Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
Um.
You don't get charged fees on AS once you're MVPG either (except for the partner award fee of $12.50 each way).
AS has complimentary upgrades on ALL their flights (domestic and international).
So those two things aren't any different at all...

http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...el-alaska.aspx (no CPU allowed on award flights)
http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...redeeming.aspx
(non refundable fees apply)