Is Alaska Airlines getting Premium Economy seats? Currently it is one of the few airlines that hasn’t started charging for premium economy seats (with extra legroom and other perks).
According to KUOW (Seattle’s NPR station), Alaska Airlines is planning on testing out a preferred seating program on some flights. During the 1st Quarter Earnings Call (which you can listen to here), Alaska Airlines Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Harrison spoke about the new seats early in the call:
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Last week there was some buzz over a (possible) mistake fare from Dubai (DXB) to Austin, Texas (AUS) on British Airways and partner airlines, all in First Class.
I use the term “mileage run” in the title of this post, but really it is hardly a milage run for two reasons:
Mileage runs are usually cheaper (this one, for me at least, worked out to be 7.4 cents per mile). And having a one way from the middle east is not super helpful.
I learned about the deal while in Disneyland with my nephew and other family members and only had my iPad available to work on the itinerary. I booked through the devil OTA because by the time I was ready to pull the trigger, BA.com had already caught the mistake fare and removed it (but Expedia was still live). I wanted to make sure that all my segments were in First Class (some BA flights from LHR to US cities do not have a First Class, only Business). My ticket has been confirmed and I even was able to choose my seat. Others in the Flyer Talk forum have not been as lucky, no clue why mine ticketed while others have not yet.
Here is why I decided to book this deal:
Mileage run. This is a term that travel hobbyists use frequently that I did not know the full definition of until last week. I know can count myself a member of the elite (or crazy…) who partake in the infamous mileage run! This is the account of my first mileage run.
A mileage run (or MR if you are hip to the lingo) is when you book a flight just for the loyalty points you earn with the airline (or hotel for that matter). Usually this is done when you find an extremely low fare on an airline you like to earn status with.
Living in Seattle, my airline of choice is Alaska. I have been MVP for the past few years, but this year I am aiming for MVP Gold. The benefits of MVP Gold are extensive; most important to me are upgrades to first class and ability to change a flight with no penalty. You must earn 40,000 “elite qualifying miles” (or EQMs), which usually means actual miles flown. Miles you earn through using your Alaska Airlines Visa Card, for example, do not count towards elite status.