NYC Based MVP
Feb 17, 2019, 5:32 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Houston
Programs: Alaska 75K MVP, Former United Premier 1K / American EXP
Posts: 33
NYC Based MVP
Hi All,
Former United Premier Platinum and American EXP here. I'm a recent Alaska Airlines convert, after flying them to Seattle and Portland with flawless experiences and was given a status match to MVP Gold.
I don't fly as often as I used to but I will be flying cross country at least 4x this year, along with several jaunts down South (Houston, NOLA, MIA) and 3 trips out of country this year (Hong Kong, Italy, Colombia). The one problem is that I'm based out of NYC and it turns out Alaska doesn't fly to many places out of here. It's so bad that in order for me to get to MSY in NOLA, I'd have to fly to SFO and then to NOLA.
My question is: Is there anyone out there in a similar situation as me and what do you do? Simply fly partners to satiate the mileage? I'm really hoping to enjoy Alaska's loyalty program but I'm wondering if I'm doing it all wrong.
Former United Premier Platinum and American EXP here. I'm a recent Alaska Airlines convert, after flying them to Seattle and Portland with flawless experiences and was given a status match to MVP Gold.
I don't fly as often as I used to but I will be flying cross country at least 4x this year, along with several jaunts down South (Houston, NOLA, MIA) and 3 trips out of country this year (Hong Kong, Italy, Colombia). The one problem is that I'm based out of NYC and it turns out Alaska doesn't fly to many places out of here. It's so bad that in order for me to get to MSY in NOLA, I'd have to fly to SFO and then to NOLA.
My question is: Is there anyone out there in a similar situation as me and what do you do? Simply fly partners to satiate the mileage? I'm really hoping to enjoy Alaska's loyalty program but I'm wondering if I'm doing it all wrong.
Feb 17, 2019, 5:40 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: NYC
Programs: AS 75K, DL Platinum
Posts: 631
Sorry but you probably shouldn’t be flying Alaska as your main airline. Yes it has great service but NYC is not a hub. It’s an outstation. Unless you fly NYC-SEA/PDX on the super regular, you’re better served by another airline.
Personally I suggest Delta. Lots of nonstop NYC-SEA service including some lie-flats. And an excellent domestic and int’l network from JFK. If you only fly domestic, consider B6. Mint is dope.
Personally I suggest Delta. Lots of nonstop NYC-SEA service including some lie-flats. And an excellent domestic and int’l network from JFK. If you only fly domestic, consider B6. Mint is dope.
Feb 17, 2019, 6:10 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,368
Sorry but you probably shouldn’t be flying Alaska as your main airline. Yes it has great service but NYC is not a hub. It’s an outstation. Unless you fly NYC-SEA/PDX on the super regular, you’re better served by another airline.
Personally I suggest Delta. Lots of nonstop NYC-SEA service including some lie-flats. And an excellent domestic and int’l network from JFK. If you only fly domestic, consider B6. Mint is dope.
Personally I suggest Delta. Lots of nonstop NYC-SEA service including some lie-flats. And an excellent domestic and int’l network from JFK. If you only fly domestic, consider B6. Mint is dope.
Feb 17, 2019, 6:16 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,955
I was AS elite for a few years based out of BOS/PWM - back then it was easier to maintain b/c in addition to flying BOS-SAN quite a bit, I could credit all of my DL and AA flights. After that went away, I let status go, and only regained MVPG when I moved to SFO - and I've let that lapse as well.
It comes down to this - loyalty is harder and harder to justify. It makes sense if you would organically fly a lot with the same airline (either because you're hub captive, not spending your money, or for whatever reason your carrier of choice is always justifiably competitive on price and schedule). Out of NYC, you have so many choices that it probably makes more sense to fly on the price and schedule that you want, versus being loyal to anyone. DL and B6 are both very good. I had the same problem from BOS, and again at SFO - while they are hubs for at least one carrier, they are so well served that I just fly on price/schedule. I still prefer Alaska if the cost and schedule are in the ballpark, but, for instance, I'm not going to fly a redeye SFO-PHL on AS when AA has a better schedule. If it works out, it works out.
EDIT: One more thing worth saying is that the above applies assuming you'd be mid-tier. On the longer flights that you'd want to be upgraded on, you're not going to get upgraded at any significant rate on any carrier's mid-tier. If you can make top tier on some carrier, it might be a different story, but I have no experience there.
It comes down to this - loyalty is harder and harder to justify. It makes sense if you would organically fly a lot with the same airline (either because you're hub captive, not spending your money, or for whatever reason your carrier of choice is always justifiably competitive on price and schedule). Out of NYC, you have so many choices that it probably makes more sense to fly on the price and schedule that you want, versus being loyal to anyone. DL and B6 are both very good. I had the same problem from BOS, and again at SFO - while they are hubs for at least one carrier, they are so well served that I just fly on price/schedule. I still prefer Alaska if the cost and schedule are in the ballpark, but, for instance, I'm not going to fly a redeye SFO-PHL on AS when AA has a better schedule. If it works out, it works out.
