Alaska shows how independent carriers are changing US transcontinental flying

I flew from Washington Reagan to Portland Oregon yesterday on a direct, five-and-a-half hour flight with Alaska Airlines.

It was an interesting and very positive experience and one that shows how the US independent carriers such as Alaska, JetBlue and Virgin America are really changing the face of coast-to-coast flying in the US -- flights that can be almost as long as some transatlantic flights but which the legacy carriers have treated with indifference in terms of onboard service.

The Alaska aircraft was a Boeing 737-8; I had an exit aisle seat, so lots of legroom, but then the economy pitch in general on Alaska aircraft seems generous because airline has installed Recaro Slimline seats that are designed to give more space for the knees. Also, each seat is equipped with a power outlet and USB port.

The crew, meanwhile, could not have been more cheerful or helpful throughout the flight (along with a very chatty captain who provided tourist tips on cities as we flew over them). The cabin crew came through four times with drinks/meals/snacks/water offerings. There was a choice of hot or cold meals that were pretty substantial and around $7 each.

There are no overhead video screens, but small tablets were available at a nominal fee that were loaded with movies and TV programs. These could sit on your table or hook into the top portion of the back of the seat. Wifi was available, so many people were using their own laptop devices and tablets, but I wanted to try the Alaska tablet and it was great.

The aircraft was spotlessly clean – and it didn’t hurt that we arrived 15 minutes early.

Compare this with – oh, you just know I’m going to say this – United transcontinental service. I flew direct Dulles-San Diego on a very old and tired A320 on which there were no overhead videos, no power outlets or USB ports (not even in first, let alone economy); and the crew came down the aisle twice (but the second time just with water). Not sure they even know what Wifi is?

As I’ve said before in this blog, American and Delta are considerably upping their game when it comes to service. But when you compare legacy services on US long-haul flights with those of Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue (whose Mint coast-to-coast service has lie-flat beds) and Virgin America (fantastic service recently between DCA and San Francisco; very cool cabins and great IFE offerings), it’s the independents that are leading the way. (And by the way, Alaska is also turning in great financials – so it’s smart service as well).