Jan 5, 2016, 10:05 am
Last edit by: dgreen12
Welcome to the Alaska Airlines Newbie Lounge Thread for 2016!
Anyone is welcome to ask anything, even the most basic questions, in this thread without having to fear a snarky response. In this thread, there's no such thing as a dumb question--we were all new to Alaska Airlines, FlyerTalk, and even the whole idea of mileage programs once and needed some help navigating the ropes. We're here to help you do just that!
That said, if you want to do a little reading to see if your question has been previously discussed, links to some of the most common and extensive topics in this forum are listed in our FAQ thread -- click here to check it out.
Special care will be given in this thread to trying to provide answers in a clear manner with minimal use of acronyms and jargon.
If you need to contact someone for help, here's a current list of our forum's team:
Ambassadors (Our Greeters--members who have specifically volunteered to welcome and mentor newbies and monitor this thread):
ANC RED-EYE
baliktad
beckoa
golfingboy
Moderators (Our Janitors--members who have volunteered to do housekeeping/keep the forum in order)
Cholula
jackal
You are welcome to send a private message to any of these individuals for assistance, but you'll generally get a faster response and broader palette of answers if you simply post your inquiry here in this thread.
Note to FlyerTalk members who enjoy the ability to take advantage of loopholes--if someone posts something that exposes information you'd rather not be public, please remember this is a Flame-Free thread, and harsh or snarky posts are not permitted. Although FlyerTalk itself does not censor posts that share information, members are free to edit their own posts to remove information. If you wish to request any poster to remove information they have shared publicly, please do so politely and respectfully.
Welcome, and we look forward to providing any assistance we can!
~the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan forum team~
For the 2015 version of this thread, please click here
Anyone is welcome to ask anything, even the most basic questions, in this thread without having to fear a snarky response. In this thread, there's no such thing as a dumb question--we were all new to Alaska Airlines, FlyerTalk, and even the whole idea of mileage programs once and needed some help navigating the ropes. We're here to help you do just that!
That said, if you want to do a little reading to see if your question has been previously discussed, links to some of the most common and extensive topics in this forum are listed in our FAQ thread -- click here to check it out.
Special care will be given in this thread to trying to provide answers in a clear manner with minimal use of acronyms and jargon.
If you need to contact someone for help, here's a current list of our forum's team:
Ambassadors (Our Greeters--members who have specifically volunteered to welcome and mentor newbies and monitor this thread):
ANC RED-EYE
baliktad
beckoa
golfingboy
Moderators (Our Janitors--members who have volunteered to do housekeeping/keep the forum in order)
Cholula
jackal
You are welcome to send a private message to any of these individuals for assistance, but you'll generally get a faster response and broader palette of answers if you simply post your inquiry here in this thread.
Note to FlyerTalk members who enjoy the ability to take advantage of loopholes--if someone posts something that exposes information you'd rather not be public, please remember this is a Flame-Free thread, and harsh or snarky posts are not permitted. Although FlyerTalk itself does not censor posts that share information, members are free to edit their own posts to remove information. If you wish to request any poster to remove information they have shared publicly, please do so politely and respectfully.
Welcome, and we look forward to providing any assistance we can!
~the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan forum team~
For the 2015 version of this thread, please click here
2016 Alaska Airlines *FLAME-FREE* Q&A thread: all welcome, new and old!
Apr 10, 2016, 9:49 pm
#436
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Sunny Seattle
Programs: AS MVPG 75K, HH Diamond
Posts: 539
Golds and 75Ks do have the $15 call center fee waived if it's a booking that needs to be done over the phone, though.
Apr 11, 2016, 7:39 am
#438
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,325
Apr 12, 2016, 1:31 pm
#439
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SEA
Posts: 2,556
A few questions... When do you want to go? How many seats? Coach or business? Why not Delta?
My keys to success are:
book way in advance, as far out as possible, like six months or more...
don't expect an ideal itinerary or connection (try more than Rome, and more than Italy - buy another flight/train ticket to get the rest of the way)...
AA only makes their lowest-level inventory available to Alaska.
My keys to success are:
book way in advance, as far out as possible, like six months or more...
don't expect an ideal itinerary or connection (try more than Rome, and more than Italy - buy another flight/train ticket to get the rest of the way)...
AA only makes their lowest-level inventory available to Alaska.
Delta would be fine, actually any airline would be, but I was hoping for a routing from Seattle to Europe that would be shorter and simpler, e.g. on AA via Chicago.
The plan would be to go around December 15 or else April 10, in business, two seats, any airline, but hopefully with a not-too-long overall duration of the flight(s).
Apr 12, 2016, 6:22 pm
#440
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 917
Thanks, Calculon, for the reply and advice.
Delta would be fine, actually any airline would be, but I was hoping for a routing from Seattle to Europe that would be shorter and simpler, e.g. on AA via Chicago.
The plan would be to go around December 15 or else April 10, in business, two seats, any airline, but hopefully with a not-too-long overall duration of the flight(s).
