Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - Yet more BofA Companion Ticket Questions

I know that redemption is now electronic, no need to go to the airport for ticketing anymore.

I know that the certs must be redeemed by the person to whom they were issued, but that that person does not need to be one of the travelers.

- Can the companion ticket be used for an open jaw itinerary? (e.g. SEA-MIA/MCO-SEA)

- Can it be redeemed online by the member with the certificate but for 2 travelers not including the member? If not, I assume ticketing must be done by phone, but how do they verify that it's the member doing the ticketing?

- Does the ticket need to be paid for with the member's AS Visa? Or will any Visa do?

Sorry for all the questions.

Here's the scenario:

* My father-in-law has a BofA $50 companion ticket cert.

* He wants to use it for his son and daughter-in-law.

* They're going to fly SEA-MIA/MCO-SEA

* Ideally, I would take care of all of this for them.

So, can I call and make the booking for them with his cert in hand? (Can I if I pay with his Visa?)

Thanks!

I think I know all the answers - No, not transferable; one of the people traveling has to be the cardholder. This probably makes the following unimportant.

Yes, open-jaws are okay; we currently have one booked BOS-SEA-EWR.

No, you don't have to pay with the AS Visa. Before they were redeemable on-line you had to show it at the desk; now they may ask for something like the backside-3 digit number on the card, whatever that's called.

I really wanted to transfer ours one year to our son. Nope.

Okay, Missy had already sorta answered the question but I hadn't understood the response :o I was having a slow day. :eek:

I'm pretty sure that you can use the cert for someone else. Used to be that the cardholder had to go to the airport and show their AS Visa, but didn't have to be one of the travelers.

I assume that's still the case, just with no airport trip, the owner of the cert is just supposed to be the one to make the purchase.

But if I want to do it for him... can I call in? How will they know I'm not him? (Do I have to use a CC in his name to pay?)

And if I had searched properly I would have seen that open jaws are permissable (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3773757&postcount=6).

I am not a definitive source on this. I do know the backside of the certificate says not transferable, and that's what I was told when I asked, but by all means you ought to give them a call and confirm or deny.

I know that redemption is now electronic, no need to go to the airport for ticketing anymore.

I know that the certs must be redeemed by the person to whom they were issued, but that that person does not need to be one of the travelers.

- Can the companion ticket be used for an open jaw itinerary? (e.g. SEA-MIA/MCO-SEA)

- Can it be redeemed online by the member with the certificate but for 2 travelers not including the member? If not, I assume ticketing must be done by phone, but how do they verify that it's the member doing the ticketing?

- Does the ticket need to be paid for with the member's AS Visa? Or will any Visa do?

Sorry for all the questions.

Here's the scenario:

* My father-in-law has a BofA $50 companion ticket cert.

* He wants to use it for his son and daughter-in-law.

* They're going to fly SEA-MIA/MCO-SEA

* Ideally, I would take care of all of this for them.

So, can I call and make the booking for them with his cert in hand? (Can I if I pay with his Visa?)

Thanks!

From the e-cert T&C's:

Traveler and/or Purchaser name must match the name issued on the certificate. Credit card required for purchase.
So, I"d say that the owner of the cert could in fact purchase a pair of tickets for someone else.

Valid for round-trip or one-way travel.

Is open Jaw considered R/T?

e-Certificate and tickets are not transferable. They may not be given to another individual, and may not be sold, bought, bartered, auctioned or collected in bulk. Any deemed by Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air to have been distributed or acquired improperly will not be honored and traveler will be liable for payment of full fare.

So, you can't give it away, sell it, barter it etc., but you can use it to purchase tickets for another traveller. I would suggest that you call in together with your Father-in-law. If they ask you something you should know, and you don't, they might deem the cert given away, or bartered.

I have used these certificates to buy tickets for others who were not traveling with me. I paid for the tickets myself on my BofA card, although not necessarily the one connected to the cert.

The e-cert holder must either be the traveller or purchaser.

