Review of Alaska Airlines flight Los Angeles Washington in Domestic First

Airline Alaska Airlines
Flight AS6
Seat 04F
Aircraft Airbus A321neo
Flight time 04:59
Take-off 12 Apr 21, 13:00
Arrival at 12 Apr 21, 20:59
AS   #56 out of 95 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 85 reviews
ISTFlyer
By SILVER 1681
Published on 19th June 2021

Report No: 2021-402


Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to this brand new series where I would present Alaska Airlines for the first time. Alaska Airlines has recently joined the oneworld alliance and had a 30% off sale that was valid on all their flights in December 2020 so I decided to try them on one of my US domestic trips.


So, in the second and last episode of this series, I would try the Alaska Airlines Domestic First product from Los Angeles to Washington National on their A321neo with recliner seats. Before this flight, I had the opportunity to visit the Alaska Airlines Lounge in Los Angeles Terminal 6 and you would be able to see a brief review of that in this report.


Here is the routing for this series;


Routing


Loads for this flight

Domestic First: 100%
Premium Class: 95-100%
Main Cabin: 95-100% 


ONLINE CHECK-IN


I have checked-in to this flight about 24 hours before departure and I kept my pre-assigned seat which was seat 4F


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Los Angeles AIRPORT - LAX


About 1h40 minutes before departure, I have arrived at Los Angeles Airport's Terminal 6 where Alaska Airlines flight operate from


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There were only one Priority check-in desk open at that time, although the wait was minimal so I was quickly checked-in by a friendly agent and dropped my checked baggage.


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Here are the FIDS for Terminal 6 departures, the majority of the flights operating from this terminal are Alaska Airlines flights


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There wasn't any priority security lane offered by Alaska so I needed to use the regular lane which meant that I waited 5-10 minutes to be screened. TSA Pre and Clear passengers had a dedicated lane if they have the respective memberships.


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Hand sanitizers were widely available throughout the terminal


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ALASKA LOUNGE - Los Angeles AIRPORT


As I had time before boarding I decided to visit the Alaska Lounge at Terminal 6. Unlike other US domestic carriers an Alaska Airlines Domestic First ticket would give you free lounge access, however, you must be on a revenue First Class ticket and upgrades/non-revenue passengers still require a membership.


However, if Alaska didn't offer free lounge access to their Domestic First passengers, I would have able to access the lounge by my British Airways Executive Club Gold status as non-AAdvantage and non-MileagePlan oneworld elites could still access oneworld lounges before oneworld flights even if they are flying on a US domestic flight despite their travel class.


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After being welcomed by one of the lounge agents at the entry, I glimpsed around and realized the lounge was very crowded and it was difficult to find a seat due to social distancing requirements and blocked seats. However, there was a circulation going on with passengers leaving and entering so I was able to find an open seat in a minute.


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So, due to local restrictions at Los Angeles, all food and beverages must be served by someone so the self-service buffet was closed. Here is the menu for the day.


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I have opted for the soup and the pancakes which were served with real silverware.


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The lounge also has a bar where you could get alcoholic beverages and tea/coffee. There are some complimentary drinks, however, you must pay for most of the alcoholic beverages. 


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Closer to boarding I have left the lounge and headed to the boarding gate.


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GATE AREA & BOARDING


The gate area was crowded even 1h30 minutes before departure ( I took this photo before heading to the lounge ). It was going to be a full flight this day.


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Photos of N921VA would be the bird operating today's flight. This bird was the first A321neo that was delivered for Virgin America and after the merger, it was obviously transferred to the Alaska Airline fleet.


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Before boarding, the gate area was crowded.


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Boarding started on time, however, with a few active US military members and passengers requiring extra assistance, it took a while for First Class passengers to be invited.


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Also, the barcode reader tablet was slow at scanning boarding passes and that was another reason that the boarding process was a bit slow.


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AS 6 Los Angeles AIRPORT TO WASHINGTON REAGAN AIRPORT


After being welcomed by the crew, I have headed to my seat 4F. ( As my neighbor in 4D has boarded before me, I took this photo after our arrival at DCA in order not to disturb him )


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Here is the legroom which is decent


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The seats were familiar to me as they were the same exact seats that you could find on a Turkish Airlines A321neo or Boeing 737MAX in Business Class.


As you might realize, there wasn't any written literature other than the inflight guide and the safety card.


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Our neighbor was this SkyWest Embraer


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The overhead panel


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All seats in the Domestic First Cabin already had a bottle of water and an hand sanitizer wipe in the armrest ready.


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Each seat in the Domestic First cabin had USB ports and power outlets


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While boarding was going on, our neighbor had changed as another Alaska SkyWest Embraer had parked at gate 65A.


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After boarding was completed, the cabin crew performed the safety demo and we have started our pushback.


