Miles to Alaska
Jan 22, 2003 | 11:51 am
#16
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 1,320
I tried without success in September of last year to book a single DL ticket using UA miles for travel in July of this year (so I could save some of my DL miles); I was, however, able to reserve a total of 7 tickets for the same travel dates on DL using DL miles. The year before (2001) I tried to no avail to book award travel in June 2002 to HI on UA using DL miles (UA served more destinations within HI), again many months in advance, but had no trouble booking 4 tickets on DL using DL miles for the same travel dates which were unavailable through UA. It seems to me that the seat allocations are very low for this type of cross-airline award, and that you are better off building miles on the airline on which you plan to travel using an award.
Jan 22, 2003 | 3:46 pm
#17
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 30
jmartin --
If you end up going to Denali, I recommend a cold Alaskan Pale Ale and a caribou sandwich at the West Rib in Talkeetna. The next morning, have the "standard breakfast" at the Roadhouse in Talkeetna. I strongly recommend hiring a bush pilot at Talkeetna Air Taxi (or any of the other 3 out of Talkeetna) to fly you in and around Denali (incorrectly, in my opinion, named Mt. McKinley!) and the rest of the Alaska Range. It's a truly awe-inspiring experience. Wife and I went climbing there for our honeymoon this past Summer. We flew DL to ANC and had no problems getting FC award seats 6 mos ahead of time.
If you end up going to Denali, I recommend a cold Alaskan Pale Ale and a caribou sandwich at the West Rib in Talkeetna. The next morning, have the "standard breakfast" at the Roadhouse in Talkeetna. I strongly recommend hiring a bush pilot at Talkeetna Air Taxi (or any of the other 3 out of Talkeetna) to fly you in and around Denali (incorrectly, in my opinion, named Mt. McKinley!) and the rest of the Alaska Range. It's a truly awe-inspiring experience. Wife and I went climbing there for our honeymoon this past Summer. We flew DL to ANC and had no problems getting FC award seats 6 mos ahead of time.
Jan 22, 2003 | 10:23 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ANC/PDX - AS MVP
Posts: 34
When you're booking your award ticket / regular ticket, keep this in mind:
-The main airlines are AS (Alaska), UA (United), and DL (Delta).
-DL has two daily flights from SLC.
-UA has more flights to other destinations, but I'm not sure where because I'm a loyal MVP.
-You can't beat AS for scheduling. They run more ANC-SEA flights than everyone else combined, because this is one of their lifeelines. These flights are always packed, though, on 733s and 734s.
-AS is the only major carrier to fly to FAI - DL pulled out of ANC-FAI about a year ago, I think. So you can probably forget the open jaw, unfortunately.
As a resident of Anchorage, I can tell you there are very few things worth seeing. Maybe the Alaska Native Heritage Center, maybe hiking Flattop Mtn. or the Coastal Trail. Don't stay in ANC for long - it's really a dirty and relatively ugly city. Anchorage is not Alaska.
Spend some time in the Southeast panhandle - Juneau, Sitka, Wrangell. Those cities are very beautiful, and have a climate more like Seattle than Barrow.
Come in the summer - unless you like winter sports, there's not much to do or see, because everything is in hibernation, including many of the people (like me).
If you have any other questions, e-mail me at red_cadet(at)hotmail.com.
-red_cadet
"It's simple. Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam."
-The main airlines are AS (Alaska), UA (United), and DL (Delta).
-DL has two daily flights from SLC.
-UA has more flights to other destinations, but I'm not sure where because I'm a loyal MVP.
-You can't beat AS for scheduling. They run more ANC-SEA flights than everyone else combined, because this is one of their lifeelines. These flights are always packed, though, on 733s and 734s.
-AS is the only major carrier to fly to FAI - DL pulled out of ANC-FAI about a year ago, I think. So you can probably forget the open jaw, unfortunately.
As a resident of Anchorage, I can tell you there are very few things worth seeing. Maybe the Alaska Native Heritage Center, maybe hiking Flattop Mtn. or the Coastal Trail. Don't stay in ANC for long - it's really a dirty and relatively ugly city. Anchorage is not Alaska.
Spend some time in the Southeast panhandle - Juneau, Sitka, Wrangell. Those cities are very beautiful, and have a climate more like Seattle than Barrow.
Come in the summer - unless you like winter sports, there's not much to do or see, because everything is in hibernation, including many of the people (like me).
If you have any other questions, e-mail me at red_cadet(at)hotmail.com.
-red_cadet
"It's simple. Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam."
Jan 29, 2003 | 2:23 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,062
Thing 1:
Unless you get an airline CCard and beef up those accounts, it will be a bit of time before you get to 25k on both airlines. It can be done but it takes some time and work. Start with idine and whatever promotions you can find in both airlines and in both forums on miles.
Also, a short, cheap flight for a 'mileage run' will help as well, with things like online booking bonuses and kiosk use, etc. For example, I earned several thousand more K miles on a UAL trip to Vegas last Sept.
If you bring both accts up, you can still partner a DL award and a UAL award. That's 2 FF tickets on one carrier--either one.
Thing 2:
This may or may not be useful to you but what I might consider is this:
Transfer all the points from both accts into HHilton (you can still do the DL ones right now, but they are soon pulling out, I think) and you will rack up a good 50k in HH program. That's a few nights if you need accom.
If not, find a family member or friend who would gladly trade the use of your hotel stays that you can arrange for THEM, for an airline ticket or two that THEY can possibly arrange for YOU!
I once used one of my miles award ticket for a skiing friend of mine who paid me back by buying lift passes, dinners, accomodations, and ski rentals for a whole week in Tahoe. SO we both won and got what we wanted.
good luck! Avoid bears.
------------------
If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!
Unless you get an airline CCard and beef up those accounts, it will be a bit of time before you get to 25k on both airlines. It can be done but it takes some time and work. Start with idine and whatever promotions you can find in both airlines and in both forums on miles.
Also, a short, cheap flight for a 'mileage run' will help as well, with things like online booking bonuses and kiosk use, etc. For example, I earned several thousand more K miles on a UAL trip to Vegas last Sept.
If you bring both accts up, you can still partner a DL award and a UAL award. That's 2 FF tickets on one carrier--either one.
Thing 2:
This may or may not be useful to you but what I might consider is this:
Transfer all the points from both accts into HHilton (you can still do the DL ones right now, but they are soon pulling out, I think) and you will rack up a good 50k in HH program. That's a few nights if you need accom.
If not, find a family member or friend who would gladly trade the use of your hotel stays that you can arrange for THEM, for an airline ticket or two that THEY can possibly arrange for YOU!
I once used one of my miles award ticket for a skiing friend of mine who paid me back by buying lift passes, dinners, accomodations, and ski rentals for a whole week in Tahoe. SO we both won and got what we wanted.
good luck! Avoid bears.
------------------
If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!