Hi...
I know AS 737;s are getting new interiors starting next year. I saw a small picture in the inflight magazine and I must say it looks more modern.

Questions:

1 - Food related - is that getting an overhaul as well? What happened to the hot food option by the way? Is that totally gone. I haven't seen in on West Coast flights for a long time
2 - Lighting - new 737's have updated lighting already, but is AS taking it a step further to be more like Virgin? In other words more mood lighting in AS' signature blue colors
3 - Will seat pitch change at all (hoping not!!)
4 - Will AS adopt Virgin's glass/plastic dividers on the bulkhead between business and coach
5 - I dont' think I've seen the new uniforms.
6 - I know the WIFi will improve. Are there stats on how much faster it will
7 - I assume the 734's and 737-700's are not getting the updates
8 - Will first class get foot rests

1 - Food related - There is still hot food available on longer flights.
2 - Lighting - yep! New lighting packages have already been installed on many (all?) of the SkyInterior 737s.
3 - Unlikely, considering they've just redone all the seat layouts to add premium class.
4 - No, they'll remain as the simple plastic divider fan as seen in the pictures.
5 - Nobody has, save for some employees. They're still awhile out.
6 - Significantly. Not sure which provider it will be, but GoGo says 2ku can do 70+ Mbps download.
7 - 737-700s are potentially getting the upgrades.
8 -

flybynight wrote:

8 - Will first class get foot rests

Yes. They look like basic ones based on press photos.

Do they have IFE?

TheGeordielad wrote:

Do they have IFE?

AS has the digi players which fit right into the recaro seats. Everyone under 60 has their own device.

TheGeordielad wrote:

Do they have IFE?

Yes, free streaming movies and TV shows are available on every flight to customers' own devices, or portable video players can be rented on longer flights if customers wish to not use their own device.

Stitch wrote:

flybynight wrote:

8 - Will first class get foot rests

Yes. They look like basic ones based on press photos.

This is the seat chosen for First Class:

http://en.recaro-as.com/products/busine ... l4710.html

60 and above here. I have my own device. Even got rid of land line and envelopes and stamps.
I have app's on my IPhone, get TSA pre-ck and can pack a rollerboard for 10 days of travel.
Don't need pre-board.........quite yet!
P.S. I'm flying AS to board a cruise ship for a marathon cruise in Alaska. Step aside young man.....

TheGeordielad wrote:

Do they have IFE?

They have free streaming TV and movies, free chat (which is really a severely throttled connection that won't work via browser, so text, chat, e-mail apps, even twitter will work), and power outlets to keep your devices charged.

PI4EVER wrote:

60 and above here. I have my own device. Even got rid of land line and envelopes and stamps.
I have app's on my IPhone, get TSA pre-ck and can pack a rollerboard for 10 days of travel.
Don't need pre-board.........quite yet!
P.S. I'm flying AS to board a cruise ship for a marathon cruise in Alaska. Step aside young man.....

Not saying everyone needs it! But that's the only crowd I could think of that would need a seat back monitor. Flew on Jetblue the other day and that tired 4 inch monitor and lack of power was was WORSE than AS power and streaming options.

32andBelow wrote:

TheGeordielad wrote:

Do they have IFE?

AS has the digi players which fit right into the recaro seats. Everyone under 60 has their own device.

I haven't see the DigiPlayer for a while. I was under the impression it had been phased-out. Of course my flights lately have been all west-coast.

Anyone know if the the Q400's will get WiFi as well?

flybynight wrote:

I haven't see the DigiPlayer for a while. I was under the impression it had been phased-out. Of course my flights lately have been all west-coast.

That is probably why. They've been on all my transcons.

AS can't do any type of on-demand food/drink service without an alteration to their AFA contract regarding AS legacy flight attendants. So don't hold out hope for that carrying over from Virgin either.

It's hard enough for MGMT to get consistent pre-flight service on mid-con/trans-con flights.

n7371f wrote:

AS can't do any type of on-demand food/drink service without an alteration to their AFA contract regarding AS legacy flight attendants. So don't hold out hope for that carrying over from Virgin either.

It's hard enough for MGMT to get consistent pre-flight service on mid-con/trans-con flights.