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On the way to the runway, I did a decent amount of spotting starting with this American Airlines A321neo


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JetBlue A321


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Kalitta Air 747F


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Viva Aerobus A320 which had recently landed ( presumably from Mexico )


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Emirates SkyCargo 777F


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DHL aircraft at the freight terminal


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And after a 5-10 minute taxi, it was our time to takeoff and here is a JetBlue A321 taxiing


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Japan Airlines 777-300ER in front of Terminal 4


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Tom Bradley International Terminal where it's possible to spot European and Asian carriers


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The Midfield Satellite Concourse that should be opening in the next few months


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Some wide-bodies at remote stands


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Some Qantas A380's at remote stands


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And we were over the Pacific Ocean


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After a slight turn towards the east, the lead cabin crew introduced herself and verified my pre-ordered food option. She also asked my drink choice and shortly later the service had begun.


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As a beverage, I have opted for some red-wine which was drinkable but not that perfect.


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Today's meal options were the Ham & Cheese sandwich and the Fruit&Cheese Plate. As the latter wouldn't count as a lunch option, I had pre-ordered the sandwich.


By the way, Alaska Airlines have already restored hot meals on their transcontinental flights, and I missed the return of the hot meals on these routes by a few days.


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The sandwich was served with some sauce which I don't remember and a small chocolate. Although, I am not a fan of pre-packaged food on premium cabins, the sandwich was tasty and decent. Compared to American's Turkey & Havarti sandwich that I had multiple times, this sandwich is certainly much better.


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This flight was also equipped with Wi-Fi and personal device entertainment.
Here are the package options for this flight. 


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The mobile IFE menu


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Route map


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On this flight, I have watched a movie to entertain myself and midway on the flight, the lead flight attendant appeared with the snack basket and offered drinks as well.


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A view at that time


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If we look at the seatback pocket content, as I mentioned before, it is limited to the inflight guide and the safety card


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Information about the drink choices and entertainment options was available at the inflight guide.


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On the back, there was a credit card advertisement.


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Somewhere where I was enjoying my movie, I have hit the call button to request some mint tea, however, one of the FA's that was mostly serving Economy Class ignored the call button even when I came face to face with her, however, another FA came seconds later and shortly, my mint tea was served. Other than the weird action ( ignoring my call button signal ) by that specific crew, all the crew were totally perfect and that is the reason why I wouldn't give 10/10 for the crew in the ratings.


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After I finished my movie, I have checked the route map and we had about 1h13 minutes to landing


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I decided to visit the lavatory which was clean at that time


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On the way back to my seat, I have grabbed some candy and a bottle of water from the snack basket which was available at the front galley. At that time, the lead FA asked how was the flight going so far and I thanked her for the excellent service at that time.


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About 45 minutes before landing, the cabin crew appeared one more time, this time for the cookie service.


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The cookie was a Chocolate Chip cookie and was delicious.


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The cabin crew, also asked if the passengers would like any drinks and I have opted for a mint tea.


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Later on, the preparations for landing has started and trash was collected


National Harbor, MD


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MGM Casino at National Harbor, MD


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Shortly later, we have landed at DCA


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After a short taxi, we were going to park at gate 18.


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Shortly later the seatbelt signs have been switched off and after gathering my belongings and saying goodbye to the crew, I have left the aircraft.


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WASHINGTON REAGAN AIRPORT - DCA


Last shot of N921VA from the terminal


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That evening, the terminal was deserted and the only passengers were those arriving from our flight


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Arrival FIDS


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Bags were going to arrive at Carousel 3. After a 10-15 minute wait, bags have arrived with the respect of priorities and my bags were one of the first ones to arrive.


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After picking up my checked baggage, I have headed to the metro station and luckily the train was arriving at that time so I didn't wait over there.


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And this journey has come to an end.
A more exclusive series would be coming up soon so stay tuned with Flight-Report.
Once again, thanks for reading and hope to see you in another report. 

See more

Verdict

Alaska Airlines

8.2/10
Cabin8.5
Cabin crew9.5
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Meal/catering6.0

Alaska Lounge - 6

7.9/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering7.5
Entertainment/wifi7.5
Services8.5

Los Angeles - LAX

7.6/10
Efficiency8.0
Access7.5
Services7.5
Cleanliness7.5

Washington - DCA

8.4/10
Efficiency8.5
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness8.0

Conclusion

So, my first Alaska Domestic First flight was great especially compared to the price I paid for this segment. Although their hard-product is not the best hard-product within the US, the seats are comfortable and the amenities were sufficient for a domestic transcontinental flight. The service level from the crew was fantastic onboard and if one of the crew members didn't ignore my call button sign, I would have rated them 10/10. The Wi-Fi and entertainment options were sufficient, although, it was a bit bad to have pre-packaged food on this flight as a main meal, however, Alaska has restored hot meals on their transcontinental flights and I hope that I'll get a better meal on my next AS F flight. However, the quality of the sandwich was good and the cookie that was served prior to landing was delicious. The ground experience at LAX was also pleasant, other than no priority lane being available at security everything was OK. The lounge was above my expectations and at the time I travelled, I could easily say that the Alaska Lounge had the best offerings among all the lounges open in the entire airport. Also, I would not forget the excellent lounge team which were friendly and helpful.

