How to maximize TPA-SEA-TPA
Aug 31, 2016, 6:52 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Tampa, FL, USA
Programs: Former Dividend Miles Chairman's, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 1,122
How to maximize TPA-SEA-TPA
Hi all,
A senior relative (70 yrs old) wants to visit her son in Seattle, departing Tampa. Alaska has the only non-stop. So my question is how to maximize the miles for this trip on AS.
She is willing to fly restricted F but does not have an AA ff account nor an affiliated credit card which she should get.
As to credit card offers, is the 30K credit card the best current offer?
THANKS!
A senior relative (70 yrs old) wants to visit her son in Seattle, departing Tampa. Alaska has the only non-stop. So my question is how to maximize the miles for this trip on AS.
She is willing to fly restricted F but does not have an AA ff account nor an affiliated credit card which she should get.
As to credit card offers, is the 30K credit card the best current offer?
THANKS!
Aug 31, 2016, 8:32 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,438
Hi all,
A senior relative (70 yrs old) wants to visit her son in Seattle, departing Tampa. Alaska has the only non-stop. So my question is how to maximize the miles for this trip on AS.
She is willing to fly restricted F but does not have an AA ff account nor an affiliated credit card which she should get.
As to credit card offers, is the 30K credit card the best current offer?
THANKS!
A senior relative (70 yrs old) wants to visit her son in Seattle, departing Tampa. Alaska has the only non-stop. So my question is how to maximize the miles for this trip on AS.
She is willing to fly restricted F but does not have an AA ff account nor an affiliated credit card which she should get.
As to credit card offers, is the 30K credit card the best current offer?
THANKS!
If this person is 70 and doesn't even have a frequent flier account, is it really worth it to sign them up for a new travel rewards credit card? There are varying bonus offers from 30-60k for the AA cards, but all of these come with minimum spend requirements and annual fees.
Aug 31, 2016, 11:19 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Whidbey Island, WA
Programs: AA EXP, DL UA AS
Posts: 207
She should consider getting the Alaska BoA card with a 30K bonus for $1,000 spend. Then buy upgradeable coach R/T and upgrade to F for 15k miles each way. Unlike AA, there's no cash copay required to do this.
Sep 1, 2016, 7:15 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,950
Hi all,
A senior relative (70 yrs old) wants to visit her son in Seattle, departing Tampa. Alaska has the only non-stop. So my question is how to maximize the miles for this trip on AS.
She is willing to fly restricted F but does not have an AA ff account nor an affiliated credit card which she should get.
As to credit card offers, is the 30K credit card the best current offer?
THANKS!
A senior relative (70 yrs old) wants to visit her son in Seattle, departing Tampa. Alaska has the only non-stop. So my question is how to maximize the miles for this trip on AS.
She is willing to fly restricted F but does not have an AA ff account nor an affiliated credit card which she should get.
As to credit card offers, is the 30K credit card the best current offer?
THANKS!
If she's flying with a companion, the AS credit card has a $99+taxes companion fare (coach-only) which is likely worth the $75 annual fee all by itself for one TPA-SEA round trip. Because it acts as a discount code (rather than booking into some special fare bucket), it is a regular cash booking for frequent flyer earning purposes, no matter the program credited to.
Sep 3, 2016, 10:42 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Tampa, FL, USA
Programs: Former Dividend Miles Chairman's, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 1,122
What am I doing Wrong?
So I'm trying to book this for her outbound on 11/22 and return 11/29 in paid on the Alaska non-stops. On-line does not show these as code share or anything else.
Is this something that can't be done on-line as an American code share?
Thanks for the further help.
Is this something that can't be done on-line as an American code share?
Thanks for the further help.
Sep 3, 2016, 11:39 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SEA, TPA
Programs: AA EXP, AS MVPG, FB Gold
Posts: 287
Still a little confused what you're trying to solve (or work around)? Your relative will earn more RDMs by just ticketing on AS and crediting the flights to an AS FF acct anyway.
Someone else here might be able to give you better advice if you can more explicitly state what product you're trying to get and/or what problem you're trying to solve.
Sep 3, 2016, 12:45 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Tampa, FL, USA
Programs: Former Dividend Miles Chairman's, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 1,122
Well, she plans to be a "traveling senior" and most of those trips probably would be on American. She got an FF account and is applying for a credit card.
I appreciate everyone's insight!
I appreciate everyone's insight!
Sep 3, 2016, 6:32 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
As to the original question, in the short term Alaska has the better program but chances are they will cut it to match the competition in the next few years.
