Dec 4, 2022, 8:20 pm
Last edit by: dayone
Suggested Questions to Be Asked of AS Executives by In-Person Attendees
What was submitted from Remote participants:
Link to the presentation: Alaska Airlines Flyer Forum 2022 - YouTube
- The Elite Upgrade Processor does not upgrade at the elite windows when upgrade space is available and often process the upgrade list inconsistently when it does run. This has been a problem for well over a year. When will this be fixed?
- What are the plans for overall network growth (% increase in flights) for 2023 and 2024? Is the focus more flights to existing cities?
- What are the growth plans for SFO? LAX?
- What are the plans for Dallas Love Field (currently only one flight daily to SEA and SFO)?
- Please describe what *if any* plans exist for improving SEA ops in winter weather conditions … the chaos that has rippled throughout the entire system for nearly a week after the last four or five wx events — many of which actually didn’t develop as badly as initially forecast — has left a *very* bad impression of all aspects of AS operations and management
- Going forward, will AS allow mixing partner award flights? Like SEA-LHR on BA, then LHR-KUL on MH on a single ticket?
- Regarding Partner Award availability, are there any plans to make it easier for Seattle-based members to get to major U.S. gateways (e.g., LAX, DFW, ORD). In other words: why is there rarely/never award space at the right level to us get to these gateways?
- What are the expansion plans for PAE? Are Spokane and Portland possibilities?
What was submitted from Remote participants:
- How dependent on the network growth plan is the MAX assembly and delivery schedule?
- What will it take to display "real" EQMs (e.g. No California Bonus) and AS metal segments required for elite tier status in the Alaska App?
- A round robin question to each executive, non-binding answer of course, what airport would each exec like to see a new Alaska Lounge at?
Link to the presentation: Alaska Airlines Flyer Forum 2022 - YouTube
AS In-Person (and Online) Flyer Forum with Alaska Airlines Executives
Dec 5, 2022, 8:09 pm
#301
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: Alaska MVP; Hawaiian Miles; WN Rapid Rewards A list
Posts: 350
I sent in a question (as I'm sure others did) asking about the diminishing flight frequency in the Bay Area (except to SEA and PDX). They ignored it. My guess is that there is no plan to up-gauge operations in the Bay Area and they will probably try to rely on AA to other designations. I didn't find the online presentation informative.....maybe those in person had a different experience and a couple of glasses of wine.
Dec 5, 2022, 8:41 pm
#302
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: AS 100K, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 876
So review....Part 2. Happy Hour. Ended up there until 6:45pm. Managed to talk to COO, CIO, VP Safety, VP Food, and VP of People?
Some interesting discussions and overall seemed way honest without a camera.
1. Last Q400 flight. Yep definitely happening as the GEG-SEA flight 2400 on the 26th. Sounds like they have a good time planned for that.
2. Boxed Water. Yea. They are aware of the issue, and have been trying to find a solution. Supposedly the 1L bottles are less subject to the foul taste.
3. Wifi. Fleet is getting Wifi upgrade again. Iridium with steerable antennas for Ground and Satellite. Supposedly the only plane with it right now is the Star Wars bird. SpaceX......ain't happening.
4. Upgrade Processor. Beaten to death. Sounds like they are well aware, especially the two people being jumped thing, but it sounds like legacy software is the true culprit to overcome. They made changes with 100k to attempt to remediate all the previous issues, but we all know how that works. I get the honest feeling they know, it sucks, but it's not the drop dead priority. It works enough of the time, that its not a core focus. So I guess...keep .....ing.
5. Food options. Sounds like they are looking to trying different things. Potentially doing apps before main meal, maybe something breakfast lite on redeyes. He seemed rather interested in both improvements and aware of the fact that catering is hit or miss, even on the same flights.
6. Digital Bag Tag. Had it demoed. Was confirmed if more than one person on reservation, it will not give you the option. Evidently again...technical difficulties. Really getting the feeling there is a massive backend overall that needs to be handled.
Uhhmm...not much more that immediately comes to mind. 2nd half felt far more respectful of time than the 1st hour.
Some interesting discussions and overall seemed way honest without a camera.
1. Last Q400 flight. Yep definitely happening as the GEG-SEA flight 2400 on the 26th. Sounds like they have a good time planned for that.
2. Boxed Water. Yea. They are aware of the issue, and have been trying to find a solution. Supposedly the 1L bottles are less subject to the foul taste.
3. Wifi. Fleet is getting Wifi upgrade again. Iridium with steerable antennas for Ground and Satellite. Supposedly the only plane with it right now is the Star Wars bird. SpaceX......ain't happening.
4. Upgrade Processor. Beaten to death. Sounds like they are well aware, especially the two people being jumped thing, but it sounds like legacy software is the true culprit to overcome. They made changes with 100k to attempt to remediate all the previous issues, but we all know how that works. I get the honest feeling they know, it sucks, but it's not the drop dead priority. It works enough of the time, that its not a core focus. So I guess...keep .....ing.
