Feb 13, 2020, 8:29 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Alaska Airlines is expected join the oneworld Alliance as a full member summer 2021 end of 2020, pending regulatory approval*.
link to earning EQM, EQD, EQS and Award Miles flying Alaska Airlines as AS marketed flights. (If flying as AA marketed flight (codeshare), earnings are as if flying AA.) As of April 1, 2020.
Seattle’s first-ever direct flight to BLR will be available for purchase later this month, with daily flights beginning October 2020. Daily service between SEA and LHR will be available for purchase in May 2020 for flights starting March 2021.
link to full release, 13 Feb 2020
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Alaska Airlines route map (including Virgin America)
- Alaska Airlines intends to join the oneworld® alliance, the world's fastest growing and most highly rated global airline alliance, by summer 2021, which will connect Alaska guests to more than 1,200 destinations worldwide.
- American will launch the first service from Seattle (SEA) to Bangalore, India (BLR) beginning October 25 2020. A new American route from SEA to the global business hub London Heathrow (LHR) will begin flying in March 2021.
- The airlines will continue their domestic codeshare that offers customers hassle-free booking and travel between the two networks. The codeshare will expand to include international routes from Los Angeles (LAX) and SEA.
- Alaska and American loyalty members will enjoy benefits across both airlines, including the ability to earn and use miles on both airlines’ full networks, elite status reciprocity and lounge access to nearly 50 American Admirals Club lounges worldwide and seven Alaska Lounges in the U.S.
link to earning EQM, EQD, EQS and Award Miles flying Alaska Airlines as AS marketed flights. (If flying as AA marketed flight (codeshare), earnings are as if flying AA.) As of April 1, 2020.
Seattle’s first-ever direct flight to BLR will be available for purchase later this month, with daily flights beginning October 2020. Daily service between SEA and LHR will be available for purchase in May 2020 for flights starting March 2021.
link to full release, 13 Feb 2020
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Alaska Airlines route map (including Virgin America)
Alaska / AS joining oneworld 31 Mar 2021, AA launching SEA-BLR/LHR
Feb 13, 2020, 5:03 pm
#106
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: AA, Marriott
Posts: 210
Any predictions on what EQD-earning will be like on AS? Does anyone remember what EQD-earning on AS was back in the day? Redeemable miles and EQMs are nice, but if it's the typical 5%/mile that we see for OW partners, and there's an AA alternate flight, I doubt any EQD-starved flyers would consider the AS flight.
Feb 13, 2020, 5:07 pm
#107
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
I just got the e-mail from AA confirming they are setting up SEA as an international gateway....seems like they might be implying that they plan on other intl flights and/or perhaps a small crew base?
Who knows but thought their language about it was interesting.....
Who knows but thought their language about it was interesting.....
Feb 13, 2020, 5:16 pm
#108
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
The LHR 772 could be cycled through LHR like the RDU bird, but that 789 must come from another hub (unless AA just has one plane isolated on SEA-BLR, which seems unlikely for operational reasons). So there will presumably be one domestic 789 turn a day in to SEA from one of the hubs.
Feb 13, 2020, 5:33 pm
#109
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 10,419
Folks - Please STAY ON TOPIC! This thread is NOT about US-China flights and the impact/effects of COVID-19.
/Moderator
/Moderator
Feb 13, 2020, 6:16 pm
#110
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
No, I think MVP75 Gold wouldn’t qualify as Emerald any more than AA Platinum Pro would be Emerald. I suspect AS will be making some changes in the next year. MVP100 Platinum?
Feb 13, 2020, 6:23 pm
#111
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM; UA 1K; AA 1MM
Posts: 4,519
I haven't been an AA FF in a few years (they just don't work well for me here in NYC) but I was one for many years and always hated seeing AA retrenching more and more more to that old cornerstone market. They've tried a few new things lately, this being the biggest of them, and I'm glad to see them doing so, even if they aren't 'my' airline any more.
Feb 13, 2020, 6:24 pm
#112
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
It's 75k EQMs on AS metal (even codeshares don't normally count; I think it's only AS*/AS, not even partner marketed AS metal), which given that AS has no long haul flights is not that trivial. Upping the AS+partner minimum from 90k to 100k would bring it exactly in line with AA EXP for AS+partner earning. That seems easy, and upping the own metal requirement to 100k EQMs would be a lot for an airline like AS that doesn't have long haul flights.
Feb 13, 2020, 6:28 pm
#113
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,030
Very interesting. I do expect a number of AS non-OW partners to fall off though.
