Scorecard: Where Does Your Airline of Choice Rank?
The Wall Street Journal has a nifty scorecard of U.S. airline carriers. Alaska Airlines (my airlines of choice) ranked first, while American Airlines ranked last. I actually find the bottom three airlines on the scorecard rather telling.
(click on graphic to read the complete article from the WSJ)
Roominess Comparison on Alaska Airlines
I have the fortunate luck not to need too much room when I travel. Below is a comparison of the amount of roominess in Alaska Airlines first class and the exit row. While I love the first class experience, if I have to sit in the main cabin I might from this point on opt for an exit row seat. The exit row provides ample leg space – even better if no one sits in the middle seat.
First Class Roominess on Alaska Airlines
Exit Row Roominess on Alaska Airlines
And yes, those are Crocs that you see that I’m wearing. Bistro style, to be precise: Bistro gives you all you need in an on-the-job shoe—from slip-resistance to extra protection at the toe. I have found them to be the best traveling shoes ever. Easy on, and easy off … getting through security at the airport is a breeze.
$1 spent on Crocs = 4 American Airlines AAdvantage miles
$1 spent on Crocs = 4 Hawaiian Airlines miles
$1 spent on Crocs = 3 Mileage Plus or Onepass miles
Images taken with Instagram.
When the Weather Doesn’t Cooperate
Ah the joys of flying out of a regional airport, which will remain nameless, in Eastern Washington. My flight today was canceled due to heavy fog. As I stepped out of my house, I had a suspicion that my flight would be canceled. I did. My cab driver even offered to wait at the airport just in case. ”No,” I said, “I’m sure it’ll be ok.” Fifteen minutes later, the announcement was made that the flight from Seattle could not land and that the flight was returning back to where it started. I sighed and shrugged it off. Yes, it was disappointing, but I wasn’t in a hurry. I stood in line with the rest of the passengers. What I love about Washingtonians is that most of “us” are pretty patient and laid back (Seattle folks rarely use their car honker). People in line were very calm – I’m sure everyone expected that the flight would be canceled. One of the Horizon employee made an announcement that people could reschedule by calling Alaska Airlines. Most people opted to do that instead of wait in line. I decided to stay in line since my flight to Seattle and then to Chicago was booked using frequent flier miles.
About five minutes into waiting, a distraught woman decided to cut in front of us. Her anger was enough for the ticketing agent to help her out first. She wouldn’t let up. None of us in line complained at her rudeness. The Horizon employee helped her get rebooked, but even with his help she continued to berate Alaska Airlines, the employee, and anything else she could blame. The agent was calm and patient and told her that there was nothing he could do about the weather, which she wasn’t able to fully comprehend. After rebooking her. She demanded a $20 refund for the baggage fee. The agent said that her baggage fee for the rebooked flight was paid for. But she didn’t care. She wanted a refund, even though she would just pay that $20 again on the next flight. She left saying that Alaska Airlines had lost her as a customer and reminded him that she flew at least once a month. Calmly the agent said that he was sorry but ultimately that her choice to make. During her rant, the ticket agent helping me out had to stop a couple of times to pay attention to her, in case, he said, it escalated. ”No worries,” I said.
The woman, in my opinion, was off her rocker! Anyone living in Eastern Washington would know that wintery weather conditions often affect regional airports more so than larger ones. Winter sucks, and anyone who left their house this morning should have known that chances were high that the shuttle to Seattle would be canceled. Alaska/Horizon was not at fault; the weather was. Her rant did nothing but draw attention to her obnoxious and entitled behavior. She epitomized what not to do when the weather affects your travel plans. In situations like this, staying calm is probably best.
I must give the Horizon agents a lot of praise for taking care of the rest of the stranded passengers, including myself, with patience and efficiency. I told my partner that I wanted to hug the guy that helped the obnoxious woman. He deserves a holiday bonus or something for how calmly and professionally he dealt with her. I commend him.
The lesson here: mother nature trumps us all!
Now Might Be a Good Time to Purchase Points and Miles
With 2011 coming to a close, it might be a good time to consider buying frequent flier miles or hotel reward points to top up your accounts, especially if you are nearing some worthwhile goals. I say this because several reward programs are offering tempting premiums on miles/points purchases.
Here are a few that are worth thinking about:
Airlines
AAdvantage Miles – American Airlines
Between now and December 31, 2011, when you buy the AAdvantage® miles you need to book your travel now, you’ll earn a special bonus — for every 6,000 miles you purchase, you’ll earn 2,000 bonus miles, up to 20,000 bonus miles!
Get up to 16,000 Bonus miles!
Buy miles from November 1 – December 31, 2011 and receive 4,000 Bonus miles for every 10,000 miles purchased. For example, buy 20,000 miles and get 8,000 extra!
Get a 100% Bonus – That’s DOUBLE miles!
Buy miles between December 1 and December 31, 2011 and get DOUBLE the number of miles up to 40,000 miles. For example, buy 10,000 miles and you will receive 20,000!
75% Mileage bonus from now until December 22, 2011 – up to 45,000 mileage bonus.
Limited Time Bonus Offer: Buy Elevate Points, get an Extra 100% until December 20, 2011.
Hotel
Starwood Preferred Guest (accounts must be at least 30 days old)
Limited time offer – Save 20%
Top up your account for less! Buy Starpoints between November 1 and December 31, 2011 and receive 20% off the regular price.
