Tofino87

May I ask if anyone who has received the offer to exchange for miles is based outside of the US?

Flying for Fun

I haven't been targeted but I have almost depleted my wallet funds ($16 left) on two speculative intertwined circle trips, one with an open jaw, in September during the BOGO offer.

James

isaac.chambers

With all these Hawaii cancellations and such - i have over $3000 in wallet balance. I got my MVP gold for next year already. I dont think EQM will get me even close to 75k unless there was a purchase with wallet funds outright. But i am not sure if its worth it anyway. I could bite at 50% certificate for next year. I would love to use my balance for AS lounge as even the extension in lounge membership to october has given me zero benefit right now.

Flying for Fun

For those that are offered and are considering taking a voucher with a 50% bonus in value, don't forget that airfares are currently exempt from the 7.5% Excise Tax. The exemption, due to expire December 31st, 2020, is part of the Cares Act.

If the exemption is not extended any flights you book next July when your voucher becomes eligible to use, will be subject to the 7.5% Excise Tax on the base fare.

Also good to keep in mind if you are planning flights for next year. If you can, book them before year end. The Excise Tax is based on the date of purchase, not the date of travel.

James

nerdbirdsjc

A fair point. Still, it was a no-brainer for me to take the voucher I can use a year later (with 50% bonus), because for now and the foreseeable future:

1. Flying sucks (no desire to experience sharply reduced inflight service and severely limited flight schedules);

2. People suck (the anti-mask and "just can't get with the program" crowd will continue to create hassles); and

3. The destinations I most want to visit domestically are impacted by quarantine restrictions (upon arrival and/or upon my return home).

Here's hoping that by this time next year, flying will be somewhat pleasant again, and there will be destinations I can safely visit with few hassles.

Flying for Fun

All very valid points! The unanswerable question is, "Next July, will the situation be better, the same or worse than what it is today?"

James

isaac.chambers

Travel will be back....economically and socially people will be done with this pandemic....the rate we are going; some level of herd immunity will be achieved in a year.....

I highly suspect there will be a lot of loosened restricitions come Christmas season....there are a lot of lonely people already (myself included) - the public attitude will start to change forcing governments to actually let thier populations live a life freely that they took away needlessly this year.

Xrayman

No such email. Had about 850 in wallet earlier this week then purchased several potential flights and decreased funds down to about 100.

Just reached 75K yesterday. Will start January 1 at 30k. The bonus miles and EQM as 75K doesn’t make more miles enticing.

eddiehuang97

2k wallet credit. No email offer

JamilD

I thought about this, but that disadvantage only pans out if I don't have the cash to spend on flying now. I can still take advantage of the cheap airfare now with cash, and then save the (50% increased) My Wallet funds for later, since I assume I'll be traveling then too. That way when airfare prices rise, I have more cash in the form of the Alaska voucher, and right now I can continue to spend cash as usual. In that way, what I lose now is the cash to spend on the flights, which I could've invested in the market — but at a presumably lower profit than 50%.

Flying for Fun

Daylight Savings Time is akin to cutting off a foot from the top of a blanket and sewing it on the bottom and declaring you have a longer blanket! 😁

Your reasoning isn't sound. You are asserting that the future value of the e-voucher will have more purchasing power next July when it matures than the unbonused wallet funds do today. That isn't guaranteed and therein lies the risk. In fact, the lost flexibility revokes any and all opportunity to take advantage of specials, competitor price matching or market fluctuations in the interim.

If the Excise Tax waiver is not extended past your e-voucher maturity date, you have already lost 7.5% purchasing power. As it sits now, if you purchase a ticket for $100 (base fare) on December 31st, the same ticket purchase on January 1st will be $107.50, $100 (base fare) + $7.50 Excise tax.

James

lensovet

in some parts of the country they are

nerdbirdsjc

AS processed my offer, so I have ~$555 sitting in my wallet as a certificate with the available value zeroed out.

RAD_PDX

"Alaska Airlines is offering a new incentive to its Mileage Plan members who have wallet balances. Members will be able to convert their wallet credit into miles for future travel – a $100 wallet credit converts into 10,000 miles."

Terms and Conditions
Offer valid through October 12, 2020 11:59 pm (PT): Qualifying members who receive this offer directly from Alaska Airlines via email can exchange Alaska wallet funds in increments of 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of their current wallet balance for Mileage Plan bonus miles at an exchange rate of 100 miles per $1. Bonus miles are redeemable for award travel, but do not count toward elite status qualification. All wallet exchanges for miles are final, and wallet credit once redeemed is not refundable. If wallet balance at the time of debit is below what is needed to cover the exchange, the exchange will be canceled. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer. All Mileage Plan terms and conditions apply. Mileage Plan miles do not expire, but if a Mileage Plan account is inactive for 2 years, Alaska Airlines may close the account; miles in a closed account can be reinstated for a fee for up to 1 year after closure. Exchanging wallet credit for Mileage Plan miles pursuant to this offer does qualify as account activity, so your Mileage Plan account will remain active for at least 2 years after the effective date of the exchange.

More info: https://newsroom.alaskaair.com/2020-...dit-into-miles

Being able to buy miles at 1cpm seems like an incredible value to me!

williwaw

Same offer here too!