tbau

I'm wondering if anyone is having any luck using their guest upgrade e-certificates. Personally I've got ~50k miles on Alaska for 2017 and I haven't seen one eligible fare for me to burn a code on. These all are likely going to go to waste unless things loosen up the 2nd half of the year.

jinglish

You can always search on the AS site for the lowest available GGU-eligible fare, or call in to upfare an existing reservation.

dave1013

I tried that yesterday for a trip in November. I can get from JNU to SEA in F, but from SEA on to FLL - no dice. Tried the mileage route, willing to cash in miles for A class. No go.

In any event, it's gotten a lot more difficult, esp. for transcons and the like.

dayone

The greater difficulty is more evident on transcons and the like. AS sells a lot of F on those routes. And the switch to 12F on the -800s hasn't helped.

eponymous_coward

Yeah, I burned one on a redeye SEA-ORD. If you're going to burn one, might as well be that kind of route...

PDXPremier

I have found U space on PDX-EWR, SEA-IND, SEA-BNA....as for Florida, SEA-FLL has one of the worst U space availabilities in the system....you're better off looking at SEA-TPA....I generally book my flights based on U space availability...if it's a transcon and there is no U space, I don't book it.

Jimgotkp

Now the whole world knows

BOB W

or SEA-FLL. Just be prepared for a bit of a drive.

lalala

Nothing available to WAS for the next three months and I'm buying GGU fares. I'm waiting for September and beyond to use mine that will expire in 2017.

mroseman13

Welcome to all the new Alaska elites from VX who were granted status and flooded the market with GGUs

jinglish

I keep seeing related claims--that the VXers are taking all of our complimentary upgrades too, for example--but this doesn't make any sense. Who are all the SFO- and LAX-based VX elites suddenly connecting through SEA for transcons instead of flying direct like they have been for years?

dave1013

Agreed, that is an option, but the ship sails from FLL and my decision was that I did not want to make the cross-state drive. So exit row it is.

PV_Premier

Just FYI, but Silver Airways offers TPA-FLL and sometimes the fares are stupid cheap, like $39 one way...not sure if the schedules align to allow an 'easy' connection in TPA...but it's an option...

They also fly MCO-FLL...


Anyways, back on topic...the GGUs are a lot harder to use this year for sure, probably due to combinations of (1) more elites = more demand (2) reduction in F cabin space (3) more aggressive management of U (4) more paid F demand.

I haven't used any of my GGUs, but I've found U space on several transcons where I booked refundable award coach tickets and took the upgrade space based on the new MVPG benefit. I've also stumbled across a few low-level F awards and booked them.

Where I am seeing the biggest pinch on U space is to Hawaii. I am sitting on 4 GGUs and a companion fare trying to get a short weekend in the Islands at some point and aligning available U to personal schedule options has been impossible thusfar.

Buster CT1K

Exit row is still a good experience. Sorry to hear about lack of U availability. Keep checking.

I personally have had good experience with U availability, with some flexibility on my part.

Agree that Hawaii is tough to find U class.

PDXPremier

I couldn't believe it but I find TWO saver first (25K) awards on SEA-EWR for July! It's like looking for a needle in a haystack sometimes