wildway

I'm one of the folks who has the opportunity to become an MVPG if I fly 8 segments between 1/15 and 3/15. Knowing that opinions may vary, what would you value MVPG at if you had to put a dollar figure on it?

To get those segments, my most economical option is to spend roughly $1,000, unless I use 25,000 miles to get down to the lower 48 to take advantage of those cheap segments down there. I'm wondering if it's worth it. Any words of wisdom, fellow AS flyers?

beckoa

If I was going to travel enough in 2010 to maintain MVPG then it would be worth it... Its nice to get upgrades and the 100% bonus too... so that would partially depend on routes you fly. Also a large under-appreciated aspect of MVPG, is the change fee waiver- do you change your tickets a lot?

Then again, its sometimes worth it to escape Alaska in the winter and just get some Vitamin D - there is some value in that

ANC

value is in the eye of the beholder. The segments have to be on AS/QX but I know of a way that you can get 6 from ANC to the lower 48 and back for $500 or so You would actually fly 8 segments but 2 would be with partners. Then you can get a $200 hot deals sale ANC/FAI for $200 so actually you could hit gold for $750 to $800. Theres a neat trick to this but it involves originating in anchorage not DUT.

What you do is book a partner fare to somewhere like PHL, PIT, or MKE and route it through PDX ie...

ANC-PDX-SEA-ORD-MKE or ANC-PDX-SEA-ORD-PHL. You would earn 8 segments although only the AS segments count toward the challenge so you would earn 6. The good news is all 8 count toward 2011. The one way partner fares are between 249 and 291 each way so about $550 to $600. Then toss in a hot deals RT to FAI and back from ANC for $200

ANC RED-EYE

If I lived in DUT, I think MVPG might be worth even more to me than it is now.

Upgrades are nice, really nice, but not guaranteed and totally unnecessary.

Since you were offered the challenge, you must fly close to 40-50K per year...the additional 50% bonus means 20k to 25K miles per year - a domestic Y r/t.

But, the most valuable benefit even if you don't currently change tickets is the waiver of change fees. Let me explain. Before I became MVPG, I don't think I had EVER changed a ticket. I just booked the most convenient schedule that worked for me and was affordable, after I'd finalized my travel plans. My habits have now changed. I'm willing to book travel (especially if it is a really good fare) before my plans are finalized, knowing I can cancel later and retain the credit, or change it to the schedule that I need. Over the long run, this has saved me hundreds of dollars on airfare. In your situation, if you really still live in DUT...imagine knowing that you need to take a trip to ANC in 2 months, you just don't know which weekend. As MVPG, you could reserve mileage tickets at 7.5K each way until your plans are finalized for several different combinations of dates, and cancel whichever ones you don't need (and have your miles redeposited). Before, you probably wait until you know which weekend...and risk paying a full flex award (or a full fare ticket).

Is it worth accumulating 8 segments you otherwise have no need to take? That I can't answer...but if you were thinking of taking a trip somewhere and can push it up to before 3/15, I'd do it for sure!

wildway

Thanks for all the good advice. I'm leaning towards going for it. I like the suggestion of using a partner fare from ANC. I may also just take the family on an extra vacation and use a companion fare from ADQ to the east coast. (I've moved to ADQ. I better update my profile!)

The crazy thing about being in ADQ (or DUT or probably any other off road AK town) is that there really isn't much of a fare difference between any destination that AS serves. For example, I can get to BOI for $1,100-ish with the companion fare, or I can go to CUN for $1,200-ish. Surprisingly though, I can't get the system to give me any 4 segment options to Hawaii.

Thanks again for the feedback!

nafanua

I think you can do the 4 segments to Hawai'i. I'd try ANC-SEA-PDX-OAK-OGG. I always maximize my segments all year long to get Gold. Since you mentioned it, I have done the following segments to Cancun: FAI-ANC-SEA-PDX-SFO-LAX-CUN. The miles sure pile up when you put the extra effort into avoiding direct flights. Sure there is a cost in time and aggravation, but when I skate through the Gold security line in Seattle or Denver or other AS airports when you can't even see the end of the line in the regular security queue, and am sitting down to a nice lunch while my potential seatmate is given the cattle treatment for the next 45 minutes or more, I cherish my Gold. I also value it for the double miles, and as was mentioned previously, those change fee waivers have also changed the way I book travel as well. You have flexibility that would otherwise hamper you with a change fee hanging over your head.

Having said all that, if you don't plan to do any flying this year to enjoy the Gold, then don't bother, but if you think you will be flying, give yourself the treat. Once you go Gold, it is difficult to go back to plain MVP, as good as that is. And I didn't even mention the first class upgrades. Sure, they're unnecessary, but they sure are nice, especially on a red eye flight out of Alaska. And getting a decent meal is always preferable to paying for a cheeseburger in a foil envelope. I work hard to get my Gold, and I pay a lot for it over the year out of my own pocket. I'm not rolling in dough, but striving for Gold every year is mandatory for me.

ANC

Well the only way this can be done is multi trips which is going to drive up the costs quite a bit. There are various reasons why. Obviously its not going to bring up such a routing becaise its not an idea most people would choose so it would clutter up the site. More importantly though it would require a stopover of about 12 hours because the flight to OGG from OAK leaves at 7 something in the morning. A while back somebody is SEA was attempting to leave from OAK as well. It simply wont work unless like I said you force it with multi trips

beckoa

Are you originating in ADK? If so, there are several options depending on which island you would like to visit... ADK-ANC-PDX-SEA-Hawaii works well and although the connections in PDX & SEA can be tight, I've done it before to maximize mileage...

Oh yeah, force this thru multi city-

Nice to know we have an FT'er on ADK... since some of us are dreamin' of visitin' (another thread )

wildway

Unfortunately I'm in Kodiak, which is for some reason ADQ, but I'd love to see any FTers here! It's still an island, it's just in the other direction. I've never been to ADK, but that would be an awesome trip.

beckoa

Wow... I think I had one too many in the BR when I posted that one

Well I was only on #2, but still... not much sleep either and battling a cold...

ANC

I believe it has this code from its military prescence in the past and currently. Military airstrips in Alaska start with A or actually PA for ICAO and I think rather than confuse matters and creating a special code just for travel they opted to use the same code for both and just drop the P. In ICAO all Alaska airports whether civilian or military start with PA (pacific alaska...I think is what it means)

SEAFFLYER

So, how did you find about the offer; email? on your account page? you requested it?

beckoa

I think this was an emailed offer...

also accessible from alaskaair.com/mvp

SEAFFLYER

hmmm, no such luck. The link was only if you were looking for the bump to MVP, but nevertheless, I tried clicking it anyway, and it rejected my request.

Back to the drawing board...

baliktad

The Gold requalification link is alaskaair.com/mvpgold, but it will still only work if you got the emailed offer.