Alaska Miles To Europe with Partner Airline
Jan 29, 2015, 6:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 177
Alaska Miles To Europe with Partner Airline
I'm looking at booking a flight to Europe in summer 2016 on Alaska.
Since there's nothing available yet, and summer 2015 looks like it's sold out, I'm wondering if anyone can comment on the availability of flights to Europe on Alaska partners? Are these few and far between? Slip pickings?
Also, what can I expect to pay in terms of miles required for, say a trip from SEA to Paris during peak summer season?
As I said, I tried to use summer 2015 as a gauge but can't find any flights available when I use their online tool.
Since there's nothing available yet, and summer 2015 looks like it's sold out, I'm wondering if anyone can comment on the availability of flights to Europe on Alaska partners? Are these few and far between? Slip pickings?
Also, what can I expect to pay in terms of miles required for, say a trip from SEA to Paris during peak summer season?
As I said, I tried to use summer 2015 as a gauge but can't find any flights available when I use their online tool.
Jan 29, 2015, 7:10 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75k, DL Silver
Posts: 13
What class are you looking for?
There are usually tons of coach and business seats on BA, but the fuel surcharges with BA can make it be $400+ per ticket, ontop of 30-70k miles each way depending on the class.
Partner award charts are here: http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...rt-europe.aspx
There are usually tons of coach and business seats on BA, but the fuel surcharges with BA can make it be $400+ per ticket, ontop of 30-70k miles each way depending on the class.
Partner award charts are here: http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...rt-europe.aspx
Jan 29, 2015, 8:01 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2010
Programs: AS gold
Posts: 228
Out of Seattle, the fuel surcharges on BA through LHR will kill you and may amount to about half of what simply purchasing the ticket will cost. The Delta mileage rates are userous and not a good use of your Alaska miles.
You might want to look at availability on AF out of LAX or SFO and take advantage of the free AS connection (including a stopover at either city if this is attractive) to either gateway.
In addition, especially if you are interested in business class, as you are currently doing, monitor the Alaska calendar and book your seat on the day (about 330 days in advance) that it becomes available. During this last year, most of the June-Aug seats on AF (and KLM) for summer 2015 from SFO and LAX were gone by late october 2014. So if you see something you like do not hesitate to snap it up.
And finally, don't forget that there are plenty of other cities here in the states like ORD, etc that both AF and AS fly to. Connections through these cities are not often shown on the AS website, but if you do your research, find the seat, and call the partner desk, they may be able to book them for you. You can take a stopover in any of these cities both outbound and return.
You might want to look at availability on AF out of LAX or SFO and take advantage of the free AS connection (including a stopover at either city if this is attractive) to either gateway.
In addition, especially if you are interested in business class, as you are currently doing, monitor the Alaska calendar and book your seat on the day (about 330 days in advance) that it becomes available. During this last year, most of the June-Aug seats on AF (and KLM) for summer 2015 from SFO and LAX were gone by late october 2014. So if you see something you like do not hesitate to snap it up.
And finally, don't forget that there are plenty of other cities here in the states like ORD, etc that both AF and AS fly to. Connections through these cities are not often shown on the AS website, but if you do your research, find the seat, and call the partner desk, they may be able to book them for you. You can take a stopover in any of these cities both outbound and return.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:07 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,834
Out of Seattle, the fuel surcharges on BA through LHR will kill you and may amount to about half of what simply purchasing the ticket will cost. The Delta mileage rates are userous and not a good use of your Alaska miles.
You might want to look at availability on AF out of LAX or SFO and take advantage of the free AS connection (including a stopover at either city if this is attractive) to either gateway.
In addition, especially if you are interested in business class, as you are currently doing, monitor the Alaska calendar and book your seat on the day (about 330 days in advance) that it becomes available. During this last year, most of the June-Aug seats on AF (and KLM) for summer 2015 from SFO and LAX were gone by late october 2014. So if you see something you like do not hesitate to snap it up.
And finally, don't forget that there are plenty of other cities here in the states like ORD, etc that both AF and AS fly to. Connections through these cities are not often shown on the AS website, but if you do your research, find the seat, and call the partner desk, they may be able to book them for you. You can take a stopover in any of these cities both outbound and return.
You might want to look at availability on AF out of LAX or SFO and take advantage of the free AS connection (including a stopover at either city if this is attractive) to either gateway.
In addition, especially if you are interested in business class, as you are currently doing, monitor the Alaska calendar and book your seat on the day (about 330 days in advance) that it becomes available. During this last year, most of the June-Aug seats on AF (and KLM) for summer 2015 from SFO and LAX were gone by late october 2014. So if you see something you like do not hesitate to snap it up.
And finally, don't forget that there are plenty of other cities here in the states like ORD, etc that both AF and AS fly to. Connections through these cities are not often shown on the AS website, but if you do your research, find the seat, and call the partner desk, they may be able to book them for you. You can take a stopover in any of these cities both outbound and return.
Delta is "userous" - what do you mean? They charge the same round trip price as the airlines you mention (AF/KL). Perhaps you are looking one way - Delta charges the same amount for one way as they do for round trip.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:53 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,381
I'm looking at booking a flight to Europe in summer 2016 on Alaska.
