Brainless69

Hey all, am an AS newbie here. Have recently moved over from the UK and being BAGold, am now thinking of switching to AS as they will be joining OW next year and have reciprical benefits with AA. So my question is am i right in thinking that AS is mileage based so in order to achieve MVP75k i need to fly 75k miles? No Qualifying dollars needed? and the mileage is based on distance flown. So i can use greatcircle mapper to figure out distance for mileage? It' s completely different than BA where its Tier points so forgive me for asking all the questions but couldnt find a WIKI.
Want to take advantage of the current 30% flight offer...

Thanks for your help

Sky Dreamer

If you fly on Alaska- every mile you fly is a mile that counts toward your Elite Status. Every mile you fly gets at least 1 Elite Qualifying mile on Alaska Airlines- even on Saver (Basic Economy tickets)! There is no minimum Qualifying Dollars needed to earn Elite status. However, for 2021 qualification if you are using Alaska partner airlines to meet the Elite Qualifying Mileage requirements for MVP Gold 75k- you need to look at the airlines earning policy on Alaska website, a good example is British Airways here listed here: https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...er-overview:BA

If you fly let's say from LAX to LHR on British Airways non-stop, using the great circle mapper that is 10,912 miles round trip. If you fly in Economy in Fare Class Q, O, G you will only get 2,728 Elite Qualifying miles for that round trip. If you fly the trip in First in fare class F, you would earn 300% elite qualifying miles at 32,736. So always check what fare class your ticket will be in and what earning will be on the partner airline before purchasing your ticket. Also my understanding is that it has to be on that partner's metal. So if you purchase a ticket via British Airways but it's actually flown and operated by another airline (i.e. a codeshare flight), you get credit according to who is operating that flight not according to BA which sold you the ticket. If they aren't an Alaska Airlines partner- you may not get credit for it- so be careful with that too.

Bellerina

And remember each flight is credit at 500 miles minimum. I believe that is true on AS and partners. So if you take a short flight London to Paris and at a far class that gets 100% earning, you’d get 500 miles (not the 227 air miles it is).

safari ari

Not on CX or SQ, they don't have the verbiage that states "Earn 500 minimum miles on flights shorter than 500 miles..."

Bellerina

Ah, ok, so just on AS then. I should have double checked first. Still great to know for AS routes!

Sky Dreamer

Update on codeshare flights- this from a post from flyingforfun - thanks James! Look like you use to be able to ask for credit if the marketing carrier and operating carrier were both AS partners. Looks like this policy has changed. See below:

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https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32882082-post21.html

AS' policy has always been that the flight must be marketed & operated by the same carrier for MP accrual. For years, AS did unofficially allowed credit if the marketing carrier & operating carrier were different if and only if both were AS partners. A manual request was required. The unofficial practice has ceased and AS is adhering to the underlying policy that has always been in place.

New verbage with respect to partner AA on the AS website.

AMERICAN AIRLINES

To ensure flight credit for travel on American Airlines, the two-letter airline code (AA) must precede the flight number (for example, AA XXXX) on your ticket receipt or boarding pass, and the flight must be operated by American Airlines. Flights marketed by another carrier and operated by American or marketed by American and operated by another carrier are not eligible to earn Mileage Plan miles, even if both partners are Mileage Plan partners.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Flights must fall within the eligible flight number range below, and your flight must be marketed and operated by British Airways. Codeshare flights marketed by British Airways and operated by another carrier are not eligible to earn miles. British Airways award flights booked into the fare classes above are not eligible to earn miles or elite qualifying miles or segments.

alphaeagle

That's not new, it's said that for years.

Sky Dreamer

alphaeagle

Right, the post is in reference to the recent stricter enforcement of those rules.

Flying for Fun

For EQM earned on Partner flights that have the 500 mile EQM minimum, the earning rate of the fare class booked is irrelevant. A flight of 400 miles booked into a fare class that earns 25% will still receive 500 EQM just as would a 50% EQM earning fare class on an 800 mile flight.

James

Flying for Fun

This is new verbage. Prior, the T&Cs indeed say that the Marketing & Operating carrier must be the same. It never explicitly said that codeshares were not eligible for accrual in MP even if they are both partners.

