Redeem Alaska Airlines Miles On Icelandair Now!

Back in September, Alaska Airlines and Icelandair announced a resumption of their codeshare and frequent flyer partnership, including reciprocal miles-earning (redeemable and elite-qualifying) and lounge access for elite members at their respective hubs. In terms of redeeming miles, both Alaska and Icelandair stated that this functionality would be available by "late 2015". Well, it looks like that day is officially here.

Starting today, Mileage Plan members can redeem miles for Icelandair flights directly on the Alaska Airlines website. The Icelandair partner award chart has also been posted (see below). Upon first glance, mileage costs appear to be quite fair, with round-trip flights between North America and Iceland starting at just 45,000 miles. This, compared to most programs which charge the typical 60,000 miles since Iceland is usually lumped in with Europe.

However, on second glance, you'll notice that Alaska is now charging different amounts based on "Low", "Medium", and "High" availability of economy class awards, which appears to be a first among partner airlines. On the other hand, business class awards still only have one level of pricing. Notice that you can also fly Icelandair between North America and Europe, and that would include a stopover in Iceland for no additional charge. At 55,000 miles round-trip at the "Low" level, that's quite a bargain.

On the flip side, Icelandair has also released their award chart for flights on Alaska Airlines. Bottom line is, it doesn't look great:

Note that Icelandair has a fairly extensive network in North America, with flights to JFK, EWR, IAH, BOS, MCO, ORD, MSP, DEN, SEA, PDX, ANC, YYZ, YVR, YEG, amongst others. Some routes may be seasonal, so be sure to check the appropriate dates.

I did some preliminary searches using Alaska's website, and "Low" availability doesn't look great, especially during the peak summer months. I do see more availability after Labor Day weekend in September, however. Another strange thing I noticed was that often times, direct flights to/from Iceland were pricing out at the "Medium" or "High" levels, but pick a flight with inconvenient layovers and additional segments on Alaska, and the price sometimes drops to the "Low" level - even if the same direct flight to/from Iceland is included in the itinerary.

For example, I saw SEA-KEF flights pricing out at 30,000 miles. However, SFO-KEF flight that included the SEA-KEF segment (and also had very inconvenient layovers) were pricing out at 22,500 miles. Play around and you might find some good deals.

Lastly, Alaska appears to be tacking on fuel surcharges both ways. Unlike Delta, which only includes fuel surcharges on flights originating from Europe, Alaska is charging ~$130 outbound to Europe and ~$170 inbound to North America. Total taxes and fees will amount to more than $300! It might be worthwhile to wait and book on WOW air as they continue to expand their North America route network next year.

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - Alaska Airlines 848 Economy Class (LIH-SJC)

***This post is the conclusion to a full trip report. Click here for the index***

After a quick and easy rental car return at Thrifty, I caught the shuttle bus to the airport and was dropped off right in front of the Alaska Airlines check-in area. There was a small line, but the wait was manageable. I paid the $20 baggage fee to check my large backpack and then took it to the agriculture screening area. As I walked over to the security check, I noticed a long line that stretched down the entire length of the terminal as far as the eye could see.

I wasn't too worried since I had about two hours before departure. Still, I wasn't looking forward to a massive wait through security. Luckily, just as I reached the end of the line, an announcement over the loudspeakers indicated that Check Point 2 at the very end of the terminal would be open due to the long waits. I immediately walked over and got through the security check in less than ten minutes.

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - Alaska Airlines 321/873 Economy Class (SJC-SEA-LIH)

***This post is part 2 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

I've written extensively about Alaska Airlines on my previous trip report covering Fairbanks, so I will dispense with some of the minor details here. As I mentioned in the introduction, my direct flight from SJC-LIH was canceled a few months prior to departure. In fact, the daily non-stops have been trimmed down to four times weekly since the first of May. My itinerary was then rerouted through SEA, which added a couple of hours to the journey, but it wasn't a huge deal in the end.