That's not true. The Alaska FA contract doesn't have any language preventing the company from implementing any kind of service they want. As far as pre-flight service on mid-con/trans-con flights, not sure what you're talking about.

flybynight wrote:

32andBelow wrote:

TheGeordielad wrote:

Do they have IFE?

AS has the digi players which fit right into the recaro seats. Everyone under 60 has their own device.

I haven't see the DigiPlayer for a while. I was under the impression it had been phased-out. Of course my flights lately have been all west-coast.

Anyone know if the the Q400's will get WiFi as well?

I've heard the Q's are getting some interior upgrades as well. Not sure if that would include internet but it seems like it would be logical.

ASFlyer wrote:

flybynight wrote:

32andBelow wrote:

AS has the digi players which fit right into the recaro seats. Everyone under 60 has their own device.

I haven't see the DigiPlayer for a while. I was under the impression it had been phased-out. Of course my flights lately have been all west-coast.

Anyone know if the the Q400's will get WiFi as well?

I've heard the Q's are getting some interior upgrades as well. Not sure if that would include internet but it seems like it would be logical.

I wonder if it is worth the investment. Most of the Q400 flights are around 1 hour.
Besides aren't the Q400's slowly being phased-out?

flybynight wrote:

32andBelow wrote:

AS has the digi players which fit right into the recaro seats. Everyone under 60 has their own device.

I haven't see the DigiPlayer for a while. I was under the impression it had been phased-out.

I believe they've replaced the old DigiPlayers with more modern tablets, but they serve pretty much the same purpose.

And I actually know at least one person in their 30s who does not own a mobile device. Not every single millennial is into gadgets. That's why I think Alaska's tablets are a good compromise -- if there's no IFE installed on the plane there's still at least something available for those people who don't have their own devices (or those who would simply prefer a bigger screen than a smartphone).

Yflyer wrote:

flybynight wrote:

32andBelow wrote:

AS has the digi players which fit right into the recaro seats. Everyone under 60 has their own device.

I haven't see the DigiPlayer for a while. I was under the impression it had been phased-out.

I believe they've replaced the old DigiPlayers with more modern tablets, but they serve pretty much the same purpose.

And I actually know at least one person in their 30s who does not own a mobile device. Not every single millennial is into gadgets. That's why I think Alaska's tablets are a good compromise -- if there's no IFE installed on the plane there's still at least something available for those people who don't have their own devices (or those who would simply prefer a bigger screen than a smartphone).

(Alaskaair.com has a picture of a guy on A surface-y looking thing so a bit of a digiplayer upgrade )
While I don't know anyone under 30 (maybe even 40) who has no device, many (myself included) only have a 4-5" smartphone and that's it, so a big screen might interest me, depending on price.
It's neat what Alaska can do with their smaller size. If, say, AA were to get tablets for their 32X, 737, 757 domestic, and E190s, even if just 4-5 per plane, would be thousands of tablets, so it's cool that they have these smaller acquisition costs. Makes them a bit more flexible.

Just flew AS 2 days ago. The 900 we were on was 3months old. It was a nice ride. The 700 on the other hand...jeez. The plane squeeked heavily the entire taxi and the plane just looked dirty on the inside. And those awful AS uniforms...I felt bad for the crew having to walk through an airport with those cheap looking rags. So I'm happy for them that something better,hopefully, is in the works!

ahj2000 wrote:

many (myself included) only have a 4-5" smartphone and that's it, so a big screen might interest me, depending on price.

That is probably the bigger market for these sorts of things. I admit the person I mentioned before is kind of an outlier, but there are lots of others who only carry a smartphone with them when traveling, like myself. I don't bring my laptop with me when I travel on vacation (my phone is good enough for anything I might need to do on the internet while on vacation), I don't own a tablet, so the only device I would have with me would be my phone. I have watched videos on it while flying if there's no other option, but I would prefer to watch videos on a larger screen. That could be an IFE screen on the back of the seat, or a tablet like Alaska offers.

toobz wrote:

Just flew AS 2 days ago. The 900 we were on was 3months old. It was a nice ride. The 700 on the other hand...jeez. The plane squeeked heavily the entire taxi and the plane just looked dirty on the inside. And those awful AS uniforms...I felt bad for the crew having to walk through an airport with those cheap looking rags. So I'm happy for them that something better,hopefully, is in the works!

