Alaska confirms: 'travel hackers' killed their Emirates Offerings
Apr 7, 2016, 2:32 pm
#136
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Apr 11, 2016, 7:50 pm
#138
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If everything was kept under control, used in moderation, we would still be having all the perks and options. Go on an amazing trip 3 times a year and enjoy "free" travel. But it wasn't enough, the real goal suddenly was to fly F around the world 5 times in one month and get free caviar 
Apr 11, 2016, 7:57 pm
#139
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Only EK awards.
Very easy to buy miles 40k at a time, repeatedly and book in 1 minute.
So if they had given even 1 week notice, the website would have crashed with all the "hackers" exploiting the time left to buy and book EK F class for 2000$ to Hong Kong or JNB or Singapore.
I do not think the AA miles on EY F will last very long and I expect another devaluation soon from AA for EY.
Apr 12, 2016, 7:37 am
#140
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AS could also have temporarily throttled miles purchases for the period of the announcement (perhaps limiting them to 40k/account for the period).
On the one hand I appreciate the idea of being able to "walk in" and buy an award; on the other hand, (1) that does seem to defeat the point of the program; and (2) it does make "sweet spots" open to being exploited (e.g. the EK situation). Longer term I think there probably needs to be a tamp-down on this aspect of the program (e.g. perhaps either requiring at least basic status to do the unlimited buying or making "bought points" a separate pool and requiring at least X "earned points" per award).
Edit: To be clear, I don't doubt that this was an aspect of why they did what they did. My guess, however, is that either (1) they got some hard blowback from EK at some point or (2) more likely they got "too clever by half" on the change and when it blew up in their face they needed a scapegoat (as suggested in several places). Oops.
On the one hand I appreciate the idea of being able to "walk in" and buy an award; on the other hand, (1) that does seem to defeat the point of the program; and (2) it does make "sweet spots" open to being exploited (e.g. the EK situation). Longer term I think there probably needs to be a tamp-down on this aspect of the program (e.g. perhaps either requiring at least basic status to do the unlimited buying or making "bought points" a separate pool and requiring at least X "earned points" per award).
Edit: To be clear, I don't doubt that this was an aspect of why they did what they did. My guess, however, is that either (1) they got some hard blowback from EK at some point or (2) more likely they got "too clever by half" on the change and when it blew up in their face they needed a scapegoat (as suggested in several places). Oops.
Last edited by GrayAnderson; Apr 12, 2016 at 7:49 am
Apr 12, 2016, 9:42 am
#141
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Edit: To be clear, I don't doubt that this was an aspect of why they did what they did. My guess, however, is that either (1) they got some hard blowback from EK at some point or (2) more likely they got "too clever by half" on the change and when it blew up in their face they needed a scapegoat (as suggested in several places). Oops.
Apr 13, 2016, 4:17 am
#142
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Hard blowback from EK could have been done by EK throttling award space availability to limit what AS could get, even cutting AS off from first class award space on EK flights. But point of sale type games is not what EK did to AS. Hard blowback? Not so hard on AS.
Apr 13, 2016, 6:54 am
#143
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So they shut it down.
Actions have consequences. Words matter.
Don't blame the victim who was being 'hacked.' Blame the 'hackers.'
Apr 13, 2016, 8:30 am
#144
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Apr 13, 2016, 8:48 am
#145
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Apr 13, 2016, 8:51 am
#146
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Who can blame EK for wanting to protect the integrity of their product?
Apr 13, 2016, 9:34 am
#147
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I still don't think AS is the victim. If they hadn't been pushing buy-unlimited-miles sales for the last couple of years, the victim version would look a lot better. Surely they are in part responsible for this. Like you said, actions (routinely selling miles at low-ish prices) have consequences (people redeeming them for lucrative routes)
Apr 13, 2016, 11:49 am
#148
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I still don't think AS is the victim. If they hadn't been pushing buy-unlimited-miles sales for the last couple of years, the victim version would look a lot better. Surely they are in part responsible for this. Like you said, actions (routinely selling miles at low-ish prices) have consequences (people redeeming them for lucrative routes)
But I am hoping that this action will be a lesson against hyper-aggressive language and actions of many 'hackers.' Not that anyone who makes money from 'hacking' by writing blogs, hosting seminars, etc. is going to heed that lesson.
Alas.
Apr 13, 2016, 6:59 pm
#149
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The "hackers" aren't responsible for AS's PR games.
Nor are the "hackers" really hackers unless they were violating the rules as set out by AS.
AS ought to get the blame AS deserves too.
Apr 13, 2016, 7:59 pm
#150
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It's also antagonistic and counter-productive.