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2018 Alaska Airlines *FLAME-FREE* Q&A thread: all welcome, new and old!

Old Jan 1, 2018, 3:17 pm
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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~

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2018 Alaska Airlines *FLAME-FREE* Q&A thread: all welcome, new and old!

Old Sep 7, 2018, 4:11 pm
  #1201  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: ANC
Programs: Alaska 100k
Posts: 1,012
Originally Posted by WesternCDN
Has anyone ever had any luck contacting AS for old flight information (~2009-2013)? I'm trying to track down some old flights I took, but the history section of the MP website only goes back so far.. Curious if anyone has had them pull your full flight history with MP #?

Thanks
If you call mileage plan, they should be able to look further back.

Do you have old credit card statements? My flight details always print on my statements.
PABE is offline  
Old Sep 8, 2018, 1:55 pm
  #1202  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,938
Family trip late winter Seattle to Maui

Experienced traveler who's been in the game a decade+, but now at a loss while planning my first-ever family trip to Hawaii for late winter (exact dates TBD, but looking at early February when PacNW is at its gloomiest). They'll be 4 of us, including our won't-yet-be-2 child.

I have 250k Chase points (CSR), 500k AA miles (MS from exec cards), 100k UA miles (spend on Mileage X), 60k AS (various), and 10k DL miles (various). Yep, very little BIS-earned miles since I switched jobs, but do have AS MVP and 2x companion tickets from BoA AS CCs. None of these seem very helpful, esp. with Hawaiian no longer taking AA miles.

I put a premium on:
1. Direct flights (who would want to connect with a little one?)
2. Hard product (787 > 777 or 767 > 757> 737)
3. Soft product (Seattle-ites, so we're easy)
4. Departure/arrival time (any flight will mess up naps/sleep cycle anyway...)

After considering options and my preferences this week, do you think its nuts to bite the bullet and just buy 3x F seats on AS (with infant in lap), charging it to my CSR and at least earning AS miles and Chase points for my next trip? Would me showing a little flexibility somewhere open up better options?

TIA
EkekoBWI is offline  
Old Sep 8, 2018, 5:08 pm
  #1203  
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: YOW
Programs: AC 75K
Posts: 578
Originally Posted by sturges


If you call mileage plan, they should be able to look further back.

Do you have old credit card statements? My flight details always print on my statements.
Unfortunately no old credit card statements as far back as I am looking for. I sent mileage plan an email about it a few months ago but they said they didn't have access to the old records, which is too bad. Was just curious if anyone had any different experiences. Thanks though!
WesternCDN is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2018, 10:52 am
  #1204  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Renton, WA
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan MVP
Posts: 58
Originally Posted by EkekoBWI
After considering options and my preferences this week, do you think its nuts to bite the bullet and just buy 3x F seats on AS (with infant in lap), charging it to my CSR and at least earning AS miles and Chase points for my next trip? Would me showing a little flexibility somewhere open up better options?
From my own anecdotal evidence (I've flown SEA-OGG quite a lot), I would just go with the cheapest direct F you can find. Your options are basically HA, DL, and AS, and I would rank their experience in that order. However, unless you can find HA for the same ballpark as the other two (it is usually more expensive in my experience, sometimes twice as much) I wouldn't pay too much of a premium.

I wouldn't personally give up a direct flight for a better plane or experience, but that's just me. Plus because it's a leisure route you aren't going to find much better than HA F on an A330.

I don't have children, but I would guess getting to the destination quickly and easily is one of the highest priorities, so cheapest SEA-OGG F would be my vote.
pbelmore is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2018, 12:03 pm
  #1205  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,038
How long for Customer Care disc. certs to appear in one's acct.?

How many days to wait before calling?
philemer is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2018, 8:18 pm
  #1206  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,093
Experience with Hurricane Notifications and Cancellations?

I'm in a situation that in which I am pretty sure that Tropical Storm Oliva should not interfere with flights into and out of HNL tomorrow, when I am scheduled to leave for ANC.

I'm wondering how to best to predict AS response to this. For now, they have given general travel waivers on their website--no one contacted me. I can't fly later, as I have a commitment to catch. What would be the first indication that AS had rescheduled my flight--a text, phone call, or me checking online (Flight View or something else?) as to whether the inbound flight into HNL are cancelled.

Many thanks!
747FC is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2018, 10:12 pm
  #1207  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Hilton Contributor BadgeIHG Contributor Badge
 
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: 42,942
Originally Posted by 747FC
I'm in a situation that in which I am pretty sure that Tropical Storm Oliva should not interfere with flights into and out of HNL tomorrow, when I am scheduled to leave for ANC.

