Alaska confirms what many have long believed: the golden goose is being killed for profit. Blame the blogs, blame the FTUs, blame FlyerTalk, blame ourselves.
IMHO the constant refrain of bloggers hanging out in premium Emirates cabins has come home to roost.
Why is Mileage Plan making this change?
Alaska’s premium Emirates awards have long been known as an exceptionally good deal. With the rise of “travel-hacking,” intended to exploit Mileage Plan’s award routing rules, coupled with below-market award levels, our previous award levels were unsustainable. The new award levels enable Alaska to continue to offer Emirates Business Class and First Class as a redemption option.