Yesterday, One Mile at a Time and Live and Let's Fly reported on a worrying new restriction on redeeming Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles.
Alaska discontinued allowing members to redeem their points for rewards on the majority of their airline partners for close-in travel. They just did not display the reward space that was made available for anything within three days of booking.
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This
is a new restriction on the award seats offered by the partner airlines.
Alaska
Airlines members could not book award seats that were available and bookable by
all other partners because they were too near to travel.
For example, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific awards, which can be bought using points from American Airlines, British Airways, and others, cannot be booked using Alaska miles.
Alaska reservations representatives stated that it is policy not to allow booking of these awards, even if the space is available on partner airlines. When I searched, it didn't appear to apply to American Airlines or Qatar Airways.
This is a significant thing on multiple levels
- Miles might be particularly useful for last-minute travel, where fares are frequently the highest.
- On some airlines, the best availability can be obtained close to departure, when the airline knows which seats will go unsold.
- Many users buy flights to secure a trip and then strive to improve it when more favorable routes become available closer to the trip date.
It's far worse than that, because it also prevents passengers from finding a new means to return home while they're abroad. They need to adjust their itinerary, possibly becoming trapped due to flight cancellations or illness, and they turn to the miles in their reward club for assistance. So they have to sit for a few more days? What if they're attempting to use their points to escape a country that has suddenly turned dangerous?
I've been trying to figure out what was going on here for more than a day. Fortunately, Alaska Airlines said the ban will be eliminated within a few days. An airline spokesperson informs me,
Clearly, this restriction is in response to some fraud issues that must be addressed. People use miles to schedule last-minute trips, hoping to finish the journey using stolen or sold miles before being caught.
However, this is an extremely blunt tool that damages the membership as a whole. There are typically far more targeted techniques. For example, concentrate on the accounts most likely to engage in fraud or the channels most vulnerable to fraud. Focus on China (either by travel to and from China, Africa, or stories headquartered there). Exempt elites and co-brand cardholders!
It's encouraging to learn that Alaska Airlines believes this restriction is only temporary and intends to lift it.
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