I'm wondering how to best to predict AS response to this. For now, they have given general travel waivers on their website--no one contacted me. I can't fly later, as I have a commitment to catch. What would be the first indication that AS had rescheduled my flight--a text, phone call, or me checking online (Flight View or something else?) as to whether the inbound flight into HNL are cancelled.

Many thanks!
Probably the inbound flights being cancelled is my guess...
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beckoa is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2018, 7:41 am
  #1208  
alc
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
to all, just want to check if I can still use my GGU next year when I am back to basic status with AS. These GGU are not expire until Dec 2019. Thanks.
alc is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2018, 8:12 am
  #1209  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,817
Originally Posted by alc
to all, just want to check if I can still use my GGU next year when I am back to basic status with AS. These GGU are not expire until Dec 2019. Thanks.
Yes. GGU’s can be used by anyone. Having status is not a requirement.
Finkface is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2018, 8:33 am
  #1210  
alc
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,519
Originally Posted by Finkface
Yes. GGUs can be used by anyone. Having status is not a requirement.
thanks for the quick respond.
alc is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2018, 10:47 pm
  #1211  
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 35,993
I clearly don't comprehend how the upgrade processor works.... Sometimes I get emails between 1 and 48 hours out telling me I've been upgraded.

But what I don't really understand yet is the relationship of "U" inventory to complimentary upgrades within the 48 hour MVPG upgrade window.

I have a flight on Thursday that shows U space available but I haven't been upgraded. So there must be some other relationship that I haven't quite grasped yet.

Happy to be schooled further or pointed to a relevant current thread re.
cblaisd is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2018, 11:08 pm
  #1212  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Originally Posted by cblaisd
I clearly don't comprehend how the upgrade processor works.... Sometimes I get emails between 1 and 48 hours out telling me I've been upgraded.

But what I don't really understand yet is the relationship of "U" inventory to complimentary upgrades within the 48 hour MVPG upgrade window.

I have a flight on Thursday that shows U space available but I haven't been upgraded. So there must be some other relationship that I haven't quite grasped yet.

Happy to be schooled further or pointed to a relevant current thread re.
Broken upgrade processor, more than likely. If U is open within your window, your reservation is qualifying and shows First Class waitlisted, call in.
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rustykettel is offline  
Old Sep 13, 2018, 6:56 pm
  #1213  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,731
All right, this is a new experience to me with AS award ticket change. I need some education / enlightenment here.

Forgive me on the long post. Feel the need to give details so make it easier for others to give helpful advice,

Currently have a ticketed award on QF SYD-MEL-LAX, then AS LAX-FLL.

Several weeks ago AS changed its schedule on LAX-FLL, received an automatic email to inform the change, followed by a Confirmation email on New Tickets, even though this is an AS only schedule change.
In Gmail I can see there are 3 tabs at the top of the email showing the 3 segments, though such display is not in Comcast email. The 3 tabs showing in Gmail are very handy, allowing me quickly see where the changes might be and are assured that the itinerary is intact.

Yesterday there was another schedule change email. Took me a while to realize there was a 15 min schedule change on the MEL-LAX flight departure time - from 10:40am to 10:55am.

This evening, almost 24 hours later, received another AS Confirmation email - looks like an Automatic Reissue of the tickets to reflect the 15 min schedule change as I notice there are NEW eTicket numbers in the Confirmation email with the replacing Old eTicket numbers in the bracket below.

However I notice that the Gmail now only shows 2 tabs instead of 3 tabs. The longhaul segment of MEL-LAX Tab IS GONE.
But the details of the itinerary remains intact, also if only looking Comcast email I would not be able to tell something may have gone astray. Reservation shows intact on QF site.
30 min after receiving this AS reticketing Confirmation email I called to change the SYD-MEL morning flight to an late afternoon flight when there are ample availability now..

Got a helpful agent at Boise. She seemed to understand my fear of losing the MEL-LAX long haul if we tried to change the SYD-MEL flight. She assured me the MEL-LAX should not be affected. She was able to see the several options I gave to her. On the 5pm flight I picked BA showed 2 seats available and she saw the same 2 seats. Both the 5:15pm and 5:30pm flights have tons of availability. She also confirmed that.

So we proceeded to do the change. For unknown reason there is an additional 11.xx taxes even though the layover at MEL is now even 7 hours shorter. I gave her the credit card info.
Then she said the system gave her Ticketing Error. I asked her to try the next flight where there were more seats available. She said the tax was the same, but that flight also gave her Ticketing Error.
Then she put me on hold for a very long time. Meanwhile I saw the reservation on QF site the SYD-MEL segment was gone. On AS site it no longer allowed me to pull up the itinerary. I was checking both sites periodically the next 20 min - then suddenly I saw the SYD-MEL came back with the new flight. Bingo!
A couple minutes later she came back to tell me the change was successfully made.

