Alaska Airlines Flight Pass subscriptions now have a limited-time promotion for elite status with certain plans purchased through November 30.
With the subscription service you’re prepaying for flights, there are restrictions, and fares especially at the standard pass offering can be a great deal – but Alaska comes out ahead by locking you in, and because there’s likely quite a bit of breakage (flight credits that go unused).
What I’m interested in, though, and what’s new is the elite status offer for all but the most basic plans at both the Flight Pass and Flight Pass Pro levels. The cheaper Flight Pass comes with MVP status. Meh. But MVP Gold, which is oneworld Sapphire, is available with Flight Pass Pro:
With these packages you can buy flights for just one cent apiece using the credits you receive each month, plus taxes and fees (~ $14.60). However there are designated high demand flights that cost an additional $100. You must book roundtrips, not one ways, and you must use a credit during the month in which it is issued – meaning making the booking, not actual travel, when can be for up to 90 days in the future.
The Flight Pass is valid for non-stop flights in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah:
These packages are locked in for 12 month terms, and they auto-renew if not cancelled. With Flight Pass Pro you’re paying a little over $400 per roundtrip all-in (not including high demand flights which run an extra $100), which isn’t cheap but you’re allowed to book travel up to two hours prior to departure. And you can only credit the miles from these flights to Alaska own Mileage Plan program.
Still, there are people making great use of this. Those people are probably already heavy West Coast flyers, and indeed Alaska flyers on Alaska routes, and they probably already have status. But there are some of you on the West Coast that will value this – and value buying status.
Not valid in Texas, eh.
They lock you in on Alaska metal. Sometimes the better option might be on Southwest or United if you are based in California. However, as a One-World sapphire with AA, I have been upgraded more often on Alaska than AA.
There once was a time when status met something on Alaska that was before Ben. I think having to add status to get people to buy into what is already a pretty good deal raise eyebrows. What else with they do next.
If you calculate, you’ll see that 24 round trips a year makes you almost a Gold just based on segments.
People making 24 trips a year in this restricted plan coverage probably fly much more on destinations outside of this plan and are certainly gold or more already.
So it is really an incentive bonus for people starting in the middle of the year on the plan for their first year.
$5-9 grand per year for MVP-G status seems a bit pricey. If you are flying that much short haul out west you are more likely to be flying WN which offers better frequency plus companion pass perk and with no hefty contract or restrictive terms.