family friend

Hello,

I am looking at a flight from EWR-SEA. The website, aa.com, gives me two options with a vastly different price. The first is Alaska flight 7 and the other is AA flight 6835 which is the AA codeshare of the same Alaksa flight. Is there a difference in terms of mileage earning on the two flights? I am an EXP and believe I cant get upgraded on either, correct?

Rupesh

JDiver

Not much of a difference other than the price, IMO. You still earn EQM/EQP.

ACBLtd

Correct, you cannot upgrade (with stickers or for free as EXP) unless AS is offering upgrades at check-in. I have heard from AS elites that on their transcon flights it is very hard to come by upgrades at check-in for anyone not an AS top-tier elite, as they've either already given them out or held them for revenue sale.

All other things being equal (and they're not, as you've said the price is considerably different), I tend to book the AA flight number when both exist. Flights with AA flight numbers tend to post more quickly in my experience. For seating purposes, booking logged-in with your status on AA will tend to give you a pre-assigned seat near the front of economy. Booking on AS's website will give you full choice of non-premium seats. The EXP desk may be able to help you get premium seats on the AA codeshare.

You will earn exactly the same miles with AA or AS, and they will be elite-qualifying. (Something clearly not the case with some other codeshare partners.)

Have a good trip.

i_fly_AA

With some other carriers, there can be a difference in terms of earning miles or EQMs/EQPs (in that for some fares, you only earn the full miles if it's booked as a AA codeshare) but for AS specifically, as someone else said, you earn the same miles regardless of how it's booked.

Hayden

Anecdotally only, my experience has been AA miles post faster for the codeshare flights than for the AS-flight-number flights, but YMMV. They all post sooner or later, although sometimes I've had to send in my BPs for the AS-coded flights.

TheDudeAbides

This has not been my experience. AS and AA flight numbers on AS metal have posted with identical or nearly identical speed for me.

The information from ACBLtd is correct in that your normal complimentary sticker upgrades or eVIPs cannot be used. If space is available in U inventory, you may be able to upgrade using online checkin at alaskaair.com. See this post and this one for detailed information on how to maximize your chance for an upgrade on AS.

mvoight

No difference. Take the cheaper one.

FlyMeToTheLooneyBin

Does this apply also for Horizon Air, which is owned (?) by Alaska Air?

imagineertobe

Yep. See here.

TigerWould

+1,

I did a status match with AS. You should too, then you can upgrade.

family friend

I saw a status match mentioned. Can I status match to Alaska, use that status to upgrade but still credit the miles to AA?

hillrider

AS fares generally have a 75 change fee while AA tickets have a 150 one.

I'd read the fine print (fare rules category 16) and buy on the carrier that gives me better terms.

OAK AAFlier

Is the $75 fare change fee still charged if purchased through aa.com?

eponymous_coward

According to numerous posts by AS staff in the AS forum, no, you're not supposed to do this- you must credit flights to AS if you wish to use your AS elite benefits. In practice, it may not be caught (AS forum posters have said they have successfully done this).

EWR-SEA is one of the hardest complimentary upgrades in the entire AS system (as a transcon to NYC, lots of people just shell out the $ for F, thus the required "U" fare class isn't available for advance bookings, and F often sells out before anyone gets a free upgrade), meaning that you may blow your one lifetime status match for an upgrade that doesn't happen anyway. Unless you're flying AS more than just the round-trip, you might want to be careful with this.

family friend

Many thanks but change fees are not a priority for me. That information I'm sure is helpul for some though. For me, the priorities are:
1) EQM earning
2) Fare
3) Upgrades

It seems that EQM earning is equal and the fare is favorable on the AS flight vs AA codeshare. So, it is left to upgrades. If I status match, can I upgrade and still earn AA EQMs?