Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - British Airways - the best use of Alaska Miles

Just returned from a family vacation in Italy. We used Alaska miles for travel on British Airways (our 2nd trip on BA with AK miles in the past year). Again we were very pleased with British Airways.
We started our trip from SEA to LAX on AK and of course we sweated out a cancelled flight and another delay on the next AK flight to LAX. Please note when you are using miles that AK will only issue boarding passes on the AK airlines portion of a trip, not BA. Since we were running late I was concerned
our luggage would not make it on the BA flights.
I called the gold desk to try and get them to contact BA to inform them of our delay,etc. and not to give up our seats as we were running late out of Seattle. After speaking to 2 different AK folks at the gold line they promised to inform BA of our delay.
Guess what ? They never contacted BA ? When we ran to the BA gate at LAX our seats were released. However, we got lucky and the BA flight was delayed. We ended up getting our BA seats back when the BA agent switched seats with some other passengers.
Since the BA flight was delayed we were concrned about making our connection from London to Milan. When we landed in London we were met by
a BA agent who took us by cart getting fastpass through Heathrow :) security and then calling to be sure our luggage got transferred to our flight. What great service !
The long flights were enjoyable even in coach, kids were happy with all the movies, food was ok, and service was the best. I will always use my miles on British Airways.

Wrong forum! :D

Wrong forum! :D

How do you figure?

(Incidentally, the code for Alaska Airlines is AS, not AK.)

Mike

The BA awards for off season were a great deal and flew them several timnes. As I consider BA to be one of the better foreign carriers, but with the new award levels we are more apt to Fly NW/KLM Business Class at 80,000 than to fly BA in Coach "Plus" at 85,000.

My aunt is currently in the air right now on a BA F ticket (125K miles) to SFO and returning in two months. She's in heaven about flying BA F and honestly, so am I for her.


I agree, it is the best use of miles and I'll be redeeming another ticket for my badself before the rates go up on 5/1.

lala

I'm flying out tomorrow night on a BA F award SEA-IAD (AS) -LHR-NBO returning six weeks later NBO-LHR-SEA, sadly they took the four class plane off of the LHR-NBO-LHR sections. For 160K this was a great deal, using BA mailes for the same award would be 270K

I'm flying out tomorrow night on a BA F award SEA-IAD (AS) -LHR-NBO returning six weeks later NBO-LHR-SEA, sadly they took the four class plane off of the LHR-NBO-LHR sections. For 160K this was a great deal, using BA mailes for the same award would be 270K

Safe travels, you are doing great work!

lala

The BA awards for off season were a great deal and flew them several timnes. As I consider BA to be one of the better foreign carriers, but with the new award levels we are more apt to Fly NW/KLM Business Class at 80,000 than to fly BA in Coach "Plus" at 85,000.

Has anyone ever been able to get a business class award ticket on the NW flight from SEA-AMS?

Has anyone ever been able to get a business class award ticket on the NW flight from SEA-AMS?

It's hard enough to get as a NW elite, so I'd be impressed if it had been done with Alaska miles. In fact, it would be enough to get me to reconsider where I credit my miles. That and the imminent annoucnement of service to Hawaii... :p

My favorite flight was BA F from SEA-LHR a few years ago. Would have liked to have done it this year but it was tough finding award seats to Italy this year and ultimately went with AA biz class awards. Less hassle with transfers and get into Rome about 8 hours sooner than with BA. Leaving tomorrow morning. :)

Has anyone ever been able to get a business class award ticket on the NW flight from SEA-AMS?

Yes, but usually it was the return AMS-SEA that was available, on the outgoing I usually I've had to go out of YVR,SFO,LAX or ORD

^ So far I've flown 4 trips with my wife on BA First using AS miles...3 to Europe and one India. I think the mileage requirements have gone/are going up...but those AS miles have been yielding something of the order of 8.5 cents per mile...that's pretty good, I think. And BA F is a class act...I've got quite a nice collection of their overnite PJs! :D

My wife and I just returned from a trip in BA First SEA-LHR-CDG-LHR-SEA (or, in normal-person speak, Seattle-Paris through London, then return London-Seattle). We were, in a word, delighted.

I've flown BA Club World on AS award tickets several times, and this is the first time we decided to kick in the extra miles for First. It was worth it, from the larger "pods," to more privacy, to better food service. We plan to do it again in December for a trip to Berlin (again, via Heathrow) -- it's worth the extra 20,000 miles each, even at the post-May 1 higher award redemption levels. Especially now since the delta between Business and First is actually less -- 20,000 miles instead of 35,000 miles as it had been.

We've tried to get to Europe on NW, but as another posted noted, we seem to easily get AMS-SEA seats, but not SEA-AMS. We gave up and booked BA.

