MaximusDamon

I have it from someone senior at AS that the details of the new 100K level will be announced in September and the level will start in January 2022 based on 2021 flying. To hit it, flyers need 100K miles on AS and Partners with a minimum of 24 segments on AS marketed and operated flights. The qualifying levels have changed now that AS is in OW and aligning programs similarly to the other partners. This means the lower AS qualifying EQM of 75K for MVP Gold 75K for AS metal and a higher requirement of 90K for AS+Partners is no longer in effect. It's now 75K EQM on AS+Partners to make MVP Gold 75K and will be 100K AS+Partners for the new MVP Gold 100K (or whatever they will call it) level. So this is just 10K more than the old 90K requirement of AS + Partners to make MVP Gold 75K. I therefore think there are going to be a lot of newly minted 100Ks on AS starting in January. I'm going to be one of them! Can't wait to hear about the details of the new level and how this works with upgrade priority on AS considering AA elites etc.

anteater

Granted things are in flux due to COVID, but if the 100K tier is 100K on any metal, I think AS could have done better ensuring loyalty.

With the extended 50% EQM bonus, the elite ranks will be artificially inflated through 2022. I don’t expect to see the full weight of 100K status until 2023.

AS watches FT, so hopefully your source didn’t mind you disclosing. 🥂

MaximusDamon

I think AS program and benefits blows any of the other OW members and programs away...so I think they've done just fine. After flying AA today, I'm feeling more and more loyal to AS!
Also hope the source doesn't mind, but I don't think any of this is secret...although not yet formally announced (which means it could change before then).

seacarl

It beggars common sense and fairness to establish a new status level and base it on flying conducted before the information for the status level was announced. It not only wouldn't be fair to members, but it would also be a poor business decision as ALK would not have given their loyal members time to qualify for the level.

At most I can imagine that they will announce the requirements for 2022 flying that will generate future status. Anything retroactive would punish existing Alaska elites who did not have the benefit of knowing the qualification standards.

In addition, all the airlines want to retain their elites in the present conditions. Not give them reasons to look elsewhere.

WrightHI

Also seems goofy to hold off on the announcement if they know what they're going to do. The purpose of the loyalty program is to get butts in seats, not to reward people. Why hold off on providing the incentive to go buy tickets to get to 100K by year end?

flytoeat

A little bird told me it will be qualification in 2022, and may include rollover status. YMMV, and we may be saying the same thing.

anteater

Qualification based on 2022 activity? Because OP said based on 2021 activity.

🤞🏻

WrightHI

Right now I'm on track to end the year with 80-85K EQM. If it would get me to a higher tier for next year, I might use the nice little 30% discount code AS just sent out to go have dinner with a friend in DC before the end of September, but that's a little more painful than I'm eager to do on speculation.

985X

I have 145k EQM with AS+partner (or 120k EQM with AS) this year, and that's with ZERO rollover from last year. Im already happy enough with the 75k perks, with the new 100k tier with greater benefits, I might even consider keeping my 100k tier every year with leisure travel.. I'm just wondering if AS will introduce a 3MM lifetime 100k status?

anteater

AS has no 3MM pax as of yet so they haven’t had to think about it. 😙

TravelingZoomer

I’ll be 100k easy with September travel and the 50% EQM bonus so here’s hoping it’s based on 2021 levels

WillTravel4Food

The 24 segments will surely not entice people joining on from overseas just to get 100K. That's a substantial commitment road warriors and professional vacationers/retirees will be able to achieve.

Eurynom0s

EQM rollover for everyone, or just rollover in excess of 75k EQM for people who would have qualified for 100K?

MileageMule

I'm curious to know if that's 100k flown on AS metal, or 100k EQM. The AS website says I have 147,381 EQM, 154k Partner miles and 61 segments. (Zero rollover from 2020) Based on that, I'm guessing I'm still about 1,800 miles short of 100k actual flown, meaning I'm going to have to book a quick SEA-LAX-SEA run to get over 100k actual AS flown.

So tired of chasing these carrots without actually being fed useful information on qualification levels.

Erasmus

Indeed, one might ask why anyone would chase a speculative carrot of undefined value...

I'm sure when Alaska is interested in having you--or anyone--chase after it, they will publish the details. In the mean time, they just put another 30% discount into the market, which seems surely to be a much more effective way to get the common person on a plane in the near term.