Alaska Airlines ????

[Outofhere]

We need to book air reservations for our June cruise out of Vancouver from NYC. Airfare is really high and I keep checking but don't think I should wait too long. Has anyone had any bad experiences with Alaska Air? I know everyone talks about Cathaway from JFK and they do have a direct flight however the only flight is at 11 pm which will get us into Vancouver just before 2 am. We're only there for one night and I was hoping to get in earlier.

[gazingm42]

I really enjoy Alaska airlines. They are one of my 2 top airlines. Both Alaska

air and Frontier air are great airlines. I use to travel alot for my job, about 60k

a year. So I used alot of the airlines. Alaska never gave me troubles.

[Italy52]

When we lived in Washington State we used Alaska to Sacramento all the time and never had a problem. Even though we do not live in WA anymore, we still use them as our preferred carrier to Alaska.

[fti]

Alaska Air is great - I just used them last week between Seattle and Juneau. Great service, even if just a small snack box in flight. Personable and helpful staff. And if you fly first class (either paid or using miles) you gain access to the "boardroom" (their lounge).

 

John

[kellywhitehills]

We loved useing Alaska Air Lines...They were excellent...You might look into Horizon they are the sister airline to Alaska Air..

[AkSusan]

Fly Alaska all the time and Horizon occasionally and they are my airline of choice.

 

Love Horizon as they still give you free pretzels or nuts and believe it or not beer and wine besides the regular juices and sodas.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[kb996]

I had a bad experience with Alaska Air last July.

 

The trip was booked from Rhode Island to Seattle through Alaska Air. The first leg was to Chicago and was with American (Alaskas partner). Our flight out of Rhode Island was delayed and we missed, by minutes, the connecting flight in Chicago.

 

The second leg was with Alaskan. When we missed the flight an attendent told us to go to a gate and use the red phones to rebook. The first flight available was the next day with Frontier but was not at Ohare but the other Chicago airport (a $90 cab ride away) I took that reservation because the other people at the "red phones" were being told they had to wait 2 days to get to Seattle.

 

The person on the phone told me to go to Alaskan counter to get a voucher for the flight. I did that, but the people at the counter were very confused as to what to give to me.

 

The next day we took a cab to the other airport. There, Frontier told us the voucher wasn't signed and they wouldn't give us tickets on their flight.

 

I called the 800 number for Alasken and they were VERY nice. They tried to take care of the situation but Frontier would not let us on.

 

We ended up having to go back to Ohare...

 

Back at the Alasken counter at Ohare they said it wasn't thier fault that we were delayed, it was Americans and they would have to find us a flight. At the American counter they said Alasken had given us a wrong voucher but they would try and help us get to Seattle.

 

American told us until a few months before they were doing all the booking for Alaskan.

 

We FINALLY got to Seattle, 2 days and many $$ later through American. Alaskan didn't want to help us get on another flight.

 

Also, we weren't the only ones trying to get to Seattle. There were a dozen people that we saw waiting "stand by" for 2 days.

 

For a recap ... , the Alaskan Air folks at Ohare airport were of NO help in getting us to Seattle.

 

Would I book with Alaskan again? .... Probably if the price was right. These days you take your chances with whoever you book with. If you miss a connection you are in trouble!

[AkSusan]

I think unfortunately way too many people have a bad experience story with an airline.

 

My Mom and sister had one last year with American. We were doing our winter vacation in Tucson. So I flew Alaska (no problems that day, I was even early) and they were on American.

 

Guess there were storms between St. Louis and DFW so instead of an hour and half flight it took them 3 hours. They missed their connection by 5 minutes. Then what happens a huge dust storm moves in the Dallas area. They kept getting pushed back, pushed back and then finally they shut down both DFW and Love Field.

 

So my sister gets on her cell phone, first called the regular AA and they told her it would be 160 minute wait so fortunately she was elite. Called that number and the lady said she couldn't get them out on American until Monday night (this was Saturday afternoon). My sister told them that was not acceptable and for them to look for something else. They finally got rebooked on a Continental flight out of Love Field the next day. But that being said they weren't coming into Tucson they were going to Phoenix via Houston.

 

In the mean time they also went to find their luggage. Guess the luggage situation got so bad, American just quit sending luggage up the belts. So here they were stuck in Dallas with only their carry ons.

 

Fortunately, I was on the car reservation in Tucson so they let me rent the car. So on Sunday I was off to Phoenix to pick them up. Of course, when they got to Phoenix, no bags. So they had to do a bag claim in Phoenix (good thing I got in line as it was I was in line over an hour before they had even landed). Fortunately, the American baggage staff in Phoenix took the claim, called Tucson and they actually located the bags there.

 

So off we went back to the Tucson airport to get their bags.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[fti]

The only airline I have flown that I never had a problem with was Pan Am. Unfortunately they had problems of their own:eek: and they are no longer.

 

I have many stories to tell about Northwest Airlines but since I am a captive in central MN (they are the only airline that flies into my city), I can't do much about it unless I want to drive almost 3 hours to Minneapolis.

 

Certainly every airline has had their share of incidents. But I have heard far fewer of them from Alaska Air than from other airlines.

