Alaska miles frustration - what are my chances?

I've been planning and plotting and shopping to get enough miles to fly my son and dil-tobe, to Mazatlan next November.

I check the flights daily and was delighted to see the dates and flights I wanted, for 30K each. Unfortunately, my miles don't get credited until today.

Last week the flights of choice were replaced with less desire times. Even the flights of choice aren't being offered in Peak at 60K. But they are available on a purchased flight. And....when checking the seat maps, there are lots of seats still available.

So, savvy travel tuggers, what do you think my chances are that Alaska will release some more of those desired seats so I can snap them up?

Is my best method still checking 2 or 3 times a day?

Thanks all
Diane

If it's for Thanksgiving week, my guess is that you won't see any more award seats made available. As has been noted several times recently on the Alaska forum at FlyerTalk, the airline has tightened up on Saver award tickets over the past six months, especially during peak travel periods. Thus, it's likely that a few seats were made available when the Thanksgiving reservation window opened up and now that those seats are gone, that's all there will be.

If it's for any other November week, you might well see more seats available but it could be sometime in October before that happens.

If it's Thanksgiving week, best is to call and ask if there is anything available that you can't see online, planning to be as flexible as possible with flights and dates. If there isn't anything, you should probably think in terms of eventually buying tickets.

Your other option is to use 15k miles and get the tickets at half price.

Thanks for the replies,
The timeframe is November 10 to 17. I have two companion ticket coupons I can use as well, which would only mean buying 2 tickets.

I will keep watching to see if they release any more, but have the option of the companion tickets as well. (we are using one for ourselves).

Diane

Diane, as Steve suggested, use 15K miles and buy your tickets at half fare. You'll notice the convenient times come back. I had to do this just last week with Alaska, so know exactly how it feels.

If you want to use only miles, your flight choices are limited. Going with the miles+cash option makes it work a lot better.

Good luck!

Dave

Hi
I just did a comparison check and this is what I found:

using the $250 discount = $1039 for two return (plus 30K)
using companion $50 = $ 940 for two return

Both are with the desired flight times.

I'm going to hold off as I can use the companion fare anytime and maybe, just maybe they will release some flights.

Thanks for the suggestions and the help!

Diane

That's a surprise. With my flights, there were many choices available at half price plus miles that weren't there for miles-only. Maybe it's because yours are International flights?

I'd try calling Alaska and talking to someone to see what they can do for you. They're advertising a Fare Sale in the emails they sent me this week, so maybe they have something you can use. Couldn't hurt to try.

Good luck!

Dave

jeepguynw said:

That's a surprise. With my flights, there were many choices available at half price plus miles that weren't there for miles-only. Maybe it's because yours are International flights?

I'd try calling Alaska and talking to someone to see what they can do for you. They're advertising a Fare Sale in the emails they sent me this week, so maybe they have something you can use. Couldn't hurt to try.

Good luck!

Dave

Click to expand...

I don't think International changes anything. I've used the 15k miles option to get to PV, and I've done several other MX fare searches using the 15K option.

I also checked LAX to Mazatlan with miles and came up empty so I don't thing there is any 'International Discrimination' going on. LOL

But....if you'd like to check incase of a doubt...

November 10 is the date we need to fly from Vancouver to Mazatlan, son and dil to be on November 17 Maz to YVR and us two grandparents to be returning November 24.

Thanks again
Diane

me again

On another post, regarding seat availability I discovered the flight of choice has 7 seats available in all classes. Does that mean anything to me and my situation?

Hi Diane,

I'm not sure what sort of schedule you had in mind, but checking Alaska Airlines under my own mileage account just now, I found this flight for two, for 30K miles each:

Departing: AS632 Vancouver (YVR) 12:21 pm Mon, Nov 10 to Los Angeles (LAX) arrive 3:07 pm Mon, Nov 10 Nonstop

Connection: AS218 Los Angeles (LAX) 4:00 pm Mon, Nov 10 Mazatlan (MZT)
7:34 pm Mon, Nov 10 Nonstop

Total: 6 hr 13 min

Return: AS287 Mazatlan (MZT) 2:55 pm Mon, Nov 17 to Los Angeles (LAX)
4:54 pm Mon, Nov 17 Nonstop

Connect: AS207 Los Angeles (LAX) 6:30 pm Mon, Nov 17 to Vancouver (YVR)
9:32 pm Mon, Nov 17 Nonstop

Total: 7 hr 37 min

I don't know how your companion tickets work, so I didn't check those. But this seems like a reasonable flight to me. Yes, you get to Mazatlan in the early evening, but at least you aren't sitting in LAX for hours and hours. And your departure is at noon, which gives you lots of time to get to the airport and such.

Now, have you checked flights out of Seattle, or Bellingham? Might be worth that drive, too.

Hope this helps,
Dave

Thanks for checking Dave.
We lose a full day with an arrival in Maz at 7:34 PM plus we are travelling with a 9 month old. Getting in at 2 ish, is doable, and with any unforseen delays, makes for a smoother transition for the baby.