If the member is not travelling, then the member must call in to use their credit card for the purchase. And no..you cannot call in for the credit card holder..we have to actually speak to them to charge their card.

The member can also go online and redeem the certificate, saving themselves a phone call.

the backside-3 digit number on the card, whatever that's called.
It's variously called the CVV, CVC, CVV2 etc.

But I prefer your way of putting it :)

I called Alaska, conferenced in my father-in-law. I set up the flights, read off the cert #, etc. and even gave his FF# (but dialed in using mrs. gleff's MVP Gold #, so three people were actually involved in the transaction!).

He gave his CC# to pay for the tickets.

No problem. And no questions asked about the open jaw, either.

Ack. If only the BofA Business Visa $99 companion certs were electronic. Just received a paper one... Ack.

Is there any chance the $99 business certs will be electronic, one day?

I just received my new Platinum AS visa in the mail. There was no companion cert in the envelope. I called BofA and asked about it and was told that they are sent 4-6 weeks after the card.

ARGH!

Is there any way to get the cert sooner? I want to book a trip and would rather not wait 4-6 weeks.

Thanks,
Mikey

I just received my new Platinum AS visa in the mail. There was no companion cert in the envelope. I called BofA and asked about it and was told that they are sent 4-6 weeks after the card.

ARGH!

Is there any way to get the cert sooner? I want to book a trip and would rather not wait 4-6 weeks.

Thanks,
Mikey

These certificates were recently made electronic. If you go online to My Account, then select My E-certificates, you may find you have it already. I have no idea how long after approval it takes them to post it there though.

Thanks for the tip - there is nothing there yet, butI'll keep looking.

I might call BofA again and bug them about it.

I just received my new Platinum AS visa in the mail. There was no companion cert in the envelope. I called BofA and asked about it and was told that they are sent 4-6 weeks after the card.

ARGH!

Is there any way to get the cert sooner? I want to book a trip and would rather not wait 4-6 weeks.

Thanks,
Mikey

It never came with the card. It was always sent out seperately on your renewal date, which is not necessarily the date you get a new card. I just paid my annual fee, even though my card is still good for awhile. My certificate was waiting for me. It posts the same day your credit miles posted for that month.

Why in the world didn't they make the business card $99 companion cert electronic? :confused:

The e-cert in my account for my $50 companion certificate says I must purchase by 10/22/06. Fine. However when I called AS I was told that I also must complete my travel by 10/22/06. Ouch. That's more restrictive than with the paper certs that would allow travel for me until 1/31 of the following year after the purchase had to be made.

I have often used these certs for November/December vacation trips in the past and now that can't be done. (No, I can't wait until October when I get a new cert to buy November/December tickets, since my boss needs to know long before that when I'll be out.)

Can anyone confirm that what I was told on the phone is correct? Since I haven't seen anything in writing about this restriction I just want to confirm that it really exists. Is the system programmed to reject a purchase before 10/22/06 for travel after that?

Thanks for any help.

The e-cert in my account for my $50 companion certificate says I must purchase by 10/22/06. Fine. However when I called AS I was told that I also must complete my travel by 10/22/06. Ouch. That's more restrictive than with the paper certs that would allow travel for me until 1/31 of the following year after the purchase had to be made.

I have often used these certs for November/December vacation trips in the past and now that can't be done. (No, I can't wait until October when I get a new cert to buy November/December tickets, since my boss needs to know long before that when I'll be out.)

Can anyone confirm that what I was told on the phone is correct? Since I haven't seen anything in writing about this restriction I just want to confirm that it really exists. Is the system programmed to reject a purchase before 10/22/06 for travel after that?

Thanks for any help.

Interestingly, nothing in the T&C's addresses this. So, I just went online and tried to make a booking after the expiration date of mine, and it appeared to accept it, so I would say that perhaps you were misinformed.

I second that... I just tested booking a flight past my companion e-certificate expiration date and it appeared to work fine. Maybe they'll change that.... so book it now!

Can anyone confirm that what I was told on the phone is correct? Since I haven't seen anything in writing about this restriction I just want to confirm that it really exists. Is the system programmed to reject a purchase before 10/22/06 for travel after that?

