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AS Mileage Plan and VX Elevate Speculation Thread [Consolidated]

AS Mileage Plan and VX Elevate Speculation Thread [Consolidated]

Old Apr 4, 2016, 12:42 pm
  #16  
 
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They may follow Delta, United, American and have a revenue based FF program.
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Old Apr 4, 2016, 1:43 pm
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Tango
They may follow Delta, United, American and have a revenue based FF program.
....and destroy THE incentive to fly AS.
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Old Apr 4, 2016, 3:26 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by Dieuwer
....and destroy THE incentive to fly AS.
Indeed. I fly AS regularly for business (going tomorrow, in fact - 4 flights in the next 2 weeks).

The day that the AS program morphs into anything resembling a "revenue based" program would be the last day I ever fly AS. If I wanted that, I'd be flying Delta instead.
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Old Apr 4, 2016, 3:46 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by nwflyboy
Indeed. I fly AS regularly for business (going tomorrow, in fact - 4 flights in the next 2 weeks).

The day that the AS program morphs into anything resembling a "revenue based" program would be the last day I ever fly AS. If I wanted that, I'd be flying Delta instead.
I agree. AS is good because of miles, not points and because of partners Icelandair, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, which are all subject to change, like the way Emirates awards suddenly changed. I don't plan to redeem Emirates awards but the sudden change is unsettling. Change the miles to points and the advantages of AS shrink quite a bit. Delta's no expiration miles would then be worth more to me.
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Old Apr 4, 2016, 4:59 pm
  #20  
 
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Given how empty their first class was when I flew them a couple times, I can't say they have as strong of an elite customer base as a company such as Alaska.

There are more people who do accumulate miles either by flying or credit card. Well, i met one person with a Virgin America credit card the other day. Weird.

Alaska miles do have a "cost", so you could easily translate the points to miles.

They might be able to give their 4 1/2 elites silver or gold status as a good gesture.
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Old Apr 4, 2016, 5:19 pm
  #21  
 
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Their F cabins leave with empty seats because short of some massive operational screwup, there is no non-pay/non-redemptive way into F.

I buy VX F over AS F on SEA-LAX because it's better hard product and at least parity soft product.
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Old Apr 4, 2016, 6:28 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by maokh
Given how empty their first class was when I flew them a couple times, I can't say they have as strong of an elite customer base as a company such as Alaska.
The VX F load factor is no barometer of VX customer loyalty. AS upgrades MVPs all the time; VX does not upgrade elites gratis.

I think few would argue that the VX inflight experience in both cabins is head and shoulders above AS. I think most would observe that the "VX experience" was unsustainable, too, given price sensitivity and lack of transcon lie-flats. VX F still kicks AS F down Main Street though.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 6:42 am
  #23  
 
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I've read a few blog articles that they predict each VX Elevate point will be worth 2 Mileageplan miles. Hopefully this will be the case as I have orphan VX elevate points.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 9:48 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by trigleek
I've read a few blog articles that they predict each VX Elevate point will be worth 2 Mileageplan miles. Hopefully this will be the case as I have orphan VX elevate points.
While I have no special insights, that would be an awfully generous conversion ratio. I see no compelling reason why AS as the purchaser would want to offer anything above a 1:1 conversion.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 10:41 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Visconti
While I have no special insights, that would be an awfully generous conversion ratio. I see no compelling reason why AS as the purchaser would want to offer anything above a 1:1 conversion.
I can envision a 1:1 based conversion and then some sort of flight-based incentive program to get the 2:1 conversion within six months.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 11:23 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by BearX220
I very much doubt the announced takeover of Elevate by MP will occur before this time next year.
It won't happen before, and the combined plan won't start before 2018.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 11:29 am
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by Tango
They may follow Delta, United, American and have a revenue based FF program.
I disagree. AS was really explicit about this in their post recent call and clearly this merger was in the works. I think the re-vamp of FC along with the rejection of a spend based FFP are glimpses into a ASVX future.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 3:07 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by VibeGuy
Their F cabins leave with empty seats because short of some massive operational screwup, there is no non-pay/non-redemptive way into F.

I buy VX F over AS F on SEA-LAX because it's better hard product and at least parity soft product.
Yes, but VX has small F cabins of just 8 seats and in my experience, mostly FLL-LAX/SFO and JFK/SFO, these flights have been entirely full up front.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 4:58 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by fly747first
Yes, but VX has small F cabins of just 8 seats and in my experience, mostly FLL-LAX/SFO and JFK/SFO, these flights have been entirely full up front.
compare this to AS F, where they never go out with an empty seat but the average spread over full Y that the average F pax pays to get up there is probably negative.

VX extracts incremental revenue or a corresponding reduction in FF liabilities from virtually every butt in that cabin on every flight every day. AS cannot say the thing about their F, largely because their hard product is a screw at list price - I believe a majority of the seats are sold at a reduction from even Y fares. People are willing to do it on VX because the seat is better, the catering is better, the IFE is better and the price premium/what you get ratio is better.

Eastern Airlines would have been the most profitable airline in the world at the time of their demise had they had two more full-Y pax on every flight. VX similarly saw the bottom-line value of attracting a few pax who willingly pay for premium cabin service rather than demand comps as a condition of their fealty.
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Old Apr 5, 2016, 5:28 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by VibeGuy
VX extracts incremental revenue or a corresponding reduction in FF liabilities from virtually every butt in that cabin on every flight every day. AS cannot say the thing about their F, largely because their hard product is a screw at list price - I believe a majority of the seats are sold at a reduction from even Y fares. People are willing to do it on VX because the seat is better, the catering is better, the IFE is better and the price premium/what you get ratio is better.
Couldn't agree more.

Non transcon domestic F fares are a waste of money on any carrier other than VX. At least on VX, the F class experience isn't watered down by all the free upgrades.

Currently, makes no sense to pay for any non-trascon Domestic F, since all the carriers will give them all away. I'd rather fly just fly coach than be the only idiot in F who actually paid for his seat.
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