Alaska Mileage Plan has just launched a unique promotion, offering elite status if you fly to Auckland or Sydney. This is a pretty smart way for Alaska to leverage its loyalty program to increase business for newly acquired Hawaiian.
Continue reading: Alaska Mileage Plan Offering Elite Status For South Pacific Flights
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
This makes sense. The loads on these flights were super light for AKL and SYD.
Alaska seems to be making some very smart moves to better optimize Hawaiian.
Could this be combined with the getaways promotion? And does it apply to award flights
And, in addition to the status offer, makes clear they are more than just “Most West Coast” and reaching Australia & New Zealand and more and more Asia. It’s an attention grabber where attention is needed. Imagining Asia will be next. Most going West from the West Coast.
First, I'll never opt for their a330 with 2-2-2 J setup. Second, I would need to fly home-???-HNL-AKL/SYD. In most all cases ??? offers a n/s to AKL and SYD, with SEA being the exception. Why do that extra leg? Third, I assume I'd lose a day in HNL. I value a day in AKL or SYD much more than a day in HNL, particularly a transit day.
I flew HA from HNL-AKL this past Christmas and the flights were pretty full both ways. 🙂 I imagine not as full outside of those 2-3 weeks, though.
Read the link in the article to the T&Cs. Not valid with saver fares or award tickets.
I can’t find any fares using AS or HA between SFO and AKL using Alaskaair.com or google flights.
People need to stop using anecdotal evidence to say flights are full or not. You're flying at most a few times on this route, when there are hundreds of flights in a year. You are getting a random sample that reflects less than a single percent of the total volume.
The data is out there and the loads are very poor. The loads are averaging 50 to 60%. The whole reason they are doing this promo is to stimulate demand because it's currently low.
They need to stimulate demand somehow. Most Australians (except for red neck fascists in states such as Queensland) have zero intention of visiting Trumpland anytime soon, unless forced to for work.
Lousy Deal.....
1. HA airfares are ridiculously expensive to Australia and New Zealand.
2. AS cut back more than 80% of flights to Hawaii operated by AS metal.
3. Hawaiian Airlines upgrade program totally sucks for AS elite members (You cannot get premium economy at time of booking, Upgrades are only to premium economy, System wide upgrades (only 2/yr) are released only 72 hours before departure.... You cannot get upgraded J class if on a paid economy ticket.....
The inconvenience and cost structure of fares through Hawaii just does NOT make sense.
Until there is a more favorable reciprocal arrangement for AS Elites, they are not going to significantly increase traffic on HA operated flights to/from Mainland USA and to South Pacific