Thanks for any help.

NOT correct. Call again, or just book online :)

Thanks Missy! What would we do without you?

I may end up having to book over the phone due to limitations of the website, but if I do I'll know to call back if I'm told my travel has to be completed by 10/22/06.

The woman at the MVP line who told me about this limitation went to check with someone before answering my question. Maybe they don't have specific instructions regarding this and must just answer as best they can.

I'm glad Flyertalk is here.

what limitations?

what limitations?
The website won't give me the exact multi-city itinerary I want due to the way it sorts by price. I want to pay a bit more and get flights at times that are convenient.

Translation: We want to sleep in on vacation. :)

The website won't give me the exact multi-city itinerary I want due to the way it sorts by price. I want to pay a bit more and get flights at times that are convenient.
If you specify departure times corresponding with the flights you want to take, often you can get the web site to disgorge your desired itinerary.

If you specify departure times corresponding with the flights you want to take, often you can get the web site to disgorge your desired itinerary.
Believe me, I've tried. But with the broad new time ranges (12 midnight - 9 a.m., 6 a.m. - noon, etc.) there is no way to force the system to quote you, say, the 8:30 a.m. flight instead of the 6:03 a.m. flight.

We'd be traveling on 3 separate days for a total of 6 segments and on 2 of those days we don't want the cheapest option. When I run a multi-city quote I can get 2 of the travel days to be right but the 3rd is always wrong because the system wants to give me the cheaper flight within the time range I've selected. It obviously is limited some way in the number of itineraries it can offer.

I could book 3 one way flights, but then I can't use the companion certificate effectively. It's not the end of the world to book over the phone to be able to use the cert, although we would have to give up an IO fare on one leg. That's the way it used to be, so it's not like I haven't run into this before.

Am I reading the T&Cs correctly that Ms Coastda, who is getting the benefit ofg the companion fare will earn miles for her flight?

Yes, companion earns miles.

So what happens if both travelers -- the regular paid ticket and the companion -- are unable to travel?

Can both reschedule -- as long as they stay on the same flights -- by paying a change fee? (Can they just cancel and use the credit for travel within a year?)

As long as they travel together and within the year, they can reissue to any qualifying itinerary (i.e. must be completely on AS metal.. etc)

If they choose not to travel together, the full fare psgr goes by the standard reissue rules, and the companion can use the dollar value of the companion ticket towards a regular fare ticket.. but they lose the ability to use that companion certificate again.

In the for-what-it's-worth department, I'm was interested in using my cert asap, so I called BofA yesterday. They said my anniversary is 2/1/06 and my cert should be available on-line the same day.

We'll see. It's a great concept having the certs on-line. Saves time in the mail and having to drive to the airport (a 30 minute journey for me).

We have flights booked for Jan 1, using companion cert. Both tics have AS ff #s attached, but we just achieved AA plat and want to begin requalification. With companion cert, is there any difference in mileage accrual rules with partners? Does companion still get full mileage if using AA ff #s?
BTW, thanks so much for all the info here. I know there is a status match thread somewhere, but I did 'search' and it didn't show. Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask-- redirection would be appreciated.

BTW, thanks so much for all the info here. I know there is a status match thread somewhere, but I did 'search' and it didn't show. Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask-- redirection would be appreciated.
The Status Match Master Thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9558)

So I just had to cancel an itinerary that had been ticketed using a companion cert. Alas.

Question: are residual values on these tickets good for a year from date of purchase or a year from date of original departure?

original departure

I am interested in using the companion cert to buy tickets for my brother, sister-in-law and niece next month. It seems that as long as I am the guy buying the tickets, there shouldn't be a problem.

However, the website doesn't like it when I put three people (2 adult + 1 child) into the search. It says: "The e-Certificate code entered is valid for 2 travelers only. Please select 2 travelers or clear the code to continue without an e-Certificate." I want 2 full fares and one companion. Do I have to do this on the phone or should I just book as 2 separate web reservations? Would that be a big hassle for them? I usually just travel by myself so all of this is new.

