Alaska Airlines has long punched about its weight when it comes to its loyalty program. I’d argue that a large part of this comes down to the carrier’s huge array of airline partners, even beyond its participation in the oneworld alliance (which only started in 2021).
Continue reading: Alaska Airlines & Singapore Airlines Partnership Massively Scaled Back
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Note also that Singapore Airlines is currently using Delta as a domestic connection partner in the USA.
Not sure this is much of a loss, honestly. Singapore never gave Alaska much inventory, and it was nearly impossible to book Alaska Airlines flights using the KrisFlyer program (you could only do it over the phone, and you had to tell agents exactly how to do it in their own system because the process differed from award bookings on every other carrier). I have to assume that Alaska was also frustrated by the arrangement, because reciprocal bookings lower the cost of partnerships.
Don't forget about my followup email. The LATAM partnership is also coming to an end with the same timeframe.
SQ has seen really great success on its SEA-SIN route, increasing frequencies to 5x weekly and seeing extremely high loads and fares.
Perhaps it was just no longer necessary for them to keep Alaska around.
I expect Alaska to lose more partners as it comes to terms with its longhaul ambitions. I'm the past, it was ok for Alaska to partner with any airline since all it did was feed, now they are becoming a full fledged competitor.
I expect to see Korean Air dropped soon as well.
So Singapore and LATAM are saying bye bye. Alaska miles are becoming more useless everyday unless you fly American domestic routes. I can book Qatar for 70K with Avios or American. Alaska on the other hand wants to charge me 215K. LOL.
While SQ is still on the Atmos airlines partners page, LATAM is now no where to be found. Something I expect to happen sooner or later given Delta's JV with LATAM, but still, such a sweet spot to South America now completely gone.
That's just an interline, and it's nothing new, they've been doing that since the early 1990s
Krisflyer rivals Skymiles as one of the absolute worst programs out there, particularly for those not on Singapore metal.
This isn't going to do it any favors for North American customers, who already can't redeem for business class over the Pacific worth a damn, and are more subject to the ridiculously-constructed wait-list procedures than arguably anyone else.
Sad to see. But I hope they at least increase their cooperation with United, to help with this.
CX yes, PR no. PR is arguably the worst airline in the world, and MNL the world's worst airport.
Nothing like shilling the Atmos credit cards for weeks, and then have Alaska immediately reduce value of the entire program with cutting partners.
So today when searching SFO-SIN on SQ website, routing SFO-LAX-SIN often comes up cheaper and SFO-LAX is booked on AS. Will this be changibg to UA now?
It's important to note that the AS-SQ partnership started way before AS joined oneworld
I’d just be happy if the thought of Alaska doing this prompts DL to restore their own service to SIN rather than the KE connections and their mediocre intra-Asia product
If DL wanted to launch SIN service from SEA, they would have done it by now.
They are undoubtedly waiting for the A350-1000 and will launch LAX-SIN which could very likely also do JFK-SIN based on rumors of a configuration of about 315 passengers.
SQ doesn't have the 35K on order and the 777-9 cannot do LAX-SIN; UA might try to fly LAX-SIN with a 225 seat 789 but their costs will be much higher than DL's.
DL can start LAX-SIN on its schedule.
Given China is zero growth, AS' options to start service to big cities in Asia comes down to HKG and SIN plus whatever they want to try to do in the smaller SE Asia markets.
I'm not sure that AS will have more than 4 or 5 daily flights to E. Asia, probably SYD, and several cities in Europe.
For its own metal, Krisflyer is a pretty good program. I got 4 tickets in J on SEA-SIN-BKK for next summer.
Not many other programs where I can find 4 business class seats to Southeast Asia these days!
I also don't know if this is a total loss as I have never been able to find saver level availability on the old AS program, and for that matter nothing on the Aeroplan either.
As of late SQ has been cozying up with its *A Partners, and this is the career that is least loyal to the alliance. Today, if im not mistaken is the first day of the SQ/NH JV. They have one with the LH group, they had one with SK (I believe before SK left star.) I wonder if this foreshadows that SQ now may be more interested in forming more meaningful relationships with fellow alliance members. Joining forces with UA would be a win for both, but both carriers cater to different market segments. However, I can see this being very beneficial for UA and deepening of the South Asia Connections. For SQ there could be meaningful connectivity to the South/Southeast of USA (IAD, Florida, Texas, ATL metros, and one-stop options to Latin America.)
I wonder if I can credit an existing Singapore award booking via Aeroplan to Atmos…hmm. Would be nice for status with Atmos. Probably not?
That’s a shame. There used to be quite a bit of akl-sin award space. I used that route a couple of times.
That’s a shame. There used to be quite a bit of akl-sin award space. I used that route a couple of times.
I don't think AS cut partners. I think they were themselves cut by SQ and LATAM. DL owns a large stake in LATAM so that one is not surprising. SQ's reasons may be a bit murkier.
To your point, though, when did AS know about these upcoming changes vs. their announcement and the launch of the ATMOS Summit credit card?
In trying to figure out why SQ is likely forcing an end to its AS reciprocal agreement, I doubt it's because AS is considering SEA-SIN service. I doubt AS or DL would do well on that route if going head to head against SQ. SQ operates the route 5 days weekly. It is currently the longest route from SEA and neither AS or DL could offer the same level of in-flight service as SQ--and it would be disastrous to compete on price on such a long route. And who else can offer the range of onward connectivity from SIN that SQ does?
I would be very surprised to see AS fly SEA-SIN. Ditto for DL. In terms of onboard service for a very long flight (SEA's longest currently), I would much rather fly SQ, which offers 5 weekly flights on the route.
Who knows where else AS will eventually fly from SEA but SQ's decision may be more about nonstops yo other destinations SQ serves with 1-stop service.
Because -again- it's just an interline. One that'd been in place for more than a decade before Star Alliance ever existed.
you explained why the economics are not favorable for AS.
They spent a lot of money buying loyalty via other airline programs. They cannot afford to do that while trying to buy loyalty via Atmos which is designed to build AS' own longhaul international network.
Both airlines have a long-standing interline with Singapore, and there's no evidence of that changing for Alaska, so connectivity isn't much of a factor there.
@Lucky I booked a flight earlier this user using Singapore miles to fly business from SFO to SIN on November 3rd. Do you think I could add my alaska atmos number to this reservation now and earn status miles with Alaska for this reservation? I'm guessing you only earn status points if you booked using Alaska miles (which I didn't) but it would be awesome if I can double dip a little on this long flight and nudge myself closer to the next status tier.
"an interline an agreement"?
There was a Reddit post that speculated AS would launch SEA-SIN, but that would likely be beyond the range of their fleet, except maybe for the 787-9s.
I think instead AS will join the AA-JAL Transpacific JV.
Ah, yes, the old Global Excellence Alliance of Delta, Singapore, Swiss, Austrian and Sabena. I once got routed through Cincinnati and Brussels, the most second rate cities on 2 continents.
That's unfortunate. They had wide-open 25k J awards for TPE-SIN-CGK/DPS (in both directions). Was planning to book one for next September.
I’m making my third trip on Singapore Airlines early 2026. It was nice to get two free tickets via the miles. I got going to Singapore. I guess I’ll lose out on this third trip.