This week, we’ve seen that American Airlines is now restricting nonstop award space booked via partners, but on top of that, it appears that Alaska Airlines is also now charging more miles for close-in bookings on AA.
Alaska Airlines Atmos Now Charging More Miles For American Airlines Awards
Earlier this week, we saw American Airlines restrict nonstop awards booked via partners within one week of travel. Space that widely was available in such programs as the Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards and British Airways Cub were suddenly unavailable. In its own AAdvantage award program, American added a surcharge of 2-5K miles for these close-in bookings.
But beyond those restrictions of saver space, it appears that Alaska Airlines has also raised prices on AA domestic awards.
I was looking at a last-minute booking on Thursday for Chicago (ORD) – Palm Springs (PSP) via Phoenix (PHX). The price was 15K miles for economy class and 35K miles for business class.
Today, the same ticket is 22.5K miles for economy class and 45K miles for business class, a 50% price increase for economy class awards and 29% increase for business class awards.
It’d be one thing if Alaska Airlines had access to additional award space and charged a premium for it, but this is formerly “saver” space that just went up in price with no notice.
How disappointing…
It appears that nonstop saver space (now only bookable seven days in advance or more) remains 12.5K miles for economy class and 25K for business class.
We’re seeing a lot of inflation in award chart pricing, which is bad, but at least not the sort of restrictions that Lufthansa Miles & More has introduced across the Atlantic. Alaska awards are still fully refundable minus the small partner booking fee. I hope they stay that way…
CONCLUSION
Alaska Airlines appears to have devalued AA awards without notice, now charging up to 50% more for domestic awards than it did last week. Coupled with American’s new restrictions on releasing nonstop award space to partners, your Alaska miles are suddenly less valuable today than they were last week.
I’m just doing some spot checks, and there might be some truth in what you posted, BUT at the same time some routes are still the same (starting at 4.5k points). However, the 12.5k point US domestic longer-haul flights are getting harder and harder to come by.
Then again, I assume there are only so many AA partner flights allocated for mileage purchases, so I’m not surprised it is getting harder to find the 12.k US domestic longer-haul flights.
The route I frequently book for a family member for 4.5k continues to have availability at the same rate, so as John L says, it isn’t every route that has increased in price.
These new rates bring American awards booked through Atmos on the routes that went up to be in line with United saver redemption rates for elite status members that have a United cobrand credit card on domestic routes.
Until the last couple of years, Alaska’s Mileage Plan made international award flights on BA readily available – albeit at a high ‘fuel surcharge’ levied by the British carrier. To obtain a F seat on BA across the pond, or across the world, cost 80,000 miles plus a surcharge of up to $1,000 (Business Class was $70,000 and $600). Now F seats have disappeared altogether, and C is available mainly on Qatar for 255,000 or Condor for 400,000!! Now the so-called Atmos program has become At Least!
For aviation enthusiasts → The AA aircraft (N748UW) featured in the article is an A319-100 (age: 25.8 years). It is currently waiting to depart from the gate for its IND – PHL flight.
American Airlines and Alaska Air’s moves these last several days with their award seat pricing and availability has been a disappointment. I was going to get some people to sign up for AA and AS credit cards, but I put a hold on recommending opening up the credit card accounts because of these changes and the uncertainty of what follows.