Thanks!

it has to be booked as 2 web reservations. If you go that route, I'd recommend booking one adult with the child as companion then the 2nd adult in the other record.

If you prefer to keep them all in the same reservation you can have res do it, but it will be a $10 ticketing fee per person.

As long as the child (if your niece is in fact a child) is ticketed with an adult you should be fine with a web booking

it has to be booked as 2 web reservations. If you go that route, I'd recommend booking one adult with the child as companion then the 2nd adult in the other record.

If you prefer to keep them all in the same reservation you can have res do it, but it will be a $10 ticketing fee per person.

As long as the child (if your niece is in fact a child) is ticketed with an adult you should be fine with a web booking

missy,
but, but, but...... in the past, I have never been able to get a childs fare $ reduction via AS website (sometimes expedia works). so is it even possible via internet to book companion adult/adult and child alone??? would you be forced to call CS ($10 for non-MVPg) to tie the records together or does the web totally not allow this (child booking alone)?

sometimes the fare diff to mexico on adult vs. child saves over $100 bones, well worth the phone call.

asking for myself as mis ninos often travel with us abajo suerte.

b

missy,
but, but, but...... in the past, I have never been able to get a childs fare $ reduction via AS website (sometimes expedia works). so is it even possible via internet to book companion adult/adult and child alone??? would you be forced to call CS ($10 for non-MVPg) to tie the records together or does the web totally not allow this (child booking alone)?

sometimes the fare diff to mexico on adult vs. child saves over $100 bones, well worth the phone call.

asking for myself as mis ninos often travel with us abajo suerte.

b

if you're dealing with mexico and a childs fare, then they have to be booked in separate records anyway.. even res cant put and adult, child, and companion in the same record. So you could book the adult /companion online, then only pay the $10 for the child. You just have to make sure that the agent notes the record locator of the adult travellers so that they are all accomodated together in case of a schedule change.

As long as they travel together and within the year, they can reissue to any qualifying itinerary (i.e. must be completely on AS metal.. etc)

If they choose not to travel together, the full fare psgr goes by the standard reissue rules, and the companion can use the dollar value of the companion ticket towards a regular fare ticket.. but they lose the ability to use that companion certificate again.

That is right. But be careful when booking a companion ticket. We booked a flight to Mexico last year where (luckily) I randomly put my husband as the "companion" with 6 of us flying with multiple companion cerficates.

He was unable to come at the last minute and yes, he did get to rebook later to any other flight crediting the exact amount we paid for his portion.

Here's the kicker....if I had been the one not able to go, then he could not have flown on the companion ticket and would have had to rebook a whole new ticket at the going rate...in addition to losing the right to reuse our companion ticket another time.

Here's another thing I just learned: If you upgrade to FC, then the companion must upgrade as well for the 10k miles. No exceptions.

I have gotten a child's fare with a companion ticket before (huge savings, 1/3 off the base fare plus the $50 companion also a child). But the last time I booked, they would not do it again. Must have been the agent.

it has to be booked as 2 web reservations. If you go that route, I'd recommend booking one adult with the child as companion then the 2nd adult in the other record.

[...]

As long as the child (if your niece is in fact a child) is ticketed with an adult you should be fine with a web booking

I sucessfully booked it online as 2 reservations. Mom with kid as the companion, then my brother separately. I got them into the same row and they are very happy. It will be my niece's first time flying, should be fun! Thanks!

Another question...

can we have an open jaw itinerary on the B of A certificate.

For example, SEA-ANC and then FAI back to SEA.

Is this eligible?

Thanks!

Open jaws are permitted, I ticketed one a few months ago.

Thanks for the information...

I was having a problem however; It said that the first segment of the open jaw needs to be farther than the return flight. Is this true? Or am I having internet problems with these open-jaw searches?


Open jaws are permitted, I ticketed one a few months ago.

