Are any AS painted Airbus' at SEA yet & routes

flybynight · Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:40 pm

I keep looking every time I am at SEA (about 2 -4 times a month), but I haven't spotted an Airbus yet in AS color. I certainly see Virgin America colors.Will the A320's and 321's make it into regular SEA flights, or will they primarily just take over Virgin flights?
In other words, could we soon see A321's from, say, SEA to ANC soon?

snowzilla · Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:56 pm

There has already been a fair amount of routes swapped...for example the Airbus is doing SEA-LAS and the 737 SFO-LAX. More to come this fall. That’s when painting resumes as well.

Runway28L · Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:57 pm

As far as I know, only one A320 had been repainted from VX>AS and that's N625VA. N928VA is the first A321neo in normal AS colors.

There hasn't been any metal swapping yet and I don't expect there to be for quite some time. But the ultimate goal according to some here is that the B737 fleet will be used for transcons while the A320s will stick to North-South flying on the West Coast.

Runway28L · Tue Jun 12, 2018 7:08 pm

snowzilla wrote:
There has already been a fair amount of routes swapped...for example the Airbus is doing SEA-LAS and the 737 SFO-LAX. More to come this fall. That’s when painting resumes as well.

Somehow your post went above mine? :confused:

I wan't aware that they already started metal swapping. What other routes have swapped so far?

32andBelow · Tue Jun 12, 2018 7:19 pm

When they gonna send one to ANC

SANFan · Tue Jun 12, 2018 7:43 pm

On the newly released late August/early Sept schedule, SAN now sees the 6 SFO AirBus flights -- direct takeover of the Virgin route -- plus our SEA route sees 4+ daily AirBi r/t, SAN-PDX has 1 'Bus r/t, and all of our Cabo service, that's 12 flts/week on that schedule, is now on AirBuses.

We now see ~13 daily AirBi with 4 of them RONing every night here. (That makes about half of our mainline AS service will now be on 'Buses.) Big change!

bb

rajincajun01 · Tue Jun 12, 2018 7:51 pm

3 of the 6 daily DEN-SEA flights have been swapped to Airbus. None have come in AS colors other than the More to Love NEO on it’s inaugural revenue flight.

WkndWanderer · Tue Jun 12, 2018 9:30 pm

Runway28L wrote:
snowzilla wrote:
There has already been a fair amount of routes swapped...for example the Airbus is doing SEA-LAS and the 737 SFO-LAX. More to come this fall. That’s when painting resumes as well.

Somehow your post went above mine?

I wan't aware that they already started metal swapping. What other routes have swapped so far?

The first substantive metal swapping started back in March when the Airbus took over most of SEA-SFO and a good chunk of SEA-LAX, with 8-9 of the daily frequencies on pre-merger VX. You can now add SFO-KOA and LAX-OGG to the list, both have already been swapped to pre-merger AS 738's. At least 2 of the daily SEA-SAN flights are also now on the Airbus.

MIflyer12 · Tue Jun 12, 2018 10:14 pm

Runway28L wrote:
As far as I know, only one A320 had been repainted from VX>AS and that's N625VA.

Flightaware shows that frame has been through SFO, SEA and PDX quite regularly in the last few days.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N625VA

AA737-823 · Tue Jun 12, 2018 10:37 pm

32andBelow wrote:
When they gonna send one to ANC

I doubt that's a priority. ANC has ZERO A320 support.
And they will utilize the A321neo's strengths for better routes than the ANC-SEA/PDX shuttle.
ANC-ORD might be a good one, but it would also dilute revenue, as it has more seats than the 738/739 combo that they operate in the off/on seasons.

Although I notice that Delta has scheduled some A319 service up here this winter... odd!

32andBelow · Tue Jun 12, 2018 10:47 pm

AA737-823 wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
When they gonna send one to ANC

I doubt that's a priority. ANC has ZERO A320 support.
And they will utilize the A321neo's strengths for better routes than the ANC-SEA/PDX shuttle.
ANC-ORD might be a good one, but it would also dilute revenue, as it has more seats than the 738/739 combo that they operate in the off/on seasons.

Although I notice that Delta has scheduled some A319 service up here this winter... odd!

