Flying for Fun

I sent them an e-mail on the 13th & received a thank you reply this morning. The website had already been updated. I anticipate that with the weekend, they didn't even read it until yesterday.

James

atourgates

That's a really fascinating thread. Our business does have as much annual credit card spend as some of the examples in that thread, but we mostly collect AMEX points, and then the occasional valuable status perk (AKA Hyatt Globalist), since the AMEX earns well for our spending patterns, and gives us better flexibility for our award travel patterns (typically trying to find 6-seats in J to Europe on a single aircraft - which is hard to do with AS miles without paying silly BA fees - or using the 30% point rebate perk to buy AS cash fares to help keep status).

BUT - it'd certainly be worth shifting a good chunk of that spend if it actually delivered Gold or 75K status.

With the 2020 award trips we've canceled, we're going to have a good enough stash of AMEX points that I could "risk" making the switch for a year without affecting any of our foreseeable future travel plans.

I wonder if it'd be smarter to start that spend now, midway through the year, or wait until January of 2021 to "max out" my spend for that year.

Anyway, thanks for pointing that out, it's certainly worth thinking about.

twitch76

On Southwest, travel funds are tied to the original passenger. I cannot, for instance, use my Southwest travel funds from a flight I was on in order to purchase a ticket for my wife.

Does Alaska's My Wallet operate the same way? Or are those dollars free to use for any passenger?

be_rettSEA

Wallet funds aren't limited to the original traveler, so any passenger should work., though program rules re: bartering/selling/trading those funds (like miles) still apply. So if using for your wife or a friend should be fine, but wouldn't recommend using them for a number of passengers you don't know.

FlyingSloth

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saaveraward

Can I put CX and AA on a singular one-way award? I found one blog that says no, but nothing anywhere else and can't seem to find it in the award T&C. If this is not permitted, can you please link me to it? Thanks!

Finkface

No, you cannot mix partners on a one way award. You can use AS/QX plus one partner only

For members redeeming an award on a partner airline, connecting travel will be provided by Alaska Airlines to the nearest gateway city of the airline partner at no additional charge.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...and-conditions

Flying for Fun

On a one-way, AS + one partner as stated above. On a round-trip, AS + one partner in each direction but the partner on the outbound can be different than the partner on the inbound.

Korean Airlines, KE awards are all return pricing. North America to Asia J awards are 125K whether flying one-way or return. However, only 50% of the miles will be charged if the return flights on a round-trip itinerary are on another partner. KE JFK-ICN J & JL GMP-HND-JFK J would be 62.5K + 50K or 112.5K round-trip.

James

akrooman

It used to be that there was a lower number of segments that you could fly only on Alaska (as opposed to with their partners as well) and qualify for Elite status but I can't find mention of that anywhere. Was this removed?

Bellerina

It has not changed. See the chart by qualifying flights here: https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...rship-benefits

nkh75

I'm trying to book 4 award seats on Cathay Pacific from HKG to YYZ. British Airways shows 4, but as I have heard is often the case, AS agents can only see 3. Has anyone had success booking 3 through AS, then booking the 4th through another program such as Avios or Asia miles? I don't want to book the first 3, and have the last one not show as still available. Thank you.

WillTravel4Food

I work in the industry. I would say you have nothing to worry about, but that is not what somebody with a phobia needs to hear. That's an issue for a therapist and hopefully you've been working with one as needed. That said, I pick flights based on the airline and my trust in them being able to operate safely. When it comes to safety in the US, the thoroughness of an airline's maintenance and operations programs correlates closer to safety levels than the age of the plane. You can maintain the heck out of an old plane and it'll be safe to operate. As a side note, airlines primarily retire old planes not because they can't keep them safe but rather the cost to keep them safe increases with age. With that said, does AS have a recent track record of properly maintaining their aircraft? Yes. I fly them regularly, when there's no pandemic floating around.

mtnsider

I have to cancel a flight for which I paid for a premium seat. Will I get a refund for the premium seat charge? I am a gold member.

be_rettSEA

Details on refunds for seat payment refunds (from terms & conditions here):

• If a customer receives a complimentary upgrade to First Class, no refund will be granted for a seat with more legroom or Premium Class.
• If a customer voluntarily changes his/her seat selection to a Main Cabin seat and stays on the same flight – there is no refund once purchased, regardless if it was a refundable fare.
• If a customer voluntarily changes his/her flight once purchased, a refund for the original seat purchase will only be provided if a refundable fare was purchased, in which case the refund will be applied to the original form of payment.
• If a non-refundable ticket is cancelled, then both the ticket price and the seat upgrade fee will be credited to the customer's My Wallet for future travel. My Wallet funds may not be applied towards the purchase of Premium Class or seats with more legroom.

Jerseyguy

I have a flight from EWR to YVR that Im not using because of the pandemic, I've been waiting to cancel it hoping the schedule changes enough so I can get a refund rather than a credit. I was checking the flight via the flight search because I didnt have the confirmation ready and they are not selling my EWR-SEA leg (AS 11) on August 17. I went into the reservation and its still listed. Does this mean they are thinking about either canceling the flight or a major time change? I doubt that it is sold out as the morning EWR-SEA is relatively cheap.

*UPDATE: It appears that Alaska was just making a flight number change and took it off the schedule for a bit new flight is around the same time just operating as Alaska 791...so I guess the wait continues.