cblaisd

Thank you

I continue to learn; thanks for your patience, all!

After searching for an itinerary, with MVPG GGU availability, I am looking at an itinerary online that shows this:



If I buy the "First Class Upgrade" fare, but do not have a GGU in-hand, can I go later and apply one if I should be so fortunate to receive?

SpicyMorale

Okay guys, newbie with some questions. Let me first just say I am still in college, so one trip a year with my GF is pretty much all I can look forward to. I have been a member since 2000, don't know if that helps with anything aside from the credit card which I will get to later.

I did fly a couple of times last year for work around the state, this added to my trip to Vegas has now left me with ~11,000 miles available. So first question, can I use these for anything? Do they expire? I am planning another trip to Vegas this year, looking to be mid June for my gf's brother's 21st b-day. Don't know if this helps but probably will stay another full week, only one trip a year so might as well enjoy it! I do look at fares, even made a google sheet listing prices and recording my own tips for an even cheaper trip back.

I have accrued ~70,000 miles lifetime, after high school no trips until last year :/ Next question, if I can use those 11K miles, will they be subtracted from my 70K? Upon graduating I do plan to travel the world, and have my eye set on that million miles. I do have a $50 discount code from a cancelled flight that expires in July. I did get re-registered for Club 49.

I did look at booking a hotel with my flight, but they did not have the Stratoshpere listed last year. It is however listed as an option this year, and I might go ahead with booking it through AS. 1,500 bonus miles for booking the room, and cheaper for the hotel. For anybody that has done this, is there any surprise fee from the hotel?

Regarding the credit card, I did have it for a year. Everything was paid on time and in full, no problems. I did only charge an average of 30% of my limit every month I had it, subconsciously as supposedly that is the best average amount to build your credit. It was my first credit card, so my dad had to co-sign for me. And then I got a gf, and moved out. Had to cancel the card for whatever ........ reason my parents came up with. So now I am credit cardless, I did re-apply over the phone and was denied. Reasoning was I wasn't making enough, well duh I am in college with an apartment. I am not working in the field I am studying but I do have a part time job (15-25 hours a week) that pays $17 an hour. How can I finagle myself into getting the credit card? I have been a loyal member since 2000, had the credit card for a year and was doing great. I of course didn't mention those two things, but hey I am still figuring out this whole adult thing and selling yourself. The real reason why I want the credit card back, is for the companion fare, and the miles from purchases.

Diatribe done, your help would be very appreciated! Oh and stay warm where ever you might be, it appears our winters are back to normal here in AK.

Tl;dr College student just trying to figure out if I can save anymore money on my one trip a year. And potentially get back the credit card, more or less just for the companion fare.

jinglish

Alaska just introduced 5k-each-way awards on flights under 700 miles, so that could be a one-person round trip if you can find availability. And your miles don't expire as long as you have some kind of account activity, whether burning or earning (including through non-airline partners and the credit card), every two years.Nope--you don't need to save up a million miles at one time to hit Million Miler status. Redeem away.

It sounds like if you do get the credit card approval anytime soon, it'll probably be for the Platinum Plus instead of the Signature--so you'd get two miles per dollar on Alaska purchases instead of three, 5k miles signup bonus instead of 30k, and an annual $50 discount instead of the companion fare. The Signature just won't be doable for you without a co-signer; the Visa Signature minimum credit limit is typically $5k, and even the summer before my senior year of college I only got approved for a couple of $2-2.5k cards while making fairly decent money for a full-time college student.

SpicyMorale

Good to know, as my gf has ~7K. Unfortunately, that is an in-state flight as ANC is where I live. Or a flight to Vegas from somewhere in Cali...this is why I love sites like this, opens up your thinking.

Currently if I spent my 11k and my gf's 7K we'd have to go ANC-FAI-SEA-LAS either going there or coming back, in order to only spend 5K each. Or some equally crazy combo of ANC-SEA-BOI-LAS. I think I'll just wait till 2018 to spend those miles. All options from AK to the lower 48 require 12.5K or more.

The bonuses getting slashed (Plus instead of Signature) are making me consider just going through my bank. But do you have any tips seeing as how you kinda went through what I currently am?

PV_Premier

If the white F on the dark blue background is still there when doing a dummy booking, yes. If it changes to a blue F on a white background that means U=0 and the upgrade won't clear. Without knowing the date and route it's hard to predict if that is a risk.

For that flight remember that P fares earn 175% EQM. The P fare looks to be only 60% more expensive than the K fare, so if you can swing the extra $100, it might be worth it to buy the P fare. You'd also get gratis BR access with a P fare.

cblaisd

Thank you!

The AS Twitter rep said the GGU has to be applied at the time of booking, but that doesn't seem to square with what I was able to do in the past (which was as you described -- bought the "First Class Upgrade" fare, later received a GGU, "U" was still available and was able to apply).

ETA: In a follow-up with the Twitter rep, she confirmed that a GGU could be applied later if the "First Class Fare" had been bought initially.