EDIT: One more thing worth saying is that the above applies assuming you'd be mid-tier. On the longer flights that you'd want to be upgraded on, you're not going to get upgraded at any significant rate on any carrier's mid-tier. If you can make top tier on some carrier, it might be a different story, but I have no experience there.
Feb 17, 2019, 6:18 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: NYC
Programs: AS 75K, DL Platinum
Posts: 631
DL has 3x/day, sometimes 4x, JFK<—>SEA; one, sometimes two, of those with lie-flats, and more often than not the second has standard domestic F service rather than the Delta One TCON “experience” ... other flights are generally 20F 757s or 739s, both of which are far more cramped than the 16F configuration on the AS 739s
Feb 17, 2019, 7:19 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
Feb 17, 2019, 8:06 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,386
I don’t get it, are you saying DL is a bad choice? With good timing you can get a lie flat. You will never get a lie flat on AS. If you’re inflexible sure you’ll get a recliner and the service might be sliiightly worse than AS but overall it’s perfectly fine. And most importantly, you can fly places that aren’t the west coast. Personally I don’t see why you’d fly an airline with minimal presence in your airport and no useful network for marginally better service.
and don’t have a taste for SkyPesos, plus even if you did send extra tribute in the form of MQDs, you will only make it to Gold Medallion unless you do a LOT of excess flying, and Gold would put you way down on the upgrade lists.
Whereas MVPG in an outstation for an airline not hubbed in your airport might work out OK.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Feb 17, 2019 at 9:07 pm
Feb 17, 2019, 8:19 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,496
There are so many choices ex-NYC, and you don't necessarily have to be loyal to one carrier. Personaly, I am based out of of NYC, and I fly primarily on schedule and price, less so about status chasing.
Feb 17, 2019, 8:22 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NYC/PHX
Programs: IATA, Sabre, AvgeekAgent
Posts: 1,958
It sounds like there are sufficient opportunities for you to earn status (Asia on CX, Italy on BA, etc) along with your planned cross country trips. The real question is whether you will then fly AS enough to enjoy the status...
Feb 17, 2019, 10:10 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,368
I don’t get it, are you saying DL is a bad choice? With good timing you can get a lie flat. You will never get a lie flat on AS. If you’re inflexible sure you’ll get a recliner and the service might be sliiightly worse than AS but overall it’s perfectly fine. And most importantly, you can fly places that aren’t the west coast. Personally I don’t see why you’d fly an airline with minimal presence in your airport and no useful network for marginally better service.
Feb 17, 2019, 10:26 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SEA
Posts: 3,955
They don't have to be on every flight, just the one you want!
Feb 17, 2019, 11:05 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: NYC
Programs: AS 75K, DL Platinum
Posts: 631
I guess my point was just...it’s a nice option. It’s not like it’s AS vs WN where if OP choosees the latter the way they’re used to flying fundamentally changes.
Feb 18, 2019, 12:58 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SJC
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 2,117
With 4x transcon on AS, 1x HKG on CX, 1x Italy on BA/AA, and 1x Colombia on LATAM, OP can still qualify for MVP Gold easily. You may need to take non-AS partner on your trips to MSY.
I'm west coast SFO/SJC based. I take AS as much as possible up and down the west coast and transcon as they've treated me very well over the years. I try to take AS partners transpacific and transatlantic. MVP is attainable for me. However I quite occasionally have to take other carriers to places like DEN/YYZ/YVR when AS is not a viable choice.
I'm west coast SFO/SJC based. I take AS as much as possible up and down the west coast and transcon as they've treated me very well over the years. I try to take AS partners transpacific and transatlantic. MVP is attainable for me. However I quite occasionally have to take other carriers to places like DEN/YYZ/YVR when AS is not a viable choice.
Feb 18, 2019, 6:44 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
With 4x transcon on AS, 1x HKG on CX, 1x Italy on BA/AA, and 1x Colombia on LATAM, OP can still qualify for MVP Gold easily. You may need to take non-AS partner on your trips to MSY.
I'm west coast SFO/SJC based. I take AS as much as possible up and down the west coast and transcon as they've treated me very well over the years. I try to take AS partners transpacific and transatlantic. MVP is attainable for me. However I quite occasionally have to take other carriers to places like DEN/YYZ/YVR when AS is not a viable choice.
I'm west coast SFO/SJC based. I take AS as much as possible up and down the west coast and transcon as they've treated me very well over the years. I try to take AS partners transpacific and transatlantic. MVP is attainable for me. However I quite occasionally have to take other carriers to places like DEN/YYZ/YVR when AS is not a viable choice.
James
Feb 18, 2019, 8:49 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP, Hilton Diamond, Marriot LTG
Posts: 614
Why is YVR not a viable choice? No non-stops? Price? Just curious why as AS does fly to YVR via SEA/PDX and also codeshares with AA out of LAX. Even the AA coded flight LAX-YVR still accrues Mileage Plan Miles because it is international. Of course the AS codeshare earns 1:1 while the AA native will be based on class purchased.
James
James