James

Brainless69

Thanks for the help and the info! makes sense. I have moved over to the USA so will no longer be chasing BAstatus hence the change to AS...

Thanks to everyone else who replied too!! hope to see you all up in the air some time

Flying for Fun

Here is the verbiage for Partner American Airlines on October 11, 2019. Notice at that time, domestic AA flights did not earn in Mileage Plan. The dates listed herein are "snippets" of what AS was showing on their website at that date, not the date they were originally updated.

Flight must either depart from, and/or arrive in a country other than the United States or a U.S. territory, and be both marketed and operated by American Airlines.

To ensure flight credit for international travel on American Airlines, the two-letter airline code (AA) must precede the flight number (for example, AA XXXX) on your ticket receipt or boarding pass, and the flight must be operated by American Airlines.

Mileage earned is based on a percentage of actual flight miles flown and earn 500 minimum miles on flights shorter than 500 miles. No miles will be earned for classes of service not listed above.

By December 30th, important changes indicating that Earnings & Awards On American Airlines are ending. Same verbiage in the details as at October 11th, 2019

Effective March 1, 2020, there will be some important updates to our American Airlines partnership.

Partnership Details

What's changing, effective March 1, 2020:

• You will no longer earn Mileage Plan miles on American Airlines international flights.
• You will no longer be able to redeem miles for award travel on American Airlines domestic or international flights.

What's not changing:

• You'll continue to earn a mile for every mile flown on eligible domestic American Airlines flights with an Alaska Airlines (AS) flight number to select key destinations in the Midwest and eastern US and Canada.
• Alaska Lounge members can still access over 50 Admirals Club lounges worldwide when flying on an Alaska Airlines or American Airlines flight.

By April 6th, 2020 The American Airlines "Divorce" was lovingly set aside for a closer relationship. The new verbiage came in 2020.

American Airlines

We are partnering with American Airlines to expand our global reach––connecting the West Coast to the rest of the world in a remarkable way. Learn more about what's to come.

So what does this mean for you?

Effective immediately:

• Continue to earn Alaska Mileage Plan™ miles on American flights with an Alaska flight number (any American flight booked through our website).
• Continue to redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles on any American Airlines flights (subject to award availability).
• Continue to access any of American's nearly 50 Admirals Club locations worldwide with an Alaska Lounge membership.*
• Continue to earn and redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles on our current portfolio of 16 Global Partners.

Starting April 1, 2020:

• Earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles on any American Airlines marketed and operated flights, domestically and internationally.

Starting Summer 2021:

• Earn and redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles on all oneworld airlines (subject to award availability).
• Alaska elites will enjoy privileges, including priority boarding, premium seating, baggage benefits and more when you fly on American Airlines or any oneworld airline.
• MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75k members can access 650 lounges within the oneworldŽ airline network.

*Alaska Lounge members do not currently have access to The Admirals Club in San Francisco International's Terminal 2 due to space constraints. Alaska will be opening a new 8,500-square-foot, top-floor lounge in Terminal 2 this fall.

Qualify for mileage accrual

Before April 1, 2020, flight must either depart from, and/or arrive in a country other than the United States or a U.S. territory, and be both marketed and operated by American Airlines.

To ensure flight credit for travel on American Airlines, the two-letter airline code (AA) must precede the flight number (for example, AA XXXX) on your ticket receipt or boarding pass, and the flight must be operated by American Airlines. Flights marketed by another carrier and operated by American or marketed by American and operated by another carrier are not eligible to earn Mileage Plan miles, even if both partners are Mileage Plan partners.

Mileage earned is based on a percentage of actual flight miles flown and earn 500 minimum miles on flights shorter than 500 miles. No miles will be earned for classes of service not listed above.

James


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alphaeagle

Alaska has always required that flights be operated and marketed by the partner airline. There has been no change, some people have been lucky with codeshares being credited but that has always been against Alaska's policy.

Flying for Fun

Precisely, as I mentioned in a prior post.

Janes

mtofell

So, as MVP I can reserve a seat in an exit row at time of booking for no charge. I think I heard that once I make MVP-Gold (will happen after my next flight) I can reserve premium seats at time of booking for no charge. Is this true? And, if so, is it just for me or can I also lock one down for my traveling companion(s) as well at no charge?