AS fleet is pretty young overall.
The 400's (not many left) were mostly manufactured (right down the street in Renton I might add!) in the 90's. So let's call them 22 year old on the average.
The 700's, about 12 of them, were all made around 99-2001. So while not factory-fresh, still not too bad
The 800's are mostly around 2010 or so. A few older ones.
The bulk of the fleet are the 900's, most of which are pretty new.

I've never paid much attention to the uniforms. I don't mind the dark blue. Often you see the pilots in leather jackets, which I think is kind of cool.

I was in a 737-700 just this Monday SNA-SEA, it was an embarrassment..really worn everywhere and the first class seat cushion was awful with the seatpad simply crushed from overuse, absolutely needed replacement. The tray table was so out of whack I had to hold it up with my knee to eat my pretty good meal..really the plane was in very poor condition on the interior.

Yflyer wrote:

flybynight wrote:

32andBelow wrote:

AS has the digi players which fit right into the recaro seats. Everyone under 60 has their own device.

I haven't see the DigiPlayer for a while. I was under the impression it had been phased-out.

I believe they've replaced the old DigiPlayers with more modern tablets, but they serve pretty much the same purpose.

FWIW, they still called the new more modern tablets DigiPlayers on the AS flights I took at the beginning of the month.

Virgins A320's will have a 41-inch pitch.

The decision hasn't yet been made on cabin refurbs for the 73G fleet, but odds are it will be done.

LOL no I am not a troll. I fly AS quite often living on the west coast. I like them. I am MVP. I think their uniforms are awful. Am I not allowed my opinion sir? I am one of the happy ones that they are getting new uniforms.

With all respect, I think our uniforms are awful. I can't think of anyone I work with that likes them. Everyone I've talked with agrees that we come to work feeling frumpy because they are poorly made and ill fitting. We are all looking extremely forward to getting new uniforms - it just seems to be taking forever and a day for it to happen.

ASFlyer wrote:

n7371f wrote:

AS can't do any type of on-demand food/drink service without an alteration to their AFA contract regarding AS legacy flight attendants. So don't hold out hope for that carrying over from Virgin either.

It's hard enough for MGMT to get consistent pre-flight service on mid-con/trans-con flights.

That's not true. The Alaska FA contract doesn't have any language preventing the company from implementing any kind of service they want. As far as pre-flight service on mid-con/trans-con flights, not sure what you're talking about.

You are wrong. Feel free to disagree but I know.

n7371f wrote:

ASFlyer wrote:

n7371f wrote:

AS can't do any type of on-demand food/drink service without an alteration to their AFA contract regarding AS legacy flight attendants. So don't hold out hope for that carrying over from Virgin either.

It's hard enough for MGMT to get consistent pre-flight service on mid-con/trans-con flights.

That's not true. The Alaska FA contract doesn't have any language preventing the company from implementing any kind of service they want. As far as pre-flight service on mid-con/trans-con flights, not sure what you're talking about.

You are wrong. Feel free to disagree but I know.

Actually, unless you can point me to the section of the contract that addresses this I'm gonna go ahead and disagree. But please, feel free to enlighten me - I'd love to see the part where we get to negotiate our job duties on board the aircraft. The only part that even comes close is 24-2, "Miscellaneous Job Duties Clarification". It says, "A Flight Attendant will not be required to perform work normally assigned to a cleaner, provisioner, ramp or operations agent. The Flight Attendant will make a reasonable effort to tidy up the aircraft." No other part of the contract addresses job duties onboard the aircraft, outside of the scope language - and that doesn't address on demand ordering, only flying by those not on the Alaska seniority list.

32andBelow wrote:

PI4EVER wrote:

60 and above here. I have my own device. Even got rid of land line and envelopes and stamps.
I have app's on my IPhone, get TSA pre-ck and can pack a rollerboard for 10 days of travel.
Don't need pre-board.........quite yet!
P.S. I'm flying AS to board a cruise ship for a marathon cruise in Alaska. Step aside young man.....

Not saying everyone needs it! But that's the only crowd I could think of that would need a seat back monitor. Flew on Jetblue the other day and that tired 4 inch monitor and lack of power was was WORSE than AS power and streaming options.

