twitch76

Flying for Fun

Good question to which I don't have a definitive answer. SDC fees are $25.00 intra-California and berween AS Shuttle markets, otherwise $50.00 for anyone who doesn't have a fee waiver. As AS has operational control over those segments it does make sense that they could SDC as long as it doesn't conflict with downstream segments and meets minimum connect times.

I just completed a 9 segment itinerary on LA, TN, BA & EK issued on LA stock. My 3.5 hour LA SYD-AKL was upgraded to J on a USD $90 bid and was processed without issue. It was interesting having 3 Record locators on one itinerary.

I know that you are MVPG and do have a fee waiver as part of MVPG Elite Benefits but not everyone who reads this forum may know that. It would be helpful if you clarified that for those readers when posting..

May I suggest that you contact AS via twitter, text at 82008 or their Elite contact phone number for an answer and post your findings.

I would like to know myself. I am looking at a QF Itinerary from PER-JFK which allows 9 transfers and I can price QF PER-SYD-HNL with AS HNL-ANC-SEA-SFO-LAX-JFK on AS for around $1.1K one-way. A HA stopover is only $100 more. It would be a fun trip, not quite a Mileage Run at 6.7 cpm EQM but with MVPG75K 125% bonus it is decent on RDM with the added bonus of complimentary upgrades.

James in Kelowna.

VegasGambler

I'm looking at the JL J fare to BKK. Leaving from NY is a hassle for me and the fare only allows stopovers in Asia so I can't book two halves of a separate trip to NY as the start and end of the trip. So I'm looking at leaving from LAX (same price, slightly fewer MPM).

I want to use SEA as a gateway for the JL double miles promo. LAX-SEA-NRT-BKK and back works, but that leaves a lot MPM on the table (booked into AS F too!). The fare does allow 3 transfers in north america (but no stopovers) so I'm trying to put together LAX-XXX-PDX-SEA-NRT-BKK for some XXX, or maybe LAX-LAS-XXX-SEA-NRT-BKK (taking advantage of a short segment crediting as 500 base miles, but not eating up my MPM)

Still not really a mileage run... more like tacking on a mileage run on both ends of a vacation. If I was in or close to NY I would have booked it already -- JFK-SEA-NRT-BKK return is pretty painless and earns something like 27k eqm and 74k rdm as MVPG, for under $3k. Basically, half the ticket value in miles makes for a relatively cheap Thailand vacation, all in F domestically and J internationally. Having to reposition from SFO to JFK makes it a lot less attractive, which is why I'm looking into LAX options.

This would be my first time taking an AS flight ticketed by another airline, though, which is why I'm asking. Honestly I probably would not need to or want to change any flights -- since it books into full F domestically I have my choice of flights. It's still nice to know my options though.

Flying for Fun

Playing around with your XXX to utilize the 3 NA transfers to SEA, PDX poses challenges with respect to finding decent connections and utlization of Mainline aircraft. It certainly doesn't make sense to drop the F 75% COS Bonus (EQM) to pick-up 500 EQM for a sub 500 mile connection especially when you are losing bonused EQM on the shorter flight to the intermediate point. Where the itinerary books onto a Q400 the booking code is K which is without any COS bonus.

If you did LAX-SFO-SEA return in mainline F it would give you 4126 EQM on the AS segments. If you flew LAX-SEA-PDX-SEA IN F, F & K it would give you 4676 EQM. Personally, IMHO, the net gain of 550 EQM is not worth the additional time connecting through PDX twice.

I am leaving for Africa on Monday spending a week in KGL and then going to CPT to visit friends. I booked an AA J award PDX-BOS(AS)-DOH-EBB-KGL(QR) for 67.5K AAdvantage Miles. There was even A saver space available on AS 30 PDX-BOS which AA booked me into; that was a bonus.

I have no plans yet on getting back from CPT or my return date for that matter. I have been looking at a lot of interesting routes via South America, Asia & Australia. Alternatively, I may just drop 200K miles for a EK F award from CPT to a Mexican Destination.

James in Kelowna

Eurynom0s

So basically: I can't book it direct with AA, attach my AS number, and get credit?

The real underlying question here is about the fact that booking direct with AA can often be a decent amount cheaper than booking through AS.

Flying for Fun

The Codeshares will be on routes operated by the partner airline, not on routes where both airlines have service. For instance, AS does not fly PHX-SJC but they do have a codeshare with AA on that route. AS also has codeshares on CVG-ORD & non-stop YVR-LAX. YVR-LAX is interesting in that it is also international so either AS6023 or AA6023 will credit to Mileage Plan but the benefit of the AS codeshare is 100% EQM on the distance while the AA flight is based on fare class and could credit significantly less.

Similarly, AA does not fly to EAT (Wenatchee, WA) so AA has a codeshare with AS on that route and AA can quote a price on, for instance, ORD-SEA-EAT. I am still waiting for non-stop service from EAT-FAT.

I have flown the AS codeshare PHX-SJC as a standalone. Looking at a random date in May the AS codeshare is $20.00 more on AS than on AA and is consistent with when I flew the route last December. The loss of AS Elite Benefits on AA means no waived baggage fees. I was able to use my AA CC to get the baggage waiver. Interestingly, about 24 hours after booking the flight, I was able to Select MCE seats for no charge as they showed on the seat map on AS as available for selection with Elite Status.

What routes are you looking at that are significantly cheaper on AA?

James in Kelowna.

VegasGambler

The AS-marketed flight won't offer basic economy so it's often more expensive. Eg: https://flights.app.goo.gl/LqYVj

That $30 difference (currently $134 vs $104) is the buyup to main.

If you want to fly F, the difference is really extreme. It looks like AS only has access to full-fare F: Eg: ($1142 vs $297) https://flights.app.goo.gl/CEAXc

flyingeph12

How about something like this for ~$2900:
LAX-PDX-SJC-//-SEA-NRT-BKK-NRT-SEA-OAK-//-PDX-LAX

Overnights in SJC and OAK, so you can sleep in your own bed. I believe it's First on all the AS flights (and obviously Business on the JL legs). You probably have to call to book, although maybe playing around with the multi-city function on JL's website might work.

By my calculations, it's 26,400 EQM and 61,180 RDM as MPVG.

czpdx

I've found that Alaska's toll-free numbers often don't work when dialing from overseas. Try dialing this number, which isn't toll-free, but should go through: 001-206-244-0751.

Flying for Fun

Excellent example of how you can utilize AS routing to your advantage. On the award side with a free stopover, you can take similar advantage. Book a hop from SFO to LAX with a stopover in SEA.

James in Kelowna

williwaw

No you won't get the upgrade to PC if its MVP plus non-MVP on the reservation. You can move yourself up to PC within the upgrade window and pay for the companion's upgrade.

VegasGambler

Thanks, I'll look into this.

Flying for Fun

For those that are interested in the JFK-SEA-NRT-BKK JL Business Class Fare (AS F, JL X) here is how the flights would accrue miles to Mileage Plan with the promotional double points on the base SEA-NRT & NRT-SEA segments.




James

Flying for Fun

This is how the itinerary suggested by @flyingeph12 would accrue to Mileage Plan



Only 1,217 Fewer EQM and 1,912 fewer 1,912 RDM than starting from JFK

James

VegasGambler

Yeah, I thought that the 62k number quoted was too low -- thanks for doing this; I was about to calculate it myself!

I think it was not including the double miles promo.

I'm definitely going to try to book this. It's actually a better deal than an award flight. (Getting 70k RDM vs spending 130k means a 200k mile difference. I definitely value 200k miles at more than $3k (that would only be 1.5c per mile) and that's not even including the 25k EQM)