5. Food options. Sounds like they are looking to trying different things. Potentially doing apps before main meal, maybe something breakfast lite on redeyes. He seemed rather interested in both improvements and aware of the fact that catering is hit or miss, even on the same flights.
6. Digital Bag Tag. Had it demoed. Was confirmed if more than one person on reservation, it will not give you the option. Evidently again...technical difficulties. Really getting the feeling there is a massive backend overall that needs to be handled.
Uhhmm...not much more that immediately comes to mind. 2nd half felt far more respectful of time than the 1st hour.
Dec 5, 2022, 8:44 pm
#303
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AS MVPG, DL KM, Bee Six, Bonvoy Plat, Avis PC, Natl Exec, Greyhound Road Rewards Z"L
Posts: 16,702
Is there a tl;dr verson? I don't think I won anything and I'm not sure if it's worth watching the entire thing.
-J.
-J.
Dec 5, 2022, 8:49 pm
#304
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: SJC/SFO. EWR/JFK
Programs: AS MVP 100K, DL PL
Posts: 542
AS hasn't had a CA strategy for 4-5 years now and the promos seem to be more to make things look less bad rather than build up any base of elites. Just like people for centuries have believed that Jesus will be coming back to life any day now, there are those that keep clinging to the unlikely notion that AS is going to prioritize CA anytime soon
Dec 5, 2022, 9:05 pm
#305
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
Dec 5, 2022, 9:08 pm
#306
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
So review....Part 2. Happy Hour. Ended up there until 6:45pm. Managed to talk to COO, CIO, VP Safety, VP Food, and VP of People?
Some interesting discussions and overall seemed way honest without a camera.
1. Last Q400 flight. Yep definitely happening as the GEG-SEA flight 2400 on the 26th. Sounds like they have a good time planned for that.
2. Boxed Water. Yea. They are aware of the issue, and have been trying to find a solution. Supposedly the 1L bottles are less subject to the foul taste.
3. Wifi. Fleet is getting Wifi upgrade again. Iridium with steerable antennas for Ground and Satellite. Supposedly the only plane with it right now is the Star Wars bird. SpaceX......ain't happening.
4. Upgrade Processor. Beaten to death. Sounds like they are well aware, especially the two people being jumped thing, but it sounds like legacy software is the true culprit to overcome. They made changes with 100k to attempt to remediate all the previous issues, but we all know how that works. I get the honest feeling they know, it sucks, but it's not the drop dead priority. It works enough of the time, that its not a core focus. So I guess...keep .....ing.
5. Food options. Sounds like they are looking to trying different things. Potentially doing apps before main meal, maybe something breakfast lite on redeyes. He seemed rather interested in both improvements and aware of the fact that catering is hit or miss, even on the same flights.
6. Digital Bag Tag. Had it demoed. Was confirmed if more than one person on reservation, it will not give you the option. Evidently again...technical difficulties. Really getting the feeling there is a massive backend overall that needs to be handled.
Uhhmm...not much more that immediately comes to mind. 2nd half felt far more respectful of time than the 1st hour.
Some interesting discussions and overall seemed way honest without a camera.
1. Last Q400 flight. Yep definitely happening as the GEG-SEA flight 2400 on the 26th. Sounds like they have a good time planned for that.
2. Boxed Water. Yea. They are aware of the issue, and have been trying to find a solution. Supposedly the 1L bottles are less subject to the foul taste.
3. Wifi. Fleet is getting Wifi upgrade again. Iridium with steerable antennas for Ground and Satellite. Supposedly the only plane with it right now is the Star Wars bird. SpaceX......ain't happening.
4. Upgrade Processor. Beaten to death. Sounds like they are well aware, especially the two people being jumped thing, but it sounds like legacy software is the true culprit to overcome. They made changes with 100k to attempt to remediate all the previous issues, but we all know how that works. I get the honest feeling they know, it sucks, but it's not the drop dead priority. It works enough of the time, that its not a core focus. So I guess...keep .....ing.
5. Food options. Sounds like they are looking to trying different things. Potentially doing apps before main meal, maybe something breakfast lite on redeyes. He seemed rather interested in both improvements and aware of the fact that catering is hit or miss, even on the same flights.
6. Digital Bag Tag. Had it demoed. Was confirmed if more than one person on reservation, it will not give you the option. Evidently again...technical difficulties. Really getting the feeling there is a massive backend overall that needs to be handled.
Uhhmm...not much more that immediately comes to mind. 2nd half felt far more respectful of time than the 1st hour.
