Programs: AA 2MM+, HH & Hyatt Dia, SPG Plat, IC RA, WN Companion, Hertz 5*
Posts: 937
Are there Alaska Flights with Business Class?
Hi,
I'm looking at redeeming some Citi thankyou points and am looking at Alaska Airlines as an option. With TY points you can redeem for business class but not first class travel.
Are there an Alaska Airlines Flights that have a business class?
Programs: AS MVP Gold, CO Gold Elite, Hertz #1 Club Gold 5 Star, Hilton HHonors Silver, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 729
Long story short, no. In fact I don't think any domestic airline serving ANC has a "business" class.
Since AS is only coach or first, would Citi honor first class on AS? That rule makes more sense on airlines that offer either coach, business, or first.
Not only that, but no domestic flight anywhere (not just ANC) that has two classes has a "business" class.
In the US, only if there are three classes on a domestic flight is the middle class called "business".
It's opposite in Europe: There if there are only two classes on a short-haul flight within Europe, the second (and thus highest) class is only called "business".
So you could say that what "business" means on an intra-European flight is very roughly what "first class" means on two-class intra-US flights.
So I'm not sure what TYP is doing defining "business" the same way worldwide. Is it really, or are you just misreading it?
At any rate, I hear it won't matter for long. Per threads in the Other Credit Cards forum, TYP flat rate redemption goes poof in less than two months. Once they no longer do flat rate redemptions, and simply equivalent to a "cash back", I guess they will no longer care what the class is called, just what it costs.
(And because of questions like yours, I can just see that they'll call getting rid of flat rate redemption a "simplification demanded by our customers"!)
In the US, only if there are three classes on a domestic flight is the middle class called "business".
On DL, if a flight number continues on to an international destination (or from), the first class cabin will be sold as "Business" (using business fare codes) on the domestic legs.
Not only that, but no domestic flight anywhere (not just ANC) that has two classes has a "business" class.
In the US, only if there are three classes on a domestic flight is the middle class called "business".
I guess you're not familiar with AirTran. The seating marketed as domestic first class on the Big 5 legacy airlines is sold as business class on AirTran.
Programs: AA 2MM+, HH & Hyatt Dia, SPG Plat, IC RA, WN Companion, Hertz 5*
Posts: 937
Thanks for the information everyone....
The post on Citi's eliminating fixed point redemptions is what has me thinking on where to redeem my points. For those of you who are familiar with Citi you know what I am looking for. Eg; redeem for 3c/pt for business then cancel and apply funds to coach. Thus increasing the value.
I live in PDX now and like traveling to LIH (Kauai) about once per year and given Alaska has direct flights from SEA it looked like a good option. But without the 3c/pt option with Alaska I might look at other options connecting through other west coast hubs.
Thanks again for the information on Alaska.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdsearch
Not only that, but no domestic flight anywhere (not just ANC) that has two classes has a "business" class.
In the US, only if there are three classes on a domestic flight is the middle class called "business".
It's opposite in Europe: There if there are only two classes on a short-haul flight within Europe, the second (and thus highest) class is only called "business".
So you could say that what "business" means on an intra-European flight is very roughly what "first class" means on two-class intra-US flights.
So I'm not sure what TYP is doing defining "business" the same way worldwide. Is it really, or are you just misreading it?
At any rate, I hear it won't matter for long. Per threads in the Other Credit Cards forum, TYP flat rate redemption goes poof in less than two months. Once they no longer do flat rate redemptions, and simply equivalent to a "cash back", I guess they will no longer care what the class is called, just what it costs.
(And because of questions like yours, I can just see that they'll call getting rid of flat rate redemption a "simplification demanded by our customers"!)
I'm in favor of the US legacies changing to the European class definitions...if only so that when I brag about flying on BA in F to non-savvy friends, it actually has some pizazz...
Programs: AS MVPG, UA 1K, NW Gld, AA Gld, PC Plt/RA, SPG Gld
Posts: 2,750
More useless facts -
UA sometimes sells both C and F on 2-class AC. AFAIK, this is the case when the same flight # has an equipment change to a 3-class AC. Booking C (biz) books into an F seat, of course.
