Jan 1, 2018, 3:17 pm
Last edit by: Baze
Welcome to the Alaska Airlines Flame-Free Q&A Thread for 2018!
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
For the 2017 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
For the 2017 version of this thread, please click here
2018 Alaska Airlines *FLAME-FREE* Q&A thread: all welcome, new and old!
Jan 22, 2018, 11:30 am
#121
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
I'm brand new to AS, and recently got my UA Gold matched to AS MVP Gold. I received 4 Gold Guest Upgrades as part of the match.
I have a work trip coming up (it's a prize trip to Cabo with some work functions sprinkled in). We are supposed to book through Concur to take advantage of negotiated rates/fares. Obviously the company won't shell out for first class, but I'd like to make the trip fun for the wife and I by upgrading using our Gold Guest Upgrades. The current fares showing up on Concur are in the G/R/T range, which are obviously not conducive to using a Guest Upgrade. Has anyone had success booking a G/R/T fare, then "buying up" a fare class to get to a Guest Upgrade-eligible one? If I was using the AS site to book, I'd obviously select the option to automatically choose the applicable fare class, but Concur won't let me do that (probably for good reason). The flights in question have plenty of upgrade space per ExpertFlyer.
I have a work trip coming up (it's a prize trip to Cabo with some work functions sprinkled in). We are supposed to book through Concur to take advantage of negotiated rates/fares. Obviously the company won't shell out for first class, but I'd like to make the trip fun for the wife and I by upgrading using our Gold Guest Upgrades. The current fares showing up on Concur are in the G/R/T range, which are obviously not conducive to using a Guest Upgrade. Has anyone had success booking a G/R/T fare, then "buying up" a fare class to get to a Guest Upgrade-eligible one? If I was using the AS site to book, I'd obviously select the option to automatically choose the applicable fare class, but Concur won't let me do that (probably for good reason). The flights in question have plenty of upgrade space per ExpertFlyer.
Or maybe even easier, just call Reservations and have the agent change it. I believe they can pull and apply the GGUs too. Just do a dummy search for 2 people prior and make sure that the blue box with white F is available for your selected flights first.
Unlike some other airlines, I haven't had a problem with Alaska upfaring a Concur/TA booked ticket or a fee to takeover the ticket.
(*)website will not waive the change fee for upfares outside of 24 hours after booking and less than 60 days to departure. Live agents usually will, can always HUACA if they don't.
Jan 22, 2018, 2:14 pm
#122
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,481
Simple one, I hope: looking at an AS flight SAN-SMF for a trip in April - curious as to why there's one row of standard seats [row 9] between the "premium class" of rows 6-8 and what looks to be three rows of blocked seats in [per ExpertFlyer] 10-12 on an E75...? Is there a disadvantage to those seats in row 9? And what are 10-12 blocked out for?
Jan 22, 2018, 5:27 pm
#123
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: MSP
Programs: Marriott Platinum, DL Silver
Posts: 20
Yep! Along with the lowest main cabin and purchasing First directly.
^You can use the website within 24 hours of booking or it's more than 60 days out to change your trip to a GGU eligible fare, once it's ticketed through Concur.(*)
Or maybe even easier, just call Reservations and have the agent change it. I believe they can pull and apply the GGUs too. Just do a dummy search for 2 people prior and make sure that the blue box with white F is available for your selected flights first.
Unlike some other airlines, I haven't had a problem with Alaska upfaring a Concur/TA booked ticket or a fee to takeover the ticket.
(*)website will not waive the change fee for upfares outside of 24 hours after booking and less than 60 days to departure. Live agents usually will, can always HUACA if they don't.
Jan 22, 2018, 5:54 pm
#124
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 83
For flights with stops, do you earn miles on the total miles with the stops, or the miles as if it's a direct flight?
Jan 22, 2018, 6:04 pm
#127
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,832
Unless, I believe, that it a connecting flight with the same flight number for both segments. If the flight number is the same for both segments, you only earn as if it was a single segment.
Jan 22, 2018, 6:26 pm
#129
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 18
Is it just me, or is it impossible to get business class award flights thru Alaska Mileage Plan for two people on Korean Airlines?
I've searched many routes, including some obscure ones as a test. They simply do not seem to allow more than one business class award per flight, even for something like Seoul to Tokyo in May, or Seoul to Bangkok. Or, am I mistaken/unlucky with my searches?
One ticket for an entire airplane seems awfully low, and make it impossible to plan a trip with my partner. Is there a strategy to get some of those big seats to please the lady?
I've searched many routes, including some obscure ones as a test. They simply do not seem to allow more than one business class award per flight, even for something like Seoul to Tokyo in May, or Seoul to Bangkok. Or, am I mistaken/unlucky with my searches?
One ticket for an entire airplane seems awfully low, and make it impossible to plan a trip with my partner. Is there a strategy to get some of those big seats to please the lady?
Last edited by jqm; Jan 22, 2018 at 6:35 pm
Jan 23, 2018, 9:51 am
#130
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,574
Jan 23, 2018, 10:04 am
#131
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: Free agent!
Posts: 1,427
I'm about to book DCA - PDX and will be flying with my GF. I'll be paying for my ticket, whereas she'll be using points for hers so I imagine we will be on separate reservations. If I link the reservations afterwards, will she be able to select a seat in the exit row due to my MVP status? I normally wouldn't care for something like a SFO - PDX flight but DCA - PDX is a long domestic segment and it'd be nice to have the extra legroom for around six hours.
Jan 23, 2018, 10:27 am
#132
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
I'm about to book DCA - PDX and will be flying with my GF. I'll be paying for my ticket, whereas she'll be using points for hers so I imagine we will be on separate reservations. If I link the reservations afterwards, will she be able to select a seat in the exit row due to my MVP status? I normally wouldn't care for something like a SFO - PDX flight but DCA - PDX is a long domestic segment and it'd be nice to have the extra legroom for around six hours.
Jan 23, 2018, 1:20 pm
#133
Join Date: May 2017
Location: SEA
Posts: 355
Is it just me, or is it impossible to get business class award flights thru Alaska Mileage Plan for two people on Korean Airlines?
I've searched many routes, including some obscure ones as a test. They simply do not seem to allow more than one business class award per flight, even for something like Seoul to Tokyo in May, or Seoul to Bangkok. Or, am I mistaken/unlucky with my searches?
One ticket for an entire airplane seems awfully low, and make it impossible to plan a trip with my partner. Is there a strategy to get some of those big seats to please the lady?
I've searched many routes, including some obscure ones as a test. They simply do not seem to allow more than one business class award per flight, even for something like Seoul to Tokyo in May, or Seoul to Bangkok. Or, am I mistaken/unlucky with my searches?
One ticket for an entire airplane seems awfully low, and make it impossible to plan a trip with my partner. Is there a strategy to get some of those big seats to please the lady?
Jan 23, 2018, 2:49 pm
#134
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: PDX
Posts: 469
Has anyone heard any announcements about the PDX-KOA route? It was a seasonal November-April route, and now its showing nonstop flights during other parts of the year as well. I've looked everywhere I can think of and haven't found any new info.
Jan 23, 2018, 3:23 pm
#135
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: Free agent!
Posts: 1,427
Thanks for the info, jinglish. I'll give the MVP line a call after she books her ticket.