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!
Jul 13, 2017, 11:01 am
#992
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,638
Jul 13, 2017, 11:46 am
#993
Join Date: May 2017
Location: SEA
Posts: 355
Yeah, I know AS823 that does the SEA-SMF-OGG same plane flight has U space, but the timing sucks. I'm trying to decide if on one of the non-stop flights I should just stick with a T fare, or pay $70 more for an H fare class. It's only worth it if there is a chance that U will open up before the normal upgrade window though, if I have to wait until check-in I might as well just save the money and get a T fare since even as a 75k I doubt I'd clear day of.
Last edited by quemalo; Jul 13, 2017 at 11:51 am
Jul 13, 2017, 3:00 pm
#994
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 258
I'm new to this whole thing so forgive my ignorance, but I'm looking at using my companion fare for a one way from DAL-SEA on a AS flight. Cost for coach shows to be $192+$15, however if I click on the mileage upgrade for F it shows $300+$15 with the dark blue F box by it. Does that mean that if I wanted to upgrade my the two tickets to F class it would cost $315 plus 15,000 miles? I went through the process without completing it and it never brought up deducting the miles so that is why I am confused. Plus if I wanted to upgrade to F with miles why would I have to also pay more cash? I'm so confused. 
Jul 13, 2017, 3:13 pm
#995
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Queens!
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan, Marriott Bonvoy, NEXUS
Posts: 334
You can only upgrade to F with miles if there's U availability and your purchase a fare that's on the list of fares that can be upgraded with miles. That's why you'd also have to pay more cash.
Jul 13, 2017, 3:21 pm
#996
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 258
So from what I am seeing on this particular flight I can upgrade to F but it's going to cost me the 15,000 miles + the $108 difference correct?
Jul 13, 2017, 8:27 pm
#998
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,633
Yeah, I know AS823 that does the SEA-SMF-OGG same plane flight has U space, but the timing sucks. I'm trying to decide if on one of the non-stop flights I should just stick with a T fare, or pay $70 more for an H fare class. It's only worth it if there is a chance that U will open up before the normal upgrade window though, if I have to wait until check-in I might as well just save the money and get a T fare since even as a 75k I doubt I'd clear day of.
Here in SMF, we lament the SEA people who take the upgrade space on 823/800 to get to and from SEA. A lot of them do it...making it harder to upgrade out of SMF than it used to be. For us, the flights are timed perfectly. In fact, just today I got scooped on U space for 823 on a flight I was intending to book, so now I'm planning to book a day earlier. One extra day in Hawaii, what a pity.
Jul 16, 2017, 7:55 am
#1000
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Springfield, MA
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 434
I have never used Alaska FF miles. I am hoping to fly business class from JFK to Madrid with a stopover in Amsterdam on KLM in October 2018. I have some flexibility on dates. I checked availability yesterday as far out as the schedule went and there was absolutely nothing. Will I be able to do this, or am I better off trying to do this thru an award booking service?
Jul 16, 2017, 9:20 am
#1001
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
I have never used Alaska FF miles. I am hoping to fly business class from JFK to Madrid with a stopover in Amsterdam on KLM in October 2018. I have some flexibility on dates. I checked availability yesterday as far out as the schedule went and there was absolutely nothing. Will I be able to do this, or am I better off trying to do this thru an award booking service?
AF/KLM space (AS considers them the same airline for awards) has always been extremely limited
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...n-partner.html
Jul 17, 2017, 12:44 pm
#1005
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: DFW
Programs: UA Pleb, HH Gold, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 23,199