Mileage Plan viable for earning and redeeming awards only on partners?
Dec 9, 2014, 2:49 pm
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
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Mileage Plan viable for earning and redeeming awards only on partners?
I've been Premier Gold on UA for years (and Gold on DL before that), looking to change.
Most of my flying is TATL out of SFO.
Obviously AS partners AF/KLM and DL have TATL options.
How viable is it to earn and maintain (assuming I can get a status match) MVP Gold predominantly on partners, getting the bulk of the qualifying miles on TATL flights out of SFO and then redeeming awards mostly for TATL flights on the partners?
I've heard that if you don't fly any AS flights, either along the West Coast or other parts of the West or to Hawaii, it doesn't make sense to join Mileage Plan.
Are there other AS Mileage Plan elites doing something similar, flying mostly on partners to achieve status and redeem on partners, with minimal flights on AS itself?
Of course, the way the industry is going, AS could impose revenue requirements, requiring booking through AS, even for partners, which could result in more expensive tickets. That is what UA has done of course.
But maybe the other side of the coin is that the partners fly complementary routes, not the same routes, as is the case with UA and many *A partners, which gives them an incentive to force its elites on its own flights. So AS may not be as hostile to the use of partners to earn status, at least for now.
Most of my flying is TATL out of SFO.
Obviously AS partners AF/KLM and DL have TATL options.
How viable is it to earn and maintain (assuming I can get a status match) MVP Gold predominantly on partners, getting the bulk of the qualifying miles on TATL flights out of SFO and then redeeming awards mostly for TATL flights on the partners?
I've heard that if you don't fly any AS flights, either along the West Coast or other parts of the West or to Hawaii, it doesn't make sense to join Mileage Plan.
Are there other AS Mileage Plan elites doing something similar, flying mostly on partners to achieve status and redeem on partners, with minimal flights on AS itself?
Of course, the way the industry is going, AS could impose revenue requirements, requiring booking through AS, even for partners, which could result in more expensive tickets. That is what UA has done of course.
But maybe the other side of the coin is that the partners fly complementary routes, not the same routes, as is the case with UA and many *A partners, which gives them an incentive to force its elites on its own flights. So AS may not be as hostile to the use of partners to earn status, at least for now.
Dec 9, 2014, 3:02 pm
#2
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
So far, this year I have flown 6x AA, 1x AS, 4x BA. And two more legs coming up on DL. Not yet redeemed any miles but planning to do in the near future on CX.
Dec 9, 2014, 3:17 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
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AS doesn't ticket internationally outside of Mexico and Canada, so they can't force you to buy thru them like UA and DL to track spend. Granted this eventually could change, but would require a sizable investment for AS to ticket internationally. Even then tracking revenue might not come to fruition for mileage purposes.
AS doesn't ticket internationally outside of Mexico and Canada, so they can't force you to buy thru them like UA and DL to track spend. Granted this eventually could change, but would require a sizable investment for AS to ticket internationally. Even then tracking revenue might not come to fruition for mileage purposes.
Dec 9, 2014, 3:44 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: AS gold
Posts: 228
In addition to thinking about how you would earn the miles, it might be prudent to investigate availability of award seats on TATL flights that are acceptable to you. As you know, UA's availability is generally pretty good.
Alaska has a long list of partners and the personnel at their Partner desk are drop dead fabulous. However, if you go to their website and search availability for a couple of hypothetical trips, you may find that most of the available seats are now on British with those horrible fuel surcharges, or on Delta which require an exorbitant number of miles.
So, the value for TATL flights lies in KLM and Air France. The Alaska website displays availability for SFO-CDG and AMS, but is less than perfect for destinations beyond those two gateways. It may help to break up your search into segments ( SFO-AMS, and then AMS-Oslo for instance) and if you find the seats are there, you may have to call the partner desk rather than book it online, which will incur a $25 fee.
And if your plans ever call for a trip to the Pacific, or South America, then the Alaska program has very attractive award levels and good seat availability on Cathay Pacific, and Lan, respectively. Qantas is a good option to Australia, but if you want to fly J you need to book well in advance and if in F, then time it to the exact day about 11 months in advance that the new seats are loaded into the system
Alaska has a long list of partners and the personnel at their Partner desk are drop dead fabulous. However, if you go to their website and search availability for a couple of hypothetical trips, you may find that most of the available seats are now on British with those horrible fuel surcharges, or on Delta which require an exorbitant number of miles.