Yes, but usually it was the return AMS-SEA that was available, on the outgoing I usually I've had to go out of YVR,SFO,LAX or ORD

Yes, but in my case I could get the SEA-AMS, but not the AMS-SEA. Flight was Feb 06. Used NW miles, not AS miles.

There's nothing more frustrating than sitting in AMS asking if and finding out that a J seat is open on the direct AMS-SEA flight and still having to fly via MSP because they will not allow the standby switch on a reward flight.

My favorite, of course, is the BA F award to SYD. USA->LHR->SIN/BKK->SYD. 150,000 miles.

Only done it once, though.

Mr. Harlot and I did SEA-LHR-BKK-SYD and MEL-SIN-LHR-SEA in F last year. Amazing, incredible experience. That is the sort of trip frequent flyer miles are made for. Something you'd never spend the money on - the tickets priced on Expedia as $52,000! :)

What are the award levels going up to? Do we know? I suppose I could just go look on alaskaair.com... :p

Just how difficult is it to get F award tickets on BA, CX, or QF? I'm considering getting Alaska miles (via various transfers) just so I can 2 F tickets to Australia for my honeymoon this december.

Thanks!

Just how difficult is it to get F award tickets on BA, CX, or QF? I'm considering getting Alaska miles (via various transfers) just so I can 2 F tickets to Australia for my honeymoon this december.

Thanks!

I've rarely had trouble getting bookings on BA, as long as they're in First or Club World (and I've been flexible between the two), and been flexible on a couple of days in each direction. But then, I also book more than six months in advance, usually.

I've rarely had trouble getting bookings on BA, as long as they're in First or Club World (and I've been flexible between the two), and been flexible on a couple of days in each direction. But then, I also book more than six months in advance, usually.

And if your not having success also check other BA gateways serrved by AS, YVR,SFO,LAX,PHX,ORD,MEX,EWR,BOS,IAD,DFW,MIA,MCO,DE N. Have I missed any?

And if your not having success also check other BA gateways serrved by AS, YVR,SFO,LAX,PHX,ORD,MEX,EWR,BOS,IAD,DFW,MIA,MCO,DE N. Have I missed any?

Don't forget the nearby co-terminals at JFK and BWI. Also, TPA is not too far from MCO.

Just how difficult is it to get F award tickets on BA, CX, or QF? I'm considering getting Alaska miles (via various transfers) just so I can 2 F tickets to Australia for my honeymoon this december.

Thanks!


Getting availability on CX SEA-LAX-HKG was really easy for this August. December is likely a different story. I'd suggest booking now...

And if your not having success also check other BA gateways serrved by AS, YVR,SFO,LAX,PHX,ORD,MEX,EWR,BOS,IAD,DFW,MIA,MCO,DE N. Have I missed any?

Getting to and from LHR in December should not be to challenging, the issue will be getting on one of the two flights a day between LHR to SYD. It seems award availability has tightened a bit since BA canceled the MEL route.

The BA awards for off season were a great deal and flew them several timnes. As I consider BA to be one of the better foreign carriers, but with the new award levels we are more apt to Fly NW/KLM Business Class at 80,000 than to fly BA in Coach "Plus" at 85,000.

How successful have you been getting the BA award SEA-LHR non-stop flight in the off season?

How successful have you been getting the BA award SEA-LHR non-stop flight in the off season?
Very! :)

How successful have you been getting the BA award SEA-LHR non-stop flight in the off season?

More often than not we have been able to get the straight shot (J, never tried for F). Usually dont even book until roughly 3 months out.

How successful have you been getting the BA award SEA-LHR non-stop flight in the off season?

Never had a problem.

Is it possible to do an award trip on BA from IAD-HKG-IAD?

http://www.alaskaair.com/mileageplan/CityLists/CityListDisplay.asp?k=12

http://www.alaskaair.com/mileageplan/CityLists/CityListDisplay.asp?k=12


This is a great link Missy, have always wanted a definitive list of destination cities!

IAH - LHR also !

http://www.alaskaair.com/mileageplan/CityLists/CityListDisplay.asp?k=12

Hi Missy,
How do you access this page while navigating the alaskaair.com site?

I did not see a link to this on the site map page.
Thanks!

Click on Award reservations

Click on Partner Reservation Request

In section 2 - Flight information there is a "City List" link.

I'll send an email over to the mileage plan people and see if they can add that list to somewhere more noticable.

My favorite, of course, is the BA F award to SYD. USA->LHR->SIN/BKK->SYD. 150,000 miles.

Only done it once, though.

This is a great use of miles, especially when you consider that for BA Executive Club members, the mileage requirement for this routing jumped from 150,000 to a whopping 420,000 back in Jul-03. :(

After spending an hour and a half with Erica at the partner desk I finally got my round trip F award ticket from IAD to HKG in Aug. We started looking in October first; then November; then September. Finally hit pay dirt in August. The only bad thing is - August in HKG. Hope I don't run into any typhoon.

Erica at the partner desk was the best.