Duck1981

Dear Friends

May I ask - what would you fly for a day trip from LAX to SEA and back in F - Alaska or American?

I am OW Sapphire but won't reach Gold anyway this year so tier points would not matter; I am tempted to try out Alaska as I have heard a some good things about them.

Timings are roughly the same (as well as price) - so is there something else I should consider either pro-AA or Alaska? Lounge access in LAX/ Flagship or access in Seattle?
I have an Amex Platinum so could also visit a Centurion Lounge (if there is one in Seattle). I understand with Alaska in F I would not have any lounge access?

Given that I am London based I appreciate AA's domestic F product (compared to CE of BA) - would Alaska be different?

Any thoughts on this much welcome! Thanks, Daniel

jrl767

eponymous_coward

Bretmd

be_rettSEA

And, if your schedule allows, I'd look for AS flight numbers in the 1xxx series, as those are all Airbus / former Virgin America planes with a much nicer F product than you'd find on either AA or other AS aircraft for this route. They've also just started cabin mods on the Airbus fleet so they won't be around at all in the next few years to try.

jsguyrus

I would take that advice with a grain of salt. There have been numerous reports of the old VX interiors not being maintained and seats having issues that are not fixed.

metallo

As a frequent AA and AS flyer (EXP and MVPG75K), this is an easy call IMO. I'd go with AS and would recommend that you attempt to book your flight on an ex-VX Airbus (32S). It appears AA is only running the E175 on this route these days... no mainline, which almost certainly buys you a bus trip to the remote terminal.

My order of priority for these airlines on this route would be: AS 32S (8F, amazing pitch) > AS 73H (12F, great pitch) > AS E75 (12F with single seat side) > AS 73J (16 F, average pitch) > AA E75 (12F with single seat side).

guv1976

You would have to check the seating chart, but FWIW, on AA E75s, the left-side aisle seat in the first row of Coach typically has more leg room than any seat in F. Because it's a Main Cabin Extra seat, there are dedicated overhead bins and (at least) one complimentary alcoholic beverage. And since oneworld Sapphires already get lounge access and can choose MCE seats on all Coach fares except Basic Economy, if that seat is still available on the OP's desired flight(s), I would seriously consider booking that seat rather than an F seat -- at least, if the OP is paying out of his own pocket.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...abin-extra.jsp

eponymous_coward

AS F pitch is identical on 73Hs and 73Js now because F pitch is standardized on ~90% of the pmAS 737 fleet (and I've flown enough of both pre- and post-refurb to know the difference). Only the 73G is left to get 41" pitch fleetwide.

Consolidated 739/ER reconfigured F/PE/Y 16/24/138 Thread [Completed]

Consolidated 73H reconfigured F/PE/Y 12/30/117 Thread [They're out there!]

Refurbished 737-700 N619AS

Alaska Airlines to Introduce a New Premium Class Section

The QX/OO E75 planes flying for AS won't get 41" inch pitch ever though, based on current plans.

VegasGambler

re: lounge access, with the Platinum card you also get PP, which gets you into the club at SEA.

If you can't credit your AS flight to a program where you collect miles, I would go with AA. Orphaned miles are annoying and while it doesn't seem like much, they do add up. If you can, or are thinking that you might fly AS semi regularly, then you may as well give them a try. The miles are valuable and the distance based miles earning is great while it lasts. Honestly, domestic short-haul F products are all more or less equally crappy at this point so I'd say it doesn't matter that much.

jinglish

...which would be a very odd decision when one has Centurion Lounge access.

VegasGambler

So would the Alaska lounge but that's being discussed too.

eponymous_coward

AS can be credited to BA (OP is BA Silver) just like AA (no BA Tier Points though, as mentioned), just like BA can be credited to AS.

The Centurion Lounge isn't as far away as BA's lounge is from AS gates, but it's not as convenient as whatever AL is closest to the gate. Then again it's nicer-ish than the Alaska Lounge (while less convenient) the same way that the OW J lounge at LAX is nicer-ish than the remote gates AA lounge, but a bit of a haul. OP is also eligible for AA's Flagship Lounge out of LAX.

I tend to think airport lounges are a waste on short trips myself for O/D unless I get hosed by a delay that pops up, especially in the USA (I would rather show up at the airport later then cool my heels in a lounge unless it's some kind of ZOMG WOW THE KRUG AND SHOWERZ kind of experience, which you generally don't get in the USA); I'm more interested in them if I am connecting. The OW J lounge and FL at LAX are two of the nicer ones in the USA, which is why I would probably use AA out of LAX if I really thought "must have killer lounge for my flights".

tom911

I've been on two flights just this month with electric seat control issues in F. In both cases the seats reclined just fine, but the controls would not work to raise the seat and a flight attendant had to be summoned to manually raise the seat up the normal position.

milypan

The more I fly it, the less fond of it I am. There's no underseat storage, and even if you kind of cram your bag up there, the seat pitch is, ironically, too large to easily reach it. The reclining mechanism is ridiculously complicated and sometimes broken. The seat pan seems too deep to allow for good back support. But, as always, YMMV.

Bigger picture, it's a 2 hr flight (plus taxi time). Does the seat really matter that much? Even MCE/Premium seems fine for that duration, conditional on one's size.