Why some 321s on a midnight turn is just free seats. They currently run so many summer flight departing anchorage between 0000 and 0330. Why not throw some extra seats into the deal for hardly more cost. What a320 support would they need? All the turns could just be crewed out of Seattle.

flybynight · Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:42 pm

I am curious why the slow schedule on re-painting the planes to AS livery. Only one so far and we're already into June! Are all the 737's first in line?

WkndWanderer · Tue Jun 12, 2018 11:45 pm

32andBelow wrote:
AA737-823 wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
When they gonna send one to ANC

I doubt that's a priority. ANC has ZERO A320 support.
And they will utilize the A321neo's strengths for better routes than the ANC-SEA/PDX shuttle.
ANC-ORD might be a good one, but it would also dilute revenue, as it has more seats than the 738/739 combo that they operate in the off/on seasons.

Although I notice that Delta has scheduled some A319 service up here this winter... odd!

Why some 321s on a midnight turn is just free seats. They currently run so many summer flight departing anchorage between 0000 and 0330. Why not throw some extra seats into the deal for hardly more cost. What a320 support would they need? All the turns could just be crewed out of Seattle.

B6, DL, and AC all operate Airbus equipment in and out of ANC. Given the plans to refocus the Airbus fleet on north-south and mid-continent flying with more 737's and NEO's shifting to transcon and Hawaii, I think we're going to have to see the Airbus showing up at least at some point on most <3.5 hour routes eventually given the huge number of frequencies AS runs on routes like SEA-ANC and that the desired use of the A320 fits into that segment length/mission. I think the less likely candidates for the Airbus are places in SE Alaska like JNU where there are RNP's or specific reasons to keep the 737, but Airbus appearances on SEA-ANC would certainly line up with the fleet strategy.

xjetflyer2001 · Wed Jun 13, 2018 12:55 am

rajincajun01 wrote:
3 of the 6 daily DEN-SEA flights have been swapped to Airbus. None have come in AS colors other than the More to Love NEO on it’s inaugural revenue flight.

I've seen the Airbus 2 times now in Denver in AS colors, one just today about 2 hours ago.

452QX · Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:19 am

flybynight wrote:
I am curious why the slow schedule on re-painting the planes to AS livery. Only one so far and we're already into June! Are all the 737's first in line?

Hard to find painting slots that line up with MTX/rotation. The QX fleet painting has been pushed back this year to have more planes in service to cover some OO flying

USAirKid · Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:31 am

452QX wrote:
flybynight wrote:
I am curious why the slow schedule on re-painting the planes to AS livery. Only one so far and we're already into June! Are all the 737's first in line?

Hard to find painting slots that line up with MTX/rotation. The QX fleet painting has been pushed back this year to have more planes in service to cover some OO flying

Well thats a switch! Wasn't it just within the past 12 months that OO had to drag out some CRJ200s to cover QX flying?

gmcc · Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:37 am

452QX wrote:
flybynight wrote:
I am curious why the slow schedule on re-painting the planes to AS livery. Only one so far and we're already into June! Are all the 737's first in line?

Hard to find painting slots that line up with MTX/rotation. The QX fleet painting has been pushed back this year to have more planes in service to cover some OO flying

I find the news that the QX painting was pushed back to cover some OO flying interesting since the only thing being painted are Q400. Does that mean that some QX E175's are being used to cover OO flying and the Q's are back filling for the QX 175's. What caused OO to come up short on the plane side. Also is this just a AS thing or is it happening elsewhere with OO.

Chugach · Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:57 pm

WkndWanderer wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
AA737-823 wrote:

I doubt that's a priority. ANC has ZERO A320 support.
And they will utilize the A321neo's strengths for better routes than the ANC-SEA/PDX shuttle.
ANC-ORD might be a good one, but it would also dilute revenue, as it has more seats than the 738/739 combo that they operate in the off/on seasons.

Although I notice that Delta has scheduled some A319 service up here this winter... odd!

Why some 321s on a midnight turn is just free seats. They currently run so many summer flight departing anchorage between 0000 and 0330. Why not throw some extra seats into the deal for hardly more cost. What a320 support would they need? All the turns could just be crewed out of Seattle.

