Alaska Airways Mileage Plan is proscribing companion advantages on award tickets

There’s an attention-grabbing growth, and probably a unfavorable one, to report from Alaska Airways Mileage Plan. Alaska seems to be banning the usage of different packages’ loyalty numbers on award tickets when booked with Alaska Mileage Plan.

Usually, you’ll be able to e-book an award ticket utilizing Alaska Mileage Plan miles after which ask Alaska to vary the loyalty program affiliated with the account to a different Oneworld companion program that you could have higher-tier standing with to obtain these advantages.

Associated: Alaska Airways provides new subscription service Alaska Entry

In my case, for instance, I simply booked a one-way mileage award utilizing my Alaska miles to fly on Japan Airways subsequent winter from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND). I used to be planning to swap out my Alaska Mileage Plan account quantity for my American Airways AAdvantage quantity since I’ve Government Platinum standing on American. Doing so would enable me to make use of advantages like first-class lounge entry since my Government Platinum standing provides me Sapphire standing with Oneworld companions.

Moreover, a better elite standing can unlock advantages like higher baggage allowances and free seat choice.

Nevertheless, in accordance with the brand new phrases and circumstances posted by Alaska (and first reported by LoyaltyLobby), Alaska now explicitly forbids altering the loyalty quantity on award tickets.

Here is the related language:

When redeeming miles for an award ticket from Alaska Mileage Plan account, buyer can not enter one other airline’s frequent flyer quantity and is thus ineligible for advantages from one other program.

This could devalue this system if it seems to be enforced since it might restrict my means to go to first-class lounges just like the unimaginable JAL First Class Lounge at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.

Associated: Alaska Airways Mileage Plan award chart adjustments are actually reside

Day by day Publication

Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day e-newsletter

Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists

As Gary Leff from View from the Wing factors out, American Airways has related guidelines that are not usually enforced. We have reached out to Alaska Airways for remark and can report again after we hear extra.

Backside line

Slowly, I have been transferring away from the Alaska MileagePlan program, and this new rule change is not serving to me discover worth in this system. Not solely did Alaska roll out a brand new award chart and a brand new distance-based construction, however I’ve discovered it is develop into a lot tougher to search out award availability. Plus, costs on award redemptions have jumped considerably, particularly for first- and business-class redemptions (if yow will discover them in any respect), and I’ve discovered this system is not as compelling because it as soon as was.