Account Suspensions/Closures on Accusations of Fraud/Brokering
Jan 26, 2019, 1:11 pm
#301
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Buying miles and using them to buy tickets for other people in exchange for cash is against the terms and conditions of the program. Doing so may get your account closed, your tickets cancelled, and your miles confiscated.
I'm not accusing anyone of anything; I do not know if that's what happened here or not. But that is what people are referring to.
I'm not accusing anyone of anything; I do not know if that's what happened here or not. But that is what people are referring to.
Jan 26, 2019, 7:12 pm
#302
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,372
I have been screwed by the buy Alaska miles with 40% bonus. I have done this several times over the past few years and have enjoyed a couple of Emirates flights. I now have over 600,000 Alaska miles obtained by this program as well as shopping through the Miles plan shopping. I purchased 2 tickets for friends to return for Paris this upcoming spring obviously a different last name than mine. They have locked my miles costing over several thousands of dollars as well as money spent using their shopping portal
Call them and beg for mercy if it’s an innocent mistake, and just realize you can’t broker miles, and should be careful not to appear like it.
And if you “traded” something with your “friends”, sucks to be you. You are a mileage broker. You broke the rules.
Jan 27, 2019, 1:05 am
#304
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
I remember a discussion I had over on the AA forum a dozen or more years ago with a flyer that accrued all her miles with an AA credit card and did not buy any revenue tickets because she had an endless supply of credit card generated miles. She considered herself one of AA's best customers because of all her credit card activity they were profiting from. On the other side, I was buying over 100,000 miles of flights per year, consistently for 17 years before my move to Alaska. We both contributed to the bottom line at AA, though I suspect top tier elite status might help me out in a bind versus no status at all as a credit card customer (or, in today's case, as a purchaser of miles for friends to fly). Airlines profit from all of us, and if you're playing within the rules and have legitimately given out award tickets, you really shouldn't have anything to worry about. I've given away multiple tickets over the years to family and friends, as well as international upgrades, from AA and UA, and never a hint of a problem. As long as you're within the program rules, no need to worry.
Other than accruing miles through purchase from Alaska or shopping, Alaska doesn't appear to have any flight history with the OP here, so maybe he's just getting a little more attention than someone regularly flying with them that may generate more profit. If everything is legitimate and no sales of miles were involved, and the recipients are able to provide info to satisfy Alaska, hopefully he'll be made whole which could include restoring the tickets.
Other than accruing miles through purchase from Alaska or shopping, Alaska doesn't appear to have any flight history with the OP here, so maybe he's just getting a little more attention than someone regularly flying with them that may generate more profit. If everything is legitimate and no sales of miles were involved, and the recipients are able to provide info to satisfy Alaska, hopefully he'll be made whole which could include restoring the tickets.
Jan 27, 2019, 10:53 am
#306
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,372
Probably not. There is a profile for mileage brokers. This fits it. Actually flying a lot in the account does not.
Jan 28, 2019, 11:32 am
#307
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: sometimes, strangely, I find myself at home
Programs: I need to do better in managing my affiliations. Oops, I overshot the runway for status next year.
Posts: 648
Title for thread should be different. More like "Don't buy miles if you are going to fit a profile of a broker"
I clicked on the thread to find out:
"For whom and when does it make sense to buy Alaska miles?"
I clicked on the thread to find out:
"For whom and when does it make sense to buy Alaska miles?"
Feb 8, 2019, 7:50 pm
#309
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
I now have over 600,000 Alaska miles obtained by this program as well as shopping through the Miles plan shopping. I purchased 2 tickets for friends to return for Paris this upcoming spring obviously a different last name than mine. They have locked my miles costing over several thousands of dollars as well as money spent using their shopping portal
Feb 23, 2019, 3:56 pm
#310
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Nothing in terms says I cannot buy tickets for other people, so I should be free to use such miles which I bought with hard earned cash.
Onus is on Alaska to PROVE that there was a cash repayment in exchange for using ones miles to book ticket for other people, and that such flights were not simply gifted. Otherwise, shutting down accounts and blocking usage of miles bought with hard earned cash is high street robbery.
Feb 23, 2019, 4:32 pm
#311
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,302
Nothing in terms says I cannot buy tickets for other people, so I should be free to use such miles which I bought with hard earned cash.
Onus is on Alaska to PROVE that there was a cash repayment in exchange for using ones miles to book ticket for other people, and that such flights were not simply gifted. Otherwise, shutting down accounts and blocking usage of miles bought with hard earned cash is high street robbery.
Onus is on Alaska to PROVE that there was a cash repayment in exchange for using ones miles to book ticket for other people, and that such flights were not simply gifted. Otherwise, shutting down accounts and blocking usage of miles bought with hard earned cash is high street robbery.
Awards or accrued Miles, including purchased Miles, do not constitute the property of the member to whose Mileage Plan account the Miles have been posted. However, awards or accrued Miles do provide the member with an option to exchange such Miles for travel at the redemption level in effect at the time of redemption (not at the time of accrual).
Alaska Airlines reserves the right to audit Mileage Plan accounts at any time and without notice to the member to ensure compliance with these Mileage Plan Conditions of Membership and applicable conditions of carriage and/or tariffs. In the event that an audit reveals discrepancies or violations, the processing of Mileage Plan awards, mileage accrual or redemption of accrued mileage may be suspended until the discrepancies or violations are resolved to Alaska Airlines' satisfaction. Alaska Airlines reserves the right to terminate the membership and/or suspend access to the mileage balance of any member at any time for any reason it deems appropriate.
Alaska Airlines reserves the right to audit Mileage Plan accounts at any time and without notice to the member to ensure compliance with these Mileage Plan Conditions of Membership and applicable conditions of carriage and/or tariffs. In the event that an audit reveals discrepancies or violations, the processing of Mileage Plan awards, mileage accrual or redemption of accrued mileage may be suspended until the discrepancies or violations are resolved to Alaska Airlines' satisfaction. Alaska Airlines reserves the right to terminate the membership and/or suspend access to the mileage balance of any member at any time for any reason it deems appropriate.
Feb 23, 2019, 4:38 pm
#312
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Example: Even though some loyalty programs may say points or miles expire within, say, 2 years of being earned, Quebec and Ontario outlaw expiry of loyalty points based on X months/years since they were earned.
Feb 23, 2019, 5:33 pm
#313
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,302
Feb 23, 2019, 5:45 pm
#314
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,157
They can write whatever in T&Cs, doesn't mean it's enforcable if challenged by a credit card chargeback or in a court of law (depending on state/province/country).
Example: Even though some loyalty programs may say points or miles expire within, say, 2 years of being earned, Quebec and Ontario outlaw expiry of loyalty points based on X months/years since they were earned.
Example: Even though some loyalty programs may say points or miles expire within, say, 2 years of being earned, Quebec and Ontario outlaw expiry of loyalty points based on X months/years since they were earned.
Feb 24, 2019, 10:47 am
#315
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,483