 

PS to kb996 - I realize that you might have had a lot of luggage but there are both shuttle services and the Chicago subway that are far less expensive ways to get between O'Hare and Midway, especially if money was an issue.

 

John

[NancyIL]

Whatever airline you choose, I would plan to arrive in Vancouver at least one day prior to the cruise's departure date.

[Barek]

We need to book air reservations for our June cruise out of Vancouver from NYC. Airfare is really high and I keep checking but don't think I should wait too long. Has anyone had any bad experiences with Alaska Air? I know everyone talks about Cathaway from JFK and they do have a direct flight however the only flight is at 11 pm which will get us into Vancouver just before 2 am. We're only there for one night and I was hoping to get in earlier.

I've flown Alaskan, and would willingly fly with them again. I've had occasional minor problems with them (two flights delayed for mechanical issues), but I've had similar or even worse experiences with other airlines that I've used.

[LisaH]

We need to book air reservations for our June cruise out of Vancouver from NYC. Airfare is really high and I keep checking but don't think I should wait too long. Has anyone had any bad experiences with Alaska Air? I know everyone talks about Cathaway from JFK and they do have a direct flight however the only flight is at 11 pm which will get us into Vancouver just before 2 am. We're only there for one night and I was hoping to get in earlier.

 

We flew American from Dallas to Seattle and then Alaska Air from Seattle to Anchorage...we enjoyed Alaska Air - it was our first trip with them. The flight attendants were very friendly and we had good service.

[JJ2sail]

We had no problem with Alaska, but we just flew from San Francisco to Vancouver. The flight was actually a little early. I love that you can upgrade to first class at the gate for $50.

[HockeyWinger]

If you have the time, you could try flying into Bellingham. It is a small airport in Washington, only 25 minutes south of the border. You'd need to work out transportation to Vancouver from there, but if the difference in air fare is big enough, it might be worthwhile. Flying into Seattle is also an option - again, for a big enough difference in air fare, it might be worth it. I know there are threads about getting from Seattle to Vancouver.

[stan wood]

The question about Alaska Airlines seems to come up every month or two on this site. Many of us in the West and in Alaska would not fly anything but Alaska if we had our choice. We used to fly 3-6 times a year and Alaska has always been our first choice.

 

Years ago, before internet booking, it was explained to me on more than one occasion by travel agents that some of the airports in Alaska required some real expertise to get into and out of and that Alaska required special training for their pilots. It was also pointed out that their planes also had to have additional equipment not required for the lower 48. Is there any truth to this? I really don't know-but as one that doesn't fly well, it got me on my first Alaska flight and I have not regretted flying with them.

 

I have always felt that their employees seemed to enjoy their job and were glad to be working for them, often extending courtesies not found on all airlines. If prices are similar, I would feel confident flying Alaska.

[Gardyloo]

The question about Alaska Airlines seems to come up every month or two on this site. Many of us in the West and in Alaska would not fly anything but Alaska if we had our choice. We used to fly 3-6 times a year and Alaska has always been our first choice.

 

Years ago, before internet booking, it was explained to me on more than one occasion by travel agents that some of the airports in Alaska required some real expertise to get into and out of and that Alaska required special training for their pilots. It was also pointed out that their planes also had to have additional equipment not required for the lower 48. Is there any truth to this? I really don't know-but as one that doesn't fly well, it got me on my first Alaska flight and I have not regretted flying with them.

 

I have always felt that their employees seemed to enjoy their job and were glad to be working for them, often extending courtesies not found on all airlines. If prices are similar, I would feel confident flying Alaska.

I've flown AS for 35 years or so, more segments than I'd care to count.

 

The airline has near-monopoly status within Alaska, and especially to southeast Alaska, where I believe they have an actual monopoly.

 

Alaska has a legacy of first-rate customer service that sadly has been deteriorating lately, as more cost-cutting measures have been put in place to keep the airline in the black. In the last quarter they had the second-worst on-time record of all major US airlines. Baggage services at several airports, most notably Seattle, have been outsourced to a firm that has made hour-long waits at the carousel not all that uncommon (and which after your flight has arrived an hour late are really irritating.)

 

Their flight crews are excellent, although some of the endearing and quirky behaviors, like the senior pilot who used to play the harmonica over the PA system, are no more. Some senior drivers do indeed have excellent skills in some tricky environments, like Prudhoe or other arctic ops, or the exciting "Juneau departure," but for the most part flying in Alaska has been made less challenging through installation of modern navigation aids and airport improvements.

 

The flight attendants are usually very helpful and professional, although more often than we frequent flyers would like they vanish after the carts are put away, or else are required to hawk credit card applications (for which they receive commissions) during flights.

 

The airline's fleet is being updated with old MD-80s (twin aft-mounted engines) being retired and new Boeing 737s added, and interiors are also being updated. Alaska still offers a reasonable first class product, especially good on transcontinental flights and flights to/from ANC, where they have individual "Dig-e-players" for in-flight entertainment and okay food.

 

However on non-Alaska routes, like California <> Seattle etc., they're pretty much in the pack as far as service and comfort are concerned.

