Alaska Airlines

• Incentive Program
• Internet Service
• Pricing
• Food and Beverages
• Entertainment
• On-Time Percentage

Incentive Program

First of all, we really liked Club 49, the incentive program for customers who were flying to and from Alaska. Every year, Club 49 members get a certificate for 30% off a one-way flight to or from Alaska. You also get two free checked bags with Alaska Airlines, as well as exclusive deals. We reviewed other major carriers, such as Hawaiian Airlines, and couldn't find a similar rewards program.

Internet Service

We found that the Gogo Internet service with Alaska Airlines was affordable. A similar carrier that we reviewed, Hawaiian Airlines, did not have Wi-Fi in the bulk of its planes as of this time.

Pricing

We found that prices were a little high across the board with a few exceptions. A one-way ticket from Seattle to Las Vegas cost $99. Alaska Air also expedites the baggage claim process. If your luggage is not at the claim within 20 minutes, you can get a $25 voucher to use towards your next ticket.

Food and Beverages

We also felt like Alaska Airlines did a good job of providing affordable food and beverages to its coach customers. Most of the meals that we saw for coach clients were priced from $6 to $7, which is slightly cheaper than some of the other carriers we reviewed.

However, we did find that Hawaiian Airlines offers free meals for flights that are longer than six hours, something that Alaska does not have.

Starbucks Coffee is also available on Alaska Airlines as part of their complimentary beverage service. 

Entertainment

We had some questions during our phone-in about the in-flight tablet rental. Initially we weren't sure if movies cost extra, but through our conversation we found out they were included with the rental. We liked how the R-rated movies were edited for the presence of younger customers.

On-Time Percentage

According to Flightstats.com, Alaska Airlines flights are on-time roughly 86% of the time. This is above average when compared to select other top airlines.

• Oversized Customers Clause
• Rewards Plan
• Aircraft Comfort

Oversized Customers Clause

We took some offense to the "oversized customers" clause of Alaska Airlines' seating policy. We felt like some overweight or larger customers may be turned off by the tone of language on the part of their website. It also emphasized that Alaska Airlines has the right to re-seat a client or boot them from a flight if they hadn't booked a second seat. Delta made it somewhat easier for customers and even suggested that a first-class seat might be better for a "larger" customer.

We would like to see Alaska Airlines be a little bit more sensitive to the needs of its larger customers and make it easier for them to purchase a second seat while reminding them that they are still valued customers.

Rewards Plan

We did have some concerns with the two-year activity clause on the mileage reward plan. One customer did have a complaint about the inactivity on their account leading to its deactivation.

Aircraft Comfort

We also had some concerns with the lack of wide-body planes. The Boeing 737, while a comfortable plane, lacks the comfort of larger Airbuses and larger Boeing aircraft, such as the 767.