jinglish

Frequency isn't the only component of scheduling. As a leisure traveler, there are times when I want to book a redeye to the east coast, and I'm going to get a lot more sleep on a B6 departure around midnight than an AS flight leaving at 10:20 to maximize utilization.

ou81two

This often means that flight crew are on the plane and they don't want to boot them.

ou81two

AS was great, but it's pretty clear it's time for them to sell out. They can't compete with the bigs, they have no real partners to speak of anymore, they have the worst redemption rates in the industry and what was the best loyalty program is being taken apart to implement new fees. The Virgin acquisition makes about as much sense as turd sandwich.

They should just sell to Delta and be done with it. I'd be stunned if their board isn't working on that plan now.

beckoa

My answer:

No

tom911

Or not. I saved 50.000 miles booking my Qantas business/first trip with Alaska miles over AA miles. Why should I pay AA 50,000 miles more for the exact same flights?

I've also done some SEA/YVR trips when they were on sale for 10,000 miles. Good luck finding that with AA miles - just doesn't exist. Have also done some WAS/NYC award travel at 25K RT - granted they may be a little harder to find in the summer months, but I have some flexibility on travel dates (like a choice of 365 days each year).

Can you expand on why Alaska has the "worst redemption rates in the industry"? I'm not seeing it.

The VX merger and SFO hub is the only reason I made Alaska my primary carrier 18 months ago. Without SFO, my time would be best spent using my lifetime status with both AA and UA. For now, Alaska has the service I want to the Northwest, Hawaii, NYC and WAS. I'm making it work.

Tom in Albuquerque tonight

ou81two

There's a study that came out on the topic. Every time I search for a Qantas business reservation the only thing I can find is a mixed fare with AS business from SEA to LAX and then coach to Australia. I've been asking them to fix this for a good 4 years now.

Their web team says that this can't be done. They could filter is on the front end, but they're too stupid to do that. You might have found a Qantas reward fare, but they're not easily found and AA has more options.

tom911

AA does the exact same thing on their web site with Qantas flights, misleading one to think there is business award availability the entire route to Australia when it's only there on one segment when you click through for details. A good example is a routing this Saturday OAK-DFW-SYD for 80,000 AA miles, with only OAK-DFW in business.

eponymous_coward

What are those options you mention, given that Qantas and Fiji Airways are both AA and AS partners? Air Tahiti Nui? AS has Emirates and Cathay as viable options (a Cathay award US-Australia is two AA awards since they don't allow a HKG routing). I think I would rather have EK and CX as options for Australia travel over TN.

jinglish

I'm guessing you mean the study that was discussed in this thread. Most of us here had a lot of issues with the methodology--it said AA has better availability than DL and UA, ferchrissakes.

CZBB

It's easy to express how much I see Alaska going downhill,

I'm flying Allegiant this month.

Flying for Fun

I would agree that QF awards to/from Australia are a little tougher than KE, EK, CX however they are available and bookable on AS. I am on QF8 DFW-SYD in F at the end of August and it wasn't booked at T-330. I could have added YLW-SEA-DFW but the timing on the route isn't favourable and would be a red-eye arriving about 14 hours before the Qantas Departure. I purchased a ticket YLW-SEA-SFO-DAL with a long enough layover in SFO to enjoy a night in a hotel and feel refreshed when I arrive in DAL. I used GGU's to immediately upgrade both SEA-SFO & SFO-DAL into Airbus F for $277.

I use Qantas to scan for availability for premium cabin awards. It will show you for a month at a time. I have found and booked CX, QF, EK, AA & JL awards, mostly in F. Yes, there is some AA Saver F LAX-HKG out there too. AS is by far the best for award redemption and rates for me. I flew CX JNB-HKG//HKG-BOS F in February for 70k, flying QF8 DFW-SYD F for 70k and I will call to add MEL after a stopover for no additional points. Next February we are flying CX 1F, 1J LAX-HKG//HKG-BNE with YLW-SEA-LAX the prior day in F for 80K/60K and JL Fx2 HND-LAX-SEA-YLW for 70K for the return in March.

Can you please explain why these are poor redemptions and where my miles could be better utilized?

I should also disclose that both my Partner and I are MVPG75K from butt-in-seat miles flown. I am not a broker and don't purchase AS miles even during bonus sales. We have 5 AS CC accounts that saves us $1000's of dollars with 5 annual companion certificates and we usually fly up front with them. As MVPG75K if you requalify only on AS Metal without any COS bonus you would would have 75,000 EQM + 1.25 × 75,000 Elite Bonus + 50,000 Bonus for reaching MVPG75K. At a minimum you will have 218,750 RDM for requalification. Of course if you add COS and qualify with 90K AS and partners you will have much more. Add some CC spend and we can easily attain 500,000 -600,000 RDM between us.

Is there another airline that provides better accural for RDM and cheaper redemption rates? I didn't think so!!!! That may change but for now I will contine to Fly Alaska and it's Partners and enjoy all the premium cabin awards I can and they are out there.

James

keitherson

CDKing

Its gotten a lot worse since you booked nearly 300 days ago. As of a few weeks ago not a single TPAC seat after December. Finally some dates in 2019 started showing up but only looks to be February at this point. I didn't see March on.

ned

"Its gotten a lot worse since you booked nearly 300 days ago." Amen!

jinglish

*ahem*