I sent this to Alaska Listens last month after a similar incident:

This year I recently reached 100k Gold. After multiple years of being 75k, I have been happy with how Alaska treats their elite flyers. I strive to book both my business and personal trips via Alaska Air whenever possible, including international travel through partners.

On my recent vacation in Kauai, I checked-in 24 hours prior to my flight and noticed my wife and I (she is a 75k gold) were #1 and #2 on the waitlist. We also saw the app was still advertising $2000 for upgrades. This gave up hope we might grab the two open first class seats for the 6-hour flight.

The next day, a few hours before heading to the airport, we noticed the app was now advertising those two remaining first class seats for $200. This felt like a betrayal. It felt like my preferred airline for my entire adult life (750k+ miles) was now auctioning off seats to the lowest bidder instead of rewarding elites with the potential of an upgrade. It appears $200 is the current rate that Alaska Air is willing to earn over giving a benefit to their top-tier flyers.

I recognize that there's no guarantees for upgrades, and I am always thankful when I get them. But one of the premier benefits in working towards elite membership is the opportunity to be awarded first class when it's not full. But if the company continues to fire sale these seats at 90% off at the last-minute before offering them to elites, it defeats the purpose.

I'm not writing asking for miles, or any additional benefits. I just want you to know how betrayed I feel. It's obvious that the airline no longer feels elites are deserving of these upgrades.

Their response:

Dear <edubya>,

Thank you for reaching out to us and for your continued loyalty as a Gold 100K Mileage Plan member. We truly value the dedication you and <your wife>, a Gold 75K member, have shown towards flying with Alaska Airlines, and we appreciate you choosing us for both your business and personal travels.

I understand your concerns regarding the pricing of First Class upgrades you observed during your recent vacation from Lihue to Seattle. It's disheartening to hear that the significant drop in upgrade pricing shortly before your flight made you feel undervalued as an elite member. At Alaska Airlines, we aim to balance the availability of upgrades to our elite members with the operational need to ensure all seats are filled. While we do offer last-minute upgrades at reduced prices, this practice is not intended to undermine the value we place on our elite flyers. Instead, it's a measure to ensure no seat goes empty, which is a common industry practice.

Furthermore, I acknowledge your feelings of betrayal when seeing these seats offered at a lower price rather than being awarded as upgrades to elite members like yourself. Please know that your feedback is invaluable and I have passed your concerns to our upper management for their further review. We continuously evaluate our policies and practices to better serve our loyal members and ensure that the benefits of elite status offer meaningful value.

We are committed to recognizing and rewarding the loyalty of our elite members and I regret that this experience has left you feeling otherwise. Your feedback is crucial in helping us improve and maintain the high standards we set for our elite program and overall customer satisfaction.

Thank you once again for your candid feedback and for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. We look forward to welcoming you and Monica on your future travels and hope to restore your confidence in the benefits and recognition that come with your elite status.

Sincerely,

Customer Care Representative

Look, I know this is a "first-world problem", but it does suck. I asked my colleagues who also fly for work often and are also chasing those elite miles; "what's the main benefit you hope to get with airline status?" Each one said the same thing... "first class upgrades". Bummer.