Alaska Visa 25K Bonus "Enough Miles for Anywhere Alaska flies in the US or Canada"
Jul 23, 2012, 7:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 101
Alaska Visa 25K Bonus "Enough Miles for Anywhere Alaska flies in the US or Canada"
Okay, I think we all know that Alaska has made the "Choice" level for Alaska award redemption the "new normal" and that at 40K a domestic ticket is now twice as expensive in miles compared to the 20K formerly abundant domestic Super Saver tickets of just a few years ago... but on some routes 25k Super Saver tickets are not even being offered with regularity leading me to question the honesty of the claims being made by our esteemed FAs. "Sign up for the Alaska Airlines Bank of America Visa Signature credit card receive 25,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles, enough miles for for a free round trip ticket anywhere Alaska flies in the continental US, Alaska or Canada." I think Alaska can keep walking that very thin line between truth and lie as long as they keep salting the award calendar with a few Super Saver options on most routes a couple days a year, but it seems disingenuous. Even more so when they highlight the Choice redemption level as "Lowest Available Award" on the Low Fare Calendar...
Jul 23, 2012, 7:23 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: YYC; YYZ
Programs: SPG Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, UA Silver
Posts: 231
I signed up for the Alaska card in march under the premise of being able to book with the 25k sign up bonus. However in all my searches to date the realistic redemption levels appear to range from 32.5k to 40k (unless you decide to depart and arrive on the slowest days of the week, and even still that becomes a stretch)
Add this to the soon to be defunct 1k booking bonus and the removal of the companion pass for first class flights and this card and 25k bonus becomes extremely devalued.
Add this to the soon to be defunct 1k booking bonus and the removal of the companion pass for first class flights and this card and 25k bonus becomes extremely devalued.
Jul 23, 2012, 8:51 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,621
The simple fact of the entire industry is that getting the lowest saver award type is extremely difficult. In spite of this, AS has comparatively good statistics v. many others; nevertheless, that doesn't make it good.
Ironically, if you are an AK resident, you are likely to get great value,and more availability, out of a saver award on a money saved-type basis.
Ironically, if you are an AK resident, you are likely to get great value,and more availability, out of a saver award on a money saved-type basis.
Jul 24, 2012, 9:30 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: GEG-Spokane
Programs: AS MVP Gold, DL, Marriott, Hilton Honors Gold, AMEX Membership Rewards
Posts: 200
Okay, I think we all know that Alaska has made the "Choice" level for Alaska award redemption the "new normal" and that at 40K a domestic ticket is now twice as expensive in miles compared to the 20K formerly abundant domestic Super Saver tickets of just a few years ago... but on some routes 25k Super Saver tickets are not even being offered with regularity leading me to question the honesty of the claims being made by our esteemed FAs. "Sign up for the Alaska Airlines Bank of America Visa Signature credit card receive 25,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles, enough miles for for a free round trip ticket anywhere Alaska flies in the continental US, Alaska or Canada." I think Alaska can keep walking that very thin line between truth and lie as long as they keep salting the award calendar with a few Super Saver options on most routes a couple days a year, but it seems disingenuous. Even more so when they highlight the Choice redemption level as "Lowest Available Award" on the Low Fare Calendar...
Jul 28, 2012, 8:46 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SEA
Programs: DL SM
Posts: 335
Jul 28, 2012, 11:10 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Contrary to Popular Belief, Your Miles Never Expire
As long as you keep your account active* — that is, as long as you earn or spend at least one mile every 24 months you'll keep all the miles that you earn.
* If no mileage is credited to your account during the first 24 months after opening, or if your account is inactive for longer than 2 years, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ reserves the right to delete your account and reassign the number. If mileage has been deleted from your account, you can reinstate it for up to one year by paying a $75 fee.
As long as you keep your account active* — that is, as long as you earn or spend at least one mile every 24 months you'll keep all the miles that you earn.
* If no mileage is credited to your account during the first 24 months after opening, or if your account is inactive for longer than 2 years, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ reserves the right to delete your account and reassign the number. If mileage has been deleted from your account, you can reinstate it for up to one year by paying a $75 fee.
Jul 29, 2012, 3:07 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,617
Jul 29, 2012, 9:06 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,384
AS claims that on their website, too: http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...eage-plan.aspx
Technically, they are correct, even if they are violating the spirit of the usual interpretation of that statement.
Technically, they are correct, even if they are violating the spirit of the usual interpretation of that statement.
http://www.lufthansa.com/online/port...522607&l=en#25
2.5. Mileage expiry
Any mileage not redeemed within 36 months of the date of accrual (date of flight, start of hotel stay, time of car rental) will expire at the end of that quarter (e.g. miles expiring in August of any given year would expire at the end of September of that same year), failing other arrangements published in the Miles & More communication media. Attention will be drawn in good time to the date and extent of the lapsed mileage in the Miles & More account information or in the personal Internet mileage account.
Any mileage not redeemed within 36 months of the date of accrual (date of flight, start of hotel stay, time of car rental) will expire at the end of that quarter (e.g. miles expiring in August of any given year would expire at the end of September of that same year), failing other arrangements published in the Miles & More communication media. Attention will be drawn in good time to the date and extent of the lapsed mileage in the Miles & More account information or in the personal Internet mileage account.