B6, DL, and AC all operate Airbus equipment in and out of ANC. Given the plans to refocus the Airbus fleet on north-south and mid-continent flying with more 737's and NEO's shifting to transcon and Hawaii, I think we're going to have to see the Airbus showing up at least at some point on most <3.5 hour routes eventually given the huge number of frequencies AS runs on routes like SEA-ANC and that the desired use of the A320 fits into that segment length/mission. I think the less likely candidates for the Airbus are places in SE Alaska like JNU where there are RNP's or specific reasons to keep the 737, but Airbus appearances on SEA-ANC would certainly line up with the fleet strategy.

DL sends the 319 to FAI, not ANC. Just a clarification.

Personally, I think it’s only a matter of time before the 321 makes an appearance on SEA-ANC.

Chugach · Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:59 pm

AA737-823 wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
When they gonna send one to ANC

I doubt that's a priority. ANC has ZERO A320 support.
And they will utilize the A321neo's strengths for better routes than the ANC-SEA/PDX shuttle.
ANC-ORD might be a good one, but it would also dilute revenue, as it has more seats than the 738/739 combo that they operate in the off/on seasons.

Although I notice that Delta has scheduled some A319 service up here this winter... odd!

AS has been using the 73G on some of the ANC-ORD turns recently. Kind of ironic that AS advertises power and Premium Class and then puts a plane with neither of those things on the longest route in the system.

WkndWanderer · Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:35 pm

gmcc wrote:
452QX wrote:
flybynight wrote:
I am curious why the slow schedule on re-painting the planes to AS livery. Only one so far and we're already into June! Are all the 737's first in line?

Hard to find painting slots that line up with MTX/rotation. The QX fleet painting has been pushed back this year to have more planes in service to cover some OO flying

I find the news that the QX painting was pushed back to cover some OO flying interesting since the only thing being painted are Q400. Does that mean that some QX E175's are being used to cover OO flying and the Q's are back filling for the QX 175's. What caused OO to come up short on the plane side. Also is this just a AS thing or is it happening elsewhere with OO.

I'm not sure that OO is short on the plane side, but there is till OO flying occurring on the CRJ that was brought in to help deal with the fallout from horizon's pilot shortage last year...I think it's more likely that this is QX taking that back over than any SkyWest shortage.

gmcc · Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:35 pm

Chugach wrote:
AA737-823 wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
When they gonna send one to ANC

I doubt that's a priority. ANC has ZERO A320 support.
And they will utilize the A321neo's strengths for better routes than the ANC-SEA/PDX shuttle.
ANC-ORD might be a good one, but it would also dilute revenue, as it has more seats than the 738/739 combo that they operate in the off/on seasons.

Although I notice that Delta has scheduled some A319 service up here this winter... odd!

AS has been using the 73G on some of the ANC-ORD turns recently. Kind of ironic that AS advertises power and Premium Class and then puts a plane with neither of those things on the longest route in the system.

I saw a news bite a couple of months ago, which I can't find now, from a TV station where an alaska spokesman said the 700s would be the first to get the new seats. I would guess after the end of the summer schedule.

sunking737 · Fri Jun 15, 2018 11:14 pm

If you need planes in the busy summer travel season it make more since to push any repainting to slow times. Ex fall and then in the spring between the winter and summer travel. Right??

hiflyeras · Fri Jun 15, 2018 11:22 pm

Chugach wrote:
AS has been using the 73G on some of the ANC-ORD turns recently. Kind of ironic that AS advertises power and Premium Class and then puts a plane with neither of those things on the longest route in the system.

-700’s will be getting a cabin refresh in 2019 to include new seats and power ports.

hiflyeras · Fri Jun 15, 2018 11:23 pm

sunking737 wrote:
If you need planes in the busy summer travel season it make more since to push any repainting to slow times. Ex fall and then in the spring between the winter and summer travel. Right??

Exactly....summer at AS is just too busy to be pulling planes out of service for painting. It can keep ‘til fall.

