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UPDATED: No pets allowed on Airbus planes in First or Row 3
If you’ve been following along with the Alaska/Virgin merger then you know that Virgin as a brand is, well, no more. However, their planes are still continuing to fly, Elites can now be upgraded on them ( wahoo!), and while I’ve been generally very positive about the integration, there is something to be aware of when traveling with a pet. The integration of their systems has caused some issues, mainly because they are operating two different airplane manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, and Airbus doesn’t pressurize its cargo hold. I recently ran into the problems on a trip to D.C.
Phone
A couple of weeks prior to departure I had confirmed I’d be flying with a pet, added her to the reservation, and thought everything was fine. Then the night before, I’d called into to see if I could execute a same day flight change ( elites are allowed to do this at 10pm). While checking, the rep said he would have to ask because of my in-cabin pet. He then asked me if my pet was only supposed to fly one way. I said no, she should be on the itinerary in both directions. Unfortunately my same day change couldn’t be executed, but he did assure me that she was on both directions.
Check in
At check in I was given my boarding pass and upgrade. No mention of a pet. Great if for some reason I wasn’t being charged the $100 fee, not good if she had been removed.
I inquired.
The rep didn’t have my pet on the reservation, but when she dug into it, she found that she was in the notes. She phoned in to ask what to do. For some reason, although noted, it wasn’t prompting her to process it. Additionally, she said that the pet was confirmed in the opposite direction. Huh? So what’s going on?
2 days prior on Airbus aircraft to add a pet. Only in cabin.
She said that they had been having issues processing pets. Because of the different aircraft in operation, the system was having issues adding pets to itineraries. In fact, all the Alaska flights operated by Airbus aircraft now require that you add a pet two days in advance. Even if there is space available in cabin on the aircraft, it wouldn’t be possible at check-in. Whether in practice this is 100% the case, I’d be well aware of that and plan accordingly.
Also…be very aware that if you’re planning on putting your pet underneath, you need an all Boeing itinerary.
Flying on Airbus as an Elite:
I recently flew and was not only stripped from the upgrade list, but also bumped from Main Cabin Select ( row 3, which offers free food and drink) because pets can not be accommodated there. This is something that needs to be more clearly relayed to Alaska elites. I was never informed of either complication, not even at check-in. I was just merely bumped to row 25, a non reclining seat next to the bathroom.
My recommendation
If you can, call in well in advance, but make sure that your pet is 100% on the record if you’re flying an Airbus plane. If you’re worried, call in, or ask via Twitter, about your pet being noted on your record to double check. Also, realize that you are negating any chance of an upgrade if you fly on an Airbus, as well as sitting in Main Cabin Select if you have a pet on your itin.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
$300 Chase Travel℠ Credit + Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- $300 Chase Travel℠ Credit + Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases within your first year
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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