So, the value for TATL flights lies in KLM and Air France. The Alaska website displays availability for SFO-CDG and AMS, but is less than perfect for destinations beyond those two gateways. It may help to break up your search into segments ( SFO-AMS, and then AMS-Oslo for instance) and if you find the seats are there, you may have to call the partner desk rather than book it online, which will incur a $25 fee.
And if your plans ever call for a trip to the Pacific, or South America, then the Alaska program has very attractive award levels and good seat availability on Cathay Pacific, and Lan, respectively. Qantas is a good option to Australia, but if you want to fly J you need to book well in advance and if in F, then time it to the exact day about 11 months in advance that the new seats are loaded into the system
Dec 9, 2014, 4:40 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,837
In addition to thinking about how you would earn the miles, it might be prudent to investigate availability of award seats on TATL flights that are acceptable to you. As you know, UA's availability is generally pretty good.
Alaska has a long list of partners and the personnel at their Partner desk are drop dead fabulous. However, if you go to their website and search availability for a couple of hypothetical trips, you may find that most of the available seats are now on British with those horrible fuel surcharges, or on Delta which require an exorbitant number of miles.
So, the value for TATL flights lies in KLM and Air France. The Alaska website displays availability for SFO-CDG and AMS, but is less than perfect for destinations beyond those two gateways. It may help to break up your search into segments ( SFO-AMS, and then AMS-Oslo for instance) and if you find the seats are there, you may have to call the partner desk rather than book it online, which will incur a $25 fee.
And if your plans ever call for a trip to the Pacific, or South America, then the Alaska program has very attractive award levels and good seat availability on Cathay Pacific, and Lan, respectively. Qantas is a good option to Australia, but if you want to fly J you need to book well in advance and if in F, then time it to the exact day about 11 months in advance that the new seats are loaded into the system
Alaska has a long list of partners and the personnel at their Partner desk are drop dead fabulous. However, if you go to their website and search availability for a couple of hypothetical trips, you may find that most of the available seats are now on British with those horrible fuel surcharges, or on Delta which require an exorbitant number of miles.
So, the value for TATL flights lies in KLM and Air France. The Alaska website displays availability for SFO-CDG and AMS, but is less than perfect for destinations beyond those two gateways. It may help to break up your search into segments ( SFO-AMS, and then AMS-Oslo for instance) and if you find the seats are there, you may have to call the partner desk rather than book it online, which will incur a $25 fee.
And if your plans ever call for a trip to the Pacific, or South America, then the Alaska program has very attractive award levels and good seat availability on Cathay Pacific, and Lan, respectively. Qantas is a good option to Australia, but if you want to fly J you need to book well in advance and if in F, then time it to the exact day about 11 months in advance that the new seats are loaded into the system
TATL rt award flights in business on DL cost the same amount as award flights on KL and AF (125,000). And in coach they are less on DL (60,000 vs 65,000).
Dec 9, 2014, 5:41 pm
#6
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this year i earned 80% of my miles on partner metal. worked fine. as long as you don't mind not getting upgraded (internationally this is obviously a non-issue, much of my flying is TCON domestic so the exit row on DL gets old after awhile. i'm not a big fan of AA in coach so i mostly avoid them.).
i think AF is a pretty good airline and after a very nice experience in J TATL this year i'll try them again for at least one of my trips next year. i also like that they have a premium economy cabin that earns 110% on AS, since paying for J is rapidly falling out of fashion with my company.
i think AF is a pretty good airline and after a very nice experience in J TATL this year i'll try them again for at least one of my trips next year. i also like that they have a premium economy cabin that earns 110% on AS, since paying for J is rapidly falling out of fashion with my company.
Dec 9, 2014, 7:26 pm
#7
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Yeah I guess I'd be relying a lot on AF/KLM and DL.
The awards on AA seems limited to finding availability on BA for SFO-LHR. Otherwise the routings get really long, over 20 hours, each way.
The awards on AA seems limited to finding availability on BA for SFO-LHR. Otherwise the routings get really long, over 20 hours, each way.
Dec 19, 2014, 12:12 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: YYZ, HKG, MFM
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AS is perfect program for me to rack up points. Both of my OW and ST status will expire next year, and I plan on putting my OW/ST flights to AS. I won't be earning enough to get status anyway next year, I might as well credit my CX, KE, DL, AF flights to AS for future redemption. I also really like their free stopover rule for one-way.
