Award Costs Increase on 1 August 2007
May 16, 2007, 5:17 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: ANC
Programs: AS MVPG 75K, UA 2P
Posts: 1,453
Award Costs Increase on 1 August 2007
A new AS Mileage Plan "Enhancement": good bye 20K saver award.
The 20K award will only be available on-line, but what about awards that can't be booked on-line? Talk to us, ASers!
Amusingly, this news came to me in an email headlined "75th Anniversary Gold Letter". If this is AS' idea of a anniversary present, one shudders to think what they'd be doing to us if they weren't celebrating...
The 20K award will only be available on-line, but what about awards that can't be booked on-line? Talk to us, ASers!
Amusingly, this news came to me in an email headlined "75th Anniversary Gold Letter". If this is AS' idea of a anniversary present, one shudders to think what they'd be doing to us if they weren't celebrating...
Last edited by BillScann; May 16, 2007 at 5:25 pm Reason: added info
May 16, 2007, 5:27 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Fairbanks, AK
Programs: AS MVPG 75K, AAdvantage, Miles & More, HHonors, Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 160
A new AS Mileage Plan "Enhancement": good bye 20K saver award.
The 20K award will only be available on-line, but what about awards that can't be booked on-line? Talk to us, ASers!
The 20K award will only be available on-line, but what about awards that can't be booked on-line? Talk to us, ASers!
Ouch! I hope this is not indicative of a bad trend...At least most of us use the online website. Maybe they're trying to encourage more people to do that instead of clogging the phone lines? As long as they continue to improve the online features, I guess I'm not too worried...I'm glad there is still the availability online:"You will be happy to know that we are retaining our industry-leading 20,000 mile round-trip domestic award level, as well as the rest of our current award structure when you book your award travel online at alaskaair.com."
May 16, 2007, 5:38 pm
#4
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
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May 16, 2007, 5:40 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: UA 1k, AA Plt, MR Lifetime Plat & Amb
Posts: 1,829
A new AS Mileage Plan "Enhancement": good bye 20K saver award.
Hopefully this will have the positive affect of additional awards available but I'm not holding my breath. I see this greatly effecting partner awards.
May 16, 2007, 5:45 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: ANC
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Posts: 1,453
May 16, 2007, 5:46 pm
#8
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Lan Awards aren't going up.
May 16, 2007, 5:48 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: ANC
Programs: AS MVPG 75K, UA 2P
Posts: 1,453
May 16, 2007, 5:57 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SNA
Programs: AA 1MM, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Avis Pres Club, Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 297
Also note the Redemptive Upgrade Change.
Upgrades will now cost 15k each way and will only be available on H class fares and higher.
Good news if you are MVP/G and want to wait out complementary upgrades as there will be fewer people cashing in miles for an upgrade to F.
Bad news for everyone else...
Upgrades will now cost 15k each way and will only be available on H class fares and higher.
Good news if you are MVP/G and want to wait out complementary upgrades as there will be fewer people cashing in miles for an upgrade to F.
Bad news for everyone else...
May 16, 2007, 5:57 pm
#12
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
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I don't have the full list of new award costs, but it appears from the letter, that this only affects Alaska Air award levels. I would imagine that the Peak Award will go up too. Those awards that can currently be booked online for 20K, will still be available for 20K online, despite the award level increase.
Even if Lan did increase..since it was never bookable online, I'm not understanding where you get "punished" for not booking online.
Even if Lan did increase..since it was never bookable online, I'm not understanding where you get "punished" for not booking online.
May 16, 2007, 6:14 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,953
How about partner awards?
Okay... so I have been saving my miles for a BA FC award.... I have them ( 140K) but I can't book until October of this year....should I be trying to save more at this point anticipating an increase?
May 16, 2007, 6:19 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: SEA
Posts: 655
While the LAN case doesn't have merit (at least in the above example), AS has set the precedent of punishing users who cannot book certain tickets online... such as the $10 booking fee using a phone agent regardless.
I guarantee this is just "Phase 1" of a pre-planned process to eliminate 20K awards completely. AS is very good about phasing in negative changes... they smartly do it in baby steps. Once 20K awards are gone, the last incentive to fly AS is gone.... for 25K you might as well start using an airline that has 10x the destinations.
I guarantee this is just "Phase 1" of a pre-planned process to eliminate 20K awards completely. AS is very good about phasing in negative changes... they smartly do it in baby steps. Once 20K awards are gone, the last incentive to fly AS is gone.... for 25K you might as well start using an airline that has 10x the destinations.
May 16, 2007, 7:25 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Programs: AC 75K, Hertz President’s Circle, Accor Gold, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 10,067
NOT cool.
I would be okay with this if the on-line engine was modified to allow stopovers. Currently it only allows open jaws. Otherwise those awards are going up by 5,000 miles or 25%
I would be okay with this if the on-line engine was modified to allow stopovers. Currently it only allows open jaws. Otherwise those awards are going up by 5,000 miles or 25%
