You don't need to read this. I just need to get it out of my system.
[UPDATE Monday, Dec 16, 2024: We each got a $75 discount code for for future flights. This is fine with us since Alaska is our basic airline.]
We had tickets (from Anchorage) to Seattle for 10:35am getting to Seattle at 3:11pm (You lose an hour going Anchorage to Seattle)
Then an LA leaving at 4:56pm arriving in LA at 7:45pm
The first delay notice was to 11am departure.
Then 12:20pm
Then 3:00 pm
We had this experience about a year and a half ago trying to catch a non-stop to Chicago. After many delays, the flight was cancelled and we had to fly through Seattle about 10 hours late.
At this point we've been on the phone to Alaska Airlines changing our LA flights. Then we got a notice that the LA flight was cancelled. We were still in Anchorage.
There was an announcement that another flight was taking off to Seattle at Gate 6. We walked to Gate 6 and asked if we could get on it. It was almost noon. We could. And we got two seats together. But we had to get on right away and couldn't redo the LA flight from Seattle.
Alaska had also sent us four $12 vouchers for today at ANC or SEATAC.
When we landed at 4:30pm I texted Alaska Airlines and they quickly had us rebooked on a 5:58pm flight to LA. Just enough time to use our coupons to get some yakisoba and board the plane.
In the end, we landed in LA an hour later than originally scheduled.
LAX a couple of years ago banned taxis and Lyft and Uber from the terminals and put them in their own spot. So you can't get out of the terminal and grab a cab. There are shuttle busses or you can walk. When we've waited for the shuttle it's been a long wait, so we walked about 25 minutes. Then there was a long line waiting for cabs. It's a poor solution to the jam of Uber and Lyfts that caused them to do this.
But we're here, at my mom's house and the kids and grandkids are due when their schools are out. So I'm not really complaining. Just reporting.
It seems that Alaska is able to quickly change things by phone, but people waiting at the counters seemed to have more difficulties. And when our flight was changed to 3pm, why couldn't they move us to the other flight that had some empty seats and was leaving 3 hours earlier? If we hadn't walked over, the plane would have left with at least two empty seats if not more.
So I'm impressed with being able to book online or by phone so quickly. And I realize that things happen and planes need repairs that delay them. Though at one point I had to delete my app and then download it again because it stopped showing the changes we'd made.
Our original flight didn't leave until 3:15pm. We got to LA an hour after the original flight landed in Seattle.
I'd also add that that if you are MVP, you get a phone number that seems to be answered much faster than the regular phone number. We haven't flown that much in the last few years - not enough to get MVP - but Alaska has extended so called elite flyers status during COVID. This year they let you get to that magic 20K miles using miles gained through use of your Alaska Airlines VISA card.
And the people who answer the phone are soo polite and competent.
Hi Steve. I'm reflecting your 'lapsed' premier status (or whatever it's called by Alaska Airlines these days) membership on that airline. Your continued good 'luck' may not be that at all, but rather the needs of a company who well knows your past status as a frequent-flier. They just might want you back.
ReplyDeleteWhen I served on the national ACLU board, my quarterly board meetings in NYC was best served (then) from Alaska with United Airllines. In the time I was on the board, I was bumped up several levels in their 'rewards plan' due to flying miles. Consequently, when disaster struck (bad weather AND bad time conflicts) with other east-coast visits I had to make after a particular board meeting, I had to re-route through Boston.
To my surprise, not only was the service I received personal and attentive based on WHO I was as their customer, they went so far as arranging alternative airlines they would book me on to re-route my return leg to not cause delay. Further, once in the airport of that particular re-routing, my information was known to an attendant at a special agent's desk. I was able to check-through without hassle. It was all handled at a special desk with no waiting whatsoever.
I learned a lesson of just what their 'gold' service (or whatever it was called) could mean. I flew with United for some time as a result. But I can see how it also created a 'class' distinction -- a rewards system based on who has the money to be considered 'more valuable' to the business making the offer. It can be readily seen as a 'class' constrained benefit based, more-or-less, on just the way it is. The others fly steerage.
Now years after being acquainted with Euro-politics, what I saw as a simple exchange of rewards in capitalism, now looks to be a 'class derived benefit'. And hey, it's very nice to be treated better than the next bloke. Except if you're the 'next bloke'.
Yes, Jacob, airline award programs are definitely class based programs. The more you fly the better they treat you. But with Alaska Airlines, there are lots of folks who fly a lot who ordinarily wouldn't be called 'elite.' There are the many out of state workers who regularly fly to Alaska to their fishing or oil and mining jobs. Alaskans who fly to visit out of state family, because for most, driving isn't a real option. Or Alaskans who fly a lot as part of their jobs. You may well be right that my good treatment comes from my past frequent travel when we flew monthly to California to help care for my mom. But since my mom died we haven't flown that much.
DeleteI think the real issue was the pandemic. They kept everyone's previous status intact for two years. Then they found other ways to boost people's miles so they kept their MVP (20,000 miles). When you fly out of Alaska or to Alaska from Seattle particularly, a lot of the passengers are MVP or MVP Gold.
I'm always amused when I see people who probably complain about 'the elites' ruining the country, taking full advantage of their own 'elite' status on at the airport on in the air.
Yeah, that was our experience, too. Being Alaskan had its privileges for air miles. Just wish we had done better with the Permanent Fund. All the school closings in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau... My (used-to-be-little) niece is management and budget director for Anchorage now. That has to be a tough job. But heck, we're proud of her!
DeleteWe're in good spirits here and you should be getting our holiday letter to your home in the next couple of weeks. Be well.