Did the AS Visa just go directly to hell, do not pass go?

https://www.applyonlinenow.com/us/a...k-cityGuides&mboxSession=1331461380106-344106

Receive an annual coach Companion Fare from $110 (USD) ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees, from $11 depending on your Alaska Airlines flight itinerary).†

I wonder what happens with existing cards? Are we getting screwed at renewal? This is the most reprehensible benefit chop that I have experienced, should my eyes not be bleary.

What are you talking about? The companion fare has always been $99 + taxes/fees. They probably had to adjust the number based on recent fare disclosure regulations, but on the whole, nothing's changed.

Where's the change? What's the reprehensible benefit chop? I don't have the card now but do anticipate getting it eventually.

You could get 2 F seats for almost the price of one. Now, F is excluded from the companion ticket.

Entirely missed that, and yes that's a huge deal. That was a big part of why I anticipated getting the card.

Hmm, this might be the last straw before I cancel my AS Visa... Unless current cardholders are grandfathered in...

This is definitely a change I despise and enough to make me dump this card for good for the Chase Sapphire or SPG AMEX card.

Idiotic move by BofA here. This is a change gleff is not going to be happy to hear about.

I remember the day when the AS Visa Signature card was one of the best cards around, and now it has turned into a crappy piece of plastic. I bet the 1,000 booking bonus miles is next to go.

Someone on this board or the other one remarked when the AS change in command took place a few weeks ago, that given the new leader's background it wouldn't be long before a lot more benefit-cutting took place. I guess we have arrived at that sad point now.

We are connecting at sad point and waiting for our connecting flight to pathetic point.

Was this BofA or AS? You can't really blame one for the actions of the other.

In which case a lot of us will simply lament, "What's the point?"

Is there a link for this?

I guess that depends on their costs of providing the benefit. A bogo F ticket booking into revenue buckets and accumulating miles is extremely generous, and the cost of providing it was not trivial. I would suspect something changed in the cost to BofA to provide it, or possibly other benefits of the card.

The card has already lost most of its other benefits, including annual mileage bonus with renewal, annual BR passes, and I think there were a few more. They have pushed and pushed this card with the current benefit, and remind us how generous it is. Now, most people who use it will be buying a $99 ticket as a companion to a $300-ish ticket. Many AS program cuts have been in the nature of death by a thousand of them. This is just an assassination of the product.

The companion cert rules are mostly determined by Bofa, but a lot of the details are still determined by AS like whether companion tickets can earn miles, what routes it can be used on, etc. I am pretty sure AS had a strong say in this decision, since they can make Bofa pay more for the difference making this benefit unviable for Bofa to continue, etc.

While Bofa has the final say in this decision, they definitely negotiate the benefits with AS.

Bottom line, I am labeling both of them as the culprits behind this decision.

Sad that when during the tough times, we stuck by, and continued to patronize, and during the good times, when a company can afford certain perks for the most loyal patrons, they take the royal screws out. It takes years to earn a loyal customer. It takes one bad event to lose one.

I called BofA and it turns out they are having some computer issues and the "coach" word posted in there by mistake. They said it should be fixed in a few days.

I hope that is true.

Thanks for calling...

BofA has computer issues rather frequently. I like them, but it's a pain in the rear.

Somebody physically posted them in three different places. (There are 3 different links where the language currently appears.) I'd put my $ on a premature release of bad news than a real mistake. Such script just didn't self-propagate by someone in the secretarial pool.

This is from the T&C on the BOA website for this card.

Cardholders that qualify for the Visa Signature card will receive an annual Companion Fare from $110 (USD) ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees, from $11 depending on your Alaska Airlines flight itinerary). The Companion Fare e-certificate is issued upon approval of a new account and on each anniversary thereafter. Mileage Plan miles cannot be used as a form of payment, however both the paying customer and the companion may accrue Mileage Plan miles. Passenger and companion are responsible for applicable checked baggage fees.

There is no specific language that the Comp Fare is restricted to only Coach Tix.

Alaska also says the BofA description was a mistake.

Thanks. We know AS does not want to upset you and Mrs. gleff.

BTW, thanks for the heads up on this card. I read about it on your blog over a year ago and used one of the accumulated this past week for a transcon in F to SEA to position me for the KivaDo. I was able to set the return date for the fall.

I'm with Bay Pisco Shark. I find it hard to believe this was a typo...but I really hope that it was!

I received an email offer for the AS BOA Visa a few minutes ago. It offers the companion ticket with no restrictions to only a coach fare. Here is the email's link:

https://www.applyonlinenow.com/USCCapp/Ctl/entry?sc=VABC4T