SJC-SAN Flight Upguaged to Mainline A320
 

Noticed AS replaced a Skywest E175 with an LVX 320 for the morning SJC-SAN flight. Not sure if this is simply a repositioning flight - appears to be a daily - or there is now sufficient demand - taking business from WN - to justify mainline service.

Same for the late SAN-SJC - flight 1105.

Currently something of a downgrade for elites - fewer F and Y+ seats - fortunately a short flight.

Interesting--I've not flown on the E175 so didn't realize those AS planes had 12F.

I expect you will find the Airbus F seats (at least until retrofit) are an upgrade with better recline and legroom.

Also the move from E175 to pre-retrofit A320 means Y+ goes from 12 to 18 (3 rows x 6 seats on A320). After retrofit 24 Y+).

E175:
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...-aircraft/e175

A320:
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...ircraft/series

Perhaps the change was enabled in part by AS moving to T2 at SAN? I would think it'd have taken less time to switch to mainline service otherwise since this route's been flying since 2016 per this PR, but then again, the number of frequencies is much lower compared to WN.

AS 3398 (3:40 pm SJC-SAN) was oversold on Wednesday, March 13, AS was offering $250 compensation. I would have jumped on it, but the next flight was at 8:40 pm.

While only one flight, it does suggest that AS is gaining market share on a route that was owned by WN for more than 10 years. Very encouraging!

Noticed that one of my regular routes (STL-SAN) has also been upgauged from an E175 to 737 later this year. WN is the only nonstop competition for this route also. After the initial shock wore off, I had the same thought... that it's actually potentially a downgrade in some ways. The mainline service will be nice, but I'll miss the single seat side.

It is a good sign- with the upgauge that seems to infer decent yields, and the route should stick around ^

Unless you are paying for first, I would take a 737 over E175, particularly on a 3+ hour flight. Seats and overhead bins are larger, more Y+ seats. Single F seat is nice when traveling alone, but upgrade is not guaranteed, single seat not always available T-72.

Wha? The F seats on the 737 are larger, but the Embraer wins that contest in Y. And all other factors equal, you're twice as likely to get an F upgrade on an E175 as you are on an -800. If anything, the 737 is the plane where it makes more sense to pay for F.