Terminal B at SJC has become like a second home to me these past few months, and I still think it has a very cool and modern vibe to it. Unfortunately, I had an issue with checking in online, so I arrived at the airport before 5:15 am, hoping to get my large backpack checked in and print out my boarding pass. At $20 for the first checked bag, Alaska is still slightly cheaper than the other legacy carriers.

As luck would have it, a huge tour group literally swarmed the queue just as I was entering the terminal. What would have probably been a five minute wait turned into more than half an hour. Luckily, I got through with just enough time to spare and made my up to security, where it took no more than ten minutes to arrive airside. I walked over to Gate 27, and within a few minutes, boarding began.

Alaska Airlines 321
Boeing 737-800

San Jose (SJC) - Seattle (SEA)
Wednesday May 1, 2013
Departure: 6:30 AM (scheduled) / 6:21 AM (actual)

Arrival: 8:26 AM (scheduled) / 8:28 AM (actual)

Duration: 1h 56m (scheduled) / 2h 7m (actual)
Seat: 11D (Economy)

It was a light load on our short flight up to Seattle. There were plenty of open seats, and the spot next to me remained empty. Learning from my experience last time, I avoided row 15 because of the non-reclining seats. With a quick and efficient boarding process completed, we departed the gate almost ten minutes ahead of schedule.

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 - Introduction

***This post is part 1 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

The Kalalau Trail along the famed Na Pali Coast on Kauai is consistently named one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, and even the most beautiful coastal hike period. Although I had already been to the island a number of times before, I knew I had to make another journey there just to see Kalalau Beach at the end of the 11-mile trail with my own eyes.

Luckily, armed with a sizable amount of Avios in my British Airways account and also some SPG points, I knew I could make this trip a lot more affordable than the typical traveler. One of the best uses for Avios are domestic short-haul flights on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, since the British Airways award chart is now based on the distance traveled. As such, direct flights from the West Coast to Hawaii actually come at a huge discount when compared to the typical number of miles charged by legacy carriers (25,000 Avios vs. 35,000-45,000 miles).

Alaska Airlines has tons of direct flights to many of the islands from the Bay Area, and since I was booking nearly ten months in advance, I easily found round-trip award space for SJC-LIH. Taxes came out to a whopping $5, and I was even able to convince them to waive the phone fee since Alaska Airlines award flights cannot be booked on the British Airways website.

Unfortunately, one of the hassles of booking so far in advance is the likelihood of schedule changes. And about four months prior to departure, I received an email stating that the direct SJC-LIH flight had been canceled, and I was being rerouted through SEA. Even though this increased my travel time by more than two hours, I didn't really mind, as British Airways didn't charge me more Avios or taxes and fees. Luckily, the LIH-SJC return flight remained unchanged.

For lodging, I used SPG points to book two nights before the hike at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on the north shore, which is relatively close to the Kalalau trailhead. For the two nights after, I booked the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Poipu on the south shore just to experience a different part of the island. Luckily, I did all of this prior to SPG's major Cash & Points devaluation and comparatively minor category changes in March 2013. The Westin moved up to Category 6, while the Sheraton stayed at Category 5.

Most frustrating of all was the inclusion of the dreaded resort and parking fees, along with taxes on the cash portion of the redemption. I'm glad to say that the Westin still doesn't charge a resort fee, but they do have a $13/night parking fee along with taxes. Sheraton charges a $31.25/night resort fee (including parking) along with taxes. Both provide in-room WiFi, thankfully.

Lastly, in order to camp at Kalalau Beach, you must have a permit purchased from the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources website. The cost is $15 for Hawaii residents and $20 for non-residents, along with a $2 online fee. Permits for the Kalalau Trail go fast, especially during the summer high season, so be sure to purchase them far in advance. In all, total out-of-pocket cost for airfare and lodging came out to $422.82.

