Have you flown Alaska Air? If so, how was it?

[Georgia_Peaches]

We fly out of ATL to SEA in May for a 7 night cruise to Alaska on Celebrity Edge and are beginning to look at flights.  We want a non-stop, first class fare and usually only fly with Delta.  However, Alaska Air popped up in my search for non-stop flights and the current first class fare is less than half what Delta is asking at the moment.  The last time opted out of a Delta flight in favor a something cheaper, we almost missed the boat due to flight delays...even though we gave ourselves a pre-embarkation travel cushion of an extra day.  Alaska Air only has three flights a day out of ATL...and they don't have an actual ticket counter with live humans either.  Baggage drop off is at a kiosk 😳.  I just don't know enough about Alaska Air to determine if it's a reliable airline.  Any personal experiences with Alaska Air is greatly appreciated!  Specifically, I'd like comments on service, timeliness, and reliability.  Oh...and did your luggage arrive?

[CruiserBruce]

Isn't this a Cruise Air question? If you check over there, you will find many fans, and that it generally gets good to great reviews. 

[LynnSD]

It’s popular among my family members, but most of our flights have been west coast or Hawaii so can’t speak to their cross-country reliability.

[Northern Aurora]

We fly Alaska frequently and we do so in first class.  It is very reliable.  And we use their easy-to-use kiosks for boarding passes and luggage tags with no problems.  No issues with luggage delays.  They are presently in talks to purchase Hawaiian Air.  And double check that statement that "they don't have an actual ticket counter with live humans either."  While there may not be a ticket counter manned all day, generally when flying Alaska from a destination which offers limited service they open their ticket counter several hours prior to departure.  

[Georgia_Peaches]

8 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

And double check that statement that "they don't have an actual ticket counter with live humans either."  While there may not be a ticket counter manned all day, generally when flying Alaska from a destination which offers limited service they open their ticket counter several hours prior to departure.  

This is all very encouraging.  Thank you for the information!  I will double check but DH said he read that they closed the counter in ATL.

[Georgia_Peaches]

22 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Isn't this a Cruise Air question? If you check over there, you will find many fans, and that it generally gets good to great reviews. 

Hey, I thought I was just doing good by not posting on the Celebrity forum 😁.  But, yes, you make a very good point.  I will try there as well.  Thank you!

[Northern Aurora]

@Georgia_Peaches:  I will be surprised if Alaska Airlines doesn't have any sort of counter presence at ATL.  And I hope you are aware that don't just fly along the west coast.  We use them to fly to Boston, Newark and Florida.  Check their flight map.  I may be wrong, but believe they are the fifth largest US airline.

[AKStafford]

I've got three flights booked with Alaska Air within the next four months. I generally tend to travel exclusively on Alaska Airlines. In my opinion, it's the best carrier out there. And with it's upcoming purchase of Hawaiian Airlines, it'll be the 5th largest airline in the nation.

[Coral]

It has been awhile since I have cruised Alaskan Air but I was impressed. The pilot spoke to us in Star Trek talk.

 

They are a great company. I would fly again with them in a heart beat.

[no1racefan1]

I love Alaska Airlines. They were our airline of choice when we had to drive two hours to get to an airport. Now, United is serving our local airport, so we use them. But I'd choose Alaska if I had a chance 🙂 We're flying United to Denver and then switching to Alaska Airlines to Anchorage next spring. Their west coast flight times/options are so much better, and we've always had excellent service from them.

 

Also they have their $99 companion fare if you get their credit card, although I'm pretty sure it can't be used in first class.

[Dobby36]

Currently, I think the Seattle route from ATL is the only one Alaska flies, but they are starting a San Diego to ATL flight in May. I wouldn’t  let their light presence at the airport deter you from trying them, especially in first class. For a flight this long, they will have a full meal service and an experience on par with Deltas. 

I fly with them regularly, and would be comfortable with this, especially since Seattle is a major hub for them, enabling them to more quickly recover in the case of any irregular operations.  

[Aquahound]

Since I live in Seattle, Alaska is my exclusive airline and due to my work, I fly 40k to 50k miles per year on Alaska.  I think they are fantastic.  Check the best domestic airlines list and you'll see they are right up there with Delta.  In fact, I think they topped Delta this year on some polls.  The onboard service is fantastic and since I frequently get upgraded due to my status, I can tell you they treat you very well in first class.  

 

They do not have seatback tvs like Delta, but they provide a long list of free movies and tv shows via their onboard internet that you can watch on your devices.  

 

Here's a little hack advice.  Try to book row 2.  One, you can stow a bag under the seat in front of you.  But two, they offer two choices for the meal and if one is more popular than the other, they tend to run out of it, so row 4 is stuck making the other selection.  

Edited December 29, 2023 by Aquahound

[diesel1973]

I have been traveling to Alaska every year (sometimes twice a year) for 25+ years. I have used Alaska Air 90% of the time as they are very satisfying . Never had a problem with them .  Will start checking their fares next month for my 6 week stay this summer.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Appreciate all the tips and first hand experiences.  I think we will give Alaska Air a try!  The $99 companion fare with the credit card offer is awesome!  For a flight 5+ hours though, first class is the only way we will go...maybe next time we will look into the companion fare offer.

Happy New Year everyone!

[Northern Aurora]

6 hours ago, Aquahound said:

.......

 

Here's a little hack advice.  Try to book row 2.  One, you can stow a bag under the seat in front of you.  But two, they offer two choices for the meal and if one is more popular than the other, they tend to run out of it, so row 4 is stuck making the other selection.  

 

No one in first class needs "settle" for less than their first choice.  Use the Alaska Airlines app and pre-order your selection.  Meals can also be pre-ordered on their website, although we use the app.  And lately we have been offered three choices for evening meals.

[VitaLuna]

Echoing others, Alaska Airlines is a primary carrier in the Northwest/West Coast. I fly it almost exclusively, and prefer it to other airlines. You will be pleased on your return trip, as Seattle is an Alaska hub with extra amenities/presence.