Well, that was a Yes and a No - because there is no new eTicket! While the itinerary now has new flight info, the eTicket numbers remain the OLD ones. That is not right. I asked her to give me the new eTicket numbers. She went to check, then came back to tell me, it is in queue to ticket because of the Ticketing Error encounter, that it will take 24 to 48 hours after the card is charged for the additional taxes then new eTickets will be issued.
I asked her was it because of the Ticketing Error, a manual ticketing is needed? She said Yes, added the seats were secured. She said if I do not see Confirmation after 24 to 48 hours, call back and they will look into it.

What I start to think about this, I suspect the reissue done a bit earlier by the system, has the MEL-LAX segment missing on the header tab when read using Gmail - may mean that reissue is not correctly done, therefore causing the Ticketing Error. (I once encountered similar incident with a UA award - the system gave an "out of sequence" error when the previous reissuance was done wrong manually by an agent on an Air Canada schedule change. A subsequent Thai schedule change caused Ticketing Error on reissuance. Then a supervisor looked at the history and found the error from previous reissue.)

Or, there is Married Segment issue because when initially booked this QF award online, despite over 10 shuttle flights between SYD-MEL each day, AS site only showed 3 or 4 flights attached to the MEL-LAX flight as a pair. IIRC they were either in the morning or in the evening, nothing between 1pm and 6pm.

In any case I believe the reservation definitely NEEDS to have new tickets when partner flight is changed to a new flight, as evidenced by even just 15 min schedule change on the partner flight would automatically generate a reissuance.

Last time when CX schedule change (canceled flight and auto-rebooked to new flight), I had to call in to get reticketing. It was reticketed by the agent while we were still on the phone. She was able to give me new eTicket numbers. AS system never sends me the Confirmation email but online I can print the receipt showing new eTicket numbers.

This time it is a completely different experience. At one point I was afraid I would lose the MEL-LAX longhaul seats when AS site gave error about "one segment of the itinerary cannot displayed online, please call us at 1-800-227-4500 for further assistance." Fortunately on QF site the MEL-LAX segment showed up, despite the SYD-MEL was gone.

I am still baffled by the "Ticketing Error" message and wonder what might have caused that?

Has anyone encountered a "Ticketing Error" with a flight change that the agent can secure the award seats?

Last edited by Happy; Sep 14, 2018 at 7:50 am
Happy is offline  
Old Sep 14, 2018, 5:40 pm
  #1214  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: Southwest A-List; Alaska MVPG; Hilton Diamond; Avis PreferredPlus; Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
Posts: 911
Im an MVP doing a two-day SAN-BWI-SAN mileage run in a couple of weeks. I bought the tix several weeks back. Im flying R in both directions, and currently have an exit row seat on 737-800s.

Obviously, a complimetary upgrade would make this whole ridiculousness more enjoyable, but I wasnt able to purchase U, nor am I interested in spending extra money.

There are currently 4 first class seats available on my outbound, and 7 on my return.

I havent flown AS very much. Is there anything I can do to increase likelihood of an upgrade at this point? Is there anything I should be prepared to do at checkin in case things go sideways somehow? Does it matter how close to t-24 I check in?

Thanks for all the help. Many of you have happily answered my newb questions!
twitch76 is offline  
Old Sep 14, 2018, 8:46 pm
  #1215  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Originally Posted by twitch76
I’m an MVP doing a two-day SAN-BWI-SAN mileage run in a couple of weeks. I bought the tix several weeks back. I’m flying R in both directions, and currently have an exit row seat on 737-800s.

Obviously, a complimetary upgrade would make this whole ridiculousness more enjoyable, but I wasn’t able to purchase U, nor am I interested in spending extra money.

There are currently 4 first class seats available on my outbound, and 7 on my return.

I haven’t flown AS very much. Is there anything I can do to increase likelihood of an upgrade at this point? Is there anything I should be prepared to do at checkin in case things go sideways somehow? Does it matter how close to t-24 I check in?

Thanks for all the help. Many of you have happily answered my newb questions!
Starting checking for U space at T-48 (via a dummy booking or a tool like Expert Flyer). If it's open and you're not upgraded, call in!

Check-in time doesn't affect it, although if U opens during T-24, it's possible for anyone checking in to snag the upgrade before the upgrade processor runs. I'd just go ahead and check in at T-24, then continue to recheck for U, and recheck-in if it opens during T-24. On re-checkin with U open, you may be offered an F upgrade for purchase, but it should complete as a complimentary upgrade.

Good luck!
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