Morning View: Gate A51 to Seattle
Above is a shot of the gate and all the people waiting to get on my Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle. Getting through security at Denver International was a breeze – very efficient, more so if you have a first class ticket.
My very short trip to Denver is complete. More on my trip and things to do in 24 hours in Denver forthcoming.
Hurray for the First-Class upgrade! Thanks Alaska!
Photo taken with Instagram.
In Transit: GEG – SEA – DEN
To fulfill my MVP Gold status on Alaska Airlines, I booked a quick trip to Denver. I had never flown out of Spokane International Airport (GEG), and to my luck Alaska Airlines had a fantastic deal when I was looking, under $200 roundtrip for a little more than 2,400 miles total (about $0.07 a mile … not the best, but not too bad either). Flying out of the eastern part of Washington State to anywhere outside of the state, as I’ve done quite a bit, can be very pricey. So to get anything under $200 from Spokane to Denver, I felt, was a bargain.
I love flying on Horizon planes out of the dinky regional airports in the eastern part of the state, though the airport in Spokane is considered an international airport despite its very small size. People tend to freak out riding on the propeller Bombardier planes that Horizon uses. I kind of like them, especially the quick ascent to cruising altitude. My flight out of Spokane was empty. I had chosen a seat up front, but ultimately switched to the rear per the request of the crew to help balance the plane out.
Empty Horizon Flight
I also love the Horizon flights because of the complimentary beer and wine, such a treat nowadays since nothing anymore, it seems, is free when flying. The selections – primarily regional wines and microbrews – are often very good. This time I went for the Snow Cap Ale, a seasonal microbrew from Seattle-based Pyramid Brewing Company.
Snow Cap Ale Onboard
I love the views from the plane, especially the moment the plane passes over the Cascades. Today the lighting close to sunset was just perfect. The mountain tops were covered with snow and clouds, and from my seat I could see a beautiful view of Mt. Baker in the distance.
Flying Over the Cascades
I had gotten upgraded to First Class on my flight to Denver, which allowed me to board early. I find the First Class experience on Alaska Airlines to be generally good. On my flight in First Class to Chicago two weeks ago, I really appreciated that the flight attendant knew my name and used it throughout the flight. On my flight to Denver this time around, I found the service very nice. The flight attendants on Alaska are generally very laid back and have great personalities and are willing to strike up a conversation with you. Our attendant this time around was very cheery, which made for a nice trip. My seat neighbor happened to be a Horizon flight attendent going back home to Denver. She offered great suggestions on things to do and see while in Denver. And, best of all, she offered up some interesting gossip about the airlines industry … must have been all the red wine we drank.
Dinner in First Class on Alaska Airlines
Dinner was pretty good. I’m blanking on the name of the dinner. As you can see from the image above, it was some sort of chicken dish with a butter and herb white sauce, with a side of salad. I liked it. Next to the meal on every First Class flight that I’ve been on, there is always a little card with a verse from the Book of Psalms from the Bible. I asked my new friend next to me if she knew why the card was included, but she didn’t know. It’s gotten me a bit curious. The verse is very benign, nothing overly religious (at least the ones that I’ve gotten). I suspect that the cards are provided as a meditative gesture. I must admit, I was a little bummed out that no Digi-Players were not handed out for the two hour flight – I was hoping to catch a few episodes of the Big Bang Theory. Lol. Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi was great to have on board. It still feels a bit strange to Skype with people above 35,000ft.
Snowy Denver
When we landed in Denver the temperature was 12 degrees. Freezing! Luckily it wasn’t snowing, though the thought of driving to my hotel on icy roads did weigh on my mind a bit. I said goodbye to my new friend and went to Hertz to get my rental car.
More adventures in Denver await…
Images taken with Instagram.
Toterly Redux . . . Hurrah!
Highway of Giants
It’s been awhile, for sure … too long, I think. The months away from this blog project – about eight months to be exact – have given me much needed time to figure out a whole slew of things, many things travel-related and the other 99% related to other existential questions, ideas, and conundrums – much of which would be totally inappropriate to air here. I will say inspiration, however slow it takes to get to you, feels so good when it smacks you in the face. And yes, inspiration has finally met up with me and has called upon me again to create, to do, to travel.
While this year was truly an exceptional travel year for me, I want to take it a step further in the upcoming year. I know setting New Year resolutions right now is a tad early, but I have three that I want to throw out to the universe … just in case.
- Earn elite status on airlines and hotels. After my trip to Denver next weekend, a mileage run, I will technically become MVP Gold on Alaska Air, so part of the goal is to earn elite status on another airlines. As for hotel elite status, I tend not to be brand loyal, preferring instead for boutique hotels. There are, however, enticing hotel deals to be had through reward programs, which I would feel a bit silly not to take advantage of.
- Travel frugally without compromising my aesthetic needs. Is there a term for this? ”Frugally chic”? ”Chic-ly frugal”? After awhile, you’ll get a sense of my travel sensibilities. During my blogging hiatus, I realized that there’s always a travel deal out there … the challenge is to find travel deals that pleases the discerning traveler. Travel aesthetics is very important.
- Travel to Iceland. It’s been an obsession of mine for years. 2012 might be the year I get to go.
So with that said, it’s nice to meet you here again. On occasion, my partner Andreas might drop in to say hi. Onwards and upwards!
Jan
