Audio27

Hello all! I fell short of MVPG in 2019, but AS had offered me Gold if I can travel 10K between now and 4/15/20. I'm based in JNU, Alaska. It's always more expensive per mile to get to SEA or ANC out of here, but I was looking for good run recommendations that don't break the bank. For instance, I can go JNU>SEA>PDX>MCO for about $400 one way that nets me 3,500. But can I do better? Any tips? Thanks!

RAD_PDX

How miserable are you willing to be? The quickest/(I believe cheapest) way is to get to SEA, PDX, LAX, or SFO and fly two round trips to JFK, BOS or EWR (FLL, MCO, others also but will probably cost more).

You get about 2000 miles for the JNU-SEA-JNU trip so you may be able to do 1 trans-con and 1 mid-con from a west coast city to get to 10,000.

JNU-ANC-LAX-JFK-LAX-ANC-JNU would do it.

Audio27

I'd say misery isn't a consideration, maybe more keeping price down. I'll be on my own. Is it possible to "manufactuer" more connections on AS one-ways to stretch this out? For instance, I have a free overnight place to stay near MCO, and could I hop down through SAN and stretch it our for negligible cost? Thanks so much for your feedback so far.

Dan

VegasGambler

No problem. One more example of waived change fee use:

If someone cancels or changes a flight on AS, availability in the fare class they purchased goes back into inventory. I have an OGG-SFO flight on Monday night -- I had paid $234, on a G fare. I guess somebody just canceled an R class ticket because availability popped up. Even this close to departure, the fare was $189 for R. So I "changed" (really just re-fared the ticket without changing the flight) and got a $45 wallet credit. That would incur a change fee (making it not worthwhile) if not MVPG+.

Audio27

I have some GGUs I want to take advatage of, and my understadning of the rules is that you can use just one for a one-way itinerary as long as there is no more than 4 hours between segments. My question is if I succesfully build a multi-city itnerary with available upgrade space, and less than four hours between legs, can just one code upgrade the whole run? Or will Alaska break up the multi leg cities requested and require a seperate code for each leg? Thanks!

be_rettSEA

Should work for all segments w/ less than 4 hr connections. Saw a post a day or two ago where someone's round trip itinerary (quick turn MR) was upgraded for the round-trip, so doesn't seem like the multi-city aspect would require separate legs. If U space is not available at booking, you can monitor and should be able to upgrade on those legs on the same GGU if it does become available later.

Flying for Fun

That is a great way to move yourself down the upgrade waitlist. I would be cognizant of the possibilty of not getting an upgrade where you might otherwise have, if you choose to do that.

James

VegasGambler

Well, I can't see the upgrade list until check in. This will put me to the bottom of the 75Ks. The flight is F1; it's possible that this cost me an upgrade but it seems pretty unlikely. It's also entirely possible that I'm the only 75k on the flight and I'm still on top of the list.

Anyway, it's AS F so I really don't care that much. I'd rather have $45 than some unknown (probably not good) extra chance at an upgrade.

ETA: And.... I got upgraded. I did a quick EF check and saw that the flight was F1 D1 P1 I1 U1 A1. But still no upgrade. I called in and after putting me on hold for about 5 min she upgraded me. I guess I was the only 75k on the list?

I think downfaring may have messed you the reservation a bit. The agent had to un-check me in for the outbound to downfare the return, and told me I needed to check in again. But the app and website still showed me as checked in... even after refreshing after a few hrs. I re-checked in anyway, and flew with no issues (and the miles posted). The app also showed me as still waitlisted on the downfared return, but maybe that was wrong too.

nearlysober

AS used to have the fare guarantee thing where you could manually check your flight for a lower fare, and if it was available, they'd downfare you and refund the difference. As VegasGambler pointed out, MVPG gives you that ability back. Just like the old system, it does move you to a lower fare class which may move you down the upgrade priority list as Flying For Fun pointed out...

So you have to weigh the pro's and con's. of downfaring but I personally do like knowing this feature exists so I never have to worry about booking an AS flight and then there being some sale or lower price later.

The other nice thing about it is being able to buy speculative airfare. If me and my friends are talking about a potential trip idea and everyone's like "yeah, maybe we should look at airfare!" I will usually have mine booked by the time they finish that sentence If the plans fall apart, can always refund the airfare. This feature is also basically priceless when it comes to sports playoffs, bowl games, etc. where you want to book a few weeks before the game might be locked in, as prices skyrocket once the games are set.

I've been at multiple UW games, where when it becomes apparent we're going to win and therefore go to the PAC12 Championship, or in 2016 the CFB Playoffs, people at the game are pulling up their phones and appalled by how expensive airfare already is... meanwhile I've had mine booked for weeks

Schubial

It's been a few years since I've booked an AS award ticket, but it seems like now they don't open any supersaver space on their own metal until about a week after the calendar populates now.

The problem is, I want to book a partner business ticket, but business class availability seems to dry up within a day or two of the calendar opening up, and I would need a connecting flight on Alaska metal to the partner gateway which wouldn't be available until a week later.

Are there any workarounds for this? Just a lowly MVP, so I don't get waived change fees.

Edit: to clarify, there is no saver in any class of service on AS metal for a week after the calendar opens up. I'm not looking at F on Alaska exclusively.

Flying for Fun

If you book an F/J award on a partner airline and there isn't Saver A on any AS connecting flight(s) to the partner gateway you can book into Saver W (economy) if available. If AS Saver A opens up, you can call to be moved into that space. Since it is an upgrade into the class of service you have already paid for on the partner airline, there would be no fee to make the change.

James

Schubial

I was aware of that. Problem is they no longer seem to open up any saver space in any class of service until a week in. I'll edit my original post to clarify.

Flying for Fun

I set an EF alert for a friend that is flying on EK from Europe to LAX via DXB who added on LAX-HNL after a LAX stopover. Within 2 weeks I received the alert that 2 Saver A had opened up. My friend had no problem calling AS to be moved into the A space. The EK award is in October, the flight to HNL is in November and was booked in January. I wouldn't necessarily agree that nothing opens up outside a week of departure. I have been pretty successful in getting A space connecting to the Partner gateway at booking but also have had success months outside a week before. I have also been moved into A space without calling in when the aircraft changed from Airbus to Boeing.

James

Schubial

Sorry, I think we're still missing each other. What I'm seeing:

• Booking calendar opens at 330 days out
• Partner business availability is typically booked by 228 or 229 days out
• No saver availability in any class of service on AS metal until ~320 days out. All I see are D, Z, and N fares.

Because of this, I literally can't book the itinerary I want (it doesn't show up in the search results because only saver is compatible with partner bookings; I have to search for the partner flight from the gateway). It wasn't always this way either because I used to be able to book saver award flights home for Christmas at 330 days out.

Flying for Fun

Ok, I am following you now. I have never booked at T-330 so I haven't seen that. All that I can suggest is contacting AS and explain that there isn't any Saver space on your required itinerary to the gateway and ask if they will waive the change fee when it becomes available and note your account.

James