VintageKrug - 26/09/2011 07:49 GMT
Alaska Airlines San Francisco-Palm Springs
Did this flight last night; only booked about a week prior as a last minute business trip to the East Coast interrupted my original plan and necessitated cancelling my flight to LAX and my original plan of booking this sector on Star, which would have seen me on the hatefully cramped Continental CRJ service, which also gets in later making it touch and go for the 1130pm Avis office close time.
So I'm not sure how much this AA/Alaskan codeshare actually cost, as it was bundled with my other domestic tickets but probably less than the $195 for economy/$295 for F which was showing on the Alaska site itself...
Check In & Baggage Allowance
No-one at all waiting at the very quiet Alaska Airlines desks at T1 SFO so chatted to the very pleasant lady behind the counter (otherwise I'd probably have had to use a machine there and then as I hadn't OLCI'd).
They have a strict 50lbs per bag policy; anything over that and you pay a $50 heavy bag charge - even if you're in F.
With shopping I now needed to convert my MUJI carry on to checked baggage but ensured both bags were under 50lbs using the hotel weigh scale.
I had two bags, for which there was a charge of $20 each; waved my BA Gold card citing AA codeshare/oneworld rules but she wasn't having any of it, ditto my Flying Blue Plat, unlike when I last flew with them two years ago when the fee was waived. Note top tier Delta cardholders get free bags.
Half expecting this, I relented, but enquired about F upgrades as I knew you get 2 free bags when seated in F. I was in luck! For just $50 - an additional $10 over my bag charges - I'd get the additional comfort, free drinks and miles afforded to the F cabin. Result.
Check in was smooth, with my AAdvantage number in the booking.
Security was calm and empty; well worth flying midweek and in the evening compared to the morning and daytime rush.
Lounge
As is the case with many Domestic carriers, the base F ticket doesn't appear to permit lounge access on its own; thankfully I used Priority Pass (it's invaluable when flying in the US domestically) which I get free with Amex.
A nice quiet lounge with a view of the parking gates. Nothing much in the way of food; fruit, biscuits, crisps and that nasty plastic cheese in wrappers.
Lovely chap in charge couldn't do enough to help, and you get free cocktails or glass of wine and free WiFi with your entrance.
Loo!
There are loos in the lounge so no need to go in the public ones, though the "stalls" are so small and poorly put together like many US facilities that it feels like you're in the room with the other person watching them evacuate their bowels for sport. Vile.
Boarding
Lounge chappie personally popped his head round and told me boarding had started; the gate was out of the 'back' door to the lounge so I used that - twenty feet to the ticket check with an empty F line and I was onboard in 3F in a jiffy.
On Board
Three rows of 2-2 F, all packed. Rather knackered 737-400 without winglets; some of the fleet are super-duper new, but not on this short 1h 30m flight.
Superb cabin crew lady asked for drinks orders pre-departure - why can't they do this on CE?
We took off promptly, with two aircraft about to come in - about 100 feet from the threshold) on the parallel runways as we scooted past them on the cross runway in the late evening sunset.
As is often the case, seatbelt sign didn't go off until we were well levelled out, so was bursting having glugged a litre of water prior to security. Loos spotlessly clean and looked new!
Drinks arrived in proper sized low tumblers with lots of ice (I had a vodka) and came with a (plastic) tub of warm nuts. My seatmate was offered and accepted another drink on this short flight.
Wifi was available for $5.95 - very reasonable I thought.
Arrival
PSP has a great approach over the desert lit up at night, and on arrival the terminal which is mainly outdoors, with only the waiting areas air conditioned, was a very pleasant 104 degrees.
Bags were on the belt by the time we had checked out our Avis rental car.
Summary
All in all a very pleasant service marked out by exemplary service and pleasant interactions with the employees at check-in, lounge and on board.
A super airline which has the feel of a smaller family-run entity and much better than mainline if you have the choice!
Here's a daytime pic of the "inside" of the tent like terminal:
