Originally Posted by
bhnash
I had not thought at all about using Avios on Alaska. Thanks for the idea, I'll be checking that out now.
In fairness,
saacman5033 did mention it too...
You can book one-way awards, as well. Perhaps the best move is to make a list of everything that's actually available for the dates you want and take the best combination.
Also make sure you understand what the change/cancel restrictions/fees are with each option.
And SFO is an option if the price/availability differential is big enough.
Supershuttle is an option to get you there and, if SJC itself is actually very convenient, the
Monterey Airbus has scheduled service between the airports.