I was having a problem however; It said that the first segment of the open jaw needs to be farther than the return flight. Is this true? Or am I having internet problems with these open-jaw searches?That's one I've never heard of. It would imply SEA-FAI/ANC-SEA would be permissable but not SEA-ANC/FAI-SEA! :confused: :confused: :confused:

The unflown segment must be the shortest segment in a legal open jaw, but your proposed itinerary definitely meets this (ANC-FAI is only ~ 260 mi).

i think you're having internet problems. clear your cache and try again.. if you get the same error message... take a screen shot and send me a PM. :)

As long as they travel together and within the year, they can reissue to any qualifying itinerary (i.e. must be completely on AS metal.. etc)

If they choose not to travel together, the full fare psgr goes by the standard reissue rules, and the companion can use the dollar value of the companion ticket towards a regular fare ticket.. but they lose the ability to use that companion certificate again.

Bumping the old thread to ask a related question:

If someone uses their companion certificate to purchase fully refundable tickets that end up being refunded, is the cert forfeited?

(Edit to answer my own question -- the answer is yes.)

Mike

Just read thru this thread and didn't see this question asked: Can the $50 companion certificate be used on Alaska's partner/codeshare airlines, or only on actual Alaska flights?

Thanks!

Alaska/Horizon only

previous years have done a $50.00 B of A open jaw companion as follows
SJC-ANC
YVR or SEA to SJC
Is this still allowed
Thanks for all of your expert information I have found on the board

Hi all,
I'm new to this program (Alaska $50.00 companion ticket) and had read this thread to understand more about this program. Still, I'm not so sure if I got it so I'd like to ask for your expertise and assistance.
I received a $50.00 companion ticket as a result of me opening up a credit card with BofA/Alaska and I do not plan to use the certificate within the next 12 months.
1) Can my brother use the certificate (my brother and his wife plan to go to Mexico this fall)?
2) If yes to question #1, can he pay for airline tickets using his credit card (say Chase Visa) or do I have to use my credit card?
If I have to use my credit card, do I have to use my BofA Alaska Visa or can I use my other credit cards (say American Express or Mastercard)?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Trang

Hi all,
I'm new to this program (Alaska $50.00 companion ticket) and had read this thread to understand more about this program. Still, I'm not so sure if I got it so I'd like to ask for your expertise and assistance.
I received a $50.00 companion ticket as a result of me opening up a credit card with BofA/Alaska and I do not plan to use the certificate within the next 12 months.
1) Can my brother use the certificate (my brother and his wife plan to go to Mexico this fall)?
2) If yes to question #1, can he pay for airline tickets using his credit card (say Chase Visa) or do I have to use my credit card?
If I have to use my credit card, do I have to use my BofA Alaska Visa or can I use my other credit cards (say American Express or Mastercard)?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Trang

1) Yes, I believe so.
2) No, rules state: name on certificate must match "Traveler and/or Purchaser".
You can use any credit card, but you'll get double-points (on the purchase price) if you use your BofA card.

One more inquiry: the miles have posted and I see the companion certificate. What about the airport club certificates? Are those mailed to me? Online? I didn't get anything with the credit card.

Thanks.

Club passes derived from credit card are mailed separately in a followup, not included in the original package or provided online. (Though the companion ticket also comes with the credit card, it's really a different topic I think.)

So let me make sure I have this right before applying:

(1) Companion cert will be good for travel up to one year after issuance.

(2) Both travelers (full price and companion) will earn miles.

(3) If desired the cardholder buy a ticket for someone else and use the companion ticket for herself/himself.

(4) Companion cert. can be used for Alaska international destinations, i.e. Mexico.

(5) Non-upgradeable? If so, has anyone been offered walkup upgrades for purchase on day of departure?

(1) Companion cert will be good for travel up to one year after issuance.

The Companion cert is good for ticketing up to one year after issuance. Depending on when you ticket it, you can travel almost a year past that.

(2) Both travelers (full price and companion) will earn miles.

Yes

(3) If desired the cardholder buy a ticket for someone else and use the companion ticket for herself/himself.

yes.. although i'm not sure why you'd want to.

