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Alaska Slashing Customer-Friendly Price Guarantee

Aug. 07, 2018
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3 min read
Los Angeles Exteriors And Landmarks - 2017
Alaska Slashing Customer-Friendly Price Guarantee
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Alaska Airlines has long differentiated itself from the other major US carriers through a generous change fee policy, not offering a basic economy product and allowing you to receive a credit if the price of your flight drops. Unfortunately, though, all good things must come to an end. To become more in line with its competitors, in April, Alaska reported a number of (negative) updates, including the introduction of a basic economy product and a tightened change fee policy. Soon, it'll remove its price guarantee.

Tickets issued as of September 1, 2018, will no longer be eligible for Alaska's guaranteed airfare credit. Presently, if you purchase your ticket directly with the airline and then find a lower price on alaskaair.com any time before your departure, you can get the difference back in the form of a travel credit.

While you've always had to track the fares yourself (or set an alert on Google Flights), the process of claiming the credit has been simple. All you have to do is head to the price guarantee page on Alaska's website, input your confirmation code and then the system will tell you if the fare has dropped. Unlike filing a claim for a hotel's best rate guarantee, you don't need to grab screenshots of the lower fares or fill out lengthy forms.

Alaska MVP Gold and Alaska MVP Gold 75K elites will continue to be eligible for free ticket changes, so those customers will be able to rebook their flights without penalties and get the credit for the difference.

This change makes Southwest the last US carrier to offer price drop protection up until departure. Thanks to the carrier's incredibly generous no change fee policy, if the price of a purchased flight drops, you can rebook your flights at the lower rates and be credited the difference. JetBlue also has a lower fare policy where you can get a credit for the difference that’s good for up to one year, but that's only if the price decreases within five days of the original booking date.

Customer-friendly perks such as the price guarantee helped land Alaska the top spot in TPG’s 2018 Best Airlines in the US rankings. However, with all of these customer-unfriendly changes, only time will tell how much longer it'll reign that title.

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H/T: One Mile at a Time

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.