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!
Nov 6, 2018, 2:05 pm
#1426
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
Just curious, I thought premium seats had been added to all 737-900's? I noticed today that my flight tomorrow, LAS-SEA #603 does not have them. Have flown this flight many times, and was sure there were premium seats in the past. There are none all this week (except today) until Friday, and then starting Friday all of them DO have premium. Whats up with that? I do notice there is a version 1 and 2, with version 1 not having premium, but like I said, thought they had all been converted by now. Do they plan on having them done soon, or are they planning on doing them at all? 
Nov 6, 2018, 3:00 pm
#1428
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,428
AS: 2016-2018 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed
Nov 6, 2018, 3:15 pm
#1429
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Thanks for the link. I'm more interested in talking general strategy than exact deals though. Teach a man to fish...
Nov 6, 2018, 3:20 pm
#1430
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
Nov 6, 2018, 4:32 pm
#1431
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
Somthing goofy is going on. I show what you are on my phone, but on their full site on my desktop I show what I posted above. Same with tomorrow. Plus I fly this exact flight once a month and have never seen just one Premium seat left. Look at the flights all around it, they have several seats in premium. Weird.
Now when I go through the check in process I am showing that seat on my desktop. It is offering it for $49. If I just do a change seat it is free. Thanks for your help, I guess it is just a glitch of somekind.
Last edited by tatterdema; Nov 6, 2018 at 4:44 pm Reason: More checking...
Nov 7, 2018, 6:40 pm
#1432
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 290
If the 1st leg is in first class & the 2nd in economy all on the one ticket, do the baggage allowances for the 1st leg carry through?
Nov 7, 2018, 8:07 pm
#1433
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Checked baggage: Your first and second checked bag fees are $25 each. All standard rules and fees apply. Refer to our Checked baggage page for details and exceptions.
Checked baggage: Your first and second checked bag fees are waived. All standard rules and fees apply. Refer to our Checked baggage page for details and exceptions.
Nov 8, 2018, 6:08 pm
#1434
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 4
Hi everyone, first time poster. I have a question on MVP Gold qualification. I'm going to be 26 miles short of 50k by the end of the year. Are there any strategies besides trying a mileage run? My schedule is pretty tight at the end of the year so squeezing in even a short trip would be difficult (not impossible) but I'd love any other ideas. Thanks!
Nov 8, 2018, 6:30 pm
#1435
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Hi everyone, first time poster. I have a question on MVP Gold qualification. I'm going to be 26 miles short of 50k by the end of the year. Are there any strategies besides trying a mileage run? My schedule is pretty tight at the end of the year so squeezing in even a short trip would be difficult (not impossible) but I'd love any other ideas. Thanks!
1. Make an extra flight.
2. Upfare an existing ticket for a CoS bonus.
3. Hope that they just give it to you.
If you have any domestic AS flights that are not too deep-discount, the upfare may be relatively cheap. You don't need to go all the way to first class... just M or higher is fine (https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...earn-on-alaska) Unfortunately that did not work for me since all my tickets are T or R, and they are all $300+ cheaper than M.
ETA: To search for fares in a particular fare class, you can use matrix. Use the "outbound extension codes" and enter, for example "f bc=M | bc=B | bc=Y | bc=S | bc=P | bc=F". That will show you the cheapest available fare that earns any CoS bonus at all (which is all you need). Technically they are supposed to charge you a change fee for anything other than upfaring to F (unless you are Gold), and if you try to do it on the website it will charge you that fee, but many people have reported good luck doing it over the phone and asking them to waive it, when you are not actually changing flights. Of course you're not entitled to it, but it's worth asking.
Last edited by VegasGambler; Nov 8, 2018 at 6:37 pm
Nov 8, 2018, 6:31 pm
#1436
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Hi everyone, first time poster. I have a question on MVP Gold qualification. I'm going to be 26 miles short of 50k by the end of the year. Are there any strategies besides trying a mileage run? My schedule is pretty tight at the end of the year so squeezing in even a short trip would be difficult (not impossible) but I'd love any other ideas. Thanks!
If you are really pressed for time, consider upfaring one of your existing segments to a fare bucket with a COS (Class of service) Bonus which is also EQM. B & M fares earn 25% COS while S & Y fares earn 50% COS. On a segment <500 miles an upfare to M class would yield another 125 EQM without the need for another flight.
I would see where you can maximize your EQM while minimizing your upfare cost over your existing itineraries.
An AS Agent can help you with deteriming price differntials and availabilities. Don't be shy to tell the Agent that you think you will be short x miles for MVPG and you would like to upfare a segment for the COS or add a segment to ensure you make it over the threshold. My AS experience has always been excellent.
James
Nov 8, 2018, 7:10 pm
#1437
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,293
Hi everyone, first time poster. I have a question on MVP Gold qualification. I'm going to be 26 miles short of 50k by the end of the year. Are there any strategies besides trying a mileage run? My schedule is pretty tight at the end of the year so squeezing in even a short trip would be difficult (not impossible) but I'd love any other ideas. Thanks!
Hope we can offer some insight and information.
Nov 8, 2018, 9:21 pm
#1438
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Hi everyone, first time poster. I have a question on MVP Gold qualification. I'm going to be 26 miles short of 50k by the end of the year. Are there any strategies besides trying a mileage run? My schedule is pretty tight at the end of the year so squeezing in even a short trip would be difficult (not impossible) but I'd love any other ideas. Thanks!
Nov 10, 2018, 4:18 am
#1439
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 290
Yes! See below in change of the baggage section on the receipt
After upfaring the segments in middle of the trip to First. Beginning segment on outbound and last segment on return remain in economy:
ETA: I'm assuming both segments are on Alaska and on an Alaska ticket?
After upfaring the segments in middle of the trip to First. Beginning segment on outbound and last segment on return remain in economy:
ETA: I'm assuming both segments are on Alaska and on an Alaska ticket?
Nov 10, 2018, 9:23 pm
#1440
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PacNW (SEA)
Programs: AS, IHG and post-loyal
Posts: 523
Companion fare routing rules
Thinking of doing a trip from SEA - FAI - OGG/KOA - SEA (aurora and beach!); would like to use the companion fare.
Some of the trips that go from FAI --> OGG go back via Seattle. Does that make the routing invalid for the companion fare?
The other alternatives might have us connecting in ANC twice, but I don't think that's an issue for routing for an interim stop according to what I've found on the interwebs.
Some of the trips that go from FAI --> OGG go back via Seattle. Does that make the routing invalid for the companion fare?
The other alternatives might have us connecting in ANC twice, but I don't think that's an issue for routing for an interim stop according to what I've found on the interwebs.