Kalalau Beach - May 3, 2013

Kauai/Kalalau Trail May 2013 Trip Report

Earlier this month, I took a quick five-day trip to Kauai. The main purpose was to hike the Kalalau Trail along the famous Na Pali Coast. Kalalau has consistently been named one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, and I was very excited to finally be able to see the spectacular scenery in person after wanting to visit for so many years. Although I was slightly nervous about doing the two-day hike on my own, things turned out alright, and I met some great people along the trail. Read on for all the details:

• Introduction
• Alaska Airlines 321/873 Economy Class (SJC → SEA → LIH)
• The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
• The Kalalau Trail
• Sheraton Kauai Resort
• Exploring Kauai
• Alaska Airlines 848 Economy Class (LIH → SJC)

The Northern Lights March 2013 - Alaska Airlines 182/88/328 Economy Class (FAI-ANC-SEA-SJC)

***This post is the conclusion to a full trip report. The index can be found here***

I left for the airport around 6:00 am and arrived while the sky was still pitch black. Returning the car to Alamo was a quick and easy process: simply park the car in the lot right in front of the terminal and drop off your keys inside at the rental car counter. With no baggage to check, I just had to reprint my boarding pass and head through the security screening, which was virtually empty.

Fairbanks Airport is small, but beautifully designed. Airside reminded me of a rustic ski lodge, with plenty of wood beams and hardwood floors. There were a couple of fast dining options just past security. After a brief wait at the gate, boarding commenced slightly early at 7:30 am. I could tell it would be a fairly empty flight going to Anchorage.

The Northern Lights March 2013 - Alaska Airlines 317/99/51 Economy Class (SJC-SEA-ANC-FAI)

***This post is part 2 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

Ticket prices to Fairbanks from the contiguous United States routinely top $700-$800 during the high season. As such, it remains one of the most lucrative award redemptions within North America. At only 25,000 miles round-trip, it is possible to get more than $0.03 per mile, which is about as good as it gets in economy.

While many U.S. airlines fly to Anchorage, most operate only during the summer months, with the exceptions being Delta from MSP, United from DEN and SEA, and US Airways from PHX. Your best bet is still Alaska Airlines, which flies year-round from ORD, PDX, SEA, and HNL. Getting into Fairbanks is somewhat more difficult, since only Alaska Airlines maintains a regular year-round service to the contiguous United States via SEA. Otherwise, there are plenty of daily non-stops from ANC.

Award seats were difficult to find for the dates I wanted in March, most likely due to the large number of tourists who flock there to see the northern lights during that month. Eventually, I was able to secure my booking from SJC to FAI via SEA and ANC. Not quite the ideal routing, but I was just glad I was able to travel to Fairbanks for only $10.00 in taxes and fees total!

Alaska Airlines departs from Terminal B at San Jose International Airport. I love traveling through this terminal as it is still fairly new and has many of the latest airport amenities for travelers, like power ports at virtually all the departure gate seats. Security always seems to be a breeze, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops for travelers airside.

Terminal B at SJC

The Northern Lights March 2013 - Introduction

***This post is part 1 of a full trip report. The index can be found here***

The northern lights is an often-referred-to item on people's bucket lists. The idea of seeing a canvas of glowing lights dance across the Arctic sky certainly stirs the imagination, and a quick image search on Google shows exactly why just about everyone wants to witness the phenomenon at least once in their lives.

If you really want to see the lights at its peak, you should wait until the 11-year solar cycle hits a maximum amplitude. The good news is that we are currently in the midst of a maximum this very year. The bad news, however, is that even with everything we know about our sun, it is still impossible to accurately predict beyond a few days when a solar flare will occur, triggering a brilliant display of aurora activity. Mix in weather uncertainties, and it is never a guarantee that you will actually see the lights.

With that in mind, there are a few general guidelines that should persuade you to book your itinerary on certain dates. Historical data suggests that March and September are the best months to see aurora activity, at least in Alaska. Those months combine the dark skies of winter with milder temperatures that are slightly more comfortable for travelers. In addition, check a lunar phase calendar to see when a new moon will occur, as the darker the sky, the better.

Taking all of the above into account, I decided on March 9-12 as my travel dates, and checked award seat availability on Alaska Airlines. I did this more than seven months in advance, knowing that it would be a very popular time for tourists. Unfortunately, even that far in advance, the best flights (one-stop from the Bay Area via PDX or SEA) were mostly unavailable.

