Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - 87 miles short for MVP - will AS help?

Hello all,

Mr. Harlot will be 87 miles short of MVP after our trip to HNL in December. I will be MVPG later this week, but he has never made MVP before.

Do you think that AS will 'give' him those 87 miles and make him MVP, or should we start looking for a cheap short flight? :) If it makes any difference, about 15,000 of his miles this year were on NWA.

Thanks!

Book a flight on Horizon, that would be 1000 miles minimum.

Just send him on a quick QX run down to PDX. There's 1,000 EQM miles, plus they have double miles until the middle of December.

sounds like a trip to PDX or GEG is in order.

I did a GEG trip last December to get my MVP status. I'm not even going to be close this year, so its back to the rank and file for me :)

Several years ago, when Alaska raised the MVP bogey to 20K, my friend's spouse was about two hundred miles short, she phoned up CS and was granted a waiver for the upcoming year. So, it has happened, but I don't know if they would be amenable at this point in time.

We were about 46 miles short for this year so we booked a pair of SEA/GEG flights and have begged our relatives there to spend a weekend with us next month.

Thanks very much. I suspect Mr. Harlot would not mind if a quick trip to say Vegas were to become necessary before the end of the year. :-)

They probably wont waive it, they usually do that for people already with status. However they might sign him up for the promo(if they do it in 09) that if he flies 4 segments by March 15th they will grant him MVP. It would be way cheaper and more assuring to do a quick mileage run

I agree... do a mileage run... maybe somewhere fun for New Year's Eve? 500 miles there and 500 for 2009 on the way back!

my very first year flying, I missed MVP by 300 miles. I called and begged, and they obliged.

I was 309 miles short of MVPG last year, I called on Dec 20, said either I can make a quick SEA-BOI RT, or can you push my status. Took about a minute, she came back & said no problem.

My current reservations will put me 156 miles short of MVPG this year, I may opt to use the same plan. It will be 5th straight yr of MVPG for me in 09.

I was 309 miles short of MVPG last year, I called on Dec 20, said either I can make a quick SEA-BOI RT, or can you push my status. Took about a minute, she came back & said no problem.

My current reservations will put me 156 miles short of MVPG this year, I may opt to use the same plan. It will be 5th straight yr of MVPG for me in 09.

Its always good to give AS a little more revenue ^

Besides... there's that many more miles in your account :p

(Book as 2 one-ways on your AS CC, earn 1K booking bonus each, 500 EQM's each segment + 500 MVPG bonus... total: 4,000 miles (plus 3 miles per dollar of net $ on AS CC if signature card)

I did a GEG trip last December to get my MVP status.


Wait a minute............I thought you were permanent MVP G(oddess) status already. Who do I need to talk to?;)

Thanks very much. I suspect Mr. Harlot would not mind if a quick trip to say Vegas were to become necessary before the end of the year. :-)

Vegas is ALWAYS a necessary trip ;)

So, slightly same question:

NWA mileage credits take F O R E V E R.. but a NWA flight first week of nov has slightly different implications as it will put me over the MVP threshold. This means new NWA certificates.

I would like to (try to) use one of these for my return flight that following monday..

Can a call to the MVP desk push this all through?

Vegas is ALWAYS a necessary trip

Vegas. My favorite place to hate. ;)

So, slightly same question:

NWA mileage credits take F O R E V E R.. but a NWA flight first week of nov has slightly different implications as it will put me over the MVP threshold. This means new NWA certificates.

I would like to (try to) use one of these for my return flight that following monday..

Can a call to the MVP desk push this all through?

Vegas. My favorite place to hate. ;)

So you are trying to use an AS issued NW certificate:confused:

These were discontinued. It is all electronically processed now, and makes us the equivalent of a NW silver. However, you are asking for AS MVP desk to 'push through' your status... doubtful it will happen- you can pray to the redtail that your flight posts early enough for the 'sweep' and then call up NW and have them reenter your Mileage Plan # to update the status in your NW itinerary...

As for LAS... I haven't made it there since 1998 or so, when I was 11... Now I need a good excuse (cheap airfare) to get me there!

So you are trying to use an AS issued NW certificate:confused:

These were discontinued. It is all electronically processed now, and makes us the equivalent of a NW silver.


electronic..paper..still a certificate to me :p


However, you are asking for AS MVP desk to 'push through' your status... doubtful it will happen- you can pray to the redtail that your flight posts early enough for the 'sweep' and then call up NW and have them reenter your Mileage Plan # to update the status in your NW itinerary...