Dec 19, 2014, 10:57 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: DL Silver, AS MVP, UA Silver, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 3,883
Even as an ATL native, I've been very happy earning in MileagePlan as MVPG this year after defecting from SkyMiles. This year I've had ~30k on DL, ~25k on AS, and ~8k on AA. I've used AS for 5/7 TCON flights (through SEA and PDX) and was able to upgrade all 5 using GG Certs at booking (all with only a 0-10% fare premium over lowest coach). As for my DL and AA flights, all were as pleasant as can be expected... MCE does help on AA, as does Exit Row on DL. I've paid for EC on DL the 2 times I was on TCONs, but did so at the DL Silver Medallion discount before switching the PNR over to my AS account (this trick will disappear in 2015).
Even if it weren't for the added comfort of AS on TCONs I still would have stuck with MileagePlan in 2014 for the ability to shop between AA and DL based solely on price. In 2015, though, I'll be flying every possible mile on AA given the DL earnings devaluation (hopefully enough to flip my 2014 DL/AA ratio of almost 4:1).
I've yet to redeem any AS miles but I expect to do so mostly on AA and DL domestic saver tickets in the near-term (4 young kids eliminate any international leisure travel plans for awhile). Luckily I still earn ~80k/year in my SkyMiles account from my SunTrust Delta Debit Card for instances where saver seats aren't available.
Even if it weren't for the added comfort of AS on TCONs I still would have stuck with MileagePlan in 2014 for the ability to shop between AA and DL based solely on price. In 2015, though, I'll be flying every possible mile on AA given the DL earnings devaluation (hopefully enough to flip my 2014 DL/AA ratio of almost 4:1).
I've yet to redeem any AS miles but I expect to do so mostly on AA and DL domestic saver tickets in the near-term (4 young kids eliminate any international leisure travel plans for awhile). Luckily I still earn ~80k/year in my SkyMiles account from my SunTrust Delta Debit Card for instances where saver seats aren't available.
Dec 19, 2014, 4:33 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: AS: MVPG, Hyatt: P, SPG: G, Marriott: G, IHG: P
Posts: 305
Keep in mind that being MVPG flying partners won't give you any benefits besides mileage bonus, as I assume as UA G flying TATL you at least enjoyed the lounges.
If that is OK for you, then why not? I matched from UA G to AS MVPG last Oct, and requalified this year mainly on CX's TPAC flights. I try to fly AS metal as much as possible when flying domestically though, as AS is treating me well (like 11/12 upgrade rate well)
If that is OK for you, then why not? I matched from UA G to AS MVPG last Oct, and requalified this year mainly on CX's TPAC flights. I try to fly AS metal as much as possible when flying domestically though, as AS is treating me well (like 11/12 upgrade rate well)
Dec 19, 2014, 4:55 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: SEA and wherever else I can get to
Programs: AS MVPG -> MVP -> now nothing, DL SM, Global Entry
Posts: 62
I occasionally route via DFW on AA--although I prefer coach on DL, their war with AS has made it pretty clear that flyers like me are not terribly welcome. Being able to credit to AS on (now) US flights to CLT would be a game-changer to me! (Better yet--AS nonstop SEA-CLT!)
I've only booked reward travel domestically on AS, and only as an emergency. Have had great service and no problems dealing with AS staff and I would always choose AS wherever possible and price competitive.
Last edited by flatdawgs; Dec 19, 2014 at 4:58 pm Reason: upgrade note
Dec 19, 2014, 10:04 pm
#14
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Dec 20, 2014, 7:40 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 693
I just qualified for mvp75k or whatever it is for 90k partner miles. Flew a total of 600 miles on AS metal this year. Most of that was biz international trips on BA or DL or AA with the occasional domestic flight when I couldnt fly UA. If I was flying coach international a lot I would consolidate on one airline but if you're paying for higher fares on a mix of airlines then crediting to AS is a good deal, and the 50k bonus miles are really nice. The one time I flew AS I really loved it but being in Texas it isn't real convenient for me. If you're premier Gold on UA I'm going to guess you don't get a tons of upgrades going through and since the international upgrades you only get with UA 1K are not a factor then I would encourage a switch. I don't know what you would miss from your UA days.