rcarovano

Yesterday, my wife and I both received letters confirming the benefits changes (we both have cards). At the end of the year, we are going to cancel my wife's card (it is scheduled to renew in January). We are going to keep my card, because once a year, we travel to Fresno. Given there is no first class on the aircraft serving SEA-FAT, this is a good use the companion fare for us.

CBear

Just in time for the dreaded automatic account closing "for my security."

I most likely will never use the companion cert in FC, but my parents have had to use it several times in the past when traveling back home after surgery when either one of them physically could not contort themselves in a coach seat. They'll most likely will need this benefit in the future again, but now it's gone...

ANC

I guess I could have re phrased or reworded things better. They may not knowingly be lying or saying fraudulent things but they still are, on behalf of AAG. They represent AAG on the flight and I agree there must be some lack of communication. A cutback of this magnitude should have been communicated to all staff at least an hour before the announcement went officially public

ANC

thats why they gave such a short notice....3 weeks .....

KenfromDE

Was fortunate to get a card about a month ago. Did it on line and was approved within 60 seconds. The certificate was posted within a week or two. I would give it a shot. All you can lose is $75 and you still get the mileage and a coach certificate. .

finnster

These certificates were the only reason that we flew Alaska - frankly first class is not that great and NOT worth full price. We will move to another airline that has decent economy and better flight options. We have 4 credit cards in the family and fly a combined total of about 50 flight segments. Hope the financials are working out for them.

Bad decision by both Alaska and BoA.

dgreen12

Still no mention as of today via the link from AS' homepage:

https://www.applyonlinenow.com/USCCa...1391412-163799

Nor is there any mention of the change on the link from the hompage to the "Companion Ticket Discount Code Q&A" page:

http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...companion-cert

BOB W

Who would that be?

AS Y is still pretty good compared to most.

seaflyguy

If you have even low-level elite status providing access to E+/EC/etc style seating, which is now available on or being implemented by most other US carriers, then AS Y comes up short.

golfingboy

Precisely. E+ is a huge deal to me considering it is illegal for me to sit in the exit row. The ironic part, I am sure many people would prefer a deaf person in the exit row than an intoxicated person in the exit row [yes, airlines serve/sell booze to people sitting in the exit row].

Good riddance.

seaflyguy

Your challenge implies that AS and other airlines are roughly equal in terms of benefits, except that AS used to have F companion certificates and no longer does, and since others don't, either, then there's no reason to leave AS. "Benefits" are in the eye of the beholder; for someone, say, who doesn't fly to AK, AS' route network there means nothing, whereas for someone, say, who doesn't fly internationally, AA's SWUs would mean nothing. In my particular case, what AS had going for it was, in no particular order, West Coast ubiquity, nonstops to HI, and the F companion fare. Now it's down to West Coast frequency and HI nonstops, and that's just not enough to keep me motivated to make MVP, much less retain my current MVPG status. In other words, flying AS wasn't all about the F companion fare; it's just that its loss was, for me, the straw that broke the camel's back.

Lanny

I plan on cancelling both of ours in the family as well now.

As for your question about a good card. I have been EXTREMELY happy with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Has a nice signup bonus, and can download points 1 for 1 into a carrier of each alliance so you can fly MANY MANY different airlines. In fact you could transfer your points into British Airways Avios, and then (on some routes) use less of them to fly on AS metal than using AS miles themselves.

I plan on moving most of my business and point gathering over to *Alliance once I burn the rest of my AS miles.

I really appreciated what someone said earlier... we stood by during the great recession, the high oil prices of recent and a few years ago and all these cutbacks... Truth be told, I've NEVER used the cert for First Class, but its just the principle and I feel like this was the straw that broke the camels back. I plan on using my one existing cert on perhaps for a Kona trip in F and then off you go AS. I just tallied up what I've spent with Alaska since 2006 = 820,000 miles. Maybe not a lot to many of you but my Wife and I had a lot of nice trips on Alaska and its partners... I think United or American will be happy to get our business in the future.

Great White North

More than a little disappointed with the letter I received from Alaska Airlines today. I'll be cancelling one of my two BofA AS MCs tomorrow. The other one will go before the annual fee comes up if they don't withdraw the changes to the companion certificate.

apodo77

Care to name the airlines and the routes.

golfingboy

Here is an example... I am scheduled to fly to Las Vegas from the east coast with a friend in August on United. The return we are flying via IAH and the last leg, which is three hours long, was swapped from a 737 to a CR7. The times did not change, just the equipment.

A quick call got us re-routed via IAD and gets us back an hour earlier, where we will also get to enjoy the LH SEN lounge. I just called with the flight numbers I want to be rebooked on and within 10 minutes our PNRs [separate] was good to go. Even if the last segment only had 5 seats left. Oh, no change fees or request to collect the fare difference.

With AS, that would never happen, even as an MVPG75K and AS comes no-where near offering the vast amount of routing options as UA.

Of course, we also have E+, which beats 90% of the Y seats on AS planes.