F9Animal · Sat Jun 16, 2018 12:57 am

Just took an AS 737-900 from SEA to LAS. It was a nice ride. Then.... I took a LAX to SEA flight last week, and it was on a Virgin A320. Let me just say, I loved it. It was my first flight on a Virgin America flight. If Alaska would take on the inflight entertainment system and seats, I would be in heaven. I know, not gonna happen... But... Dang.... If Alaska would just take more of Virgin than it plans to take, Alaska would be the shizzle!!! Even Snoop would be impressed!

EA CO AS · Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:12 am

F9Animal wrote:
Just took an AS 737-900 from SEA to LAS. It was a nice ride. Then.... I took a LAX to SEA flight last week, and it was on a Virgin A320. Let me just say, I loved it. It was my first flight on a Virgin America flight. If Alaska would take on the inflight entertainment system and seats, I would be in heaven. I know, not gonna happen... But... Dang.... If Alaska would just take more of Virgin than it plans to take, Alaska would be the shizzle!!! Even Snoop would be impressed!

Admittedly, I’d have loved the in-seat IFE to be retained and expanded fleet wide, but after seeing the numbers - over $150M to start - plus guest take rates of the free streaming IFE made me a believer that ditching fixed seat back IFE was the right choice.

gunsontheroof · Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:27 am

I saw N625VA overflying Fremont a few weeks ago. It's currently inbound to SEA from DEN as AS1665 as well.

packmedic · Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:55 am

flybynight wrote:
I am curious why the slow schedule on re-painting the planes to AS livery. Only one so far and we're already into June! Are all the 737's first in line?

With summer flying upon us, planes are flying more than they are in the fall/winter months. It's a lot harder to find enough slack in the schedule to put a plane in a hangar for 7+ days, especially among the already tightly-scheduled Airbus fleet

packmedic · Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:57 am

hiflyeras wrote:
Chugach wrote:
AS has been using the 73G on some of the ANC-ORD turns recently. Kind of ironic that AS advertises power and Premium Class and then puts a plane with neither of those things on the longest route in the system.

-700’s will be getting a cabin refresh in 2019 to include new seats and power ports.

-700 cabin modifications start in Fall of this year extending into 2019

USAirKid · Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:02 pm

EA CO AS wrote:
F9Animal wrote:
Just took an AS 737-900 from SEA to LAS. It was a nice ride. Then.... I took a LAX to SEA flight last week, and it was on a Virgin A320. Let me just say, I loved it. It was my first flight on a Virgin America flight. If Alaska would take on the inflight entertainment system and seats, I would be in heaven. I know, not gonna happen... But... Dang.... If Alaska would just take more of Virgin than it plans to take, Alaska would be the shizzle!!! Even Snoop would be impressed!

Admittedly, I’d have loved the in-seat IFE to be retained and expanded fleet wide, but after seeing the numbers - over $150M to start - plus guest take rates of the free streaming IFE made me a believer that ditching fixed seat back IFE was the right choice.

Just to clarify... do you mean AS looked at adding in-seat IFE to the rest of the fleet, and it was $150M for the existing fleet?

chrisp390 · Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:14 am

Do the Boeing planes still say “proudly all Boeing” on the fuselage? Is there a timeline for when they will have removed those stickers completely?

SFOtoORD · Sun Jun 17, 2018 3:33 am

chrisp390 wrote:
Do the Boeing planes still say “proudly all Boeing” on the fuselage? Is there a timeline for when they will have removed those stickers completely?

Why does anyone care? I’m sure AS has dozens of people working in the decal department planning this CEO-level project. :roll:

EA CO AS · Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:42 am

USAirKid wrote:
EA CO AS wrote:
F9Animal wrote:
Just took an AS 737-900 from SEA to LAS. It was a nice ride. Then.... I took a LAX to SEA flight last week, and it was on a Virgin A320. Let me just say, I loved it. It was my first flight on a Virgin America flight. If Alaska would take on the inflight entertainment system and seats, I would be in heaven. I know, not gonna happen... But... Dang.... If Alaska would just take more of Virgin than it plans to take, Alaska would be the shizzle!!! Even Snoop would be impressed!

