Brendan Dorsey shares leaked details of an announcement expected today by Alaska Airlines about the elite benefits that are coming for travel on Virgin America.
Virgin America will ultimately adopt the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program, but in the meantime they’re moving the two airlines and programs gradually closer together. You can link Virgin and Alaska accounts, move points, and Virgin America elites get Alaska Airlines status.
Alaska Airlines elites traveling on Virgin America have thus far received only priority check-in and boarding. However what they’re phasing in appears to be as follows:
Coming Spring 2017:
2 free checked bags
Coming Late Summer 2017:
Complimentary access to preferred Main Cabin seating
Eligibility for Main Cabin select upgrades
An advance purchase window to buy first-class upgrades
It’s a move towards having Alaska elites treated similarly to Virgin elites on Virgin metal. Virgin does not offer complimentary upgrades to its own elites. Eventually the paid upgrade model for elites will presumably go away once Virgin America Elevate folds into Mileage Plan.
Virgin America ‘Legally High’
I believe VX offers comped upgrades to MCS from Main Cabin for its Elite. There are no upgrades to First Class.
Gary, you can convert Virgin American Elevate points into Alaska Airline Mileage Plan points – but not the other way around.
Being an elite on Alaska gives you little reason to fly on Virgin when AA or Delta compete on the same route. Usually the fares are the same, but on AA or Delta you get better seats and free luggage at no additional cost. On Virgin, I get a middle seat in the back of the plane even though I am a Gold 75K. They should have had elite members of Alaska be able to do a status match on Virgin. Can’t imagine there would have been any technological issues with that. It seems like Alaska is more interested in not losing the Virgin passengers, as opposed to providing its own members a better product.