Hoover86

Hey Everyone,

I am PLT on AA, and am moving over to AS because of the devaluation at AA.

I am based in NYC, and want to requalify for MVP Gold by meeting the 40k requirement on AS metal only.

I would have to do 7 more trancons, JFK-SEA, before 12/31 in order to make this.

The timing is great though -- AM departure from JFK, PM redeye from SEA for a decent day turn. Plus, would get 100% bonus on redeemable miles.

My thinking:

7 roundtrips * 4800 RT miles = 33,600 miles * 100% MVPG bonus = 67,200 redeemable miles.

If day turns were around $250, that would equal out 0.05 cpm. Not amazing, but decent in order to keep status for next year (my priority is to keep some benefits on AA + have the 100% bonus for MVPG).

Thoughts on this?

eponymous_coward

Day turns are more like $280 JFK-SEA-JFK. Personally I'd do JFK out in the AM, back via EWR in the afternoon same day, take the train into town from the other side, I'd get home by 1 am and sleep in my own bed instead of doing a full ~24 hour turn. Might pay a bit more and chances at the upgrade aren't as great into EWR but I loathe redeyes sitting up, even in domestic F (can't sleep well sitting up).

Kufat

IIRC, last winter there were some $121 SEA<>JFK flights that were around $114 after the promo code, but I haven't seen any yet this year. Maybe once the snow starts to fall.

(Same boat, NYC based and lots of flying to SEA. Now I've gotta get to 75k so you don't nab all of my upgrades!)

macfadsj

Why not just ask AS for an instant status match, according to these directions provided by the PointsGuy.com (Note the advantage of waiting until after October 1 to request the match.)

Alaska is one of the few airlines that still grants full-on status matches to elites from other airlines. This even includes matches up to their top-tier MVP Gold 75K level (like TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig experienced to upgrade his friend’s parents on their trip to Hawaii). To submit a request, simply email [email protected] with a photo of your current elite card (front and back), driver’s license, online account summary and Mileage Plan number. Reports indicate that all the major carriers are eligible for this match, including American, Delta, Southwest and United.

Here’s the great thing: If you submit the request before October 1, your status will be valid for the rest of the year. However, if you submit it after October 1, it’ll be valid for the rest of the year and the entire following year. I did this very thing last fall using my Delta Platinum Medallion status. My request was submitted October 5, and I was bumped to MVP Gold 75K just five days later. This status is valid through December 31, 2016, and will make our upcoming trip to Hawaii and San Diego (booked using the companion fare benefit on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card) that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Hoover86

Thanks for the help. I thought it was crazy and just wanted some reassurance from other crazy people. I hadn't considered the JFK-SEA-EWR but that sounds good. If prices fall to less than $240ish I'll probably jump on this.

PV_Premier

Consider JFK-SEA-LAX or -ANC. Might cost more but your total cpm might end up lower. Lots of frequency on both routes in case of IRROP.

Agree with the status match comment.

Hoover86

Thanks, all! Would have done status match but already did to get MVPG from PLT on AA. just want to keep my status through 2017

flyupfrnt

At least you flew AS on one Trans con RT this year

Why prematurely status match when you aren't flying the airline and can't benefit from the elite benefits?

I picked up a couple SEA-JFK turns earlier this year for $200 ea and haven't seen anything less yet. These were in furtherance of my push for 75K all AS metal.

DaveH

What are fellow SEA based AS elites looking for to bulk up their EQM?

I'm going to get 40K by October, but would MR to 75K to keep MVPG 75K if there were a reasonable way to get there, like a half-dozen cheap SEA-IAD/TPA/RDU same day turns.

WrightHI

Might also look at tacking on the evening SEA-HNL and then back in the morning. Longer away from home but twice the miles per trip, and that evening flight seems to tend toward light loads and easy upgrades.

Hoover86

I was flying AA more often transcon, but am switching over to AS. Even though I don't fly them as much as AA, their route network is expanding and their mileage earning/partner redemption is more appealing to me. From my perspective, I'll still get some elite benefits on AA and DL (good for being NYC-based), even after my PLT on AA drops.

Kufat

Preferred (but not C+) seating, zone 1 boarding, and the ability to be on the bottom of the didn't-get-an-upgrade list aren't much in the way of elite benefits.

I'm not sure this will end up being worth the effort for you.

PV_Premier

need to get the price lower but flexible dates might help.

you can do this potentially for a better cpm than a straight SEA turn.

fly it back the other direction or take amtrak home.

LAX-BWI is often one of the best cpm out there

SAN-BOS is another one worth paying attention to

when you see a good fare sale commit yourself to the dates and book all you need.

http://goo.gl/flights/oTDt

eponymous_coward

This drives up the cost of the MR, potentially.

I'll say this, now that I am thinking about it: $1750 (7*$250) is a lot of money to pay to avoid baggage fees and get "free" upgrades (which aren't all that easy on transcons, though JFK is easier than EWR). You can straight out BUY AS RDM for around 2 cents per mile. So a three cent a mile premium for a shiny card and escaping a few AA baggage fees and some better seats doesn't strike me as a great investment. I'd rather spend money on travel to places I actually want/need to go as opposed to "trips to nowhere" now that MR'ing is dead, snuffed it, gone to meet its maker.

I kind of have to wonder about having to force that much travel if even 25k of AS+partners (MVP) can't come "naturally" (or close to it) over the course of a few months (and TBH you get SOMETHING on AA/DL if you're MVP; especially if you're going to mostly fly partners MVP + keeping your cash might > MVPG).

And what happens next year? More MRs?

Disclaimer: I dropped from MVPG to MVP the past couple years for precisely these reasons; I saw no reason to do 20,000 miles of forced MRs (and spend a good chunk of change) for a better shiny card when the distance between what I would normally do and what MVPG required was so large (DEQM has disappeared across the network, and paying for F/ "premium" MR'ing on DL/AA doesn't help enough, plus I simply don't value F much on the short West Coast hops I'm often on). This upcoming year things have worked out such that a push to MVPG might make sense, but only for about a few hundred in added forced MR/"cheap weekend on East Coast" travel (which I'd likely make up in change fees + extra miles flying next year). If it was $1500-2000 again, I'd be absolutely going "nope, not worth it".

PV_Premier

while i agree with your premise, you're somewhat neglecting two of the most valuable benefits of MVPG: no change/cancel fees, and 100% RDM bonus versus the 50% of MVP. as a primarily transcon traveler who rarely makes firm plans, the difference to me between MVP and MVPG is pretty big.

still, i agree that these benefits do not justify MRing to nowhere if you are only sitting at 20-25K miles a year of required "normal" travel, but it was a fairly easy decision for me this year to spend a couple of hundred $$ on MR'ing to pick up another 7K EQMs. i did a quick overnight in ATL and a one way side trip via ATL to get it. the $67 one way fare from SMF made it a no brainer, but even if i'd had to spend twice that i probably would have.