I eventually settled on a two-stop itinerary from SJC to FAI and back via SEA and ANC. It was a bit of a trek, but thankfully the times were good and the layovers short. Total taxes and fees came out to only $10, along with 25,000 American Airlines miles. One of the great things about the AAdvantage program is the ability to make date and time changes without incurring any fees (as long as you keep the same origin and destination). Over the next few months, I tweaked my itinerary slightly as award seats on more convenient flights opened up.

For lodging, I initially focused on the usual chain hotels. There is a very highly rated Hampton Inn in Fairbanks, as well as a Holiday Inn Express and SpringHill Suites. However, since I was traveling on my own, I couldn't justify the expense of booking a room all to myself, even using points. Luckily, I came across Billie's Backpackers Hostel on TripAdvisor, which turned out to be one of the best parts of the entire trip. I will discuss all the details in a full review later in this report.

If you really want to see the northern lights without the light pollution and tourists, you should definitely rent a car and get out of the Fairbanks city limits. It may be a little scary driving along a frozen road in complete darkness, but trust me, the reward of having the entire aurora to yourself out in the middle of nowhere is more than worth it. Despite a relatively low amount of solar activity while I was there, the dancing lights still put on a spectacular show in the horizon. It was a sight I will never forget.

Aurora Borealis from the Steese Highway - March 12, 2013

The Northern Lights March 2013 Trip Report

In mid-March, I took a quick three-day trip to Fairbanks, Alaska. The entire purpose of going there was to catch the northern lights. Despite lower than expected solar activity during the beginning of the month, I was lucky enough to see some amazing displays two out of the three nights. I will share more details about planning and booking the trip in the introduction, but needless to say, it took a bit of flying to get into central Alaska. It also took a little extra preparation to face the below-freezing temperatures, especially for a California guy like me! Read on for all the details:

• Introduction
• Alaska Airlines 317/99/51 Economy Class (SJC→SEA→ANC→FAI)
• Billie's Backpackers Hostel Fairbanks
• Exploring Fairbanks
• The Northern Lights
• Alaska Airlines 182/88/328 Economy Class (FAI→ANC→SEA→SJC)

Earn Double American Airlines AAdvantage Miles On Select Alaska Airlines Routes

Between April 16 and June 30, 2012, you can earn double American Airlines AAdvantage miles when flying on the following non-stop Alaska Airlines routes:

• Burbank, CA - Portland, OR
• Honolulu, HI - Oakland, CA
• Honolulu, HI - San Jose, CA
• Kansas City, MO - Seattle, WA
• Los Angeles, CA - Mammoth Lakes, CA
• Oakland, CA - Portland, OR
• Ontario, CA - Portland, OR
• Portland, OR - San Francisco, CA

For the above routes, travel on codeshare flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Alaska Airlines is also eligible (booked under the American Airlines flight number). Bonus miles do not count towards elite status qualification or Million Miler status. Double miles will be calculated at 100% of the base miles earned. You must register prior to traveling:

Up To 30% Off Alaska Airlines Award Flights

I received an email regarding this offer more than a week ago, but haven't been able to post about it since I've been in New Zealand (apparently free WiFi is not very prevalent here). Alaska Airlines is running a great winter promotion right now, offering up to 30% off the amount of miles needed to book an award ticket. The best part is, even flights to Mexico and Hawaii are included, although the discount is at a lower rate.

The offer is only valid on Alaska Airlines-operated non-stop flights, and can be booked as a one-way or round-trip. West Coast flights are discounted 30% (8,700 miles each way), flights to Mexico are discounted 25% (13,000 each way), and flights to Hawaii are discounted 20% (16,000 miles each way). Award tickets must be purchased between December 20, 2011 and January 10, 2012, and travel is valid between January 8 and March 7, 2012.

Seats appear to be limited, so book soon before they are all gone!

