$110 Companion Ticket Valid for COACH class only - Effective August 1st, 2012
Sep 12, 2012, 3:46 pm
#646
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
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What's so good about the UR card?
What's so good about the UR card?
Sep 12, 2012, 4:48 pm
#647
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 2,732
The Sapphire Preferred has 2 points per dollar of travel/dining spend, plus a 7% year-end bonus = 2.07 points per dollar. The points are valuable because of the transfer partners: 1:1 transfer to Hyatt, United, BA Avios, Korean Air, Priority Club, and a few more. Transfer to anyone’s account, and I think most of the partners have instant transfers. No FTF on the Sapphire Preferred means it has earned a spot in my wallet as my primary credit card.
Sep 12, 2012, 5:05 pm
#648
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: AA Platinum, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 345
I don't know if this is a conicidence or not, but I booked 2 first class tickets to HNL(connecting in SEA) over the holidays and received a call from Alaska customer service. Apparently they had a schedule change and downgraded me to coach on one of the segments. I was really ticked off and thought it was becuase of this companion cert. Agent was very nice and moved me to an earlier flight. She even offered me 30K miles for the inconvenience. At least I got to squeeze one last perk out of AS on my last companion pass ever.
Sep 12, 2012, 5:36 pm
#649
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
ANC-HNL is 12,500, ANC-SEA is 10,000 one way.
Sep 12, 2012, 7:31 pm
#650
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SEA
Posts: 1,887
Actually, 1000 UR can be converted to 1400 Avios if you you have access to coupon connection - there are lots of folks in CC with AMEX MR willing to exchange 1:1 for UR, and there is currently a 40% AMEX MR transfer bonus to Avios. So basically, 4500 Avios can be had for less than 3250 UR (ignoring the need to transfer in increments of 1000).
Sep 12, 2012, 9:01 pm
#651
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
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Keep in mind, for those based in AK, you can use UR to transfer to Avois then fly one way in AK for only 4500 points one way, which beats AS's 7500 deal.
ANC-HNL is 12,500, ANC-SEA is 10,000 one way.
Does the 4500 mile Avios redemption include a stopover like AS does at 7500 miles?
Originally Posted by golfingboy
ANC-HNL is 12,500, ANC-SEA is 10,000 one way.
Sep 13, 2012, 5:00 pm
#652
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: San Francisco
Programs: Amex MR, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 518
No. And it's actually worse than that. Avios charges mileage per segment, so you really want to make sure you fly non-stops if at all possible.
Sep 13, 2012, 7:08 pm
#653
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
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so SE AK is a poor value perhaps (depending on the flight you're on)
Originally Posted by taliesin
No. And it's actually worse than that. Avios charges mileage per segment, so you really want to make sure you fly non-stops if at all possible.
so SE AK is a poor value perhaps (depending on the flight you're on)
Sep 13, 2012, 7:27 pm
#654
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,195
Sep 17, 2012, 9:36 pm
#655
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: portland, oregon
Programs: alaska, united, air france, lufthansa,delta, starwood
Posts: 382
The Sapphire Preferred has 2 points per dollar of travel/dining spend, plus a 7% year-end bonus = 2.07 points per dollar. The points are valuable because of the transfer partners: 1:1 transfer to Hyatt, United, BA Avios, Korean Air, Priority Club, and a few more. Transfer to anyone’s account, and I think most of the partners have instant transfers. No FTF on the Sapphire Preferred means it has earned a spot in my wallet as my primary credit card.
Sep 21, 2012, 11:08 pm
#656
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: portland, oregon
Programs: alaska, united, air france, lufthansa,delta, starwood
Posts: 382
I have communicated this to both Joe Sprague and Rick Rasmussen. I don't know if the message was fully heard and understood, though. I suspect one of two things, though: Joe and Rick agree with me but these decisions are coming down from above their heads and they are powerless or they have actively decided that the changes are better for them than the costs the changes are having in terms of loyalty and goodwill. I am not sure which of those is true.
Last edited by jackal; Sep 22, 2012 at 8:59 am Reason: Fixing quote tags
Sep 21, 2012, 11:16 pm
#657
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
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I've met both more then once. Nice folks who care about AS and its customers. This has gotta be coming from above
I've met both more then once. Nice folks who care about AS and its customers. This has gotta be coming from above
Sep 22, 2012, 9:00 am
#658
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,195
And I do agree that they care about their customers. I would find it hard to believe they are the impetus behind these changes.
Sep 22, 2012, 3:49 pm
#659
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: AS Million Miler since 2011, Lifetime MVPG
Posts: 853
VP of marketing and director of loyalty marketing, respectively. (Rick's job title basically means he's the head of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.)
And I do agree that they care about their customers. I would find it hard to believe they are the impetus behind these changes.
And I do agree that they care about their customers. I would find it hard to believe they are the impetus behind these changes.
Sep 22, 2012, 5:36 pm
#660
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,222
I was recently on a flight where they gave the spiel, and said it was good on "any published fare". When she got to my row, I said "that's great! So they've reinstated it to be able to use for first class?". She said "no", I said "you said 'any published fare' ", she said "any published coach fare" I said "you did not say that, you said ANY published fare"...she told me I could fill out the comment card in my seat pocket, but she was just reading from the script.