Delta would be fine, actually any airline would be, but I was hoping for a routing from Seattle to Europe that would be shorter and simpler, e.g. on AA via Chicago.
The plan would be to go around December 15 or else April 10, in business, two seats, any airline, but hopefully with a not-too-long overall duration of the flight(s).
Delta through MSP (starts next Month, I think), JFK or DTW would all be viable options to Rome, and none are much worse than ORD in terms of distance. Search for those routes (or whatever other ones you find acceptable) specifically, and once you find your trans-Atlantic seats, use multi-city (or book and then call) to add on the rest. Alaska flies to all of those places, so that opens up the possibility of Alaska connecting flights, if needed.
Only you can say what's "not too long" for duration, but with business class saver awards, it's one of the things you often must sacrifice.
Apr 13, 2016, 1:45 pm
#441
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: AS MVP, BA
Posts: 300
PV hit that nail regarding reward availability. That 25k RT is toast, so this would need to be all cash at this point anyhow. The comp passes will help some anyhow.
Do the comp passes post in about 3 weeks?
Thanks for all the advice. Tough trying to offer advice when someone else's vacation is on the line. The advice helps.
Do the comp passes post in about 3 weeks?
Thanks for all the advice. Tough trying to offer advice when someone else's vacation is on the line. The advice helps.
What are their travel dates...
Apr 13, 2016, 2:21 pm
#442
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,733
they are starting in BWI, though. at this point, unless they use the WN miles BWI-SEA and then separate tickets onward on AS/DL/B6, the companion fares are likely to be the cheapest path.
Apr 13, 2016, 9:02 pm
#444
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SEA
Posts: 2,556
Delta through MSP (starts next Month, I think), JFK or DTW would all be viable options to Rome
...Search for those routes (or whatever other ones you find acceptable) specifically, and once
you find your trans-Atlantic seats, use multi-city (or book and then call) to add on the rest.
...Search for those routes (or whatever other ones you find acceptable) specifically, and once
you find your trans-Atlantic seats, use multi-city (or book and then call) to add on the rest.
Apr 13, 2016, 10:34 pm
#445
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: SEA
Posts: 244
Question about holiday fares
I am trying to book tickets for a popular travel time in Feb 2017 from Seattle to LIH. I have watched tickets since before they came on sale, and since.
For the dates I want the tickets have never come down in price from full fare refundable. Is this common? Are my choices to either pay this much, switch dates, or abandon trip?
Thanks!
For the dates I want the tickets have never come down in price from full fare refundable. Is this common? Are my choices to either pay this much, switch dates, or abandon trip?
Thanks!
Apr 13, 2016, 10:47 pm
#446
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,850
I am trying to book tickets for a popular travel time in Feb 2017 from Seattle to LIH. I have watched tickets since before they came on sale, and since.
For the dates I want the tickets have never come down in price from full fare refundable. Is this common? Are my choices to either pay this much, switch dates, or abandon trip?
Thanks!
For the dates I want the tickets have never come down in price from full fare refundable. Is this common? Are my choices to either pay this much, switch dates, or abandon trip?
Thanks!
Apr 13, 2016, 11:19 pm
#447
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: AS 75k, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 548
Alaska has a Low Fare Guarantee. There is no risk in buying now as, if the price comes down, you submit a low fare guarantee claim on their website and the difference is refunded to your original form of payment provided you have bought a fully refundable fare. If you buy a non-refundable fare, the difference in price goes into your 'wallet' (or a credit cert) which you can use for future purchases.
I use Yapta to track their prices after I've booked flights.
Apr 14, 2016, 9:59 am
#448
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 116
I have a flight at 7:00 AM on Sunday from PDX-SEA. My connection, SEA-MCO, is not until 9:20 PM. Will I be able to check my bag all the way in PDX or will I have to pick it up in Seattle.
Apr 14, 2016, 12:07 pm
#449
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: SEA
Posts: 244
Alaska has a Low Fare Guarantee. There is no risk in buying now as, if the price comes down, you submit a low fare guarantee claim on their website and the difference is refunded to your original form of payment provided you have bought a fully refundable fare. If you buy a non-refundable fare, the difference in price goes into your 'wallet' (or a credit cert) which you can use for future purchases.
Sorry, meant to add more..
I know about fare guarantee and have used it but I frankly don't fly often so credit might be worth zero to me. Also I am booking with a companion voucher. If I buy a Y fare and a companion fare can I still get cash back if fare goes down?
Apr 14, 2016, 12:14 pm
#450
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,850
Sorry, meant to add more..
I know about fare guarantee and have used it but I frankly don't fly often so credit might be worth zero to me. Also I am booking with a companion voucher. If I buy a Y fare and a companion fare can I still get cash back if fare goes down?
I know about fare guarantee and have used it but I frankly don't fly often so credit might be worth zero to me. Also I am booking with a companion voucher. If I buy a Y fare and a companion fare can I still get cash back if fare goes down?
And if the fare you buy is fully refundable, then the refund is to the original form of payment. You only get the refund in a credit cert if the fare you've bought is non refundable.