Booking Alaska Airlines with Avios
 

Hello!

Can I book AS flights using Avios? It doesn't seem like I can find AS availability on BA.com. Do I need to call the call center? Will they waive the fee?

Thank you!

I have done it using BA miles but had to call. I had to go to Alaska's web site to check flight times and as far as I can remember there was no fee but a) I am gold and b) I was routing LHR > YVR > SEA.

Per BA call center rep 2 days ago 'Alaska Airlines availability will never show on the website as the aren't a Oneworld partner' - Of course AA added AS awards online last week...

So why is it that we have to pay the 30Tax for AS bookings?

How many Avios does it take to fly from San Diego to Cabo? Great Circle Mapper shows it as 802 miles. Should I be able to find that information on the BA website?

You can book AS through your local service centre - you cannot current book online. I am working on a solution for you to retrieve pricing for this online - in the interim your local service centre will be able to provide this info for you

Regards

Nicci

Nicci, thank you very much.

I called and successfully booked. Here are the details for everyone's benefit:

AS award, SAN-SJD RT, 802 miles, coach, nonstop flight

If booked on AS:
35K miles RT, $77 fees

If booked on BA:
15K miles RT, $110 fees, $25 phone booking fee

Using BA avios saves 20K miles and costs $58 more per ticket.

I don't know these fees on AS, but was given these fees for Avios.
$65 to cancel or change dates on phone
$40 to cancel or change dates online

All in all, this is a sweet spot for Avios as long as I am firmly committed to my dates.

Absolutley, it has opened up a whole new place to visit

My dear daughter [a Blue :td:] flies BA to the US, and then links somewhere on to AS to go to KGPI [Glacier Park International Airport :D :D :D ] to go riding in Montana. Having looked at GPI on Google Earth, I can confirm it has some runway ;)

Anyway, at this rate she may be Bronze ^

If, of course, in early middle age, she can actually manage the bookings.
A couple of months ago she successfully booked the wrong Hotel in Greater DC. Kids, eh?

Does anyone here know how to calculate the cost of awards without calling.

I called the UK BAEC to calculate an award from YVR to SFO and am convinced the pricing I was given was wrong.

I would need to connect as follows YVR-SEA-SFO... I was told this would be priced YVR-SEA @ 30k and then ANOTHER 35k for the SEA-SFO.

I'm pretty sure the agent used the one world chart (multiple carriers) to calculate but am not convinced this is the correct chart or the adding together of sectors in this way is correct either.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Assuming that standard Avios pricing applies to redemptions on AS, YVR-SEA should cost 4,500 Avios one way in Coach, and SEA-SFO should cost 7,500 Avios one way in Coach.

Of course, Amtrak is an option for either or both segments. :)

Thanks, but....

It's the definition of standard pricing I am trying to locate - there seems to be no table for non-Oneworld carriers and AS routes don't show in the calculator on BA.com.

I'm not aware that Avios can be redeemed on Amtrak - plus the single daily 0530 departure from Vancouver (arrival from 0430 for customs) makes the train an unatractive option.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

No, you cannot redeem Avios for Amtrak travel; you would have to pay cash for Amtrak travel, unless you have CO or UA miles.

Based on post #7 in this thread, it appears that the regular, distance-based Avios redemption table applies to AS award bookings. Suggest you call BAEC and ask them to price just YVR-SEA as a one-way, and see what they come up with.

SEA-YVR is 4,500 OW, per BAEC agent. Unfortunately, I am still unable to book online, though both telephone and email agents say that it is possible.

Would anyone have any idea what SEA-ANC would be in Avios?