Excellent review Matt and yes, I would definitely give them a go in future on a daytime flight. Your enthusiasm for the "no tipping" policy and your 6'4" legs cracked me up! Thank you!
Another Great video Matt. Id love to Visit Alaska and fly Alaska Airways. Always liked Chester on the Tail. Hope your having a great time and look forward to your next Instalment. Leigh
G'day Genki. Watched a Jeb Brooks video about JetBlue this weekend and the Mint did look quite special - even the old style Mint. Good in the air but no lounges on the ground...
It's funny that the Alaska lounge offered additional food for a fee - kinda like American Airlines Admirals Clubs. Maybe that's a OneWorld thing. Can only be in the alliance if you agree to charge your loyalty flyers for the good stuff😂😂😂 Out of curiosity - do British Airways lounges do that? Thanks for the info + video!
So the reason they don't allow tipping as I tried once out of normalcy is the workers in the lounge are apart of the same union as the FAs so they aren't allowed tips. Whereas other US carriers their lounge employees are either under a weaker union or aren't and are only paid like $16 an hour and bartenders only like $14.
Another good video, Matt, your Alaskan Airline experience looked to be a good service. We flew Alaskan Fairbanks to Seattle a few years back and enjoyed it to. Congratulations on your 2k subscriptions. Keep up the good work
Another excellent video. Your comments match very closely with many other avgeek RUclipsrs that Alaskan seems to be providing a superior service to the mainstream US airlines at a competitive price. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Lee. I flew them a few times 10 years ago plus when they were a lot smaller and the experience was just as positive. Good to see they've held on to that ethos despite growing significantly.
Loved the video Matt. I flew with Alaska for a short hop from LAX to SFO at the end of November, and has a very similar experience to yourself. I think the lounge is quite small, but pleasant and the staff I spoke to at the time were really great - a credit to Alaska in fact. Had a great chat with a lady behind the bar who picked up on my Scottish accent and it turned out she used to be a flight attendant in her youth and had been to Scotland many times. Will be flying with them again for a brief hop to SFO and back at the start of April (TP run, mainly) but (given the advice of a certain RUclipsr), I may try to pop along to the TBIT to try out some nicer lounges this time around. Keep the videos coming - always a pleasure to watch.
Absolutely concur with your comments. I flew first class from PDX to TUS and it was all in all, a wonderful experience for a domestic flight. Portland also had an Alaskan lounge which was quite similar to the LAX offering. Now that I am living in Oregon, Alaskan would be my first choice.
great option for North America I think, looks decent and I would definitely like a trip to Alaska sometime, did you spend anytime in Anchorage ? One of my goals is to take a cruise in that area, incredible natural wilderness from what i have seen. Thanks for posting Matt
Cheers Charlie. I spent 2 nights in Anchorage but the weather was challenging, shall we say, so I didn't really see the place at its best. I'd been before in September which is a far more sensible time to visit and/or cruise. I'll show a bit of Anchorage in next week's video. Thanks for watching!
did you stay overnight in Alaska, do you ever sightsee or just do the flights for this channel? I'm curious, I wouldn't mind seeing footage of places..I love to travel but I'm still stuck here atm
Hi there! I stayed in ANC for 2 nights - will include some coverage in the video about the flights back. Thought I would make an Anchorage video (and a goal of the channel is to make destination videos as well as videos about how I got there) although it was very (very) cold and treacherously icy there so I didn't do enough to make an interesting video on this occasion...
I've flown Alaska exactly once in 2019. I was status matched to their MVP Gold from my United Premier Gold and was flying down from SFO to SAN on a Basic Economy ticket. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was upgraded at the gate to First and enjoyed the one hour flight which had beverages and a very comfy seat on their 737 that was formerly a Virgin America bird. Now that I've got Qantas Gold it seems like a no brainer given my experience and your trip report to fly them domestically over American. As for the Avios redemption, it seems a little steep for me given the flight and onboard service. A few days before Easter 2019 I was able to book a BA Avios business award for Easter Monday from ZRH to LCY for 9,000 Avios + £25 in taxes and fees. It was worth every penny! That being said, I do notice the Avios redemptions are getting a bit dearer, my flight from Melbourne to Sydney in Qantas J was 12,500 points + £21 in taxes and fees. That being said it was worth every penny given it was an A330 with lie flat seats. I was able to grab a quick bite to eat and take a 30 minute nap on that flight!