(4) Companion cert. can be used for Alaska international destinations, i.e. Mexico.

yes

(5) Non-upgradeable? If so, has anyone been offered walkup upgrades for purchase on day of departure?

Nothing about the companion certificate prohibits upgrading. You just have to buy a qualifying fare for the regular ticket. But unless you have some complimentary ones, you might want to just buy the F ticket outright. The companion is still $50 whether you buy coach or First.

I see in your post of 2005 that the VISA certificates were recently made electronic. I just joined with AS and just got an AS Signature card with the 20,000 mile bonus. I don't see the "View my e-certificates" link in my account's profile. - Do you or anyone know if their VIA Companion ticketing procedure has changed or what it is exactly?

I see in your post of 2005 that the VISA certificates were recently made electronic. I just joined with AS and just got an AS Signature card with the 20,000 mile bonus. I don't see the "View my e-certificates" link in my account's profile. - Do you or anyone know if their VIA Companion ticketing procedure has changed or what it is exactly?

You're looking in your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan profile, NOT your BofA Online Banking profile, right? You're also signed in and on the My Account (https://www.alaskaair.com/www2/ssl/myalaskaair/manageacct/MyAccount_TOC.asp) page, right? If so, it should be on the right hand side of the page, the second item under "My Trips/My Offers." (It has also recently been renamed "View My Discount Codes" instead of "View My e-Certificates.")

IIRC, it should show the "View My Discount Codes" link even if you do not have any discount codes (e.g. the BofA companion certificate has not posted to your account yet).

I see in your post of 2005 that the VISA certificates were recently made electronic. I just joined with AS and just got an AS Signature card with the 20,000 mile bonus. I don't see the "View my e-certificates" link in my account's profile. - Do you or anyone know if their VIA Companion ticketing procedure has changed or what it is exactly?

Sometimes there's a time delay in the companion fare showing up. It took a couple of weeks to appear after I got my card in August.

Thanks for the feedback - I will wait to see the addition of the Companion ticket in my Alaska Airlines profile when that time comes.

If I am going to get one companion ticket with this VISA card sign-up, are there any other deals that anyone knows of to get a second companion certificate, either a $50 one or a $99 one?

If I am going to get one companion ticket with this VISA card sign-up, are there any other deals that anyone knows of to get a second companion certificate, either a $50 one or a $99 one?

Have your significant other sign up for an account works.

If I am going to get one companion ticket with this VISA card sign-up, are there any other deals that anyone knows of to get a second companion certificate, either a $50 one or a $99 one?

Or sign up for a Platinum or Signature, whichever your current one isn't. That works too, but you only get 5k bonus when you sign up for Plat.

Sometimes there's a time delay in the companion fare showing up. It took a couple of weeks to appear after I got my card in August.

So does that mean that people who sign up for new cards should receive their certificate electronically? I signed up for my card last week, hoping to use the companion cert for Christmas, I just got off the phone with B of A, they said my companion cert would come on paper in my welcome packet, 6 to 8 weeks after I signed up for the card :mad:. If new cardholders get certs electronically then maybe I'll have a chance at getting my cert before Christmas rolls around.

Has anyone here signed up for the B of A Visa Signature card recently? How long did it take you to get your cert, and how did it come (paper or electronic)?

The $99 one that comes with the Business card is paper.

The $50 ones are issued electronically, but I'd still give it 4-6 weeks to show up.

So does that mean that people who sign up for new cards should receive their certificate electronically? I signed up for my card last week, hoping to use the companion cert for Christmas, I just got off the phone with B of A, they said my companion cert would come on paper in my welcome packet, 6 to 8 weeks after I signed up for the card :mad:. If new cardholders get certs electronically then maybe I'll have a chance at getting my cert before Christmas rolls around.

Has anyone here signed up for the B of A Visa Signature card recently? How long did it take you to get your cert, and how did it come (paper or electronic)?

I received my voucher via mail and online around the same time which was about 6 weeks after receiving the new card.

