ANC RED-EYE

Have built up a heftier Wallet than I'd like to store at alaskaair.com. This spring, I was looking forward to cashing some of that in on an expensive ticket which involved a DL codeshare flight. It said I couldn't use the funds on that itin...

So then, it looked like my plans were going to change and I'd have to switch to a different itin with an AA codeshare flight. Again, MyWallet funds could not be applied.

Therefore, I decided to wait until my plans were certain (rather than pay for both reservations), and sure enough, I was allowed to change my ticket from the itin with the DL codeshare to that with the AA codeshare.

So...what gives, AS? If the funds from an itin with a codeshare can be deposited into my wallet, or that ticket can be changed to another itin with a codeshare...why on earth can't MyWallet funds be used toward an itin with a codeshare?

Anyone else have this experience...or have an explanation?

baliktad

Credit that is still associated with a ticket on AS stock (027) can be used towards the purchase of any other ticket on AS stock (027), including those involving codeshares. So when you buy a ticket but don't use it, you can retain the ticket number and later change it to one that involves DL or AA.

Credit that has lost all association with its original ticket (like credit certificates or value in your My Wallet) can only be used towards flights marketed, sold, and operated by AS/QX. Basically once you turn a ticket into raw "Alaska Dollars," it can only be spent on flights operated by AS/QX.

I don't know all the reasons behind this logic (probably has to do with the agreements AS has in place with partners to calculate who gets what share of the ticket price), but that's the way it works. If you want to retain value towards future flights involving codeshares, don't deposit credit in your My Wallet. Instead, just keep the old ticket numbers around.

(I think the one other subtlety is that old tickets can only be exchanged 1-for-1 for new tickets. So you can't combine two cheap tickets into one expensive ticket. For that you have to use certs or My Wallet, which means only AS/QX-operated flights.)

steadyASshegoes

So here's a good question: can you use MyWallet dollars to purchase a new, all-Alaska ticket, than exchange that ticket for another ticket with a codeshare/other airline flight?

ucc

Clever!^

COpltASgldPHX

Just make sure if you don't have MVPG status you purchase a fully refundable/changable (Y fare) all-AS ticket so you don't pay another change fee when you change it to the itinerary with the codeshare.