Atmos Award Inflation and Scarcity - More Points Chasing Fewer Premium Awards
Mar 14, 2026 | 12:07 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 102
Wow, what a massive devaluation. Damn them. I have been looking to re-book an award flight this summer and needed to talk through the details with my wife today - guess what, 0 miles change is now a 65k MORE miles needed. No change in availability.
Re-affirms my decision to say good-bye to AS - they went from 'very competitive' to 'bottom of the list' within 24 hours. Very sad
Re-affirms my decision to say good-bye to AS - they went from 'very competitive' to 'bottom of the list' within 24 hours. Very sad
my husband booked business award flights yesterday. I was going to book mine (same exact thing) but flight went up 45K. Crying laughing right now.
I'm also going to say goodbye to AS. I was elite member for 10+ years and used to go out of my way to fly them (even pricier/ longer connection). But now, what's the point?
Mar 14, 2026 | 12:32 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP Gold, MR LTT, HH Dia, IHG Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 37,033
Mar 14, 2026 | 12:49 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP Gold, MR LTT, HH Dia, IHG Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 37,033
Mar 14, 2026 | 1:19 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, AS MVP Gold, MR LTT, HH Dia, IHG Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 37,033
Mar 14, 2026 | 2:01 pm
#26
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 102
It seems that they are adding the prices of segment in error (in my case 75K for BKK-FRA + 55K FRA-YYZ = 130K instead of 85K per award chart distance based).
Hope one of the popular bloggers read FT and can get clarification with their contact at Alaska.
Mar 14, 2026 | 2:10 pm
#27
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,314
For multi-segment itineraries, AS has been known to not know how to simply add (or to have its own rule of addition
). It happened a few times before since its introduction of unified award charts. Is this time different? May be, but it's more likely another instance of IT incompetence.
). It happened a few times before since its introduction of unified award charts. Is this time different? May be, but it's more likely another instance of IT incompetence.
Mar 14, 2026 | 2:16 pm
#28
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,989
Yeah, there is either something wrong, or an unannounced deval.
Last week I booked SAN-JFK-HEL-ARN in J for 70k. Now, SAN-DFW-HEL is 110k (AA shows it available for 57.5k). DFW-HEL is 70k and SAN-DFW-HEL-ARN is 110k. So, the system is now charging 40k more for less distance. It seems to be charging extra for connections that it previously did not charge.
Even using the classic view search trick seems to return the higher prices.
Last week I booked SAN-JFK-HEL-ARN in J for 70k. Now, SAN-DFW-HEL is 110k (AA shows it available for 57.5k). DFW-HEL is 70k and SAN-DFW-HEL-ARN is 110k. So, the system is now charging 40k more for less distance. It seems to be charging extra for connections that it previously did not charge.
Even using the classic view search trick seems to return the higher prices.
Mar 14, 2026 | 2:18 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 21,223
Don’t see devals on anything I am tracking. Only thing I see is FI and AY can be paired on awards. AS pricing has always been wonky on multi segment.
\_(ツ)_/
\_(ツ)_/
Mar 14, 2026 | 2:26 pm
#30
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
Programs: FA
Posts: 6,461
Wow, what a massive devaluation. Damn them. I have been looking to re-book an award flight this summer and needed to talk through the details with my wife today - guess what, 0 miles change is now a 65k MORE miles needed. No change in availability.
Re-affirms my decision to say good-bye to AS - they went from 'very competitive' to 'bottom of the list' within 24 hours. Very sad
Re-affirms my decision to say good-bye to AS - they went from 'very competitive' to 'bottom of the list' within 24 hours. Very sad
LAX