ranman1973

My family has long been fans of the Alaska Airlines loyalty program. I joined it about 10+ years ago, and even my kids have their own accounts. I have 3 Alaska Platinum credit cards in our household (Canadian MBNA MasterCards). Here's why I'm considering switching to a different loyalty program:

1. Flights from Victoria (YYJ) are astronomical. In the past, taking the hop from YYJ to SEA on Horizon used to be an additional $100 to $150. Not bad. Now they're more often $200 to $250 each way. (Specifically, for an upcoming trip I can fly SEA - SJD for $462 vs YYJ to SJD for $995.) For a family of 5, that's an extra $2500+ easy for flights out of Victoria.

The alternative to avoid costly short routes is to driving over to the Mainland and catch a flight from YVR, BLI or SEA. This is a pain in the butt, but a fraction of the cost. If I have to do it because YYJ flights are too expensive, it opens up a lot of doors to a lot of other airlines.

2. Degradation of the platinum credit card: Not nearly as stellar as it once was. Back in the day, companion fare was only $50 and you used to get free board room access upon signup.

3. Award flights are getting really expensive: I am probably starting to sound like an old timer who reminisces about walking 4 miles to school in 2 feet of snow... BUT I remember when you could fly from Victoria to most US destinations for 12.5k miles each way. These have gotten VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND. Flights from YYJ are absolutely horrible. Almost all the 'affordable' reward flights require an overnight in Seattle. Mexico reward flights cost around 50k miles for a round trip.

Example: Instead of paying $462 for SEA to SJD, I could use 50k miles plus $113 in taxes and fees. I'd be using up 50k miles for a net $350 savings. Horrible.

Now my search begins: Hopefully I can find a loyalty program with Canadian based credit card and offer regular service out of Vancouver or Victoria. If not, I'll stick with Alaska for the time in the hopes of something better comes along. Would love to know what other Canadians with big families do to collect miles to fly their families.

MonThruThurs

So your new options would be West Jet, AC, and UA?

I don' know anything about West Jet, but what research have you done that shows that AC and UA are any better? From the general sentiment here, I don't think you're going to find many that would agree that moving to one of these programs is beneficial given your unique location and needs.

Edit: Just did a sample booking for 9/17

1. AS YYJ -SEA: $130
2. UA YYJ-SFO: $180

I know this is one data point, AS seems to be better if you're paying for tickets. For awards, maybe you'll have to be like everyone else and start flying on off-days such as Tue/Sat

djp98374

How often does your travel invole your family and not just yourself?? If you are talking 1-2 family vacations a year how much of a burden is it to drive to SEA and fly out from there?

Another option is travel on a different carrier to Seattle (seaplane?)
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This is universal among all airlines.


This is universal among all carriers---not just alaska. getting the 12.5K routes are getting harder to find.

In the olden days you used to have real value if you got bumped and took a free RT voucher. then you could actually use it--now it has little value,

Starting next year both United and Delta are changing their award system to a point system that is related to the price you paid--not the miles you traveled. Unsure how this will change the rewards system if it will stay at 12.5K for one way or will it change. Will AS be a direct conversion with DL if one is a miles and the other a point system.

American/USAirways has not yet announced a switch to this format yet.


Delta is ramping up its service out of Seattle in a bid to try and gain market share and evenetually buy AS---who knows if that happens. Alaska could say screw you and be bought by United or American or stay independent.

If I recall correctly Air Canada and United are code shares. For a CC Air Canada would be the easiset.

Snowdevil

"Yet" being the operative word; when asked about this at a recent industry event, Doug Parker said they were not ready to switch to that "innovation" just yet. You don't use the word innovation to describe something you're not interested in eventually pursuing.

CDKing

He's just waiting for the programs to merge first. I bet 2016 at the latest it will mirror US+DL.

Just like baggaage fees, same worry for AS as well. AS held out much longer but in the end they gave in and joined a majority of the others

Here is the full thread discussing Douggie's comment

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...d-foolish.html

whimike

Rather then switching programs to one that is likely the same cost or more, look at ways to reduce the burden on flying out of YYJ. This is where it would make sense to start a BA Avios account to earn miles into. A YYJ-SEA award flight is just 4500 Avios each way, which translates to US$67.50 at the current value of 1.5 US cents per Avios.

BearX220

The card / program dilution issues you raise are happening all over. There's no greener grass, really. The high fares out of YYJ are a peril of any small market with limited service. AS service is streets ahead of UA and in all likelihood better than your homeland options.

Unless you opt to make a habit of departing from YVR I think you probably already have the best deal in hand.

eponymous_coward

Who is determining what "current value" is for Avios?

I'm pretty sure that is NOT what one would PAY for Avios if purchasing from BA (closer to 3 cents per Avios). Is this one of those "bloggers say" things?

Also, the OP is complaining that Alaska Saver award flights from YYJ are difficult to come by. Avios book AS flights out of that same Alaska Saver bucket. So how is having a different points currency that one cannot spend efficiently helping the problem? (Also, Avios usage on an AS flight requires a phone call, can't be done through the web. The last time I called BA as a BA Blue to deal with an award flight... seventy minute wait time on the phone to get to customer service. My experience is not atypical, apparently. )

I do agree that Avios's family account feature's pretty great and a good reason to put your kids in that program (since they might not fly as much as the adults, pooling miles makes for some extra efficiency), but hour+ wait times to book on BA, and forced overnights in SEA because of award availability could get old pretty fast...

3Cforme

That doesn't fix the OP's award availability/pricing problem. Avios may be used only for Alaska's lowest priced award inventory. If 12.5K domestic awards aren't available, and if YYJ-SJD r/t is pricing at 50K, Avios points can't be used.

(I see eponymous_coward and I were typing at the same time.)