Alaska Airlines<\/a> just launched an unusual new subscription service that is going to require a $5-per-month payment to get early access to Alaska fare sales and a bit more. The Seattle-based airline is calling it “Alaska Access” and is saying it gives advanced alerts to some of its biggest sales of the year.<\/p>\n Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter<\/p>\n Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG\u2019s experts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The real test will be getting advance notice of deeply discounted fares.<\/p>\n One detail to keep in mind is that Alaska Access is powered by Recurly, a subscription management and billing platform, instead of being directly handled by Alaska. This means you may not get bonus miles for travel-related charges for the service, depending on which credit card you use.<\/p>\n Harteveldt said he likes that it isn’t a credit card-based subscription.<\/p>\n “By offering the subscription outside the boundaries of its loyalty program and credit card, Alaska’s new subscription product may appeal to a wider audience,” he said. “I’ve no doubt that Alaska will then target customers with offers to sign up for its Mileage Plan program and its co-branded credit card as well.”<\/p>\n Harteveldt pointed out something else interesting as well. With Alaska’s proposed merger with Hawaiian Airlines<\/a>, Harteveldt noted that if it is approved, “the appeal and utility of the Alaska Access subscription could become quite compelling.”<\/p>\n Alaska Airlines acknowledged this proposed merger in its press release about Alaska Access.<\/p>\n “We know time is valuable for our guests who are busy balancing a lot in their lives,” said Shane Jones, vice president of business development at Alaska Airlines, “and we kept that in mind when we developed Alaska Access.”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thepointsguy.global.ssl.fastly.net\/us\/originals\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-20-at-12.33.30%E2%80%AFPM.png?width=3840\"\/)
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