I don't think I mumped this up, but chime in if I did.
Needed to get 2 of us back to Seattle from Vancouver next Sunday in a good mid-day time slot. I found a perfect Alaska Air flight that would be 12.5K + $44 each (assumed the $44 was for late booking). Checked American and they'd be putting me on the same flight for 12.5 + like $140-something each. Then I thought of the soon-to-be devauled avios. Can't book Alaska flights online. Remembered stuff from here and read these real quick and called.
http://www.headforpoints.com/2015/10/19/how-to-use-avios-for-tax-free-flights-on-alaska-airlines-good-for-hawaii/http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/10/03/redeeming-avios-alaska-airlines/Didn't have to argue at all about book-by-phone fees, I said something to the receptionist about not being able to do it online and the guy she put me with said it was waived w/o me bringing it up, 4500 avios each, but said I'd have to pay $44 each in taxes. That top link said there'd be no taxes. It was still a great deal so I did it.
I saw in the comment section that the $44 might be Canadian tax, which would make sense as to why there was an exact $44 add-on w/BA or AA.
So that's pretty good all told, no? $54 each to take the train there, $44 each to fly back, free Regency Club room w/my annual Hyatt night at the nice one right in downtown, get all pak'd on devalued canadian dollar booze.