Admittedly, I’d have loved the in-seat IFE to be retained and expanded fleet wide, but after seeing the numbers - over $150M to start - plus guest take rates of the free streaming IFE made me a believer that ditching fixed seat back IFE was the right choice.

Just to clarify... do you mean AS looked at adding in-seat IFE to the rest of the fleet, and it was $150M for the existing fleet?

Correct, it was studied and the cost to retrofit is about $1M per airframe, and that’s before factoring lost revenue while each aircraft is modified, increased fuel burn due to the higher weight, and the fact that in-seat IFE represents a service failure waiting to happen.

flybynight · Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:22 pm

EA CO AS wrote:
USAirKid wrote:
EA CO AS wrote:

Admittedly, I’d have loved the in-seat IFE to be retained and expanded fleet wide, but after seeing the numbers - over $150M to start - plus guest take rates of the free streaming IFE made me a believer that ditching fixed seat back IFE was the right choice.

Just to clarify... do you mean AS looked at adding in-seat IFE to the rest of the fleet, and it was $150M for the existing fleet?

Correct, it was studied and the cost to retrofit is about $1M per airframe, and that’s before factoring lost revenue while each aircraft is modified, increased fuel burn due to the higher weight, and the fact that in-seat IFE represents a service failure waiting to happen.

I think AS should focus on better meal choices and potentially bigger planes. Also some of the chargning points are worn already.

Let's hope the 797 moves forward with AS as a launch customer.

NWADTWE16 · Sat Jun 23, 2018 2:08 am

I have two questions here: at $1 million per plane, is that really not worth it? It guarantee's customer loyalty and puts them on par with the industry best B6 & DL. neither of those carriers bat an eye at spending for AVOD because they know their customers fly them for the best experience out there, and other than a DL MD88 which thank god will soon be desert fauna, the two carriers deliver.

secondly: someone above stated the 2 daily SJD-SAN flights are operated by Airbus planes, but Sabre tells a different story. I am scheduled to take SJD-SAN the later of the 2 in First , in late July and booked it hoping it would be VX planes (my daughter would get to experience them before they vanish). Can you provide some clarity to this discrepancy please.

jetmatt777 · Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:10 am

NWADTWE16 wrote:
I have two questions here: at $1 million per plane, is that really not worth it? It guarantee's customer loyalty and puts them on par with the industry best B6 & DL. neither of those carriers bat an eye at spending for AVOD because they know their customers fly them for the best experience out there, and other than a DL MD88 which thank god will soon be desert fauna, the two carriers deliver.

secondly: someone above stated the 2 daily SJD-SAN flights are operated by Airbus planes, but Sabre tells a different story. I am scheduled to take SJD-SAN the later of the 2 in First , in late July and booked it hoping it would be VX planes (my daughter would get to experience them before they vanish). Can you provide some clarity to this discrepancy please.

It only guarantees their loyalty until someone lowers their fare to undercut Alaska.

The airlines have been pretty consistent in saying that the customer ultimately values price first, schedule (close) second when making the choice of who to fly. Based on the fact that everyone is reducing coach amenities I would say that the airlines have finally learned what the customer REALLY wants. It took them 40 years, tens of billions of dollars of losses, and countless bankruptcies.

NWADTWE16 · Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:33 am

but..everyone is NOT reducing amenities. DL is investing hundreds of millions to equip EVERY plane in a fleet 4 times the size of AS with AVOD, and B6 the same, hundreds of millions to upgrade the already AVOD in EVERY plane. Its AS/AA who are racing to the bottom, and UA who isn't sure who they are.

I take it you cant answer my fleet question for SJD-SAN which currently shows 2 737s all summer, but was advised to be Airbii above?

EA CO AS · Sat Jun 23, 2018 5:26 am

NWADTWE16 wrote:
DL is investing hundreds of millions to equip EVERY plane in a fleet 4 times the size of AS with AVOD, and B6 the same, hundreds of millions to upgrade the already AVOD in EVERY plane.

That's $150M in CAPEX that AS can spend elsewhere, while strengthening their already large CASM advantage due to less fuel burn than DL/B6, while avoiding service failures when one screen, multiple screens, or an entire plane's worth of screens goes INOP. Customers' own devices have a funny way of always working, unlike DL and B6's offerings, the customer's own tech will still be up to date in 5 years, over 90% of travelers not only travel with some wifi enabled device, and studies show that nearly 90% of smartphone owners have it within 3 feet of them every day.