It also seems to me that the website used to show lots more information about what actual fare classes were available, or am I misremembering? I'm more used to UA's expert mode where I can see exactly how many seats available in all buckets.

CDKing

AS significantly decreased the number of columns. So you need to go to the all fare options search and in the upgrade drop down box you select the type of upgrade you plan on doing and it will show you the lowest available fare that qualifies. Select MVPG Gold guest to hide the G/T/R fares.

https://www.alaskaair.com/planbook?l...search-options

WillTravel4Food

First time trying to add my TSA KTN to a reservation. I go through all the steps, enter the number, and click "SAVE". I go back to see if it's there, and it's not there. Does the system store the number, just not show it for security reasons?

Second, my flight was booked through our TA system at work. I want to see if I can add a GGU to one of the flights that I think is eligible. The system says the reservation isn't eligible for online GGU entry. Do I just call to get it added?

Kufat

If you go to the reservation page and click "Enter required documentation," the next page should show:
"Secure Flight information has already been collected for this passenger.
Known Traveler number has already been collected for this traveler."

You can call; you will likely have to upfare, presumably at your own expense. (What's the current fare class?)

WillTravel4Food

It doesn't show the second line. I've entered it twice and have it in my profile.


Current fare class is Y. I think it's just not available. There's only three seats left in F. Probably just going to have to wait it out and see if I clear later.

Kufat

I'd send them a tweet (DM your KTN and res, don't tweet it publicly) or call.

GGUs require availability in fare class U.

PV_Premier

This is deceiving.

There are basically 4 or 5 kinds of revenue fare types on AS:

Main cabin fares that are not instantly upgradeable with instruments or status, but retain complimentary upgrade privileges. These are the lowest fare buckets (G, T, R, etc.)

Main cabin fares that are eligible for instant upgrades with MVPG Guest Upgrade codes (K and above).

Main cabin fares that are eligible for instant upgrades based on elite status (YB for MVP I think?, YBMS for MVPG, and YBMSH for 75K).

Main cabin fares that are eligible for upgrades with miles (these are rarely used by those with elite status, because they are fairly high fare buckets that often result in instant elite upgrades anyways...I think it's YBM, so occasionally useful for MVP members, maybe?).

Revenue first class fares, which are either refundable or non refundable (P and F).

If you buy a first class fare, you're in first class. If you buy an MVP Gold Guest eligible fare, and you don't have a gold guest upgrade code today, you'll still be able to upgrade that fare anytime you have a code PROVIDED that U space is available. There is NO mechanism for waitlisting gold guest upgrades.

Note, if you purchase a GGU eligible fare, and you don't have a GGU code on hand, you should NOT request a complimentary upgrade unless you want to have to call later to have that upgrade request removed. You can't apply a GGU when you are on the complimentary upgrade waitlist.

Someone posted a very helpful fare chart recently either here or in another thread, if I come across it I will post a link to it. Basically it puts what I wrote above into a easier to follow tabular format.

Edit: Here is the post from sturges http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27733015-post66.html

WillTravel4Food

I'd seen that table but couldn't find it. Thanks for that. I have a Y fare and was placed on the upgrade waitlist, which is probably/surely why I can't use the GGU. Will calling help, or do I just have to wait it out and hope for the battlefield promotion? As for the KTN, I'll call them about that one later.

PV_Premier

If you call, they should be able to remove you from the complimentary waitlist and then you can apply the GGU. You shouldn't do this though unless U space is open. And, if you have any elite status (which it sounds like you do because you're on the complimentary waitlist), there is a good chance you would be upgraded based on the Y fare instantly if/when U opens anyways.

If U space isn't open presently, a GGU will do you no good, because it cannot be waitlisted and even if it could, your Y fare would place you higher on the list if you have any elite status whatsoever.

If you post the flight number/cities and date, someone here would probably be willing to check the status of U space for you if you don't know how to do it yourself.

Calling might also help with the KTN issue, and it should be able to be done both on the same call.

cblaisd

That's what I take it that she meant. I am aware that there is no GGU waitlisting and that buying the "First Class Fare" after doing a GGU search without the GGU in-hand is a gamble as to whether there will be U space available later.

I really appreciate the discussion and exposition of the different fare classes, I just wish the website showed all of this detail and showed all the actual classes available for purchase. It seems kind of dumbed-down in this regard.

It used to be really easy, iirc: the flight after doing an appropriate search either had a "U" beside for availability or a "U" with a strikethrough with no availability. That was pretty transparent. Wonder why it went away.

By the way, I virtually never post my actual ticketed or proposed flight dates/#s. I remember in the bad old days of FT, folks getting their reservations cancelled by a malicious FT'er who had seen those or social engineered enough information to be able to cancel someone else's reservation. I've been the beneficiary of great help from folks in this and other forums via PM, but am leery of ever posting enough information publicly for someone to know my flights in advance.