 

One important thing to note is that the airline's frequent flyer program is fairly generous, and they partner with many airlines for cross-earning and use of FF miles - American, Northwest, Delta, Continental...

 

Surprisingly, Alaska's regional subsidiary, Horizon Airlines, offers really superior service to the parent company, albeit with commuter-sized planes rather than bigger jets.

[takemewithyou]

We had no problem with Alaska, but we just flew from San Francisco to Vancouver. The flight was actually a little early. I love that you can upgrade to first class at the gate for $50.

 

 

Can you really get an upgrade to first class for $50 at the gate? Anyone can? Do you have to be a frequent flyer?

 

I have never flown Alaskan before, but I have a flight booked this May. I just have to hope they don't have all their first class seats booked, I guess.

 

Thanks for any further information anyone may have on upgrades to first class.

[Gardyloo]

Can you really get an upgrade to first class for $50 at the gate? Anyone can? Do you have to be a frequent flyer?

 

I have never flown Alaskan before, but I have a flight booked this May. I just have to hope they don't have all their first class seats booked, I guess.

 

Thanks for any further information anyone may have on upgrades to first class.

http://www.alaskaair.com/as/mileageplan/First-Class-Upgrades.asp

 

$50 for segments up to 1250 miles, $100 up to 2500 miles. Only available with web check-in 24 hrs or less pre-flight, or at the kiosk/gate. In practice, fairly hard to score on most popular routes, as various FF elites and mileage upgraders get first dibs with an earlier window.

 

PS it's Alaska, not Alaskan.

[takemewithyou]

Thank you, Gardyloo, for the information.

[cruise junky joan]

I am flying first class for the first time ever next June from Washington, D.C. to Anchorage on Alaska Air. Having never flown Alaskan Air what can I expect?

[greatam]

I am flying first class for the first time ever next June from Washington, D.C. to Anchorage on Alaska Air. Having never flown Alaskan Air what can I expect?

 

Free drinks, food, your coats hung up, extra attention and a slightly wider seat on a 737. You get to board first and you MAY be able to access the lounge. Not exactly international first class. No flat bed seats, no large spaces to stretch out in, no gourmet meals, no stand up bar.

 

I fly first class about 90% of the time due to my elite AA status. Domestically, other than the free drinks (and maybe the food), you get a larger seat. Still 4 across seating on most airplanes and most airlines.

 

Please do not be disappointed-if you have ever flown on a large plane-767/777/747, it is NOT what you see in the front of the plane. My FIL, who has only flown 4 times in his entire life (and 2 of them on SW), turned around and said to me last year going to Alaska -"I HOPE you didn't pay a lot more for these seats. I don't see the difference. And pretty expensive for a couple beers and an overcooked pizza". There you have it from the mouth of a VERY inexperienced flier.

[cruise junky joan]

Greatam: Thanks for the info. although I must say this wasn't what I was hoping to hear. On the occassion that I do fly it is generally on very large planes and the first class seats, as I recall, are usually only 2 to a side and appear to be about 50% larger than the coach seats, both in the amount of actual seat space and leg room. It doesn't sound like that will be our experience on Alaska Air. These tickets were more than double the cost of coach and now I am wondering if I may have made a very costly mistake.

[AkSusan]

http://www.alaskaair.com/as/mileageplan/First-Class-Upgrades.asp

 

$50 for segments up to 1250 miles, $100 up to 2500 miles. Only available with web check-in 24 hrs or less pre-flight, or at the kiosk/gate. In practice, fairly hard to score on most popular routes, as various FF elites and mileage upgraders get first dibs with an earlier window.

 

PS it's Alaska, not Alaskan.

 

That's exactly true. I've never been able to do this at check in time at Anchorage. I'm even MVP and if there are first class seats left, I'm to be automatically upgraded one day before (MVP Gold's are 3 days out) and that doesn't even happen very often.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[AkSusan]

Having some posting problems.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[AkSusan]

Greatam: Thanks for the info. although I must say this wasn't what I was hoping to hear. On the occassion that I do fly it is generally on very large planes and the first class seats, as I recall, are usually only 2 to a side and appear to be about 50% larger than the coach seats, both in the amount of actual seat space and leg room. It doesn't sound like that will be our experience on Alaska Air. These tickets were more than double the cost of coach and now I am wondering if I may have made a very costly mistake.

 

There are only 2 seats to a side, while coach is 3 to a side. Seems like I've been going out of here on 737's (they have several versions) lately and going to Seat Guru this is what it says about pitch and width for a 737s. I checked the pitch and width for each of the 737 series and nothing differed in First Class, just coach, where they may have more seats according to what series they fly.

 

pitch width seating details

First Class: 36-37.0" 21.0" 16 seats

Coach Class: 32.0" 17.0" 144 seats

 

They are definitely wider than coach and you do have more leg room plus Alaska Airlines has free digiplayers for their first class. A digiplayer is what I would describe as a preloaded DVD. Got movies, some TV shows, destination information (check out the one on Alaska, I live here and really enjoyed it). Definitely helps you pass the time on those long flights.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)