For miles or elite benefits sharing this seems like a return to the old days before the VX transaction? I do wish also they would have accelerated the elite baggage and boarding benefits, but miles accrual isn't bad assuming AA also does it soon for AS flights.
<snip>
The OW aspect was the biggest surprise.
For miles or elite benefits sharing this seems like a return to the old days before the VX transaction? I do wish also they would have accelerated the elite baggage and boarding benefits, but miles accrual isn't bad assuming AA also does it soon for AS flights.
<snip>
The OW aspect was the biggest surprise.
AS is a ff partner of many of the 13 OW airlines now. From https://www.wheretocredit.com/alaska-airlines
Alaska Airlines can earn miles on, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Finnair, Hainan Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, LATAM Airlines, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines
And AS-AA were ff partners until recently. AS-AA were divorced for a short time and now reconciled.
Emirates has ff partnerships with: Alaska Airlines, COPA Airlines, Gol Transportes Aéreos, Japan Airlines, Jetblue Airways, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas Airways, S7 Airlines, South African Airways, TAP Portugal
Four of those are OW airlines From https://www.wheretocredit.com/emirates
Indeed. In the threads some people are assuming too much. Will just be the normal OW benefits.
And AS has been friends with some of the 13 OW airlines for a long time.
Other threads
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Feb 13, 2020 at 6:37 pm
Feb 13, 2020, 7:32 pm
#114
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,159
Any predictions on what EQD-earning will be like on AS? Does anyone remember what EQD-earning on AS was back in the day? Redeemable miles and EQMs are nice, but if it's the typical 5%/mile that we see for OW partners, and there's an AA alternate flight, I doubt any EQD-starved flyers would consider the AS flight.
Feb 13, 2020, 8:00 pm
#115
Join Date: Jun 2018
Programs: AA PPro
Posts: 632
The LHR 772 could be cycled through LHR like the RDU bird, but that 789 must come from another hub (unless AA just has one plane isolated on SEA-BLR, which seems unlikely for operational reasons). So there will presumably be one domestic 789 turn a day in to SEA from one of the hubs.
Feb 13, 2020, 8:01 pm
#116
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: CLT
Posts: 89
AA has never had a major presence across the northwest. This plugs that gap in a major way.
I really wonder how long this has been in the works? Did AA dissolve the old Alaska partnership solely to leverage Alaska into better terms for this new one? Or is this only an opportunistic response to the Delta/LATAM thing...
I really wonder how long this has been in the works? Did AA dissolve the old Alaska partnership solely to leverage Alaska into better terms for this new one? Or is this only an opportunistic response to the Delta/LATAM thing...
Feb 13, 2020, 8:08 pm
#117
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Oakland
Programs: AA Explat, UA former 1K + PremExec, DL
Posts: 1,151
I don't want to give them too much credit, but I assume AA has done some kind of market research that the IT/software market can support it.
Feb 13, 2020, 9:05 pm
#118
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Marriot Platinum
Posts: 148
Alaska back in the fold. Breaking up is hard to do...
After about an 18 month hiatus, it seems that AA and AS have had enough of living apart. We can start to earn miles again on ANY AS flight (not just the few random code shares I assume) and have reciprocal Elite benefits.
Feb 13, 2020, 9:51 pm
#120
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Choice Hotels
Posts: 762
I received this email from AA in the last 20 minutes.
More choices with seamless access We’re excited to announce a new, expanded relationship with Alaska Airlines — connecting American’s international long-haul network strength with Alaska’s domestic network to give AAdvantage® members more choice.
The new West Coast International Alliance will offer customers several benefits, including:
We continually look for opportunities to make the AAdvantage program more valuable and meaningful to you. Thank you for your loyalty and for choosing American.
The new West Coast International Alliance will offer customers several benefits, including:
- American and Alaska will continue their domestic codeshare, offering customers seamless booking and travel between the two networks. The codeshare will expand to include international routes from Los Angeles and Seattle*
- Alaska and American loyalty members will enjoy benefits across both airlines, including the ability to earn and redeem miles on the full networks of both airlines, elite status reciprocity and lounge access at nearly 50 American Airlines Admirals Club® lounges worldwide and seven Alaska Lounges in the U.S.
- American will set up Seattle as an International Gateway by adding first-ever direct international flights to Bangalore, India, as well as London Heathrow
- Alaska Airlines seeks to join the oneworld alliance by Summer 2021, providing reciprocal elite member benefits such as priority check-in and boarding, access to preferred seats and free checked bags
We continually look for opportunities to make the AAdvantage program more valuable and meaningful to you. Thank you for your loyalty and for choosing American.