So, honestly, the partner award charge is probably barely covering the actualy cost to provide the service. The website does a poor job of finding partner awards. I spent over half an hour on the phone with an agent yesterday trying to find an F award to the east coast next month. She was extremely nice and helpful, just had to go through and try this, and try that. The one thing I learned was to go to the partner's website and try to find flights from other AS gateways. I finally came up with an option that had me fly out of PDX on DL, fly back to SEA on AS, then SEA-PDX on QX. The next call only took 10 minutes!
There's no new reality. Things are largely as they have been before. Oil has even fallen more than 15% from the recent highs yet there's no 15% reduction in this FFP hit or that FFP hit announced. DL's infection spreads, regardless of oil prices, and now AS has the disease too. Want to treat some of the symptoms, flood AS management with communication expressing your concerns -- and even that is far from a guaranteed cure after the disease has struck.
Um, jet fuel still up 100% in the past year...
Until we seen a corresponding increase in prices or redemption requirements, your position is irrelevant.
Last edited by sxf24; Jul 24, 08 at 6:48 pm.
Reason: Correct percentage from ATA
Programs: HH Diamond, MR Silver, Alaska Air MVP Gold/BR, ASCE, ITE, OPM CSRS annuitant, SOA Tier IV
Posts: 447
Not happy that the AS50 tickets will no longer accrue mileage....and agree with the previous poster who said that it would be more sporting to allow a reduced mileage accrual than do away with it altogether given the fact that you still shell out money for the ticket.
However, it's still better (IMHO) than not having an AS50 program at all.
Programs: AS MVP, SPG Gold, Marriott Silver, Hilton HH Gold
Posts: 27
Quote:
So, honestly, the partner award charge is probably barely covering the actualy cost to provide the service. The website does a poor job of finding partner awards. I spent over half an hour on the phone with an agent yesterday trying to find an F award to the east coast next month. She was extremely nice and helpful, just had to go through and try this, and try that.
I had a similar experience looking for a partner award to Costa Rica a couple of months ago. Hour on the phone with an agent, and couldn't find any availability. We were close but no dice, the agent was great and helpful so I would agree the $25 bucks for booking a partner award might cover that cost but I doubt it.
However, like a lot a posts the AS50 bums me out the most. I loved the fact that you could book F and get the miles and an F bonus and MVP bonus, not to mention the EQM + 50% for F Class. This is simply suberb when I fly between PDX and SFO, OAK, LAS, PHX, LAX, SAN and SNA. Anyway, chiseling away at the MP make it look a like AA, DL, NW, etc. and this is not a good thing.
Programs: AS MVPG - AA NW CO UA US. Marriott Silver
Posts: 786
yes...it says for tickets booked after 11/1.
..and maybe I'm just approaching this from a naive, inappropriate way. I've always thought of an award ticket as essentially something for nothing. Its a game, its not life and death. I'm disappointed, and a bit irritated that AS50 will no longer accrue mileage, but the terms of the program say that Alaska can change the program at any time, and they did give a lot of notice. And I have to agree with formeraa that I'm surprised theyve granted mileage for this long on that award. I don't think $25 for issuing a partner award ticket is tantamount to robbery or a mass exodus for users. Well, I can always hope so, it'll make the AS/QX awards easier for me to obtain.
Don't get me wrong, it is a drag, but uhm, its not exactly a sign of the apocalypse. And btw, where's my warning email? My AS mail is always delviered about 12 hours after it is sent. >
I've always thought of an award ticket as essentially something for nothing.
Why would you think that? Didn't you give AS any business? Didn't you give AS's partners any business that resulted in miles being purchased from AS and placed in your account? If yes to either question, then award tickets are better characterized as "something for something" than "something for nothing" -- AS certainly got some revenue for those miles placed into AS members accounts that have (or have not) been redeemed for award tickets.
