I couldn’t believe my eyes when I received an email from Alaska Airlines asking if my Travel Plans are flexible and if I was willing to change my flight to another connection for a $35 credit.
Of course, the only reason why Alaska would offer something like this is because the flight in question is oversold, and they will eventually need volunteers to stay behind, offering them a lot more in credits at the airport compared to this email.
It wouldn’t even occur to me to give Alaska my seat for $35 unless I had booked a connection that isn’t all that great, and my plans changed to the point where the new alternative they offer is actually better for me, and I pocket the $35 on top.
But if Alaska is already soliciting the information that the flight is probably oversold, I’d rather gamble and see what they offer at the airport.
Here is what the email looks like they sent me:
And the alternative flights listed which – be careful – weren’t even all on the same day:
The most interesting thing was that the flights they offered in the list range from one day prior to two days later so for one you should really pay attention to the date and also you have to be quite flexible. If you were looking to change your flight then hey, even better.
The footnote of the email reads:
Offer expires 24 hours after delivery or when maximum number of acceptances is reached, whichever is earliest. Alternate flights are subject to availability at time of acceptance. Offer only available via this email.
Certificates are valid for one year from issue date. Tickets must be purchased prior to expiration date. Certificates cannot be bartered or sold. Any attempt to do so will result in forfeiture of the certificate. Certificates must be redeemed on alaskaair.com.
I wonder how many people are taking Alaska up on this offer. Are $35 really enough to entice people to change their flight, freeing up space on the flight Alaska wants them to? Apparently so.
I’m definitely not going to do it. I did check, however, the loads on the flights offered and my own that I’m currently confirmed on. Alaska is still selling seats on my flights. A lot of seats.
There are only four seats left in First Class, though on my flight, and the other flight options with seven seats or more open in First aren’t available for selection or I might have actually considered it. I guess I’m just taking my chances at this point and hope the status benefits me (or Alaska offers me one of their famous buy-up upgrades).
Conclusion
Alaska Airlines is running a new program where they contact customers booked on certain flights that are most likely oversold and offer them change options to be confirmed on either an earlier or later flight. Other than United, which offers same-day confirmed flight changes irrespective of the status of your own flight, Alaska actually pays you in advance.
If you’re up for the bumping game, you can always go to the airport and see if the agents that day are desperate to bump people, and in that case, vouchers should be plentiful and MUCH higher than $35. Maybe add a zero as a starting point.
I don’t have many options and freedom to take a later flight as I have an Alaska Cruise the next day, but an earlier flight might be in the cards with the right inducements ($$$).