Since there's nothing available yet, and summer 2015 looks like it's sold out, I'm wondering if anyone can comment on the availability of flights to Europe on Alaska partners? Are these few and far between? Slip pickings?
Also, what can I expect to pay in terms of miles required for, say a trip from SEA to Paris during peak summer season?
As I said, I tried to use summer 2015 as a gauge but can't find any flights available when I use their online tool.
Since there's nothing available yet, and summer 2015 looks like it's sold out, I'm wondering if anyone can comment on the availability of flights to Europe on Alaska partners? Are these few and far between? Slip pickings?
Also, what can I expect to pay in terms of miles required for, say a trip from SEA to Paris during peak summer season?
As I said, I tried to use summer 2015 as a gauge but can't find any flights available when I use their online tool.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:55 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Seattle
Posts: 85
You will need to look pretty much exactly one year in advance. There are enough flights available to find something that will work, but you must check a year in advance. Good flights, especially nonstop flights go fast.
I booked our summer 2015 flight in the summer of 2014. Flying nonstop on delta from Seattle to Paris, return from Munich with a stopover in Atlanta.
One thing I wish I had known is that you don't have to book the return flight at the time you book your outbound flight, which allows you to book your outbound exactly one year in advance.
I booked our summer 2015 flight in the summer of 2014. Flying nonstop on delta from Seattle to Paris, return from Munich with a stopover in Atlanta.
One thing I wish I had known is that you don't have to book the return flight at the time you book your outbound flight, which allows you to book your outbound exactly one year in advance.
Jan 29, 2015, 11:19 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
What class are you looking for?
There are usually tons of coach and business seats on BA, but the fuel surcharges with BA can make it be $400+ per ticket, ontop of 30-70k miles each way depending on the class.
Partner award charts are here: http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...rt-europe.aspx
There are usually tons of coach and business seats on BA, but the fuel surcharges with BA can make it be $400+ per ticket, ontop of 30-70k miles each way depending on the class.
Partner award charts are here: http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...rt-europe.aspx
There was even more availability - including F - that showed up when using the other tools that are discussed in separate threads here on the forum.
Again, YMMV, especially if you aren't able to be flexible with dates of travel.
Jan 30, 2015, 9:03 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Award inventory gets added from time to time. Ignore the remarks that declare one has to book a year in advance.
KL (and newly AF from March this year) use YVR as a gateway.
SEA offers Delta to LHR/CDG/AMS, or BA to LHR with surcharges. Delta saver award inventory can indeed be tough.
Jan 30, 2015, 10:13 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,618
Looking at the award charts and the AS definitions of North America, AS can issue an award ticket if you had an AS flight to a Canadian gateway and connect to a TATL carrier. Or just leave straight away from Canada
KL & BA both fly out of Calgary, as well as many carriers out of YVR. You don't have to leave from a US gateway.
KL & BA both fly out of Calgary, as well as many carriers out of YVR. You don't have to leave from a US gateway.
Last edited by Orwaid; Jan 30, 2015 at 10:19 am
Jan 30, 2015, 12:37 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SNA
Posts: 928
IMO the 330-days-in-advance advice is the #1 tip here. (And avoid BA--and its extortionate surcharges--like the plague, but I figure everyone knows that one by now.)
Yes, it requires some forward thinking, but premium cabins are generally wide open at that mark. And it seems OP is thinking forward enough to take advantage.
Yes, it requires some forward thinking, but premium cabins are generally wide open at that mark. And it seems OP is thinking forward enough to take advantage.
Jan 30, 2015, 5:38 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,960
In the past few years getting two seats ( BIZ) using AS miles to Europe from SEA has been almost impossible for me.
You need to look at other departing cities ( SFO.LAX,ORD) for a better inventory and then AS will fly you to those cities for the flight on your award ticket.
You can almost always find some seats on Air France looking 330 days out from the cities I mentioned above.
You need to look at other departing cities ( SFO.LAX,ORD) for a better inventory and then AS will fly you to those cities for the flight on your award ticket.
You can almost always find some seats on Air France looking 330 days out from the cities I mentioned above.
Jan 31, 2015, 2:24 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AK, DL, UA
Posts: 9
using AF and Kl for Europe
It's important to follow the calendar. Partner award seats are released 331 days before the scheduled travel date and are quickly snatched up. I was able to book DL from SEA to AMS late August 2015 but had to buy intraEurope flights separately since DL does not fly within Europe and will not allow connections even with partners. But I was able to find cheap flights. For the return I was able to book Milan (Linate) to SEA via AMS and YVR. AF and KLM both fly to Calgary, MSP, ORD and YVR as well so if you use multi-city you can often find a good connection. And you can change flights up to 60 days in advance if you find something better. I check periodically and have been able to improve my connections by doing so.
It seems that AF and KL, at least, may release seats later on if they do to begin to sell. I would love to know their threshold for doing so! And connections via Dubai are becoming easier to find, albeit a longer trip. Good luck!
It seems that AF and KL, at least, may release seats later on if they do to begin to sell. I would love to know their threshold for doing so! And connections via Dubai are becoming easier to find, albeit a longer trip. Good luck!