Regardless of being smaller than the Huge Three legacy carriers — American Airways, Delta Air Traces and United Airways — Alaska Airways has gained recognition amongst American vacationers due to its loyalty program, Alaska Airways Mileage Plan.
As a member of the Oneworld alliance, this system affords quite a few high-value partnerships with airways like American Airways, British Airways and Cathay Pacific.
Furthermore, Alaska Airlines acquired Hawaiian Airlines in a joint merger, and the provider is planning a major overhaul of its Mileage Plan program later in 2025.
This information will focus on find out how to redeem Alaska miles, particulars on its elite standing program and extra.
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan overview
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan is Alaska Airways’ frequent flyer program. You earn Alaska miles by flying with Alaska or its companion airways. This system additionally affords further methods to earn miles, reminiscent of by means of its shopping portal, dining program and cobranded credit cards. When you accumulate miles, you’ll be able to redeem them for journey on Alaska or its companion airways.
Mileage Plan contains an elite status program with 4 tiers: MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold 100K. Every tier contains upgrades, most popular seating and bonus mileage earned on Alaska flights. Elite members additionally get pleasure from restricted advantages on Hawaiian Airways, American Airways and different Oneworld companions.
Associated: 6 great benefits I received as an American Airlines elite flying Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airways companions
Alaska Airways is thought for its suite of airline partners, which incorporates airways in Oneworld and different alliances.
Oneworld alliance companions
Alaska joined Oneworld in late March 2021. Which means the airline is now a companion with these airways:
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- American Airways
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airways
- Malaysia Airways
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian Airways
- SriLankan Airways
Different airline companions
Alaska has partnered with airways exterior of Oneworld for years now. We’re hopeful these nonalliance partnerships will stay long-term now that Alaska is a Oneworld airline, however solely time will inform. Here is the total checklist of Alaska’s different airline companions to earn and redeem miles with:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Condor
- Hainan Airways
- Icelandair
- Korean Air
- LATAM
- Oman Air
- Philippine Airways
- Porter Airways
- Singapore Airways
- Starlux Airways
Alaska Airways elite standing
Alaska Airways has 4 elite standing tiers.
To qualify, you might want to earn a set variety of elite qualifying miles, which may be earned by flying Alaska or its companion airways (together with award flights), bank card spending or different choose nonflight actions.
| Standing tier | Required variety of EQMs |
|---|---|
| MVP | 20,000 |
| MVP Gold | 40,000 |
| MVP Gold 75K | 75,000 |
| MVP Gold 100K | 100,000 |
There are additionally milestone rewards after incomes 10,000, 30,000, 50,000, 85,000, 150,000, 200,000 and 250,000 EQMs.
With Alaska and Hawaiian Airways’ merger, the carriers are additionally at present providing an elite standing match.
| In case you have: | You will be matched to: |
|---|---|
| Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP standing | HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold standing |
| Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K or MVP Gold 100K standing | HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum standing |
| HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold standing | Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP standing |
| HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum standing | Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP Gold standing |
Plus, the airways provide members the chance to mix their elite qualifying miles throughout the 2 loyalty applications to earn standing.
| Mixed EQM steadiness: | Standing you may get with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan: | Standing you may get with HawaiianMiles: |
|---|---|---|
| 20,000 EQMs | MVP | Pualani Gold |
| 40,000 EQMs | MVP Gold | Pualani Platinum |
| 75,000 EQMs | MVP Gold 75K | Pualani Platinum |
| 100,000 EQMs | MVP Gold 100K | Pualani Platinum |
The way to earn Alaska miles
Incomes Alaska miles was tougher because the airline will not be immediately related to main bank card applications like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, however now you can transfer Bilt Rewards Points to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan.
Plus, since merging with Hawaiian Airways, Amex members can transfer their Membership Rewards points to HawaiianMiles after which switch these miles to Mileage Plan at a 1:1 fee. Nevertheless, Alaska has advised TPG that this chance might not final for much longer.
Earn miles when flying with Alaska Airways
In contrast to different main U.S. airways, Alaska continues to award miles primarily based on the precise size of a flight. You will earn 1 mile per bodily mile flown in normal economic system. Saver tickets earn 30% of the miles flown.
