Jan 4, 2017, 7:30 pm
Last edit by: Calchas
Welcome to the Alaska Airlines Flame-Free Q&A Thread for 2017!
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)
ryandc99
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 2016 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)
ryandc99
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 2016 version of this thread, please click here
2017 Alaska Airlines *FLAME-FREE* Q&A thread: all welcome, new and old!
Mar 15, 2017, 4:07 am
#451
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Kelowna Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, HHonors Diamond, BonVoy Gold, AAdvantage, IHG Priority Club, BA EC, AS MVP
Posts: 110
I see J space available on Qantas but when I reach the payment stage the web site says that space could not be booked on partner airline. I phones AS (from South Africa at my cost) and agents state that there is a problem. Twitter help are no help whatsoever and vector to a 1-800 number that does not work outside NA.
Anyone know if this (phantom space?) problem with QF will be fixed soon or is there a way to bypass and get the seats? Thanks
Anyone know if this (phantom space?) problem with QF will be fixed soon or is there a way to bypass and get the seats? Thanks
Mar 15, 2017, 5:53 am
#452
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
I see J space available on Qantas but when I reach the payment stage the web site says that space could not be booked on partner airline. I phones AS (from South Africa at my cost) and agents state that there is a problem. Twitter help are no help whatsoever and vector to a 1-800 number that does not work outside NA.
Anyone know if this (phantom space?) problem with QF will be fixed soon or is there a way to bypass and get the seats? Thanks
Anyone know if this (phantom space?) problem with QF will be fixed soon or is there a way to bypass and get the seats? Thanks
Mar 15, 2017, 10:20 am
#453
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
A few to several weeks.
Mar 15, 2017, 3:15 pm
#454
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Marriott: Platinum/LT Silver, AS: MVP
Posts: 67
Taking a redeye tomorrow night. There are three seats available in F, does AS offer cheap buy-up opportunities at check-in to non-elites? Or would I need to pay the full difference in fare now?
Mar 15, 2017, 4:32 pm
#455
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,477
Miles Transfer from Virgin America
When I linked my VX and AS accounts, I transferred all VX miles to Alaska. I'm curious now if I should earn more VX miles, would it be possible to repeat the transfer into the existing AS account? Is there a deadline for this process?
Mar 15, 2017, 9:16 pm
#457
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...-upgrades.aspx
Have you checked the two legs separately for availability on your desired date(s)?
Mar 16, 2017, 12:10 am
#458
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 733
I've had a really hard time finding this online: how long can a layover when booking thru AS points be?
I want to do HKG-BOS-SEA. CX from HKG gets in at 9pm and the next AS flight out isn't until 7am -- a 10 hour layover. Is this permitted?
I want to do HKG-BOS-SEA. CX from HKG gets in at 9pm and the next AS flight out isn't until 7am -- a 10 hour layover. Is this permitted?
Mar 16, 2017, 12:24 am
#459
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Otherwise, 365 days (stopover) or 23:59 (connection) that is International.
Mar 16, 2017, 12:30 am
#460
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 733
Can I ask why it isn't allowed? Too much backtracking or something else? If it's backtracking, is there a metric I can use (MPM?) or is it YMMV?
Mar 16, 2017, 6:01 am
#461
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, *A Silver
Posts: 4,896
Mar 16, 2017, 10:04 am
#462
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Booked a VX/AS codeshare--VX 2 (codeshared AS 1002), DCA-SFO, through the Alaska website. The website shows that I am booked in a V fare class. Looking at the Alaska Mileage Plan/Virgin America accrual page, it looks as if this fare should be eligible for the 100% miles + 50% class bonus, assuming it's booked under the VX number.
Does anyone know if these sorts of VX/AS codeshares are booked under the VX number and therefore use this chart or does this count as an AS numbered flight and therefore just uses the normal 100% accrual for a coach fare?
Thanks--hope this question makes sense.
Does anyone know if these sorts of VX/AS codeshares are booked under the VX number and therefore use this chart or does this count as an AS numbered flight and therefore just uses the normal 100% accrual for a coach fare?
Thanks--hope this question makes sense.
I'm pretty sure that all flights booked through AS.com are booked as an AS-marketed codeshare. Therefore, the V code would be an AS V code, not a VX V code. I don't know whether AS*/VX flights accrue according to the VX or AS chart. But if they earn according to the VX chart, it would be whatever AS V maps to on VX (presumably M or so), not VX V.
Of course, equivalent fares earn the same on AS or VX, so it doesn't matter whether your flight earns as AS V or VX M.
Of course, equivalent fares earn the same on AS or VX, so it doesn't matter whether your flight earns as AS V or VX M.
Mar 16, 2017, 10:25 am
#463
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: SF Bay
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 15
AS (and non-VX operating carriers) only operates very limited Bay Area to LA area flights, like SNA-SJC. On the random Tuesday I checked (Oct 3), all three SNA-SJC flights are available in low on AS.com (5k AS miles one way) but indeed not AA.com. Have you tried calling BA?
Mar 16, 2017, 10:54 am
#464
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
Search on AS.com for availability in low, then call BA and request the flights that AS.com shows as available in low. BA should be able to book them. Seems perfectly convenient to me. (The only issue is you have to figure out whether it's low or medium availability on AS, which is not as simple as it used to be with variable pricing at the low level.)
Mar 16, 2017, 11:59 am
#465
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
There are guidelines that agents use (but are not published publicly) from what I understand.