Just a quick correction...

B6 has 6.8" VDUs in the A320 Classics and some Enhanced (although I believe the bulkhead wall-mounted ones are 5.6"), 8" VDUs on the higher Enhanced tails, and 10" with touch screen on the A321 core product, 15" with touch screen in Mint. B6 never had 4" screens, 5.3" or 5.6" is the lowest it went if I recall correctly...I've been dealing with those screens since 2004.

A321s have in seat power. I believe the A320 Enhanced a/c have in seat power in the "Even More" seats. Once the interior mods start in September, all the seats will have in seat power and the screens will match the A321s.

Oh, and I'm in my 30's and do not have a personal laptop or tablet. Yes, I have them for work, and work knows that when I'm on a flight, they are OFF. I have the latest and greatest smart phone, yes, but the rest no, and even if I did I utilize my flight time to get away from the devices that enslave us at this point. I still rather plug my headset in and tune into a TV show, movie or radio and enjoy my flight without a PED. But that's just me I guess.

ASFlyer wrote:

With all respect, I think our uniforms are awful. I can't think of anyone I work with that likes them. Everyone I've talked with agrees that we come to work feeling frumpy because they are poorly made and ill fitting. We are all looking extremely forward to getting new uniforms - it just seems to be taking forever and a day for it to happen.

Sounds like you are wearing it, but as a passenger I can't say the AS uniforms look bad. Having said that, it doesn't really have the elegance of some airlines.

Hopefully the new uniforms won't be green and blue as in Seahawks colors.

All I care about in all of this hoopla!!! Is they keep the fruit and cheese buy on board. LOL!!! When I fly Alaska, that is the most important meal I buy. If they get rid of it, I will boycott!!!

32andBelow wrote:

PI4EVER wrote:

60 and above here. I have my own device. Even got rid of land line and envelopes and stamps.
I have app's on my IPhone, get TSA pre-ck and can pack a rollerboard for 10 days of travel.
Don't need pre-board.........quite yet!
P.S. I'm flying AS to board a cruise ship for a marathon cruise in Alaska. Step aside young man.....

Not saying everyone needs it! But that's the only crowd I could think of that would need a seat back monitor. Flew on Jetblue the other day and that tired 4 inch monitor and lack of power was was WORSE than AS power and streaming options.

Huh? JetBlue has gate to gate wifi with free internet, amazon prime streaming, live satellite tv. Once the reconfig on a320 is done, power or small monitor won't be an issue anymore. Yet you'd would rather watch a fixed catalog of movies and tv show. Try fly 2 transcon return trips in a month and see how many shows you still want to watch by the last flight.

but keep slamming an airline that gives more options to its customers.

I had a lovely first-time experience with Alaska last spring. I purchased a First Class ticket LAX-SEA and received exceptional service by a flight attendant by the name of Donna. I was seated in the first row in the aisle of a 737-900 in a very comfortable seat. Announcement was made explaining our aircraft was only three months old! A delicious butternut squash ravioli with hot and chewy breadsticks was served for the brunch hour. The views from the skies were amazing as I'd never had a chance to see the Pacific Northwest at daylight. During the flight, Donna took her spare time to share the history of the various mountain ranges and other little-known facts of the landscapes. I really admired and appreciated those onboard announcements while watching the world pass me by with lots of great photo opportunities. It's the people that make flying so pleasurable and it was truly a pleasure flying Alaska... without a mobile device!

AirAfreak wrote:

I had a lovely first-time experience with Alaska last spring. I purchased a First Class ticket LAX-SEA and received exceptional service by a flight attendant by the name of Donna. I was seated in the first row in the aisle of a 737-900 in a very comfortable seat. Announcement was made explaining our aircraft was only three months old! A delicious butternut squash ravioli with hot and chewy breadsticks was served for the brunch hour. The views from the skies were amazing as I'd never had a chance to see the Pacific Northwest at daylight. During the flight, Donna took her spare time to share the history of the various mountain ranges and other little-known facts of the landscapes. I really admired and appreciated those onboard announcements while watching the world pass me by with lots of great photo opportunities. It's the people that make flying so pleasurable and it was truly a pleasure flying Alaska... without a mobile device!

I also am quite partial to that butternut squash ravioli.