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This game is not as much fun as it used to be: 2008/2009 Frequent Flyer Program Fleecing Award goes to Delta Airlines
While I think that Alaska deserves credit for the advance notice on these changes, and has the right to change the rules on the AS 50 award for tickets that are purchased at a future date, the changes in the 20K saver award to either a limited number of seats for 25K or more numerous seats for 40K represents at a minimum a 25% devaluation and at most a 100% devaluation of miles that have been earned in good faith by frequent flyers over the years.
When United frequent flyers were faced with a similar devaluation in the mid- 1980's, many of them filed lawsuits which resulted in United continuing to honor the miles that had been earned at existing rates (known as "old" miles) and to implement a new award structure where miles earned after a certain date ("new" miles) could be exchanged according to a new, less generous award structure.
Alaska Airlines would alienate fewer frequent flyers (and particularly thier most valuable customers who often have significant mileage balances) by honoring miles earned prior to November 1 at the current award levels and to implement the new award structure for miles earned after that date.
The time and energy it takes to book partner awards is the roughly the same regardless the number of people in the reservation but each person will get hit with a $25 fee. Once the fee is in place, how long before it goes up to $30?
I do recall that when the AS50 was capped to $250.00, There was a disagreement within Alaska as some people wanted to do away with the award and others wanted to keep it--they compromised with the cap. I would argue that any ticket that you pay money for should earn miles. If they are going to do away with miles on the AS50, they should also do away with miles on the $50 companion fares.
..and maybe I'm just approaching this from a naive, inappropriate way. I've always thought of an award ticket as essentially something for nothing.
I definately dont consider an AS50 an award ticket! To me I consider it a discount regardless of what they call it. Does this mean companion fares and customer care certificate discounts will no longer earn miles either. The companion fare is as close to getting something for free as it gets. My companion went to HNL for $50. Without it it the price was $1925 for F class. Now thats something for free!!!
I had a similar experience looking for a partner award to Costa Rica a couple of months ago. Hour on the phone with an agent, and couldn't find any availability. We were close but no dice, the agent was great and helpful so I would agree the $25 bucks for booking a partner award might cover that cost but I doubt it.
And don't forget the number of times you WILL call the Awards Desk when the partner makes changes to their schedule. I booked a flight ANC-EZE 10 months ago & have had to call at least once a month due to schedule changes on the DL segments.
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There ain't no reins on this horse
I definately dont consider an AS50 an award ticket! To me I consider it a discount regardless of what they call it. Does this mean companion fares and customer care certificate discounts will no longer earn miles either. The companion fare is as close to getting something for free as it gets. My companion went to HNL for $50. Without it it the price was $1925 for F class. Now thats something for free!!!
I agree that the AS50 isn't really an award ticket.
If anything, I'd rather give up mileage accrual on the $50 companion fare, which is a much better deal and can pay for the credit card annual fee several times over.
There's no new reality. Things are largely as they have been before. Oil has even fallen more than 15% from the recent highs yet there's no 15% reduction in this FFP hit or that FFP hit announced.
A more accurate baseline is the price of oil when the current award levels were established. And it was MUCH lower.
To others' points about preferring a cash fuel surcharge fee instead of higher miles, I don't agree. First, the miles don't take money out of my pocket I could spend on other things; a fuel surcharge fee does. Second, surcharges rarely go away, in my experience. I doubt fuel is going to be below $100 brl again in my lifetime. But that's just my perspective.
Until we seen a corresponding increase in prices or redemption requirements, your position is irrelevant.
You are overstating the need for a current price increase for 2 reasons:
First, jet fuel does not comprise 100% of the expense of the flight. Employees don't work for free, etc.
Second, I heard on the news that AS hedged half of its fuel for 2008 at $70 a barrel. If this is anywhere near correct a 100% increase in fares over last year is not yet justified.
I certainly expect prices to go up some more and I'll have to cut back on my leisure travel. AS will cut flights and staff and we'll see what happens.
January came early!!! 
