Alaska Stingy About Waiving Cancellation/Change Fees
Jan 30, 2019, 4:36 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PDX/AVL
Programs: AS MVPG75K, HH Diamond
Posts: 307
Jan 30, 2019, 4:38 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AS 100K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 189
Jan 30, 2019, 5:05 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
They may also look at your history with the company.
If you are close to MVPG on mostly AS metal, they may be more likely to waive it than if you never fly AS and just transfer/buy and redeem miles with them, and have 0 EQM.
If you are close to MVPG on mostly AS metal, they may be more likely to waive it than if you never fly AS and just transfer/buy and redeem miles with them, and have 0 EQM.
Jan 30, 2019, 5:22 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: HH Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 10,458
Let's face it...the old friendly AS is pretty much gone. They are increasingly acting like (or even stingie than) the BIG three airlines. Finally, I will now make decisions based primarily on airfare. If I need flexibility, I will book Southwest. PERIOD.
Jan 30, 2019, 5:32 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold / Marriott Bonvoy(age) Titanium Elite, IHG Platinum, WN A+/CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 337
Above all - i want consistency and application of the published rules.....this may be a bit of a pain with change fees...but with upgrades - i want a clear adhered process/priority. I would be very upset if a non-elite shmoozed the gate agent to get a free upgrade with 20 on the upgrade list. That is just not fair to the loyal customer base.
I have always had change fees waived as a MVP Gold. But remember, i still do pay the fare difference. I guess the only frustration is when they wont change me a day earlier due to pending weather on the east coast. Especially when they only fly the route once a day. They are very stingy on weather waivers....I always feel like a moth to the flame with AS when it comes to weather.
I have always had change fees waived as a MVP Gold. But remember, i still do pay the fare difference. I guess the only frustration is when they wont change me a day earlier due to pending weather on the east coast. Especially when they only fly the route once a day. They are very stingy on weather waivers....I always feel like a moth to the flame with AS when it comes to weather.
Jan 30, 2019, 5:35 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
If you want the flexibility to move from one day to another then Southwest is better for sure (assuming no status)
Jan 30, 2019, 5:55 pm
#23
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Idaho, USA
Programs: AS MVPG, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 147
Delta's not so bad. People laugh about the whole "Skypeso" thing but their international redemptions are in line with everyone else and they have TONS of availability. Round trip to Tokyo for 120k miles on Delta One is easy to find if you are willing to fly Tuesday-Thursday. Admittedly I love Tokyo and so I tend to judge award programs by how easy it is to get there (which is probably not a metric that makes sense for most people) but good luck finding anything other than AAnytime awards (at, maybe, 300-400k miles round trip) for AA Flagship First to just about anywhere TPAC or TATL.
There are a few sweet spots, but I'd hate to be stuck earning Skypesos.
Jan 30, 2019, 6:09 pm
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
Delta's not so bad. People laugh about the whole "Skypeso" thing but their international redemptions are in line with everyone else and they have TONS of availability. Round trip to Tokyo for 120k miles on Delta One is easy to find if you are willing to fly Tuesday-Thursday.
But no published award chart and a history of no-notice changes plus no published award chart makes it hard for me to trust DL SM as a program, and their execs are on record as saying they want a 1 SkyPeso = 1 US cent valuation. If they were my primary carrier because of their schedule/service, I would be treating the SkyPesos as a bonus- and I do sincerely think they are a fine carrier (and I know a DL 360 who is well cared for- the reality is that for someone who flies J for work, they often just want to be taken care of when the fecal matter hits rotating blades and to be at home with family more). My respect for DL as an airline, while real, is however not due to their mileage program and the value offered in SkyPesos.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Jan 30, 2019 at 6:15 pm
Jan 30, 2019, 6:12 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
You still have to get back though...
Jan 30, 2019, 7:10 pm
#26
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SEA
Posts: 2,021
Currently just dropped from Gold 75K to lowly MVP.
Last week I had to cancel a flight the night before due to my connecting flight being canceled (JetBlue). It was LAX-SEA and was only $68 so clearly not worth the $125 change fee. I called just to let them know I wouldn't be flying it. The agent was very nice and refunded me the $68 as "a one time courtesy for being a loyal customer". I'll be back to MVP Gold in a few months and won't have to worry about change fees for another 18 months.
Last week I had to cancel a flight the night before due to my connecting flight being canceled (JetBlue). It was LAX-SEA and was only $68 so clearly not worth the $125 change fee. I called just to let them know I wouldn't be flying it. The agent was very nice and refunded me the $68 as "a one time courtesy for being a loyal customer". I'll be back to MVP Gold in a few months and won't have to worry about change fees for another 18 months.
Jan 30, 2019, 7:58 pm
#27
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
^Nice gesture from AS! Although since you'll be back to Gold soon, you can cancel the ticket without paying the fee now and deposit the ticket later with the waiver when you get your status back.
Jan 30, 2019, 8:13 pm
#28
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Currently just dropped from Gold 75K to lowly MVP.
Last week I had to cancel a flight the night before due to my connecting flight being canceled (JetBlue). It was LAX-SEA and was only $68 so clearly not worth the $125 change fee. I called just to let them know I wouldn't be flying it. The agent was very nice and refunded me the $68 as "a one time courtesy for being a loyal customer". I'll be back to MVP Gold in a few months and won't have to worry about change fees for another 18 months.
Last week I had to cancel a flight the night before due to my connecting flight being canceled (JetBlue). It was LAX-SEA and was only $68 so clearly not worth the $125 change fee. I called just to let them know I wouldn't be flying it. The agent was very nice and refunded me the $68 as "a one time courtesy for being a loyal customer". I'll be back to MVP Gold in a few months and won't have to worry about change fees for another 18 months.
Jan 30, 2019, 8:42 pm
#29
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
This may be the single most generous airline frequent flyer benefit there is. And AS MVPG is very easily achievable.
This comment is way off base IMO. I say that as a multi-year UA 1K who typically pays at least $1-2k in UA change fees every year without complaint - those are the rules, and I know what they are when I buy the ticket.
Jan 30, 2019, 9:09 pm
#30
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75k, Hyatt Globalist, National Executive Elite
Posts: 272