AS is investing heavily in high-speed satellite wifi, and every aircraft already has hundreds of free movies and TV shows available on every flight. The only difference is the screen you use is the one in your pocket or carryon rather than an expensive, heavy, service-failure-waiting-to-happen that cost the airline 9 figures.

n7371f · Sat Jun 23, 2018 5:56 am

You make it sound like it's some crisis that screens don't work. You're better off not trying to argue the decision. The amount of capital required is good enough of a reason.

Your reasoning is absurd and, again, highlights the immense homerism of all-things AS. I fly 200k domestic and you know how many times my screen didn't work? 0. In fairness how many times did my DishTV not work on DL? 40-50% of the time. Fair criticism there. But even flying F9 several times after their new owners decided to remove DirecTV, it worked - and they weren't providing maintenance anymore.

The company line you're eschewing is garbage. Airlines in third world nations are running planes with in-seat TV's. Maybe in the Seattle-word bubble where everyone thinks they're always on-line it makes sense. But I fly a lot more than you do, I see a lot more people using in-seat screens that you do.

I get the AS decision. It's strictly business - and it REALLY helps on weight constrained trips with the 739ER and the 321NEO. But to use your logic just makes you look silly.

EA CO AS wrote:
NWADTWE16 wrote:
DL is investing hundreds of millions to equip EVERY plane in a fleet 4 times the size of AS with AVOD, and B6 the same, hundreds of millions to upgrade the already AVOD in EVERY plane.

That's $150M in CAPEX that AS can spend elsewhere, while strengthening their already large CASM advantage due to less fuel burn than DL/B6, while avoiding service failures when one screen, multiple screens, or an entire plane's worth of screens goes INOP. Customers' own devices have a funny way of always working, unlike DL and B6's offerings, the customer's own tech will still be up to date in 5 years, over 90% of travelers not only travel with some wifi enabled device, and studies show that nearly 90% of smartphone owners have it within 3 feet of them every day.

AS is investing heavily in high-speed satellite wifi, and every aircraft already has hundreds of free movies and TV shows available on every flight. The only difference is the screen you use is the one in your pocket or carryon rather than an expensive, heavy, service-failure-waiting-to-happen that cost the airline 9 figures.

n7371f · Sat Jun 23, 2018 5:58 am

n7371f wrote:
You make it sound like it's some crisis that screens don't work. You're better off not trying to argue the decision. The amount of capital required is good enough of a reason.

Your reasoning is absurd and, again, highlights the immense homerism of all-things AS. I fly 200k domestic and you know how many times my screen didn't work? 0. In fairness how many times did my DishTV not work on DL? 40-50% of the time. Fair criticism there. But even flying F9 several times after their new owners decided to remove DirecTV, it worked - and they weren't providing maintenance anymore.

The company line you're eschewing is garbage. Airlines in third world nations are running planes with in-seat TV's. Maybe in the Seattle-word bubble where everyone thinks they're always on-line it makes sense. But I fly a lot more than you do, I see a lot more people using in-seat screens that you do.

I get the AS decision. It's strictly business - and it REALLY helps on weight constrained trips with the 739ER and the 321NEO. But to use your logic just makes you look silly. And as hard as it may be, DL drives revenue premium. How much of that is in-seat related? Maybe zero. Maybe more. But they're the only major committed to it and they have the best RASM premium in the market.

EA CO AS wrote:
NWADTWE16 wrote:
DL is investing hundreds of millions to equip EVERY plane in a fleet 4 times the size of AS with AVOD, and B6 the same, hundreds of millions to upgrade the already AVOD in EVERY plane.

That's $150M in CAPEX that AS can spend elsewhere, while strengthening their already large CASM advantage due to less fuel burn than DL/B6, while avoiding service failures when one screen, multiple screens, or an entire plane's worth of screens goes INOP. Customers' own devices have a funny way of always working, unlike DL and B6's offerings, the customer's own tech will still be up to date in 5 years, over 90% of travelers not only travel with some wifi enabled device, and studies show that nearly 90% of smartphone owners have it within 3 feet of them every day.

