I have booked probably 30+ awards using Avios on Alaska Airlines over the phone (which your agents call Alaskan) because it is not possible to book online, and I have never been charged a fee before.

One time an agent insisted on charging me the fee and I told him to call a supervisor and it was rectified and purged. You BA members may not be familiar with this because you don't often book Alaska awards living in Europe.

I have posed this question to bloggers, and those familiar with booking AS awards: a service centre fee is not suppose to be assessed.