Dec 5, 2022, 9:36 pm
#307
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: Lifetime AS 1MM & MVPG, AS MVPG100K, AA, DL, HH-G
Posts: 8,259
1. Only works if you are traveling alone
2. Only works if you have just one bag
3. Costs $70 per bag
4. Only makes sense economically for the most frequent (read smallest group) of travelers
Seems like AS wants to be at the forefront of inovation (kudos) but not sure this works at all for the vast majority of travelers.
Still, I can't wait to try it out!
Dec 5, 2022, 10:04 pm
#308
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,851
Dec 5, 2022, 10:16 pm
#309
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,318
I just watched the presentation on YouTube. I agree that there was too much chaff and not enough wheat. And the MMer was entitled and took up way too much of what turned to be very limited Q&A time. Still, I'm glad that AS made the investment in offering a session like this and I hope that they do it again. If they do, allot more time for questions and limit them to the in-person attendees.
Most interesting to me was the mention that the elite ranks were purposely inflated by 40% in 2020 and 2021. I'm glad that AS is managing the elite total back to normal in 2023. The mention of an earn-back promo in 1Q is concerning, but maybe it won't include 100K. The absence of any mention of ANC was surprising.
AS executives are certainly aware of the problems with the elite processor. The challenge is to get any of them to commit to a fix. They are also committed to improve (Gold) Guest Upgrades, and, as mentioned, several ideas are under consideration. My suggestion has been to offer fewer of them, but make them more "powerful" (e.g., more and earlier availability on all flights, say down to F6). The ability to waitlist them is a good idea.
I think the food is good and better than it used to be. There is no way to make everyone happy, but the current options are mostly very tasty, IMHO. YMMV.
I've never noticed any taste to the Boxed Water, so maybe I'm not a very good judge of food and beverage. The Tito's and Peatos taste fine.
Most interesting to me was the mention that the elite ranks were purposely inflated by 40% in 2020 and 2021. I'm glad that AS is managing the elite total back to normal in 2023. The mention of an earn-back promo in 1Q is concerning, but maybe it won't include 100K. The absence of any mention of ANC was surprising.
AS executives are certainly aware of the problems with the elite processor. The challenge is to get any of them to commit to a fix. They are also committed to improve (Gold) Guest Upgrades, and, as mentioned, several ideas are under consideration. My suggestion has been to offer fewer of them, but make them more "powerful" (e.g., more and earlier availability on all flights, say down to F6). The ability to waitlist them is a good idea.
I think the food is good and better than it used to be. There is no way to make everyone happy, but the current options are mostly very tasty, IMHO. YMMV.
I've never noticed any taste to the Boxed Water, so maybe I'm not a very good judge of food and beverage. The Tito's and Peatos taste fine.
Dec 5, 2022, 10:23 pm
#310
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: Lifetime AS 1MM & MVPG, AS MVPG100K, AA, DL, HH-G
Posts: 8,259
Dec 5, 2022, 10:26 pm
#311
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,597
AS executives are certainly aware of the problems with the elite processor. The challenge is to get any of them to commit to a fix. They are also committed to improve (Gold) Guest Upgrades, and, as mentioned, several ideas are under consideration. My suggestion has been to offer fewer of them, but make them more "powerful" (e.g., more and earlier availability on all flights, say down to F6). The ability to waitlist them is a good idea.
Dec 5, 2022, 11:08 pm
#312
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SAN
Programs: AS Mileage Plan 100k, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 991
So just out of professional curiosity... Iridium? Are you sure? Could it possibly have been Inmarsat? Iridium doesn't have high bandwidth birds on orbit to handle something like an aircraft fleet. We wouldn't want SpX/Starlink right now anyway, the network is massively oversubscribed.
Dec 6, 2022, 12:42 am
#313
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: AS 100K, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 876
The solution is easy. Do a mea culpa, and bring back normal bottled water. But at least they know.
So just out of professional curiosity... Iridium? Are you sure? Could it possibly have been Inmarsat? Iridium doesn't have high bandwidth birds on orbit to handle something like an aircraft fleet. We wouldn't want SpX/Starlink right now anyway, the network is massively oversubscribed.
So just out of professional curiosity... Iridium? Are you sure? Could it possibly have been Inmarsat? Iridium doesn't have high bandwidth birds on orbit to handle something like an aircraft fleet. We wouldn't want SpX/Starlink right now anyway, the network is massively oversubscribed.
Dec 6, 2022, 2:44 am
#314
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: BOS & SFO
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 675
Thankfully my position on the peninsula makes a commute to SFO not be too much trouble.
Dec 6, 2022, 4:25 am
#315
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,690
meh, the elehant in the room is the deval of mileage plan and we got no news on that front..
At least it gives a couple more weeks to burn off miles. Best case we see MP recast in the image of current AAdvantage, but lots of risk we see something way worse
At least it gives a couple more weeks to burn off miles. Best case we see MP recast in the image of current AAdvantage, but lots of risk we see something way worse