AS is investing heavily in high-speed satellite wifi, and every aircraft already has hundreds of free movies and TV shows available on every flight. The only difference is the screen you use is the one in your pocket or carryon rather than an expensive, heavy, service-failure-waiting-to-happen that cost the airline 9 figures.

scoping2008 · Sat Jun 23, 2018 7:02 am

I was skeptical of Alaska's decision not to follow the VX model and include screens at every seat. I really liked the Red system and ordering drinks/food on VX.

However, the Alaska Beyond system is fantastic. It's completely free (unlike HA where you have to buy a "movie pass"), loaded with content, and it's easy to operate once you have the app downloaded on your phone. And, passengers loves it according to what I'm hearing from flight attendants.

QXAS · Sat Jun 23, 2018 7:15 am

NWADTWE16 wrote:
I have two questions here: at $1 million per plane, is that really not worth it? It guarantee's customer loyalty and puts them on par with the industry best B6 & DL. neither of those carriers bat an eye at spending for AVOD because they know their customers fly them for the best experience out there, and other than a DL MD88 which thank god will soon be desert fauna, the two carriers deliver.

secondly: someone above stated the 2 daily SJD-SAN flights are operated by Airbus planes, but Sabre tells a different story. I am scheduled to take SJD-SAN the later of the 2 in First , in late July and booked it hoping it would be VX planes (my daughter would get to experience them before they vanish). Can you provide some clarity to this discrepancy please.

1: Does not guarantee customer loyalty. I once swore by DL until about 2 years ago. May I ask who has won the JD power customer satisfaction award every year the IPhone has existed? Sounds like hundreds of wasted millions to me. AS flies lighter airplanes. Lighter airplane means less gas or more payload/ range. Sounds like a good trade off.

2: There is no discrepancy. SAN-SJD switches to Airbus in the August-September schedule as the poster stated. The first Airbus flights are August 26 based on my quick Alaskaair.com search. There might be earlier Airbus flights but everything August 21-25 is Boeing.

EA CO AS · Sat Jun 23, 2018 7:43 am

n7371f wrote:
But to use your logic just makes you look silly.

It's not my logic, these are facts based on research conducted by multiple firms, along with real-world data from vendors and from VX. Failure rates for the Red system are much higher than the '0 times in 10 bajillion miles" or whatever it is you say you fly, and flight attendants from pre-merger VX are generally very happy seat-back IFE is going away.

But as I've stated before, I actually LIKE seat-back IFE. I think it's a cool feature to offer. I also have seen the data from our onboard experience team and from our purchasing folks - along with the research from the aforementioned firms - that all made me realize that even though I think it's cool, it's also not long for this world on aircraft flying missions under 7 hours.

So if my facts are silly, then I guess by your definition, every U.S. carrier that isn't named DL or B6 is silly for either not having or getting rid of seat-back IFE.

Who's the homer now? And Mr. I-Fly-More-Than-You-Do, how do you "know" you fly more, exactly?

NWADTWE16 · Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:28 pm

well i may be one, but I am surely not the only one, and AVOD makes my decision on any flight over 500 miles. So its DL/B6 in the U.S.

Airlines like Avianca also know whats up, great airline there, AVOD in every seat, and omg they spent money to serve actual hot food in coach too!! This standing in toe with CEO's who could give a crap about people, including you employees, is simply ridiculous. We do live in a country where the money is shot to the top, and a lot of people who could use that money use their own hands to lift it up there, rediculous

scoping2008 · Sat Jun 23, 2018 8:34 pm

NWADTWE16 wrote:
well i may be one, but I am surely not the only one, and AVOD makes my decision on any flight over 500 miles. So its DL/B6 in the U.S.

Airlines like Avianca also know whats up, great airline there, AVOD in every seat, and omg they spent money to serve actual hot food in coach too!! This standing in toe with CEO's who could give a crap about people, including you employees, is simply ridiculous. We do live in a country where the money is shot to the top, and a lot of people who could use that money use their own hands to lift it up there, rediculous

Sounds like someone is unhappy with life.

