A message from Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci: Getting back on track
May 14, 2022, 12:43 pm
#46
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: JNU
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Posts: 2,893
Eastbay, I agree with the central point made in your post, thank you for making your views known.
That said, the acceptance of marginalized groups is (or should be) a characteristic of every business. I know it is where I work. I don't care who believes in what, who loves who, an employee's ethnicity/religion/color, etc. Those issues go out the window in the workplace.
A service provider needs to provide its advertised service and it is up to management to take proactive steps to ensure it's provided in a consistent manner.
A company's most valuable asset is its people. Good on AS for bringing its workforce into the 21st century and becoming a model of diversity.
AS has done well in paragraph #3 above. Paragraph #2 - not so much.
That said, the acceptance of marginalized groups is (or should be) a characteristic of every business. I know it is where I work. I don't care who believes in what, who loves who, an employee's ethnicity/religion/color, etc. Those issues go out the window in the workplace.
A service provider needs to provide its advertised service and it is up to management to take proactive steps to ensure it's provided in a consistent manner.
A company's most valuable asset is its people. Good on AS for bringing its workforce into the 21st century and becoming a model of diversity.
AS has done well in paragraph #3 above. Paragraph #2 - not so much.
May 14, 2022, 2:11 pm
#47
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ANC
Programs: AS MVP, Club 49, Global Entry, National Emerald Club, Hilton Silver
Posts: 1,401
This is what I meant when I said "dramatic shift in corporate culture". One has to be careful on what they say now, though. However actions are louder than words, and pilots resigning are louder than any statement that could be made.
May 14, 2022, 4:17 pm
#48
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,992
AS and "social issues" were an issue long prior to the latest CEO turnover. And those issues are relevant when running a "damn airline," but they don't have anything to do with the current state of affairs, which may have been caused by ineptitude, incompetence, inattention, inability, overoptimism, or praying to the wrong airline reliability gods, and/or all of or a combination of the above.
I am specifically replying to your post, and don't want it to go off the political rails, but it was important for this (and other) companies to show some respect and encourage further respect of historically marginalized workgroups, and public acceptance and inclusion of said groups could only help to improve the workplace, and passenger experience. A not-insubstantial percentage of AS employees are people of color and LGBTQ, and didn't exactly have a welcoming workplace, especially if they were in the cockpit or machine shop. Several years back, I was quite surprised at some of the stickers, etc., that I saw in the maintenance facilities, on tool boxes, etc. And just because your inflight crew may be all part of the "marginalized" community, it doesn't mean that the cockpit was treating them with respect. And as a practical matter, for most of the time, there was no one to complain to, and no real workplace protections for these hostile work environments.
In that regard, I'm glad this isn't my "father's Alaska Airlines." And I think that, long term, if there is an AS long term, that the at least perceived corporate acceptance and promotion of everyone is better than not, and that the current state of affairs isn't caused by the "social issues."
I am specifically replying to your post, and don't want it to go off the political rails, but it was important for this (and other) companies to show some respect and encourage further respect of historically marginalized workgroups, and public acceptance and inclusion of said groups could only help to improve the workplace, and passenger experience. A not-insubstantial percentage of AS employees are people of color and LGBTQ, and didn't exactly have a welcoming workplace, especially if they were in the cockpit or machine shop. Several years back, I was quite surprised at some of the stickers, etc., that I saw in the maintenance facilities, on tool boxes, etc. And just because your inflight crew may be all part of the "marginalized" community, it doesn't mean that the cockpit was treating them with respect. And as a practical matter, for most of the time, there was no one to complain to, and no real workplace protections for these hostile work environments.
In that regard, I'm glad this isn't my "father's Alaska Airlines." And I think that, long term, if there is an AS long term, that the at least perceived corporate acceptance and promotion of everyone is better than not, and that the current state of affairs isn't caused by the "social issues."
My opinion but I'll rest my 1.4mm on it
May 14, 2022, 10:37 pm
#49
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BUR/LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 300
I'm trying to get up to Seattle at the end of June for my (gonna be lame) 20th high school reunion.
The pricing is insane. $600+ LAX-SEA r/t.