Last time it took months for those to post ...

oh well. joy.

As for LAS... I haven't made it there since 1998 or so, when I was 11... Now I need a good excuse (cheap airfare) to get me there!

$200 not cheap enough?

electronic..paper..still a certificate to me :p

Last time it took months for those to post ...

oh well. joy.



What I mean is its fully automated... ie- no more certificates... electronically or paper... we are integrated into NW's EUA system the equivalent of NW Silver.



$200 not cheap enough?

Its $200 from ANC??? Would be nice- but I'm guessing this is from SEA...

*blush* i thought you were from seattle... *looks at your location*

Has anyone had Mileage Plan bump them when they were short by a larger amount of miles? I'm short of gold by 5200 miles.

Last time I had this problem with AA they sent me an offer to get my status back for $395 which is about the same as a round-trip ticket to Miami or Hawaii in mid-December.

Has anyone had Mileage Plan bump them when they were short by a larger amount of miles? I'm short of gold by 5200 miles.

Last time I had this problem with AA they sent me an offer to get my status back for $395 which is about the same as a round-trip ticket to Miami or Hawaii in mid-December.no they often send you a promo that you can sign up for that if you are short for MVP you can fly 4 segments by the end of March or 8 segments by the end of March for a Gold to be renewed. I did it for 2008 to get MVP although I eventually hit gold this year. I was 6 segments short as of December 31st, 2007 to retain MVP. I had flights already booked for Jan 2nd as well as Jan 4th which wouldve made my 6 needed segments. I contacted AS and made my case and while I was not automatically comped to MVP they signed me up for the promo deal which essentially was in a round about way being comped. At 5200 miles Im not sure if they would send you that email or not. Im not sure if theyd send you that offer being 5200 miles away. I would think you might have to be closer than that

Has anyone had Mileage Plan bump them when they were short by a larger amount of miles? I'm short of gold by 5200 miles.

Last time I had this problem with AA they sent me an offer to get my status back for $395 which is about the same as a round-trip ticket to Miami or Hawaii in mid-December.

that's real short. I don't think they'll budge for that much. That's like aiming to land in Singapore, but ending up in Tokyo :)

You could do a last minute SEA-EWR or something....

57 miles short or whatever it is...there perhaps would be a pleading case if your last flight was posted in the last handful of days in December, but if it occurred much earlier, they'd be well within reasonable to say no, as there would be time to pick one up.

that's real short. I don't think they'll budge for that much. That's like aiming to land in Singapore, but ending up in Tokyo :)

You could do a last minute SEA-EWR or something....

That's what I figured. I just put SEA-HNL on hold for $406, but there is a double-miles promotion to MSP and for $99 each way I can go back and forth twice.

Hmmm. A day in Hawaii or a whole bunch of bonus miles. Decisions, decisions...

Just did an MR SEA-LAX-DCA-LAX-SEA for 6500 miles, and AS was kind enough to comp upgrade me on three of four segments (yee-haww! :-)

no they often send you a promo that you can sign up for that if you are short for MVP you can fly 4 segments by the end of March or 8 segments by the end of March for a Gold to be renewed. I did it for 2008 to get MVP although I eventually hit gold this year. I was 6 segments short as of December 31st, 2007 to retain MVP. I had flights already booked for Jan 2nd as well as Jan 4th which wouldve made my 6 needed segments. I contacted AS and made my case and while I was not automatically comped to MVP they signed me up for the promo deal which essentially was in a round about way being comped. At 5200 miles Im not sure if they would send you that email or not. Im not sure if theyd send you that offer being 5200 miles away. I would think you might have to be closer than that

so i'm going to hit mvp in a few weeks for 09... and in feb i have 6 segments booked on AA and can easily justify a RT somewhere to make it 8 total segments before the end of march. Think I could call in jan and ask for the promo to MVPG? I don't expect to hit mvp w/ travel for next year, but I do expect to hit a higher level in 2010 on another carrier - and being able to transfer mvpg would be a fair bit nicer than mvp... any thoughts on this?

so i'm going to hit mvp in a few weeks for 09... and in feb i have 6 segments booked on AA and can easily justify a RT somewhere to make it 8 total segments before the end of march. Think I could call in jan and ask for the promo to MVPG? I don't expect to hit mvp w/ travel for next year, but I do expect to hit a higher level in 2010 on another carrier - and being able to transfer mvpg would be a fair bit nicer than mvp... any thoughts on this?

Any status challenges (fly x segments for status) would need to be done on AS metal, not partner.