The $99 one that comes with the Business card is paper.
The $50 ones are issued electronically, but I'd still give it 4-6 weeks to show up.
I must be one of the lucky ones, as I received 2 complimentary board room guest passes and the $50 companion certificate about 1 week after I received my new AS Master Card.

I must be one of the lucky ones, as I received 2 complimentary board room guest passes and the $50 companion certificate about 1 week after I received my new AS Master Card.

Hoping that happens to me as well. I have a couple first class ticket I'm waiting to purchase. Hoping the seats don't get taken on the flight we're looking at.

After I posted I looked at the small print on the Companion Fare Certificate, and it says: Companion Fare is available for redemption 7 to 10 days after your first credit card statement is received. So even though I received it early, I still have to wait.

Since this seems to be a pretty comprehensive companion certificate question thread, I want to pose one that hasn't been asked yet. The T&Cs of these clearly state:

Mileage Plan: Mileage Plan credit applies and upgrades are allowed.

So if my companion wants to credit his miles to his NW World Perks (he's platinum there), will that still fly? Is the companion ticket booked as the same fare class as mine?

Since this seems to be a pretty comprehensive companion certificate question, I want to pose one that hasn't been asked yet. The T&Cs of these clearly state:

Mileage Plan: Mileage Plan credit applies and upgrades are allowed.

So if my companion wants to credit his miles to his NW World Perks (he's platinum there), will that still fly? Is the companion ticket booked as the same fare class as mine?

The companion fare is booked in the same fare as the primary ticket. You should be able to to use the World Perks number. If you wanted to be safe you could not apply any FF# for the companion ticket and submit the boarding pass and receipt after the flight if NWA allows this like AS does.

I just called reagrding making a possible change to a reservation that we made with a $50 BofA cert. We are booked in first class, and the fare is fully refundable.

The agent told me that the ticket could be changed for no fee (I assume we would pay any fare increase) for travel within one year of the original travel date.

If I understand correctly, this means that you can extend the life of your $50 cert for an additional year. Specifically, in our case:

Cert issued by BofA = Jan 2007
Cert "expires" (must BOOK by) = Jan 2008
Reservation can be for travel up to 330 days after cert "expires" = Dec 2008
Could rebook for up to one year later = Dec 2009

Is this correct? Has anyone here actually done this?

I just called reagrding making a possible change to a reservation that we made with a $50 BofA cert. We are booked in first class, and the fare is fully refundable.

The agent told me that the ticket could be changed for no fee (I assume we would pay any fare increase) for travel within one year of the original travel date.

If I understand correctly, this means that you can extend the life of your $50 cert for an additional year. Specifically, in our case:

Cert issued by BofA = Jan 2007
Cert "expires" (must BOOK by) = Jan 2008
Reservation can be for travel up to 330 days after cert "expires" = Dec 2008
Could rebook for up to one year later = Dec 2009

Is this correct? Has anyone here actually done this?

Anyone??

Anyone??

I actually thought the companion cert discount was nonrefundable and lost with any ticket changes or cancellations. Yes, you have fully flexible F tickets, but IIRC the fare difference you'd pay for a change would cover the full cost of the companion ticket (less $50) - and if you cancelled you would not get the cert back.

I actually thought the companion cert discount was nonrefundable and lost with any ticket changes or cancellations. Yes, you have fully flexible F tickets, but IIRC the fare difference you'd pay for a change would cover the full cost of the companion ticket (less $50) - and if you cancelled you would not get the cert back.

That's what I thought, too. However, the CSR I spoke with seemed very familiar withese certs and told me that I should change the ticket rather than cancel because that would preserve the cert. Otherwise, I'd lose it.

So, again, has anyone actually made such a change without losing the cert, and were you able to effectively extend its life for one year?

Can the AS50 cert be used to book a round-trip with a stopover? The rules of the cert don't exclude such ticketing, but in order to get a RT with a stopover to price on the website you have to use the multi-city pricing function. Of course there is no where to put the cert number on the multi-city booking page.

I would hate to have to pay a phone fee because of website system limitations.

