Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - Gold buying flights for someone else then canceling

I'm Gold, the spouse and kid are not. If I buy flights to HNL on Alaska and then decide to cancel the trip... what happens?

Assume the flight is $300 per person.

1. Do we cancel and I (as the purchaser) get $900 as credit to use for a future flight?
2. Do we cancel and I get $300, the spouse gets $300 in her account, the kid gets $300 in her account?
3. And how do change fees work?

I'm not getting it. :rolleyes:

I'm Gold, the spouse and kid are not. If I buy flights to HNL on Alaska and then decide to cancel the trip... what happens?

Assume the flight is $300 per person.

1. Do we cancel and I (as the purchaser) get $900 as credit to use for a future flight?
2. Do we cancel and I get $300, the spouse gets $300 in her account, the kid gets $300 in her account?
3. And how do change fees work?

I'm not getting it. :rolleyes:

Purchaser assumes control of the ticket...

Only one who gets change fees waived is the MVPG... even if you book the flight.

Now if you change that itinerary to yourself and use the ticket yourself, then AFAIK you can avoid dealing with the change fee... but that is if you end up using the ticket credit on your own flight.

Let me say back to you what you've said to me so I can see if I really understand it:

1. If I rebook all 3 of us on this ticket, then I won't pay change fees but they will (because they are not Gold).

and

2. If I just buy another flight in the future worth $900 for just me, I won't have change fees.

Is that right?

Let me say back to you what you've said to me so I can see if I really understand it:

1. If I rebook all 3 of us on this ticket, then I won't pay change fees but they will (because they are not Gold).

and

2. If I just buy another flight in the future worth $900 for just me, I won't have change fees.

Is that right?

1 is correct.

Part 2, however, is not. There are still 3 tickets worth $300 each. You can only use them for three other tickets for yourself without paying fees. Make sure to use them for a ticket as close to $300 or more or else you'll lose the remaining value.

Let me say back to you what you've said to me so I can see if I really understand it:

1. If I rebook all 3 of us on this ticket, then I won't pay change fees but they will (because they are not Gold).

and

2. If I just buy another flight in the future worth $900 for just me, I won't have change fees.

Is that right?

That is my understanding...

Not sure how the $900 credit would work though, if it would be a lump sum of $900 or individual per person [think it might be individual] so you would have 3 $300 credits... (theoretically)...

1 is correct.

Part 2, however, is not. There are still 3 tickets worth $300 each. You can only use them for three other tickets for yourself without paying fees. Make sure to use them for a ticket as close to $300 or more or else you'll lose the remaining value.

Thanks for confirming ;) and yes, there is no 'partial credit' yet...

my wallet may change that... but its not in-place yet...

The 3 credits also might be able to be used for 3 one ways... ie, 1.5 tickets (if the ticket costs more the $600)

I wouldn't mind having three $300 credits. Seems pretty easy to use.

So this leads me to believe that one good strategy for being a Gold is to buy tickets for your immediate family... as a risk mitigation strategy.

Yeah?

Okay, what happens if I used a Discount Code on that original $900 lump sum reservation. Like, let's say I had a $100 e-cert and used it (so that I paid $800 for the three tickets).

Does that e-cert/Discount Code just go away?

Your question to thread ratio has increased beyond the allowable threshold. Thank you and have a nice day! :D

Actually, if you used a $100 e-cert it was applied to one of those tickets and not spread among them. So, given your example, in the end you'll have 2 tickets worth $300 each and a third worth ~$200. Unfortunately once used the e-cert usually can't be re-applied but there is anecdotal evidence that there are instances when this has happened. YMMV

Your question to thread ratio has increased beyond the allowable threshold. Thank you and have a nice day! :D

Actually, if you used a $100 e-cert it was applied to one of those tickets and not spread among them. So, given your example, in the end you'll have 2 tickets worth $300 each and a third worth ~$200. Unfortunately once used the e-cert usually can't be re-applied but there is anecdotal evidence that there are instances when this has happened. YMMV

At least they kept it in one thread ;)

I've seen discount codes that are a % off 'stick' if its processed online, but haven't tested this much (and I think it gets separated after the second change)

I wouldn't mind having three $300 credits. Seems pretty easy to use.

So this leads me to believe that one good strategy for being a Gold is to buy tickets for your immediate family... as a risk mitigation strategy.

Yeah?

Okay, what happens if I used a Discount Code on that original $900 lump sum reservation. Like, let's say I had a $100 e-cert and used it (so that I paid $800 for the three tickets).

Does that e-cert/Discount Code just go away?

Yeah, it's a good strategy. I do it all the time.

However, the rules state the e-cert goes away if the ticket is changed. I just went through this myself. It is for "new" tickets only (according to the written rules), depending on the type of e-cert and the generosity of the CSR interpreting the rules. :)