Any status challenges (fly x segments for status) would need to be done on AS metal, not partner.
Correct, as I found out. Fortunately AS ran some very cheap fares the one time I did not qualify. I flew on the ANC-FAI route, two RT's each weekend. Took two weekends & some strange glares from the FA's when I got off & got right back on the plane, but that was before anyone know about mileage runs. :D

With Board Room access in ANC, it wasn't that bad and I got UG's on most flights.

so i'm going to hit mvp in a few weeks for 09... and in feb i have 6 segments booked on AA and can easily justify a RT somewhere to make it 8 total segments before the end of march. Think I could call in jan and ask for the promo to MVPG? I don't expect to hit mvp w/ travel for next year, but I do expect to hit a higher level in 2010 on another carrier - and being able to transfer mvpg would be a fair bit nicer than mvp... any thoughts on this?
adding to what "COplt..." said. I think maybe I didnt clearly explain the deal. In a few weeks you will hit MVP which means by the end of the year you will be still way short of hitting Gold? Even if it was AS metal you would probably have to be within reasonable reach of the goal for gold. You arent going to get the fly 8 segments by the end of march promo if you are at 21K miles and 35 segments for instance. Its also only typically offered if you were at that level the preceding year

Any status challenges (fly x segments for status) would need to be done on AS metal, not partner.

gotcha - figured as such...

adding to what "COplt..." said. I think maybe I didnt clearly explain the deal. In a few weeks you will hit MVP which means by the end of the year you will be still way short of hitting Gold? Even if it was AS metal you would probably have to be within reasonable reach of the goal for gold. You arent going to get the fly 8 segments by the end of march promo if you are at 21K miles and 35 segments for instance. Its also only typically offered if you were at that level the preceding year

good point... i suppose that if i missed MVP this year by a little bit i'd get the promo of 4 segments by X (on AS metal)

me thinks that next year is a year to burn, not earn.

My wife was going to be short just a few miles for MVPG, but now, had an annoying posting from DL that pushed her out quite a few miles.

The VCE-JFK-SEA flight on the way back was the same flight number..so it posted as VCE-SEA...shaving off 1100 miles.

I take it that this is just how it works.

and yet there was a change of gauge at JFK, wasn't there? That practice should be illegal. Its deceptive and misleading. (and that last statement was repetitively redundant) But I digress.

and yet there was a change of gauge at JFK, wasn't there? That practice should be illegal. Its deceptive and misleading. (and that last statement was repetitively redundant) But I digress.

Yeah, from a 767, across the airport, to a 737. which my bags/self nearly missed. ;)

I've never been MVP before. I have a trip Seattle-Tahoe trip later this month that will bring me to 1354 miles short of 20,000.

I also have a FC round trip to Vegas Jan 9 - 13 that would easily put me over the top. If I call and plead Alaska, any chance they will credit me the Jan 09 miles toward my 2008 MVP quest?

Also, I've done paid upgrades to FC at the gate several times this year - any chance that those are eligible for the FC 50% Bonus Miles?

Thx!

Since you have no status now, I doubt AS will grant you status based on a trip you have booked in Jan '09. My advice is if you want to have MVP status in '09 you should find a way to fly those 1354 miles before Dec. 31.

Upgrades of any kind will not get you the 150% EQM in FC. Only paid FC fares earn the mileage bonus.

By the way, welcome to FlyerTalk. If you post your home airport perhaps the folks here can recommend a cheap milrage run that you can take to secure MVP staus for 2009.

OK, thanks. I figured I'd have to bite the bullet and fly those the miles, but since I'm new to this, I thought I'd ask.

I don't have destination I particularly want to go; I just want to spend a day getting the miles efficiently racked up. I'm been looking at a Horizon SEA-GEG or BOI - PDX - SEA loop or something similar. Three one-way's = 1500 miles for about $250-300.

<--- Based in Seattle. Any suggestions are most welcome!

Found this one - SEA-SFO-SEA Same day 12/13 or 12/14 $119-$149 A/I 1358 miles - then you can post to the "I made it by x miles thread" that you squeaked by with 4 miles to spare! Also SEA-SJC-SEA $159 A/I 1394 miles.

Excellent MR suggestions! For some reason I had it in my head that a Bay Area R/T wasn't far enough....

4 mile buffer? I'm not that big of a gambler! Esp. since I flew SEA-SFO a couple months ago and they awarded me 1 less mile each way than the posted mileage, which would cut it to 2 miles. :eek:

I think I'll go with the SEA-SJC. Thanks for your help!