The flights we want are:
AS206 6:30 am - 9:29 am (YVR to LAX)
AS226 10:40 am - 2:09 pm (LAX to MZT)

AS287 2:55 pm - 4:54 pm (MZT to LAX)
AS207 6:30 pm - 9:32 pm (LAX to YVR)

Guess I'm being too fussy!

Diane

DianeH said:

Thanks for checking Dave.
We lose a full day with an arrival in Maz at 7:34 PM plus we are travelling with a 9 month old. Getting in at 2 ish, is doable, and with any unforseen delays, makes for a smoother transition for the baby.

The flights we want are:
AS206 6:30 am - 9:29 am (YVR to LAX)
AS226 10:40 am - 2:09 pm (LAX to MZT)

AS287 2:55 pm - 4:54 pm (MZT to LAX)
AS207 6:30 pm - 9:32 pm (LAX to YVR)

Guess I'm being too fussy!

Diane

Click to expand...

Have you looked at availability out of SEA??

Diane, here's my last effort...

Out of Seattle, 15K miles and $225.80 plus tax each.

AS472 Seattle (SEA) 6:30 am Mon, Nov 10 to Los Angeles (LAX) 9:07 am Mon, Nov 10 Nonstop

AS226 Los Angeles (LAX) 10:40 am Mon, Nov 10 Mazatlan (MZT) 2:09 pm Mon, Nov 10

Return:

AS287 Mazatlan (MZT) 2:55 pm Mon, Nov 17 Los Angeles (LAX) 4:54 pm Mon, Nov 17 Nonstop

AS519 Los Angeles (LAX) 6:50 pm Mon, Nov 17 Seattle (SEA) 9:25 pm Mon, Nov 17

That's as close as I can see to what you're asking for. Not sure you'll be able to get the perfect flight. But this gets you into MZT at about the time you wanted, and the return flights are similar.

Dave

I tried doing the Seattle to Maz route but those seats are also blocked for the desired time.

I got a bit creative this morning and tried this which will work for the kids as they are coming home on the 17th:
YVR - MZT one way using companion $522
MZT - YVR one way using miles $ 81 plus 30K
Thats pretty good for 2 persons = $603

But I can't get us a flight coming home on the 24th unless I use peak miles (which I won't have enough of).

So, I'll try plan B and call Alaska for some possible assistance.

Last year I was trying to get Mark and I to LAX in September on miles and there was always just one seat available. I kept checking and viola! one morning I found a pair available. It might happen....or it might not!

Diane

Sorry Dave, I meant to reply in my previous post. Thank you for suggesting that route. My comment on the flight time was if I used just miles.

My family is not thrilled with having to drive home from Seattle so I don't think that option will work.

I'll keep to Plan B, and then put this post to rest.

Thanks again for your advice.

Diane

Glad to try and help. I'll be curious to know whether you find anything that works for you.

Alaska's FF plan keeps me jumping: I recently booked tickets for this coming May from Seattle to Las Vegas, and returning to Seattle from San Diego, as a three-legged trip we're doing. (Wyndham Grand Desert in LV first, then Coronado Beach Resort in SD for the second week.) Getting those tickets figured out was a real headache. I ended up with the flights I wanted, but it took some creative searching.

Now, I'm off to plan our October trip to Sedona (Arroyo Roble)...

Have fun!

Dave

Good Luck Dave, I hope it works for you!

Well I spoke to a CSR and he was blunt and said the only way I will get seats is if someone cancels. OK I can accept that. But....then I explained that I saw the flights last week, but had to wait until my Dec/Jan purchases were posted on my mileage account. I am only 400 miles short of 60K. Guess what he said? 'Oh in good faith I'll post those 400 miles on your account today.' So does that mean if I had called Alaska last week and told them I was short but they were coming, that they would have posted them 'in good faith' and I would now be doing the happy dance??

This airline mileage game is much to hard on this grandma-to-be~!

Diane

I feel your pain. But if you'd called last week, they'd probably have said No. At least you're ready to go now. That's a good thing. Hope you get your flights!

BTW, today I booked my flights to Sedona for next October. Alaska FF miles only, BLI to SEA to PHX, then return. 20K miles plus $10 each. I can live with that. And I only need to drive 25 miles to the airport. Very cool.

Now I think I'm done buying airline tickets till our Orlando (Orange Lake River Island) and New Orleans (The Quarter House) trip in Spring 2009. But then there's that two weeks coming up in Hawaii in Fall 2009...

I think I'm getting airsick... LOL! :hysterical:

Dave

I think I've succeeded!

First off, Alaska gave me 400 'customer satisfaction' miles after I called about losing the flights I wanted because my miles hadn't been posted from my credit card in time. I thought that was rather nice.

I transferred Marks aeroplan miles to Alaska miles to give us a few more, using points.com.

I transferred miles from my Alaska account to Marks for $109.

I now have enough miles to fly 4 of us return - YVR to LAX,
and will use our 2 companion tickets to fly the 4 of us LAX to Mazatlan return.

Total cost, including the transfer fee of my miles:

$1460 or $367 each.

I think that warrants a happy dance!

Diane