seems have been consistent....i guess im lucky...

safari ari

Was on a pmVX flight yesterday, so 16/17 PC. Seated in 17 the drink cart came by first, received our drinks, and the second FA was following with the food cart (chocolate bars). She offered someone in 16 the choice of a chocolate bar "instead of your drink", since I don't think she ordered a drink, which I was dumbfounded by, considering she was in PC where you could get free drinks as a perk. I was then skipped over and not offered a chocolate. Don't understand why FAs don't see the logic in giving a chocolate in addition to the free drinks PC already get. And this was a light elite load, with only 4 total elites on board. I will say the last few times on a Boeing the FA has handed me a chocolate and thanked me for being an elite in addition to my drinks.

Tracer_SEA

I had a "service challenged" crew on my most recent transcon (pmAS/Boeing)... Started the water pass mid cabin in Y and never remembered to offer it to the front of the plane. I was in PC and they didn't offer me a chocolate the first time. It was early morning so I didn't ask for it. When the second cart came by I did ask for it, and the young FA gave me the "it's drink or chocolate" line. I said I didn't think that was true in PC. She relented and gave me one with a bit of a huff. Glad to see here that I wasn't making that up.

Visconti

I don't care about status recognition, generally dispense with the airplane meal, but I do love chocolates. Small thing, but wish they would pass out the chocolates to me on every flight, since I'd much rather have this than the airplane meal, whatever it happens to be.

safari ari

RaginPlainsman

I was on a mainline GEG-SEA last week and a FA came down the aisle near the end of boarding to hand them out. There wasn't any other service on the flight due to expected turbulence so this was a nice touch.

Overall, I'm offered a chocolate more often than not, though it isn't 100%.

Xrayman

Confused here by the policy? So if I receive the chocolate, I don’t get complimentary cocktail (I really like the chocolate ) even if in Premium plus that states you have your alcohol beverages included? But I’m allowed to have 2 or more cocktails given the service cart will travel through twice?

I’ve really never put much thought into this except occasionally when I get perturbed when asking for the chocolate with my Baileys and coffeee (btw it’s a great combo) and the FA states “either or” policy. I then inform them I’m happy to pay for the chocolate as this would be reimbursed by my business as it is a food item (not alcohol based upon policy). They are often confused as I am as this is just dumb and needless technicalities and FAs need to make real-time customer service decisions. Some are better than others obviously.

Once when in FC I asked for the chocolate and was told “it’s for the elites in the back”. I asked him to think about what he just informed me and I thanked him for being an Alaska air associate and helping me fly round trip 40 weeks a year transcontinental and that I was happy to pay for the chocolate or the cocktail but I would really appreciate the blue chocolate with my Baileys and coffee. He sneered and proceeded to “educate” me on policy. 30 minutes later I believe the crew chief came back with 2 chocolates and she apologized for my inconvenience and the delay. The original FA the proceeded to apologize and further reiterate his understanding of the policy, and I acknowledged that this “Policy” placed him and the crew in a position to fail and all was good from my standpoint.

I less than 50% of the time and actually closer to zero than 50% get acknowledged as a 75K. My daughter essentially NEVER gets acknowledged as a MVP gold (since 3 years old), albeit she is young (2nd grade now) but she does notice it when she flies as her mom gets recognized occasionally and then she will ask her mom why they don’t say “thank you to me (different last names for my daughter and her mom). As a person big on customer service I think this is literally one of the most COST EFFECTIVE maneuvers business’ can do as it costs nothing to make your customers (in this case frequent fliers) feel special by a simple verbal acknowledgement.

In summary, dumb rule “either or” when sitting in premium plus seats that you can have multiple alcohol drinks but get hazed by technicalities if you also want a chocolate. And verbal acknowledgment of elite status as either MVP gold or 75K is rarity and essentially absent if 7 years old or younger apparently (and my daughter does notice)

VegasGambler

The last few times I've flown, I've noticed them giving chocolates to other people in premium (presumably gold or 75k) without being asked, and in addition to the free drinks that everyone in premium gets.

I never noticed the verbal acknowledgement. I'd actually feel very uncomfortable with a FA calling that out publicly (it seems like an invasion of privacy and very indiscreet) but I will appreciate all the free chocolate once I'm gold.

metaldirtnskin

Over the last year it has been well under 50% for me. I would never turn down chocolate but am never inclined to ask - partly because it makes me feel entitled, indiscreet, cheap, etc., and also because it seems to defeat the purpose: if I have to ask for something it isn't exactly "recognition."

Probably not a coincidence that I didn't hustle to get to MVPG for the next year.

KevPNW

It feels random for me. I was seated in PC during my last flight (ORD-SEA) and was given the chocolate + free drink, and was thanked along with the two passengers next to me for being MVPG. The two flights prior to that, I was given a free drink with no chocolate or acknowledgment while seated in the exit row.