American Airlines Award Search Engine Now Displaying Alaska Airlines Flights

Since November 11, 2011, the American Airlines award search engine has started to display Alaska Airlines award availability. This is great news since before this change happened, you had to call in to use your AA miles on Alaska Airlines flights, meaning an extra $25 per ticket issued over the phone. Now, you can directly search for and book your Alaska Airlines award tickets on AA.com without any additional booking fees. You can also continue to hold award seats for 5 days. Hopefully, this is a precursor to AA.com finally displaying some OneWorld partner award seats as well... though I'm not holding my breath.

In addition, if you still have some British Airways Avios points left after the devaluation on November 16, this is a great way to search for Alaska Airlines award seats since they are also a partner airline. BA's website currently does not display Alaska Airlines award seats in their search engine, so you will still need to call in to do the actual booking. But using the AA website, you can now see exactly which Alaska Airlines flights has partner award seats available before calling in, so you can plan out your itinerary accordingly. BA's award program has become distance-based now, so using your Avios points to book Alaska Airlines award flights might actually be quite a bit cheaper than using your AAdvantage or Mileage Plan miles!

Alaska Airlines 40,000 Visa Signature Card

Related to yesterday's post about Alaska Airlines' Northern California promotion, if you currently don't have an Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card, now is the best time to apply. They have been offering 25,000 bonus miles on this card for years now, and this is the first time that have bumped up that bonus to 40,000 miles upon approval - no spend threshold required! Although it is not specified on the application page, word of mouth suggests this offer will expire on July 30, 2011.

There are some great perks associated with this card in addition to the 40,000 bonus miles. Upon approval and annually, you will receive a $99 companion ticket that can be used on any published fare - even first class. This in itself can pay for the annual fee. Also upon approval, you will receive two Alaska Airlines Board Room lounge passes that can be used at select airports with an Alaska lounge presence.

A couple of caveats regarding this promotion to keep an eye out for:

• This offer was originally targeted via email to certain individuals. However, there was no individually specific offer code to enter, so it does look like it's open to everyone. Anecdotal evidence on Flyertalk suggests that that's the case as well.

• The annual fee is NOT waived for the first year. Bank of America has a habit of never waiving the annual fee, and in this case it is $75 per year for the Visa Signature card.

• In addition to the annual fee, Bank of America also has a bad habit of sometimes automatically downgrading an application to a lower-level card that offers significantly less benefits. For example, if I apply for the Visa Signature card, BofA may deem me "not qualified enough" for that card, but instead of an outright rejection, they will send me their Platinum Plus card, or even their Preferred card, which offers only 6,000 and 4,000 bonus miles, respectively. Definitely frustrating and not worth it in those cases. However, if you have excellent credit and high income, you should have no problem getting the Visa Signature card.

• Bank of America will hit two credit bureaus instead of just one. If you have been applying for a lot of credit cards lately, be aware of this.

I don't have much experience redeeming miles with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, but just briefly glancing at their award chart, it actually looks extremely reasonable. And like I mentioned yesterday, Alaska partners with numerous airlines on all three global alliances, so your miles can take you quite far. One Mile At A Time offers some good advice on how to use Alaska miles.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Promotion For Northern California

This promotion actually started the beginning of May prior to my blog so I forgot to mention it, but there is still a lot of time left. If you reside in Northern California, specifically in the zip codes that begin with 923, 932, or 934-961, and are not a member of Alaska Airline's Mileage Plan, now is the time to sign up.

Enroll from this link and they will automatically start you off with 500 miles. And from now until October 1, 2011, new members who book and fly an Alaska Airlines roundtrip flight from Northern California to Hawaii will receive 25,000 bonus miles (That's already enough for another roundtrip award flight anywhere in the Continental US). New members who book an Alaska Airlines roundtrip flight from Northern California to anywhere else Alaska flies will receive 12,500 bonus miles. See terms and conditions in the link for details.

Alaska Airlines is trying to heavily promote it's Bay Area presence through this offer, and I would definitely try to take advantage of it. Bonus miles can only be earned once. Mileage Plan miles are actually quite versatile because even though Alaska does not belong to any major alliance, they have partnered with a number of global airlines, and you can redeem through them. Partners include Cathay Pacific, KLM, Delta, Air France, Korean Air, LAN, American Airlines, British Airways, and Qantas.