In the summer, usually all the smaller LA airports get an extra R/T or two per day, and the flights are usually with 739s.
Not this summer. Frequency is reduced, and most problematic, the flights to/from LAX proper are mostly A320s.
Why A320s? This is shades of Smisek's incompetence with the UA/CO merger and mismatching crew bases with the scheduled flying. Four years after VX, AS still only has Airbus pilot bases in LAX and SFO. But much of the Airbus flying is SEA/PDX-Mid-Con or California Turns (SMF, etc).
To get the crews into position to work these SEA / PDX flights, they start and end their trips with a SEA/PDX-LAX/SFO flight.
So we have:
I guess I'm going to use miles for this trip and just... take a break from flying until this works itself out.
The pricing is insane. $600+ LAX-SEA r/t.
In the summer, usually all the smaller LA airports get an extra R/T or two per day, and the flights are usually with 739s.
Not this summer. Frequency is reduced, and most problematic, the flights to/from LAX proper are mostly A320s.
Why A320s? This is shades of Smisek's incompetence with the UA/CO merger and mismatching crew bases with the scheduled flying. Four years after VX, AS still only has Airbus pilot bases in LAX and SFO. But much of the Airbus flying is SEA/PDX-Mid-Con or California Turns (SMF, etc).
To get the crews into position to work these SEA / PDX flights, they start and end their trips with a SEA/PDX-LAX/SFO flight.
So we have:
- Decimated schedule frequency due to not enough pilots and the ones who are working not volunteering for OT due to contract negotiations.
- Remaining flights all on smaller than normal planes in order to position pilots to/from their base.
I guess I'm going to use miles for this trip and just... take a break from flying until this works itself out.
May 14, 2022, 11:23 pm
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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I can’t comment pro or con on the majority of the above, and I don’t know if this would work for OP, but SNA-PAE (Thu 23 to Tue 28) is ~$500; could also go LAX/SNA-SFO rt for half the miles and SFO-PAE rt for ~$300, or look at separate tix via LAS
May 15, 2022, 12:40 am
#51
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: MVP100K, A-list, Marriott/IHG Plat, CHP525 Ticket Plat, CHP Solo Carpool 100K, Costco EXP, Tinder 1K
Posts: 820
AS just slapped me with 42 schedule changes (yeah I counted all of them). Hopefully I won't have a hard time falling asleep tonight. Just thinking of rebooking all of them already gave me a headache.
May 15, 2022, 6:05 am
#52
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Snohomish, WA
Programs: AS MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,796
May 15, 2022, 10:34 am
#53
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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Posts: 38,654
Fair enough I am not sure how much interaction you have had with Ben and others within the senior management team as it is today but I remember looking and listening to them as they went through their speeches more in particular where they emphases were I heard very very little reference to operational issues both past present and future rather more social issues and I too don't wish to go down that slippery slope ( noting we are from differing parts of the country) remembering business school " all good and great intentions don't keep the lights on" One occasion where I was I heard more about the "alliance" with American than I did AS's own operations and how we could connect to the world through ORD or DFW. Frankly BA is still the more reliable partner for international travel when upgrading. Having said all that I think we can agree that AS is not the same airline it use to be even in light of the challenges they're facing now.
My opinion but I'll rest my 1.4mm on it
My opinion but I'll rest my 1.4mm on it
And as to the "back on track," something important has come to mind. Once upon a time, when I was a UA 1K, which was its highest tier, during its Summer of Hell, UA generally took good care of us at the moment in a manner that AS isn't geared up for. UA had 1K rooms in its hubs, where we could go in for customer service with agents trained at the highest level. We'd be listed on (in my personal experience) up to three flights - not WL, but confirmed space, hoping that one of the flights might actually operate. While I was walking by lost seas of humanity with nowhere to go (especially @ ORD), waiting hours to talk to a live agent, UA was still taking good care of its "best." Through all of it, I wasn't ever that late for my destination, even though it may not have been on my initial itinerary - it might have been on a delayed flight originally scheduled for hours earlier, now operating at the time of my reserved flight. AS just cannot provide such service to its 100Ks, in that (1) it isn't geared up for this, such as a dedicated airport desk for them, and (2) it doesn't have flight frequencies in many markets. At least, for the first time in my experiences without pushback, AS is booking us on other airlines.
