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Old Dec 20, 12, 8:47 pm   #1
 
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Alaska only giving miles for a 'direct' flight even though it had a stop

I recently flew Alaska flight 845 from Seattle to OGG. The flight stopped in Sacremento. When I booked the flight it liste the following distance:

Total: 3,006 mi

However I've now checked my account, and here is what it says:

12/16/2012 ALASKA AIRLINES SEA OGG 845 2,640 2,640 5,280

It looks like they only credited me 2640 miles, which I'm guessing is the distance of a direct flight fro Seattle to OGG. However I didn't take a direct flight, I had a stop-over in Sacremento (though the flight number was the same).

I presume this is an error by Alaska and something they should fix? This is particularly concerning for me, as without these miles I'll be 55 miles short of MVPG!
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Old Dec 20, 12, 9:05 pm   #2
 
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It's not an error. You took a direct flight, which is a flight that has at least two segments (so it stops at least once), but the same flight number for all segments. Mileage credit for direct flights is calculated and credited to you as if you took a nonstop flight.

Maybe someone else can weigh in on why it works this way. I've never understood it, but I definitely try to avoid those flights because of the mileage implication.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 9:08 pm   #3
 
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No, Alaska is correct here - intermediate stops have no bearing on mileage earned.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 9:44 pm   #4
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Most airlines treat "direct" flights (multi-segment flights with same flight number) like this for mileage-earning purposes. There are numerous threads around FT on this topic. Unfortunately, you have discovered this basic buyer-beware fact of flying a bit too late.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 10:00 pm   #5
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikmort View Post

I presume this is an error by Alaska and something they should fix? This is particularly concerning for me, as without these miles I'll be 55 miles short of MVPG!
Definitely not an error. You don't get 4 segments so why would you expect to get the miles?

I'm surprised you've gotten all the way to MVPG (almost) without having run into this situation.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 10:03 pm   #6
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I think it's an absolutely filthy policy by the airlines. At least on United, you can get them to split the direct flight into two separate flights in your record locator, and it will then credit as two separate flights. Alaska will not do this.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 10:36 pm   #7
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AKLifetimeFlyer View Post
I'm surprised you've gotten all the way to MVPG (almost) without having run into this situation.
I've been flying AS since 1988 and I've run in to this less than 5 times, all on QX, back when they flew PDX-SFO/SJC-TUS. I soon started booking that run as two separate tickets and that fixed the one segment problem...

AS doesn't run very many through flights, aside from the milk run flights in Alaska.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 10:41 pm   #8
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tusphotog View Post
I've been flying AS since 1988 and I've run in to this less than 5 times, all on QX, back when they flew PDX-SFO/SJC-TUS. I soon started booking that run as two separate tickets and that fixed the one segment problem...

AS doesn't run very many through flights, aside from the milk run flights in Alaska.
The one that pops into my mind is ANC-IAH via SEA.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 10:50 pm   #9
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tusphotog View Post
AS doesn't run very many through flights, aside from the milk run flights in Alaska.
QX does EUG - PDX - OAK as a single flight (2609), which had through passengers (to the Bay Area) when I took it last week; they were told not to get off when we landed at Portland.
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Old Dec 20, 12, 11:19 pm   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AKLifetimeFlyer
Quote:
Originally Posted by tusphotog View Post
I've been flying AS since 1988 and I've run in to this less than 5 times, all on QX, back when they flew PDX-SFO/SJC-TUS. I soon started booking that run as two separate tickets and that fixed the one segment problem...

AS doesn't run very many through flights, aside from the milk run flights in Alaska.
The one that pops into my mind is ANC-IAH via SEA.
Not quite as bad as the n/s is about the same distance. Can be deceptive at times...
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Old Dec 21, 12, 7:56 am   #11
 
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Alaska isn't as (ok I will say it) fraudulent about this as others, notably the big 4. There are several 1-stop SEA-(hub)-Europe flights that carry the same flight number all the way through. What is irritating about these is that they generally include a change of aircraft, but not a flight number. It is essentially the same as using two different flight numbers. Mostly it is done to show up higher on GDS flight displays, but it is a rather fecal policy. (I can't type ...... here).

The only time this hasn't dinged me was recently flying EZE-ATL-LAX. The flight is #110 all the way through, but changes from an A330 to a 777 at ATL. It credited as two segments only because, as far as I can tell, the flights were on two different dates. Not complaining. It was an extra 900+ miles (and 900+ mile more as gold bonus).
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Old Dec 21, 12, 7:57 am   #12
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jackal View Post
I think it's an absolutely filthy policy by the airlines. At least on United, you can get them to split the direct flight into two separate flights in your record locator, and it will then credit as two separate flights. Alaska will not do this.
Yep. It's been around a long time and definitely not unique to AS.
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Old Dec 21, 12, 12:36 pm   #13
 
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I had wondered about this. I was looking at flights to Hawaii and didn't want to take the longer 1-stop flight because of the duration. This kind of policy is irritating because you are on the flight for a longer time...so your miles get devalued. I've been MVPG for 4 years, but I have not encountered this yet. Thanks.
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Old Dec 21, 12, 2:38 pm   #14
 
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I do wish on some of the milkruns, they would list all stops FIDS screens. I once had a friend pick me up in ANC when I took the SEA-KTN-WRG-PSG-JNU-ANC run. I was coming from KTN and all arrival boards showed the flight from JNU. Poor guy was in quite a panic, thinking he got the date, time, flight number or something wrong because he couldn't find any flights from KTN!!

I've seen the same confusion (mostly in summer) on the other end from SEA, with depature boards showing JNU, but customer flying to one of the other stops and being totally confused because the departure gate is not displaying their intended destination.
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Old Dec 21, 12, 4:51 pm   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikmort View Post
I recently flew Alaska flight 845 from Seattle to OGG. The flight stopped in Sacremento. When I booked the flight it liste the following distance:

Total: 3,006 mi

However I've now checked my account, and here is what it says:

12/16/2012 ALASKA AIRLINES SEA OGG 845 2,640 2,640 5,280

It looks like they only credited me 2640 miles, which I'm guessing is the distance of a direct flight fro Seattle to OGG. However I didn't take a direct flight, I had a stop-over in Sacremento (though the flight number was the same).

I presume this is an error by Alaska and something they should fix? This is particularly concerning for me, as without these miles I'll be 55 miles short of MVPG!
I almost fell prey to the same screw over. But I know I went to MSP before via SEA with same flight numbers and got the actual miles flown. Maybe since AS didnt have nonstop to MSP? or maybe the screwed up?
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