Golden Opportunities

This probably qualifies as a first world/White guy problem but after years of heavy duty commuting and educational travel, I have gotten used to the joys of premier frequent flier privileges. Being an Alaska Airlines Gold MVP has gotten us numerous first class upgrades, free bags, no charge ticket changes, and the occasional free alcohol (strictly medicinal..).  Well, after retirement, the work travel stopped and though we enjoyed a great deal of personal travel, I was 14,000 miles short of the annual goal for this year.


We actually thought about what it would take to just do some long dead-head trips, out and back to Miami or Mexico. Heck, my old partner was known to do a loop to Hawaii through Anchorage for just this purpose, taking advantage of a special offer-cheap ticket when he could.  The accounting just didn't hold up: a couple of thousand bucks of useless travel for the right to get free drinks seemed a poor investment.  So, I was resigned to diminished  status and ordinary MVP standing with the dawn of the new year.


But wait!! A special offer hits my in-box while I'm donating blood yesterday (had to be reading something while my life's essence drained away...) Alaska Air will give me a chance to redeem myself by just flying 8 segments in the next 2 months, then, poof, front of the line again!  So last night I start scheming.  Nephew Matt was visiting while I spun the travel wheel, so my first thought was spending a day tripping back and forth to Portland 4 times. Very easy to do, but still $200 a trip.  So I started exploring the super deal section of the Alaska web-site and came up with the following: Seattle to the new location, Mammoth lakes California through LAX and back. I stay in Mammoth Lakes long enough to go back and forth to LAX again mid-day.  That's 6 segments in one day for a discount special of $340, almost half of the Portland fares. Then 2 days later, I spend a brief morning in San Jose for $120. The cool part about that trip is that I get back a little after noon and I can wait at the airport for Nana to return from her annual visit to Rae Anne in San Diego at 1 o'clock!! And the miles count,  too, slowly building to the dreamed of Business/First Class trip to Rome I have promised Connie and myself for years.


I know Matt thought this was a weird way to spend a day but the freebies have been a very welcome privilege for these past years and were hard to give up. We have a head start on beating this problem for next year because the tip to Asia is on an International partner airline, almost 20,000 miles to begin with, then Austin, Vegas. and any other excuse we need.  So, still a combat booking agent for now. Wave at us in the big chairs....