I'm not sure if your rant was directed at Alaska. But, if it was, you really have no clue what you're talking about.

32andBelow · Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:14 pm

AVOD is totally unnecessary in West. But maybe Alaska should just make the digi players free for the 3 people that don’t have devices.

I do agree that Alaska is making a big tyne mistake in getting rid of hot food options in coach.

PlanesNTrains · Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:44 pm

32andBelow wrote:
AVOD is totally unnecessary in West. But maybe Alaska should just make the digi players free for the 3 people that don’t have devices.

I do agree that Alaska is making a big tyne mistake in getting rid of hot food options in coach.

But when a large portion of your fleet doesn’t have ovens, and those planes will likely leave the fleet too soon to warrant a reconfiguration, and you are mixing aircraft across your network - it just seems like a tough call but likely the correct one.

Will all this come back and bite them in the but? Maybe. However to spend literally a few hundred million to add AVOD and ovens for what ultimately may not affect that many decisions to fly could also have bit them in the but.

32andBelow · Sun Jun 24, 2018 12:31 am

PlanesNTrains wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
AVOD is totally unnecessary in West. But maybe Alaska should just make the digi players free for the 3 people that don’t have devices.

I do agree that Alaska is making a big tyne mistake in getting rid of hot food options in coach.

But when a large portion of your fleet doesn’t have ovens, and those planes will likely leave the fleet too soon to warrant a reconfiguration, and you are mixing aircraft across your network - it just seems like a tough call but likely the correct one.

Will all this come back and bite them in the but? Maybe. However to spend literally a few hundred million to add AVOD and ovens for what ultimately may not affect that many decisions to fly could also have bit them in the but.

Just offer food on flights you can. It’s no different then offering specific food on specific routes. I agree with not adding TVs

PlanesNTrains · Sun Jun 24, 2018 4:47 am

32andBelow wrote:
PlanesNTrains wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
AVOD is totally unnecessary in West. But maybe Alaska should just make the digi players free for the 3 people that don’t have devices.

I do agree that Alaska is making a big tyne mistake in getting rid of hot food options in coach.

But when a large portion of your fleet doesn’t have ovens, and those planes will likely leave the fleet too soon to warrant a reconfiguration, and you are mixing aircraft across your network - it just seems like a tough call but likely the correct one.

Will all this come back and bite them in the but? Maybe. However to spend literally a few hundred million to add AVOD and ovens for what ultimately may not affect that many decisions to fly could also have bit them in the but.

Just offer food on flights you can. It’s no different then offering specific food on specific routes. I agree with not adding TVs

Well personally I don’t think Alaska can afford to have too many inconsistencies right now as they are trying to digest this merger. However, I respect where you’re coming from.

USAirKid · Sun Jun 24, 2018 10:09 am

32andBelow wrote:
PlanesNTrains wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
AVOD is totally unnecessary in West. But maybe Alaska should just make the digi players free for the 3 people that don’t have devices.

I do agree that Alaska is making a big tyne mistake in getting rid of hot food options in coach.

But when a large portion of your fleet doesn’t have ovens, and those planes will likely leave the fleet too soon to warrant a reconfiguration, and you are mixing aircraft across your network - it just seems like a tough call but likely the correct one.

Will all this come back and bite them in the but? Maybe. However to spend literally a few hundred million to add AVOD and ovens for what ultimately may not affect that many decisions to fly could also have bit them in the but.

Just offer food on flights you can. It’s no different then offering specific food on specific routes. I agree with not adding TVs

One of the things that has driven AS is consistency. Its part of why the Combis went out the door (No first class.) Its one of the reasons they've been pulling the E175s in as they have a more mainline feel. I'm sure if they could snap their fingers and put ovens in all of the Airbus planes they would do it overnight, but these things take time, and they want the a consistent product onboard, so they've gone with the lowest common denominator. What I'm most surprised at is the high class VX product didn't have ovens in coach.

IMHO, I really wish they had done this merger how Southwest took over Airtran, it would've been the best way to keep consistency, but I figure they couldn't wait for some of the operational synergies.

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