I can't speak to a stopover from personal experience but I booked an open jaw online last week. You use the multicity search, and then when you price out the itinerary there's still an opportunity to enter a discount code (which you can copy and paste from your account's list of discount certs).

I imagine that a stopover would work the same, unless of course it's explicitly forbidden in the rules, but iusing the multicity booking page doesn't preclude the use of a cert it's just a more cumbersome procedure.

Thanks Gleff, I guess I need to open my eyes. Discount was applied. Cool.

This looks like the best thread to post in... and I can't find an answer elsewhere.

I am looking to use the companion pass for RT that has a coterminal connection overnight, and am not sure if it will work. I have to book via multi-city to do this:
SEA-LAX-ACV
ACV-LAX is too late to connect to a SEA flight, and the best option for me is to do BUR-SEA the following morning. (I cannot use the other options of acv-pdx or the early acv-lax in case that is a suggestion)

Will this work? Will I have to ticket over the phone? If so, are the fees waived?

Will this work? Will I have to ticket over the phone? If so, are the fees waived?

It should work. Just use the multi-city and put in the discount code. I've messed around with the companion ticket before, and as long as you can book it online normally, you will be able to use the companion certificate online as well.

If you are unable to book online (which I see no reason why not in this case) you can call and book it, but I don't know if fee's are waived.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.1.20.06.3.1.20.0)



Will this work? Will I have to ticket over the phone? If so, are the fees waived?



It should work. Just use the multi-city and put in the discount code. I've messed around with the companion ticket before, and as long as you can book it online normally, you will be able to use the companion certificate online as well.



If you are unable to book online (which I see no reason why not in this case) you can call and book it, but I don't know if fee's are waived.

IIRC-



The cert is a little flexible online (probably programming constraints) - however if one follows the fare rules, then the companion cert can be applied- so if the fare rules say a stopover is alowed in that city- great. Also, if it says coterminals are fine, great.



This should be bookable online- if you need to book it over the phone (if you can't price it out online) be prepared to pay a fee for each pax, unless MVPG...

Ok I was reading through the thread and I'm still not clear and I was hoping someone could help me answer my situation.

My gf has the AS/Plat Visa and the companion certificate and I'm going to be her companion on our trip to NYC/DC. I'm a MVP but I know we have to book the ticket through her Alaska account and certificate. Here's my questions

1. Can I accrue regular MVP EQM's using this certificate for my ticket?
2. Also because I'll be on the Reservation with my MVP number, can I get us MVP seating?
3. If I wanted to upgrade us to F for the entire trip, are both tickets eligible for a F upgrade?

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Depends on what type of upgrade you are using. Since only MVPGs get companion upgrades, that desn't apply to your situation. You cannot be upgraded without her as the rules of the companion cert state both must travel in the same cabin. If U space is available for both of you and you want to use gifted MVPG certs or miles that would work. You could also pray for U space to be available for both of you day of departure.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Depends on what type of upgrade you are using. Since only MVPG gets companion upgrades, that desn't apply to your situation. You cannot be upgraded without her as the rules of the companion cert state both must travel in the same cabin. If U space is available for both of you and you want to use gifted MVPG certs or miles that would work. You could also pray for U space to be available for both of you day of departure.

Could I use my miles to upgrade both of our tickets.

on an eligible fare and if upgrade inventory is available, yes

the companion books into the same fare bucket as the regular paid ticket

Could I use my miles to upgrade both of our tickets.


You'd have to buy a value fare or above to use your miles for upgrades... and at 60K to upgrade both of you RT, I think the better value might be just to buy an F fare.

Remember.. with paid F, you get extra EQM's :)

Indeed, one of the best uses I ever had for one of these was paid F, DCA to Hawaii... was ~ $1800 all-in for two, didn't have to spend miles to upgrade, got bonus miles and EQMs, and the ticket was refundable.

Lowest priced coach tickets at the time would have been $1800 for two (without the companion cert, pretty much across all airlines), then I would have had to upgrade, dealt with the ticket restrictions, and foregone the bonuses.