You can already do that it just has to be done through reservations because they have to reissue the ticket.

If your switching from nonstop to connecting they charge you an additional landing tax right around 7 dollars and if your switching connecting to nonstop you get that landing tax back as a credit.

If you listen to (and believe) the WN people, they make more money by not having bag fees than they would if they implemented a first bag fee.

I wouldn't be surprised if AS adds a revenue component to MP at some point in time. It makes sense, and quite frankly, I think it's a good thing.

You realize that you're going to get an extra serving of polenta on your next flight for that revenue component comment, right?? :p

In all seriousness, I think a lot of us former UA elites switched to AS when UA instituted a revenue requirement so that's the #1 change I hope AS does NOT make.

A revenue component would also fly in direct opposition to the change AS made when allowing to earn elite status flying partners.

The problem for AS is that you'll notice that UA/DL won't give you spend credit towards elite qualification for anything that's not on their tickets.

This is a problem for an airline which is highly dependent on partner relationships like AS; you can't put a SEA-LHR BA flight or LAX-HKG CX flight on an AS ticket (unless it's an award). Feel free to plug SEA-LHR into alaskaair.com and see what the message the site gives you...

Going to a revenue model would seriously impact AS's ability to accept partners as equals...

AS already mediates the "partner problem" by requiring a higher number of miles/legs to attain status flying a combo of AS+partners than just AS alone.
Regarding the revenue model, I am sure AS knows exactly how many $$$ the average elite spends with AS. If the average spend does not cover the elite benefits, AS can always devalue the benefits and not touch the revenue side.

I don't think AS will go revenue in the near future.

One of AS' biggest and best bargaining chips in the war for customers in SEA against DL is Mileage Plan in its existing form. Sky Miles is lousy, and looks even worse compared to Mileage Plan. As long as AS is fighting DL tooth and nail in Seattle I don't think we will see any major diminishments to Mileage Plan.

So true. If it weren't for Mileage Plan, I would be booking the cheapest fares with other airlines. UA/DL tend to have cheaper fares when I travel, so I'm paying more to stay loyal with AS.

oh really? if true, that is indeed a positive development ...

+1....it was news to me. ^

DL gives you spend credit for some partners. They use a proxy for the spend by the multiplying the fare class by a multiplier. For example, a J ticket on AF gets you 60% MQD (e.g., a RT SEA-CDG would net $6,017 MQD, regardless of what you paid for it).

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...ir-france.html



This is a problem for an airline which is highly dependent on partner relationships like AS; you can't put a SEA-LHR BA flight or LAX-HKG CX flight on an AS ticket (unless it's an award). Feel free to plug SEA-LHR into alaskaair.com and see what the message the site gives you...

Going to a revenue model would seriously impact AS's ability to accept partners as equals...



I agree it's a problem for an airline like AS -- it would be very heavily dependent on proxies like DL uses, or do like AA is planning and not have a dollar component for qualification.

The real problem for a partner-centric airline like AS is that if it diminishes partner earnings too much, then the airline becomes less attractive for many because the AS reach is simply not broad enough. Or if they do like DL or UA and diminish the earnings and redemptions too much, they risk people disengaging from the program.

If that happens, that's not good for AS, especially with a competitor in SEA with broader reach who wants to eat them for lunch.

I think it's reasonable to expect that cheap AA fare classes will yield fewer MP miles. My guess is sometime later in 2016.

Speculating about more dramatic changes to MP may be fun, but it isn't very productive.

Wow, I have been turned down on that several times, they tell me it has to be the exact same route. On a particular trip I have to take often I need to come home later sometimes and that means going via SEA to PDX vs to PDX nonstop and they never let me do it. Often I book all one ways with the two different returns and cancel the one I don't use.

One thing I would like to see is the million mile level count using partner airlines, like the competition does. I fly DL a lot (or did, and now AA a lot and according to this thread might switch back to DL to get 75% of miles on flights vs the probable upcoming 50% on AA) but none of those count to million miles. I'll probably never get there as it's taken me a long time to get to 500,000 AS miles.

The competition also gives you much less of a benefit at the MM level; if you're planning to fly their respective carriers, lifetime MVP Gold on AS is a heck of a lot better than lifetime Silver on DL.