They are a real option now they're in OneWorld! That was 38,750 for a 5 hour flight in First so economy would have been a lot cheaper. Did another redemption in economy to get back which should be next week's video...
It wasn't as bad at the time - when I was editing this I was quite surprised at how blue it actually was... And even though I said I wouldn't in the video, I did have to colour correct some of it to bring down the blueness a notch too in some shots!
Excellent review Matt and yes, I would definitely give them a go in future on a daytime flight. Your enthusiasm for the "no tipping" policy and your 6'4" legs cracked me up! Thank you!
Ha ha! That leg bit did sound a bit odd in the final product but it sounded entirely reasonable when I scripted it!!!
Another Great video Matt. Id love to Visit Alaska and fly Alaska Airways. Always liked Chester on the Tail. Hope your having a great time and look forward to your next Instalment. Leigh
Thanks! A bit worried that Alaskan wouldn't like me using him, but its a positive video so hopefully they'll be happy!
Looked definitely one of the better if not best American carriers. Just binge watching all your uploads 🤣🤣
Thanks Steve. Have a trip on JetBlue coming up which is another contender for that title!
Nice review - I've got an Alaskan LAX-SEA coming up and now looking forward to it even more.
Cheers Geoff - hope you enjoy it!
hoping to fly with them in August! great vid!
Thanks Harrison - I think they're a real contender for everyone's business!
Excellent quality 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks as always!
Great video! I really like Alaska airlines and their lounge policy!
Alaska are certainly welcome in OneWorld with those policies! Cheers Ian
Virgin America was my #1 favorite and choice. Mood lighting included 😆 🤣. Your flight looked like a former VA plane 🤔👊👍😁🍷
Hi - don't think that plane ever was but I think Alaska certainly got the idea from Virgin!
I love flying Alaska Airlines, apart from jetBlue Mint, I do like their First Class
G'day Genki. Watched a Jeb Brooks video about JetBlue this weekend and the Mint did look quite special - even the old style Mint. Good in the air but no lounges on the ground...
@@MattsPlanet True, shame about no lounges.
It's funny that the Alaska lounge offered additional food for a fee - kinda like American Airlines Admirals Clubs. Maybe that's a OneWorld thing. Can only be in the alliance if you agree to charge your loyalty flyers for the good stuff😂😂😂 Out of curiosity - do British Airways lounges do that? Thanks for the info + video!
Hi Jimmy. Food in BA lounges is free. Indeed food in all non-US lounges (as far as I can remember) is free... Seems to be an American OneWorld thing!
So the reason they don't allow tipping as I tried once out of normalcy is the workers in the lounge are apart of the same union as the FAs so they aren't allowed tips. Whereas other US carriers their lounge employees are either under a weaker union or aren't and are only paid like $16 an hour and bartenders only like $14.
Thanks so much Felix - that's a really amazing nugget of trivia! Makes perfect sense!
Once again, great quality informative content. :)
Thanks Laurence. Enjoyed that flight!
Another good video, Matt, your Alaskan Airline experience looked to be a good service.
We flew Alaskan Fairbanks to Seattle a few years back and enjoyed it to.
Congratulations on your 2k subscriptions. Keep up the good work
Cheers - Fairbanks is on my to-do list - wasn't possible this trip, and its considerably colder than Anchorage so probably wasn't a good idea anyway!
Another excellent video. Your comments match very closely with many other avgeek RUclipsrs that Alaskan seems to be providing a superior service to the mainstream US airlines at a competitive price. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Lee. I flew them a few times 10 years ago plus when they were a lot smaller and the experience was just as positive. Good to see they've held on to that ethos despite growing significantly.
Lovely video, I enjoy the humour. Keep em coming, I especially enjoy your flight reviews.
Thanks Francois - they will keep coming, don't worry!
Enjoy your honest and down to earth opinions. Keep it up . Best out there
Thanks! Quite a compliment, but I'll take it!