First-class tickets obtain a minimal 50% mileage bonus, leading to larger mileage earnings. Notice that this bonus solely applies to paid first-class tickets, not upgrades. Elite members additionally earn bonus miles on all Alaska flights.
Bonus miles can accumulate rapidly for frequent vacationers. Moreover, higher-fare economic system courses provide bonus miles, though they could be dearer than normal economic system tickets. You’ll be able to discuss with Alaska’s website for extra details about incomes Alaska miles on Alaska flights.
Credit score companion flights to Mileage Plan
You’ll be able to credit score companion flights to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan, permitting you to earn each redeemable and elite qualifying miles. The miles earned rely upon the airline, flight size and fare class. To find out the incomes ranges, go to Alaska’s partner page and find the incomes chart for the precise companion and fare class. Multiply your flight’s distance by the share within the “Miles earned (whole)” column.
Spend on an Alaska Airways bank card
Alaska Airways has two cobranded bank cards with Financial institution of America: a private card and a enterprise card.
- Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: New cardholders can obtain a 30% flight low cost code for a qualifying future flight after opening a brand new account. Moreover, they will earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and charges from $23) after making $3,000 or extra in purchases throughout the first 90 days of opening an account. This card earns 3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Alaska purchases; 2 miles per greenback spent on eligible gasoline, electrical car charging station, cable, streaming service and native transit (together with ride-hailing companies) purchases; and 1 mile per greenback spent all over the place else. Cardholders additionally get a free checked bag on all Alaska flights and 20% again on inflight purchases.
- Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and charges from $23) after making $4,000 or extra in purchases throughout the first 90 days of opening an account. The cardboard earns 3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Alaska Airways purchases; 2 miles per greenback spent on eligible gasoline, EV charging station, delivery and native transit (together with ride-hailing companies) purchases; and 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Plus, for cardholders of the private Alaska bank card, you’ll earn 1 elite qualifying mile for each $3 spent (as much as 30,000 EQMs every year).
Switch Bilt Rewards factors
Bilt Rewards members can now switch factors to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio. That is large information for award vacationers, as Marriott Bonvoy factors are the one different main transferable forex that transfers to Mileage Plan.
Alaska Airways cardholders can earn 3 miles per greenback (on as much as $50,000 yearly) when utilizing their Alaska Airways Visa bank card to pay hire by means of Bilt. That stated, Alaska cardholders can pay a small processing charge to do that.
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Switch HawaiianMiles to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan
HawaiianMiles may be transferred to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan at a 1:1 fee. Since Alaska is a part of the Oneworld alliance, this opens up a slew of redemption companions, reminiscent of American Airways.
Moreover, Hawaiian Airways is at present a switch companion of Amex Membership Rewards; Amex Membership Rewards factors may be transferred to HawaiianMiles at a 1:1 fee. Nevertheless, as talked about earlier, it is protected to say that the Amex switch choice will finally turn into out of date.
Different methods to earn Alaska miles
You’ll be able to earn miles utilizing the Mileage Plan Buying portal when buying on-line and the Mileage Plan Eating program when eating out.
On the buying facet, Mileage Plan Buying awards bonus miles everytime you click on by means of the Alaska portal earlier than making an internet buy. It affords bonus miles with a whole lot of various retailers, together with Apple and Saks Fifth Avenue. Every service provider awards a distinct variety of miles per greenback spent, and charges can fluctuate steadily.
Be careful for shopping portal deals provided by Mileage Plan Buying. It often runs limited-time bonuses the place you’ll be able to earn further miles by spending a selected amount of cash.
Mileage Plan Eating is one other alternative to earn bonus miles. Create an account on the Mileage Plan Dining website, and hyperlink your bank cards. For max advantages, use a card that provides bonus factors or miles on eating.
The miles you earn rely in your Mileage Plan Eating membership tier. These embody:
- Fundamental members: 1 mile per $2 spent
- Choose members: 3 miles per greenback spent, earned after you enroll in e mail communications from Mileage Plan Eating
- VIP members: 5 miles per greenback spent, earned after you enroll in e mail communications and dine at taking part eating places 11 occasions in a calendar yr
There are different methods to earn Alaska miles, reminiscent of reserving rental vehicles and resort stays with Alaska companions. You’ll be able to be taught extra about these incomes alternatives in our full guide to earning Alaska miles.
