Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - I will be doing an AS Status Match... a couple questions

I had my first AS flight of the year today... LAX-SEA-BLI. Was mostly pleasant, although I do find the boarding process on AS to be a bit more chaotic than on most!

So, I'm coming from UA as a 1K last year w/ 180K EQMs, and I have around 35K EQMs already this year. I'd like to fly only 125K EQMs with UA this year so I can get the bonus, but then I'd like to put all the rest of my miles on AS. Okay to the questions....
1) If I call up and ask for a status match, will I get it for the rest of 2010 and then for 2011, like as if I were to qualify this year? Or would this just go until the end of 2010?
2) How does this process work? Do I call them and then follow up with faxing in a document? Do they just want to see all my flights on UA from last year and my current status for this year?
3) With flying over 100K miles, would that match me into the 75K AS tier or into the 50K AS tier? I would assume 75K, but since this is a new level, maybe AS only matches to the 50K?
4) Are there any other questions I should have?

Thanks in advance! I'm looking forward to flying AS (and partners!) more often!

I had my first AS flight of the year today... LAX-SEA-BLI. Was mostly pleasant, although I do find the boarding process on AS to be a bit more chaotic than on most!

So, I'm coming from UA as a 1K last year w/ 180K EQMs, and I have around 35K EQMs already this year. I'd like to fly only 125K EQMs with UA this year so I can get the bonus, but then I'd like to put all the rest of my miles on AS. Okay to the questions....
1) If I call up and ask for a status match, will I get it for the rest of 2010 and then for 2011, like as if I were to qualify this year? Or would this just go until the end of 2010?
2) How does this process work? Do I call them and then follow up with faxing in a document? Do they just want to see all my flights on UA from last year and my current status for this year?
3) With flying over 100K miles, would that match me into the 75K AS tier or into the 50K AS tier? I would assume 75K, but since this is a new level, maybe AS only matches to the 50K?
4) Are there any other questions I should have?

Thanks in advance! I'm looking forward to flying AS (and partners!) more often!

Welcome to AS! It really is a very pleasant little airline. :D I hope you'll be very happy with choosing to give your business to AS. (The relatively little bit of complaining we do around here makes it easy to think things are worse than they are--most of us are spoiled by AS's awesome service and forget just how good we have it! :D)

I'm far from the expert in the questions you've asked, but because no one has yet replied, let me make a few feeble attempts to answer.

1. This is something that is not very clear with AS (it's not a policy written in stone). From reading the forums here, it seems that around October is the cut-off date for extending matched status through the next year--meaning that if you status match now, it will only be good until the end of this year. With over 9 months to qualify, though, you should be able to qualify for the next year's status, right? ;)
2. AS was making a big push last year to steal customers from other airlines, so they were being pretty lenient on the requirements. No guarantees how it's happening now, but they may very well just want a copy of a recent UA statement showing your 1K status and not require a full annual statement. Heck, a scan of your 1K card may work!
3. I don't think anyone knows yet! :D
4. Given AS's recent history, I wouldn't expect a status match to be anything problematic. However, if they say no (can't imagine why they would), ask about getting in on the MVPG challenge, and fly 8 segments before the end of the challenge to gain MVPG status.

Detailed information about status matching has been posted in a few relatively recent threads, so do a search of the AS forum for (maybe) "status match" or something and I'm sure you'll get lots of good info. :)

Edit: Try this thread. It has the fax number. :) http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alaska-airlines-mileage-plan/1016753-status-matching-alaska.html

Having gone through the process last week, I can add some commentary.

I used a screen-shot method to send it to elite.flyer@alaskaair.com I captured my mileage activity, status, 2009 EQM, etc. Delta's site is laid out in such a manner that it includes club memberships, and I included an intention to let my SkyClub lapse and purchase a BR membership.

I received a canned response, but 2 days later my status showed up. (It was a 1-1 match from DL, so I was given MVPG)

I can't postulate about their 75k tier, as I am very new to AS, their system, and their policy, but you might be in luck as a 1k. Good luck!

MVPG 75K is a 2011 status earned by travel in 2010. I dont see them matching anyone to this status this year.

MVPG 75K is a 2011 status earned by travel in 2010. I dont see them matching anyone to this status this year.

And I would imagine they would want to see a whole boat load of AS metal miles to qualify for it.

One thing I would recommend is learn the upgrade process on AS very well. I had a lot of problems that others didn't and my guess was it was related to the status match.

In terms of the match, AS has a good program although their food and snacks have gone way down hill lately. They don't offer the SWU's that you'd get with United. Should you be able to keep your travel mostly on AS though, it would probably be a good program for you.

Okay well the hotels im considering are the sheraton, the JW Marriott or Ferradura Private. The Ferradura Private can people please tell me as much as you know?

Okay well the hotels im considering are the sheraton, the JW Marriott or Ferradura Private. The Ferradura Private can people please tell me as much as you know?
Sorry wrong thread. :/

In terms of the match, AS has a good program although their food and snacks have gone way down hill lately.

That's totally subjective. I don't think the majority here agrees with you

They don't offer the SWU's that you'd get with United. Should you be able to keep your travel mostly on AS though, it would probably be a good program for you.

MVPG upgrade cert is system wide. AS doesn't fly outside N America so that's the best you can get.

They don't offer the SWU's that you'd get with United. Should you be able to keep your travel mostly on AS though, it would probably be a good program for you.

MVPG upgrade cert is system wide. AS doesn't fly outside N America so that's the best you can get.

They don't offer the SWU's that you'd get with United. Should you be able to keep your travel mostly on AS though, it would probably be a good program for you.



Correct, and the OP is planning on allocating 50K or so miles he flies over to AS while keeping 125K on UA, which means he will only give up 2 UA SWUs per year, but he will get 4 AS SWUs... It is not like the OP is giving up UA SWUs since he will still maintain 1K status on UA and obtain 6 of em every year.

Currently the OP gets:

8 SWUs
2 CR-1s per quarter

When OP reallocates 50K of his travels over to AS he will get:

6 SWUs
2 CR-1s per quarter
4 AS SWUs