FidalgoRob

AS 541 delayed for four hours tonight out of Oakland -- small part needed, but of course they have to fly one down from SEA. When one of these old rust buckets gets off the ground on time it's a miracle! Whenever my AS flight reservation shows an MD-80 I should just dump it and book Southwest instead.

Duckouttahere

Rob,

You're not the only one not happy about the MD-80's On my last flight to PDX from OAK, I flew on an MD-80 and sat in row 6 (no upgrades available) and I couldn't believe how worn the cloth seats were. The smell of jet exhaust was all over the cabin and I could imagine what a first time flyer of Alaska would have thought. They need to get rid of those planes and I mean fast! Another time when I HAD to fly Southwest to Burbank, I saw an MD-80 towed from its gate at OAK because they couldn't fix it in time before another plane arrived at the gate. On a side note, this was my first MVPG flight in 2008 and did not receive an update at my slated 5pm friday night flight. Since I had worked every single day late into the night in January, my boss gave me the day off so I decided to take the early morning flight hoping I'd be able to get into FC on that flight. Nope! No biggy since I did change flights at the last minute. What I think was great was (3) different Alaska personnel offered their apologies to me that I couldn't get upgraded. First at the ticket counter when I asked if I could take the earlier flight. 2nd at the gate where the agent double checked to see if everyone in FC had checked in and finally the flight attendant noticed I was Gold sitting in row 6 and offered me a drink and an apology for not getting a first class seat. A note to any Alaska personnel lurking out there...Thank you. I fly Alaska because of the service I receive in coach compared to other carriers. The first class seats are an added bonus.

SEA_Tigger

The last MD-80 is scheduled to leave the fleet by October, so they will be gone soon enough.

Emeraldcity

Not soon enough for me. I will actually choose a different flight where ever I am going to avoid the MD's........ they scare me.

Jeeves

I also try to skip the MD-80 flights. However, certain city pairs are saturated with these flights. The majority of flights between SEA-LGB and SEA-SMF are MD-80s. SEA-OAK has equal numbers of 737 and MD-80 flights.

SEA-SNA has been devoid of MD-80s for a long time. It now looks like SEA-LAX is only 737s now. SEA-SFO and SEA-SJC have only one MD-80 flight per day.

For many travelers, you can avoid them if you add some flexibility to your schedule.

eponymous_coward

SEA-LAS and PDX-LAS gets MD80s as well.

Meh. There are some 737-400s that are just as worn down, and I've never noticed a big difference between MD80 and 737 reliability. (AS's MD80s are considerably younger than AA's Super 80s that were BUILT in the 1980s, which are still flying.) MD80s are also considerably quieter in F than a 737, since the engine is so far away (though woe to those unlucky souls in the back...).

The biggest nuisance I have with MD 80s is the undersized storage bins- you can only put two full-sized carryons in a bin since you have to put them lengthwise (the 737 bins are deep enough to store 3 widthwise). I'm much more likely to have to gatecheck if I show up late flying on an MD80...

Seat 7D

I also avoid the MD80s when booking a flight. Although this sometimes causes hardship, I feel much better when travelling on a 737. Soon we won't have to worry about it.

sltlyamusd

I no longer fly any routes that have MD-80 service, but the AS MD-80s I flew about 9 months ago were in very good shape and the seats were not worn at all (maybe recently reupholstered). If you think AS airplanes are worn, then you obviously have not flown very many other airlines. I've recently been on some UA 737s, US 737s and NW 757s that had very worn interiors and practically threadbare seats.

ANC

I avoid them like the plague too! Im scheduled to be on one at the end of february DEN-SEA and it has a 40% on time rating..impressive!

Im looking at other options

Eastbay1K

I have been on 2 of them since 2000. Once was completely unexpected and I had a near panic attack at the gate and onboard through takeoff (as my prior MD80 flight was the same plane that turned into 261 hours earlier), and the other was a schedule/equip change, almost causing me to buy another ticket. I have not taken trips or routed in inconvenient manners to avoid them.

But, at this point, kvetching about them isn't going to do much - the real light is almost at the end of these long narrow decrepit tunnels.

fly4funsea

Is AS mothballing this ac type or are they going to sale them to an unexpected buyer?

eastwest

Allegiant Air bought several of them. When buying a $2500 used car, most people just kick the tires, however pre aircraft purchases are (as you would expect) much more complex.

FWIW: It's industry standard to allow the buyer unfettered access to all maintenance records for the aircraft, they are allowed to physically inspect it to their satisfaction, and they are allowed to literally, test fly it.

eponymous_coward

I'm just sort of curious- even acknowledging that AS was lazy/cheap enough to let AS261 happen, people really think they're so evil as to let ANOTHER MD80 get a worn-down jack screw? Why fly them at all, then? I'd be more concerned about the company that let the plane go to pot than the plane model. It's not like 737's are immune to maintenance problems, and you have to figure they'd be a lot more diligent checking this specific problem, seeing as it killed a bunch of co-workers.

That's the way I look at it- the model doesn't spook me, it's the mindset (and I'm glad that this seems to have been addressed- you can serve me all the Picnic Pack food in first you'd like, just don't crash the goddamn plane). Of course, I flew to a wedding with my daughter shortly after 9/11, because I and others in my family figured with all the security and watchfulness, we'd probably be as safe immediately afterwards as we'd ever be...

jackal

Wise words and a good outlook...I see you don't live up to your handle!

I do see both sides, though, and it is a natural tendency and understandable to be nervous of a similar happening after an incident.

Eastbay1K

All I can tell you is that watching bits of a plane I had stepped off of hours earlier floating in the ocean was a surreal and quite upsetting experience, and I don't recall the exact timing, but I didn't fly AS at all for about a year afterwards, IIRC.