The way to redeem Alaska miles
You should use your Alaska miles for flights on Alaska Airways and its companion airways. Redeeming on companion airways usually affords the very best worth, particularly for worldwide first- or business-class flights.
Notice that Alaska Airways flights are dynamically priced. Your worth for a selected award ticket varies by route and day. You will typically discover the lowest-priced awards on quick flights, reminiscent of Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Portland Worldwide Airport (PDX) in Oregon and Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO).
On the airline’s website, you may see award pricing for all of Alaska’s companions, relying on the area you’re touring to.
All companion awards at the moment are dynamically priced. As an illustration, American Airways award flights within the U.S. and Canada now solely have beginning costs after which pricing will “differ relying on demand.”
Associated: Alaska Airlines tweaks award charts with HawaiianMiles
Add stopovers to one-way award tickets
One important benefit of reserving companion tickets with Alaska Airways is the ability to add stopovers to one-way award tickets. Reserving a ticket with a stopover prices the identical as reserving a nonstop flight to your closing vacation spot.
You’ll be able to have a stopover operated by Alaska Airways or a single companion in its hub metropolis.
The way to guide Alaska Airways award tickets
You’ll be able to guide most award tickets on the Alaska Airlines website. Log in to your account and enter your search standards on the homepage, guaranteeing you choose the “Use miles” choice for award flights. Click on “Discover flights” to look and consider obtainable choices within the middle of the display screen.
For those who discover a appropriate ticket, choose it and click on “Add to cart” to proceed with reserving.
For reserving stopovers, click on the “All search choices” hyperlink on the homepage and choose “multicity” beneath the “Flight kind” header. Enter your flights, and seek for connecting tickets. All obtainable choices shall be displayed within the middle of the display screen. For those who discover a fascinating itinerary, guide your ticket as traditional.
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan redemption candy spots
Now that you understand about Alaska Airways Mileage Plan, let’s discover some prime methods to make use of your Alaska miles.
- Enterprise class to Fiji and Australia/New Zealand: One-way business-class seats on Fiji Airways now begin at 75,000 Alaska Airways miles. You could possibly fly to New Zealand and Australia, with a stopover in Fiji for simply 10,000 miles extra.
- Home flights inside Australia: Alaska’s Oneworld companion Qantas operates many wide-body companies on the “golden triangle” routes between Sydney Airport (SYD), Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Brisbane Airport (BNE). These flights may be booked in economic system class beginning at 7,500 Alaska miles every manner for journeys of 1,500 miles or much less.
- Enterprise class to the U.Okay. and Eire: Whereas many flight routes from North America to Europe will fall throughout the 3,501- to five,000-mile vary, reminiscent of a flight from Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) costing 55,000 miles in enterprise class, there are a number of routes from the East Coast to the U.Okay. or Eire that can solely value 45,000 miles in enterprise class, as they’re beneath 3,500 miles. Two such examples are the New York-to-London and New York-to-Dublin routes.
- E book South America flights on LATAM: Regardless of leaving the Oneworld alliance, LATAM nonetheless companions with Alaska Airways. By making the most of the free stopover, you’ll be able to guide flights like MIA to Lima, Peru’s Jorge Chávez Worldwide Airport (LIM) to Santiago, Chile’s Arturo Merino Benítez Worldwide Airport (SCL), permitting you to expertise two vibrant South American cities in a single journey from simply 25,000 miles for economic system and 50,000 miles for enterprise class every manner.
Associated: Best Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan sweet spot redemptions you can book
Backside line
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan is a prime airline loyalty program, due to its wide selection of companions and dependable award charts. Moreover, with its acquisition of Hawaiian Airways and up to date program bulletins, the Mileage Plan loyalty program affords many notable advantages.
Nevertheless, it stays to be seen how the approaching joint loyalty program between the 2 carriers will comply with Alaska’s present Mileage Plan program. Our hope is it isn’t a complete devaluation of a useful airline program.
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