Another informative video. Hopefully the algorithm gains more traction as viewership deserves to be increasing rapidly!
Cheers Ben. Tell a friend!!!
Loved the video Matt. I flew with Alaska for a short hop from LAX to SFO at the end of November, and has a very similar experience to yourself. I think the lounge is quite small, but pleasant and the staff I spoke to at the time were really great - a credit to Alaska in fact. Had a great chat with a lady behind the bar who picked up on my Scottish accent and it turned out she used to be a flight attendant in her youth and had been to Scotland many times. Will be flying with them again for a brief hop to SFO and back at the start of April (TP run, mainly) but (given the advice of a certain RUclipsr), I may try to pop along to the TBIT to try out some nicer lounges this time around. Keep the videos coming - always a pleasure to watch.
You have a Scottish accent? You should really unleash it in your videos... Tee hee!
@@MattsPlanet But I'm a shy and retiring chap :-)
A shy and retiring Scotsman?
@@MattsPlanet maybe a bit of a stretch :-)
Fantastic avios redemption there! Alaskan look like a great modern US airline!
They're well worth a look.... My economy experience next week which is cheaper (in avios terms) and still very decent on short flights...
@@MattsPlanet Sounds decent! Brilliant they are part of one world too for rewards and lounge access which is especially good for the US.
Informative video, thanks for posting. Was a big shock my first US domestic flight in business with no longer access!!! Are your legs really 6"4??!
The whole lounge thing is a shock to non- Americans! My legs are 6'4" in conjunction with the rest of me - good point!
Absolutely concur with your comments. I flew first class from PDX to TUS and it was all in all, a wonderful experience for a domestic flight. Portland also had an Alaskan lounge which was quite similar to the LAX offering. Now that I am living in Oregon, Alaskan would be my first choice.
Thanks Ken. They're not well known in the UK and I hope this helps publicise them, as they deserve to be better known!
great option for North America I think, looks decent and I would definitely like a trip to Alaska sometime, did you spend anytime in Anchorage ? One of my goals is to take a cruise in that area, incredible natural wilderness from what i have seen.
Thanks for posting Matt
Cheers Charlie. I spent 2 nights in Anchorage but the weather was challenging, shall we say, so I didn't really see the place at its best. I'd been before in September which is a far more sensible time to visit and/or cruise. I'll show a bit of Anchorage in next week's video. Thanks for watching!
did you stay overnight in Alaska, do you ever sightsee or just do the flights for this channel? I'm curious, I wouldn't mind seeing footage of places..I love to travel but I'm still stuck here atm
Hi there! I stayed in ANC for 2 nights - will include some coverage in the video about the flights back. Thought I would make an Anchorage video (and a goal of the channel is to make destination videos as well as videos about how I got there) although it was very (very) cold and treacherously icy there so I didn't do enough to make an interesting video on this occasion...
I've flown Alaska exactly once in 2019. I was status matched to their MVP Gold from my United Premier Gold and was flying down from SFO to SAN on a Basic Economy ticket. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was upgraded at the gate to First and enjoyed the one hour flight which had beverages and a very comfy seat on their 737 that was formerly a Virgin America bird. Now that I've got Qantas Gold it seems like a no brainer given my experience and your trip report to fly them domestically over American. As for the Avios redemption, it seems a little steep for me given the flight and onboard service. A few days before Easter 2019 I was able to book a BA Avios business award for Easter Monday from ZRH to LCY for 9,000 Avios + £25 in taxes and fees. It was worth every penny! That being said, I do notice the Avios redemptions are getting a bit dearer, my flight from Melbourne to Sydney in Qantas J was 12,500 points + £21 in taxes and fees. That being said it was worth every penny given it was an A330 with lie flat seats. I was able to grab a quick bite to eat and take a 30 minute nap on that flight!
They are a real option now they're in OneWorld! That was 38,750 for a 5 hour flight in First so economy would have been a lot cheaper. Did another redemption in economy to get back which should be next week's video...
That blue lighting is awful. I hope it’s not as bad as it comes across
It wasn't as bad at the time - when I was editing this I was quite surprised at how blue it actually was... And even though I said I wouldn't in the video, I did have to colour correct some of it to bring down the blueness a notch too in some shots!