Gold 75K Via AS Business Credit Card Spending? (Signs Point to Yes)
May 24, 2019, 11:48 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
I want to know who puts 1/4 mil a year on a single CC and yet flies so cheaply that they manage to get the miles without the spend.
Other than business expenses, I just don't see it being too likely. You bought the porsche on the card but you fly basic economy and are good with back row, middle seat?
Other than business expenses, I just don't see it being too likely. You bought the porsche on the card but you fly basic economy and are good with back row, middle seat?
May 24, 2019, 1:47 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,631
May 24, 2019, 1:57 pm
#19
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 540
@Beckoa thanks!
@halamadrid
To add some more substance/details:
I feel a little weird still talking about it. Alaska has been good to me, and I feel like giving away a little secret.. so, it’s with some hesitation I mention this.
For the last 5-6 years, I’ve been Gold with Alaska the normal way. BIS all the way.
I got to 75K in 2017 - barely, but all BIS either on AS or some paid J Intl on partners.
Status was nice, the bonus miles were nice, and I got more upgrades out of PDX. So, all good in 2018
Last year (2018) I status matched to DL and flew them mostly. (Why I feel a little bad talking about this for some reason) - just more for international trips and service to smaller cities in the US
Expected to drop down to MVP for 2019, as that is what I qualified for with BIS flying.
I was quite surprised in January to get an email from Alaska that I was 75k again for the coming year.
The email did not say my spend was the reason... but I strongly strongly assumed it was based on my spend.
--
My company spends a couple hundred thousand a month on various credit cards, and probably $500-$600k on the Alaska card annually?
Spend on that card has actually declined a bit, again as I've focused more on Chase UR/Amex MR and the bonuses there (see, I'm a good FTer!)
So, my assumption was it was based on spend. Now, I do arrange a lot of travel for my team out of my account. Using miles and cash.
It's possible they count that 'airfare spend influence??' but, I'm way less certain they care.
I read that co-branded cards are one of the easiest and most profitable ways the airlines make money...without the pesky issue of having to fly a plane around to generate income.
So, it generally makes sense that they would reward someone who spends an oversized amount with them each month.
That said, it does feel a little strange, hence why I never brought it up this year.
AS has been good to me.
When there is a route they fly non-stop, I general just book it and never look at other options - same for my team, I generally just pick AS and book up.
So, I’m a decently customer all around, but, I believe I’ve got 75k this year specifically because of fairly significant amounts of spend on CC.
@halamadrid
To add some more substance/details:
I feel a little weird still talking about it. Alaska has been good to me, and I feel like giving away a little secret.. so, it’s with some hesitation I mention this.
For the last 5-6 years, I’ve been Gold with Alaska the normal way. BIS all the way.
I got to 75K in 2017 - barely, but all BIS either on AS or some paid J Intl on partners.
Status was nice, the bonus miles were nice, and I got more upgrades out of PDX. So, all good in 2018
Last year (2018) I status matched to DL and flew them mostly. (Why I feel a little bad talking about this for some reason) - just more for international trips and service to smaller cities in the US
Expected to drop down to MVP for 2019, as that is what I qualified for with BIS flying.
I was quite surprised in January to get an email from Alaska that I was 75k again for the coming year.
The email did not say my spend was the reason... but I strongly strongly assumed it was based on my spend.
--
My company spends a couple hundred thousand a month on various credit cards, and probably $500-$600k on the Alaska card annually?
Spend on that card has actually declined a bit, again as I've focused more on Chase UR/Amex MR and the bonuses there (see, I'm a good FTer!)
So, my assumption was it was based on spend. Now, I do arrange a lot of travel for my team out of my account. Using miles and cash.
It's possible they count that 'airfare spend influence??' but, I'm way less certain they care.
I read that co-branded cards are one of the easiest and most profitable ways the airlines make money...without the pesky issue of having to fly a plane around to generate income.
So, it generally makes sense that they would reward someone who spends an oversized amount with them each month.
That said, it does feel a little strange, hence why I never brought it up this year.
AS has been good to me.
When there is a route they fly non-stop, I general just book it and never look at other options - same for my team, I generally just pick AS and book up.
So, I’m a decently customer all around, but, I believe I’ve got 75k this year specifically because of fairly significant amounts of spend on CC.
I know for example that UA gives companies the ability to give key employees Global Services status based on the amount of revenue they provide (the company to UA). It can be the case that such employee hasn't even flown a single mile with UA, but the company wants them to have it (e.g. recent high level executive hire who needs to do a lot of travel in the future).
May 24, 2019, 5:11 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,293
May 24, 2019, 5:40 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
https://www.alaskaair.com/promo/microsoft
https://www.alaskaair.com/promo/AS16...-offers:amazon
May 25, 2019, 9:34 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
FWIW, my CFO was given it, and our spend is between $200k-$250k on his card, with 2 other Execs (1 being me) having their own cards (also linked to the business account), with approximately another $100k of spend annually.
I can't prove this, but I think they also take into account home airport (we're SFO) and travel patterns. We shifted a fair amount of travel from UA to AS several years ago and it was definitely noticed.
Edited to add: It is announced to the recipient via letter, but maybe the OP's Uncle never noticed it, or the mailing slipped through the cracks somehow.
Last edited by NoLaGent; May 25, 2019 at 9:36 am Reason: edited to add-proactive acknowledgment
May 25, 2019, 7:05 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,300
Added as another data point: 2 of our sales team travel strictly East, and thus on UA (non-AS markets) and we bought them PassPlus, so they're automatically GS, which is arguably better.
$50k/per person for GS.
$50k/per person for GS.
Last edited by NoLaGent; May 25, 2019 at 7:12 pm Reason: GS $ amount.