All that said, I am reminded of several flights over the past several months - 2 on DL (transcon D1) with not insubstantial mechanical delays and only upon contacting DL directly did I receive anything, one very substantial mechanical delay on AA (aircraft swap, probably two crew swaps ...) and AA didn't offer squat, and upon contacting AA, AA threw peanuts at me for nearly 4 hours of delay on a paid premium transcon, and then a few weeks ago, nearly 3 hours of delay @ WN due to a mechanical - oh the joys of spending 4 hours @ OAK and WN wasn't proactive at all - upon contacting WN, it sent a modest credit (and actually more than AA). I share this to just remind people that the joys of travel are everywhere right now, and not limited to the festival going on at AS.
May 15, 2022, 2:23 pm
#54
Join Date: May 2014
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 358
Practically speaking, is there any way to tell whether your May flight is likely to be affected by one of these cancellations? Number of flights per day on the same route? Hub? Airplane type? Day of week? Etc.
Do they announce these cancellations days in advance or just surprise people hours before?
(My flight is ORD to SFO where they only have one flight per day.)
Do they announce these cancellations days in advance or just surprise people hours before?
(My flight is ORD to SFO where they only have one flight per day.)
May 15, 2022, 2:36 pm
#55
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,975
Practically speaking, is there any way to tell whether your May flight is likely to be affected by one of these cancellations? Number of flights per day on the same route? Hub? Airplane type? Day of week? Etc.
Do they announce these cancellations days in advance or just surprise people hours before?
(My flight is ORD to SFO where they only have one flight per day.)
Do they announce these cancellations days in advance or just surprise people hours before?
(My flight is ORD to SFO where they only have one flight per day.)
May 15, 2022, 4:46 pm
#56
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,292
It’s down to a handful of flights for next couple days. You can track here. Can’t say I could infer rhyme or reason.
https://flightaware.com/live/fleet/ASA/cancelled
https://flightaware.com/live/fleet/QXE/cancelled
https://flightaware.com/live/fleet/ASA/cancelled
https://flightaware.com/live/fleet/QXE/cancelled
Last edited by williwaw; May 15, 2022 at 5:38 pm
May 15, 2022, 11:18 pm
#57
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K/AS 100K …Bonvoy Titanium..Hertz Presidents Club
Posts: 1,117
Practically speaking, is there any way to tell whether your May flight is likely to be affected by one of these cancellations? Number of flights per day on the same route? Hub? Airplane type? Day of week? Etc.
Do they announce these cancellations days in advance or just surprise people hours before?
(My flight is ORD to SFO where they only have one flight per day.)
Do they announce these cancellations days in advance or just surprise people hours before?
(My flight is ORD to SFO where they only have one flight per day.)
May 16, 2022, 8:32 am
#58
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Sacramento
Programs: AA MM, AS MVP Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, FPC lifetime Plat, Kohls MVP
Posts: 547
My main interaction with AS execs was while I was on the Gold Advisory Board, which is several years back (and included the DL divorce and decision to go head to head against AS in SEA period). While I didn't always like what I heard, there was no doubt that the top leadership was quite candid with the group. I had a high level of confidence in leadership at that time. Brad attended most of the meetings. I don't know who would be left (i.e., the same management) and what behind the scenes activity caused this shift in management that seems more like a jolt than the smooth transitions of auld lang syne.
And as to the "back on track," something important has come to mind. Once upon a time, when I was a UA 1K, which was its highest tier, during its Summer of Hell, UA generally took good care of us at the moment in a manner that AS isn't geared up for. UA had 1K rooms in its hubs, where we could go in for customer service with agents trained at the highest level. We'd be listed on (in my personal experience) up to three flights - not WL, but confirmed space, hoping that one of the flights might actually operate. While I was walking by lost seas of humanity with nowhere to go (especially @ ORD), waiting hours to talk to a live agent, UA was still taking good care of its "best." Through all of it, I wasn't ever that late for my destination, even though it may not have been on my initial itinerary - it might have been on a delayed flight originally scheduled for hours earlier, now operating at the time of my reserved flight. AS just cannot provide such service to its 100Ks, in that (1) it isn't geared up for this, such as a dedicated airport desk for them, and (2) it doesn't have flight frequencies in many markets. At least, for the first time in my experiences without pushback, AS is booking us on other airlines.
