tl;dr – COSMILE members can enjoy a faster and more convenient way to upgrade seats.
While you are here check out this awesome upcoming retreat from our friends at Aetheria Movement.
Taiwanese carrier Starlux continues to roll out a competitive product, having now introduced online upgrade awards (available via web and the mobile app).
Upgrades are both sector (or leg) and region based. For example if you had a Tokyo-Taipei-Los Angeles itinerary you could request an upgrade of the Tokyo-Taipei sector (leg) and that pricing (in miles) would be subject to the ‘within Asia’ pricing.
The Taipei-Los Angeles sector would be a separate upgrade request and it falls subject to the pricing of the ‘Between Asia & America/Europe’ upgrade chart.
Notably, upgrade awards are only valid on ‘basic’ or ‘full’ fare tickets. Additionally, you can’t use upgrade awards on ‘saving’, ‘limited’ fares, nor can they be used on fares procured by the redemption Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards.
Fortunately, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards are a great loyalty program currency to redeem outright for Starlux business class. Last year, I redeemed Atmos Rewards to fly Starlux’s business class cabin from Taipei (TPE) to Sapporo (CTS).
Though availability comes and goes, and while redemption rates increased with Alaska’s most recent award chart changes, it’s still a solid redemption.
Alaska regularly sells miles with a bonus (or at a discounted rate) so the opportunity to purchase Atmos Rewards and then immediately redeem them for a premium cabin Starlux long-haul experience – for a fraction of the cash price – regularly presents itself. As I write this, Alaska’s currently offering (up to) a 90% bonus on Atmos Rewards purchases.
