Turn Your Wallet Credits into Mileage Plan™ Miles
#32
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
James
#33
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold / Marriott Bonvoy(age) Titanium Elite, IHG Platinum, WN A+/CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 337
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.
#34
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
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
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
#35
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: Southwest, Alaska, United, American Airlines
Posts: 994
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
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
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.
#36
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
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.
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.
James
#37
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold / Marriott Bonvoy(age) Titanium Elite, IHG Platinum, WN A+/CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 337
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.
#38
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Seattle
Programs: Alaska airlines 100k
Posts: 923
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.
Just reached 75K yesterday. Will start January 1 at 30k. The bonus miles and EQM as 75K doesn’t make more miles enticing.
#40
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYZ/SFO
Programs: AS MVPG, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Plat
Posts: 271
Airfares are depressed (cheap) right now. Do you think airfares will be the same next July? That is the risk, and a significant one. Your bonus may not take you as far after loaning AS your wallet money for the next 10+ months. The 50% return only holds if prices next year are the same as what they are now. If they increase by 50% you are no further ahead; if by more than 50% you are at a loss. The odds are always in favour of the "house." Anticipate fare increases when existing wallet funds start expiring and vouchers are eligible for redemption.
James
James
#41
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
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%.
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
#44
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
Turn your Alaska Airlines wallet credit into miles
"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!
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!