All that said, I am reminded of several flights over the past several months - 2 on DL (transcon D1) with not insubstantial mechanical delays and only upon contacting DL directly did I receive anything, one very substantial mechanical delay on AA (aircraft swap, probably two crew swaps ...) and AA didn't offer squat, and upon contacting AA, AA threw peanuts at me for nearly 4 hours of delay on a paid premium transcon, and then a few weeks ago, nearly 3 hours of delay @ WN due to a mechanical - oh the joys of spending 4 hours @ OAK and WN wasn't proactive at all - upon contacting WN, it sent a modest credit (and actually more than AA). I share this to just remind people that the joys of travel are everywhere right now, and not limited to the festival going on at AS.
And as to the "back on track," something important has come to mind. Once upon a time, when I was a UA 1K, which was its highest tier, during its Summer of Hell, UA generally took good care of us at the moment in a manner that AS isn't geared up for. UA had 1K rooms in its hubs, where we could go in for customer service with agents trained at the highest level. We'd be listed on (in my personal experience) up to three flights - not WL, but confirmed space, hoping that one of the flights might actually operate. While I was walking by lost seas of humanity with nowhere to go (especially @ ORD), waiting hours to talk to a live agent, UA was still taking good care of its "best." Through all of it, I wasn't ever that late for my destination, even though it may not have been on my initial itinerary - it might have been on a delayed flight originally scheduled for hours earlier, now operating at the time of my reserved flight. AS just cannot provide such service to its 100Ks, in that (1) it isn't geared up for this, such as a dedicated airport desk for them, and (2) it doesn't have flight frequencies in many markets. At least, for the first time in my experiences without pushback, AS is booking us on other airlines.
All that said, I am reminded of several flights over the past several months - 2 on DL (transcon D1) with not insubstantial mechanical delays and only upon contacting DL directly did I receive anything, one very substantial mechanical delay on AA (aircraft swap, probably two crew swaps ...) and AA didn't offer squat, and upon contacting AA, AA threw peanuts at me for nearly 4 hours of delay on a paid premium transcon, and then a few weeks ago, nearly 3 hours of delay @ WN due to a mechanical - oh the joys of spending 4 hours @ OAK and WN wasn't proactive at all - upon contacting WN, it sent a modest credit (and actually more than AA). I share this to just remind people that the joys of travel are everywhere right now, and not limited to the festival going on at AS.
AS cancelled my families Sunday SEA-SMF 6PM flight just before noon. Rebooked for Mon 11am. Found Sun flights on SWA and DL. Supervisor I spoke with couldn't find the DL flight. She mentioned AS doesn't have access to all the DL flights with their interline agreement. No agreement with SWA. Wife and I missed work on Monday and had to take a vacation day. Kids missed school and exams (1 missed 2 exams and the other 1 exam). This was late March before the April implosion. AS really couldn't do much for us. 100k and all 4 of us in 1st class. We were willing to fly coach back on DL on Sun but AS didn't have access to the Sun DL flight. So AS may be willing to book you on another carrier but they might not have access to available flights. The DL coach tickets were $1800, the ones on SWA were even higher. I have rebooked travel away from AS until Sept. If summer doesn't go well for AS I will rebook those on other carriers. Qualified for 75k at the end of March but may skip 100k this year. Have status on DL, AA, WN, and F9. Oh I have matched star alliance Gold with ANA as well.
Good luck this summer all AS flyers, hopefully AS gets their act together.
May 16, 2022, 8:53 am
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
I don’t think SEA is going to just sit and take it if the folks running the airline with Chester on the tail don’t figure it out; you can see the rising hostility nearly everywhere. Case in point: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion...in-a-tailspin/
May 16, 2022, 10:00 am
#60
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: SoCal,
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro
Posts: 771
I don’t think SEA is going to just sit and take it if the folks running the airline with Chester on the tail don’t figure it out; you can see the rising hostility nearly everywhere. Case in point: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion...in-a-tailspin/