To conclude this report and series, I could tell that I was very content with Alaska Airlines and I would definitely consider flying them in future travels. I don't want to give a hint on which route I'll fly them in the future but more AS reports would be coming later during the year if my plans don't change. Yes, they might not be part of the legacy US3, although they are not worse than the US3 and they are definitely a flyable airline within the USA.

LAX
(+) Efficient check-in process
(+) Acceptable wait for security
(+) Priorities respected throughout boarding
(-) No priority lane available for security
Alaska Lounge T6
(+) Decent food offerings compared to other US airline clubs
(+) Beverage selection including the availability of handcrafted espresso based beverages
(+) Friendly lounge staff
AS 6
(+) Comfortable seats and decent legroom
(+) Wi-Fi and entertainment options
(+) Presence of power outlets and USB ports
(+) Excellent crew
(+) Lavatories were kept clean throughout the flight
(-) Only pre-packaged food being available on this flight
DCA
(+) Bags arrived within a reasonable time and with the respect of priority

Information on the route Los Angeles (LAX) Washington (DCA)

8 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 574980 by
    Plainfreak 46 Comments
    Thanks for a nice report! Quite poor the main food service, good to read they have restored hot meals in the meantime.
  • Comment 574999 by
    wop 345 Comments
    Hi,
    Thanks for this report! I didn't know that Alaska operates such transcontinental flights.
    I am a little puzzled by the canned red wine, served with ice!
    • Comment 575001 by
      ISTFlyer SILVER AUTHOR 399 Comments
      Hi Wop and thanks for your comment,

      I didn't know that Alaska operates such transcontinental flights.

      - If I'm not wrong, this was a former Virgin America route and after the merger AS decided to continue operating it.
      I am a little puzzled by the canned red wine, served with ice!

      - It's the reality in the USA where all cold drinks are served with ice. I also don't get the logic but that's how it is :)
  • Comment 575030 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Hi ISTFlyer, thanks for sharing this report on a familiar route for me, which I'd flown many times in the past on AA, AS, and US and VX when they were around.

    Though the new Alaska cabins are an improvement over previous Alaska interiors, they are a downgrade for the former Virgin A320 family fleet, which lost PTVs throughout the cabin. The First class cabin is also a big downgrade over the previous Cradle Recliner sleeper seats which had 55" pitch compared to the new 40" pitch.

    Yes, the meal wasn't great for a 5h flight, this was pretty standard throughout the pandemic for most US carriers. Alaska have since brought back full hot meals on longer flights so it's back to the normal experience, at least on flights of similar length to this one.

    I wish they had kept a subfleet of VX cabins for transcons like this. Nevertheless, AS is my favourite US carrier because their service is friendly and consistently good. I've never really had a bad experience with AS and I'm so glad that the AA/AS/B6 partnership now allows you to fly on any of the 3 and earn miles + status! I'll be taking advantage of that this week as I fly JetBlue Mint for the first time, believe it or not.

    Thanks for sharing!
    • Comment 575059 by
      ISTFlyer SILVER AUTHOR 399 Comments
      Hi Kévin and thanks for your comment,

      Though the new Alaska cabins are an improvement over previous Alaska interiors, they are a downgrade for the former Virgin A320 family fleet, which lost PTVs throughout the cabin. The First class cabin is also a big downgrade over the previous Cradle Recliner sleeper seats which had 55" pitch compared to the new 40" pitch.

      - I didn't know that the VX F seats at 55" pitch, thanks for letting me know. Based on what I see on the internet, obviously VX's former hard product is much superior to what AS is offering at this moment. I wish I had the opportunity to try them in the past but no luck.

      Yes, the meal wasn't great for a 5h flight, this was pretty standard throughout the pandemic for most US carriers. Alaska have since brought back full hot meals on longer flights so it's back to the normal experience, at least on flights of similar length to this one.

      - At least they did the right thing restoring meals and I'm still a bit sad that I missed the hot meals by a few days. Whilst, I am still excited to fly AS F in the future and enjoy their full hot meals in F for the first time.

      I'm so glad that the AA/AS/B6 partnership now allows you to fly on any of the 3 and earn miles + status!

      - With AAdvantage, you have the opportunity to do that. If they didn't had that their EQD requirement, I might have considered building status on AAdvantage but definitely not worth it for someone like my flying pattern with the current scheme.

      I'll be taking advantage of that this week as I fly JetBlue Mint for the first time, believe it or not.

      - Wow! I am definitely waiting the report for that flight :)

      Once again take care and hope to see you around!
  • Comment 575297 by
    ThomasDutch SILVER 632 Comments
    Red wine in a can, served with ice and a plastic cup? That is really really a disgrace!
    -
    Catering wise I would have expected much more for a 5 hour flight, yet you can't expect it to be decent either in the US.
    -
    Thanks for sharing tho!
    • Comment 575298 by
      ISTFlyer SILVER AUTHOR 399 Comments
      Hi Thomas and thanks for stopping by,

      As you mentioned red wine in a can and in a plastic cup is a disgrace and if I'm not wrong they are still serving the same wine on their flights with plastic cups.
      Although, catering was improved and hot meals are now served on this route.

      Best,

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