flyinryan

AS does not offer any MVP Qualifying mileage bonus for full Y fares, correct? I fly a lot of last minute trips, and on other airlines, those walk-up Y/B fares always add a lot to my EQM totals by the end of the year.
Thanks,
-flyinryan

baliktad

There is no mileage accrual difference between a Y fare and any other coach fare bucket (except free/award tickets). So no, it doesn't matter that you are purchasing expensive tickets. One good thing about AS is that it has retained 500 mile minimums even for non-elites.

You can earn 50/100% bonus by simply being an MVP/G. Purchased F fares also accrue a 50% bonus.

Earning opportunities on AS and its partners are outlined clearly on alaskaair.com.

ANC

so because one flies at the last minute means they should get more EQMs? Im not being rude or singling out the OP when I say this but Ive always wondered why just because you buy a full fare ticket you should be entitled to more EQMs and why some airlines cater to this. Same goes for airlines that play a fare class game during their upgrade process. So John Doe's lack of planning and emergency...all the sudden is an emergency for the airline and they should hand out extra EQMs and leap frog Mr Doe to the front of the upgrade waitlist?????

BW Flyer

I think there is nothing wrong to give out more RDM or EQM to high-paying customers who spend a lot more money on Y fares. Emergency or not is irrelevant here, spending money is. Running airlines is a money-making business, and the airlines have every right to give out more rewards to the big spenders, and give less miles to the bargain hunters who buy deep-discounted fares. You could spend more on your ticket, too, if you want to stay at the front of the upgrade list. It is all about money on a market economy.

AS is just one of the few airlines which don't play the fare class games by awarding more miles to big spenders, and awarding less miles to bottom-feeders who buy the lowest (L or K) fares. I like it this way, and I just hope AS will stay the way it is right now.

beckoa

I'm sure it keeps IT simpler too (DL :cough: DL)

flyinryan

Uh, yeah...it's not so much lack of planning, it's that the nature of my work as a field engineer means I have to take a lot of trips with no planning or notice as I respond to broken things at customer sites. Which means a lot of Y fares. Sorry if that bothers you so much (which it evidently does.)
I don't think I'm alone here, either - pretty much all the other airlines give a EQM bonus for full-fare Y.

hgdf

AS already does this with their "eligible" fares. If I see that a flight is showing U1 F3 at 4 days out, I'll often go ahead and buy the golden U, which is basically the equivalent of tipping the doorman to cut the line.

ANC

pretty much all other airlines charge their first 2 elite tiers change fees, dont allow unlimited complimentary upgrades, and have the first 2 elite levels at 25K and 50K. I believe if AS was to start offering bonus on full Y fares some of these other perks would go away. At some point having too many elites costs an airline more than the elites are spending. How?....At some point the ratio of elites to general passengers tips the scales due to less baggage fees, change fees, free drinks, upgrade certificates, boardroom sign up fees, and a dedicated phone line that if more elites requires more staff. Other airlines combat this by diluting elite level benefits or just adding another one OR both. If this MVPG75K rumor is true that it will be also awarded to higher revenue fliers then you guys just might be invited to gold75k if you are buying a lot of full Y fares.

FOH

Nearly every other airline gives more elite miles to members who fly on expensive tickets. The gap between discount coach and full coach and premium cabins is even larger on a lot of non-US carriers. It just makes good business sense. Where's the justice in awarding the same number of rewards points for a $2000 fare as a $200 fare?

For example: http://www.miles-and-more.com/online...en&cid=1000390

LH awards 3x for first, 2x for business, 1.5x for full coach, 1x for economy and 0.5x for deep discount economy.

FOH

That used to be true but the only holdout now domestically is AA. They give unlimited complimentary upgrades to their top tier only. The other domestic airlines with a front cabin have all now moved to comp upgrades. (CO, DL, UA, US)

BW Flyer

As I mentioned earlier, give more miles to high revenue pax makes business sense, but please stop this discussion and don't give these ideas to the AK upper management.........

FOH

Virgin America awards points by dollars spent, similar to most of the hotel chains. Of course if an airline were to try and switch from miles flown to dollars spent there would be an uprising...

http://www.virginamerica.com/va/earnpoints.do

ANC

well I stand corrected then. I thought UA and US still did it

flyinryan

UA just changed to unlimited dometic upgrades, US has done so for quite a long time...

Eastbay1K

The AS F fare is often less than the other airlines' full Y, and similar to their discounted (restricted) coach fares that give you an F seat (like HUP or whatever the fare bucket of the other airlines). Accordingly, not getting a bonus on Y with AS isn't such a horrible thing, as you are still spending less than you would be on other airlines for a completely unrestricted ticket.