Alaska Airways Mileage Plan: How you can earn and redeem miles

Regardless of being smaller than the Large Three legacy carriers, Alaska Airways has gained reputation amongst American vacationers due to its loyalty program, Mileage Plan.

As a member of Oneworld, this system gives quite a few high-value partnerships with airways like American Airways, British Airways and Cathay Pacific. Moreover, it has non-alliance partnerships with airways resembling Icelandair, Singapore Airways and LATAM, offering a variety of choices to earn and use miles.

Furthermore, Alaska Airways is without doubt one of the few airways that also awards miles based mostly on bodily miles flown. This implies you possibly can nonetheless earn an inexpensive variety of miles on low cost tickets, which is nice for finances flyers. That is the case for Alaska flights and flights operated by associate carriers.

This information will focus on the ins and outs of redeeming Alaska miles. We’ll additionally cowl its elite standing program and airline companions.

Alaska Airways Mileage Plan overview

Mileage Plan is Alaska Airways’ frequent flyer program. You earn Alaska miles by flying with Alaska or its associate airways. This system additionally gives extra incomes companions, resembling a buying portal, eating program and cobranded bank cards. When you accumulate miles, you possibly can redeem them for journey on Alaska or its companions.

Mileage Plan consists of an elite standing program with 4 tiers: MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold 100K. Every tier consists of upgrades, most well-liked seating and bonus mileage earned on Alaska flights. Elite members additionally get pleasure from restricted advantages on American Airways and different Oneworld companions.

Associated: 6 nice advantages I obtained as an American Airways elite flying Alaska Airways

Alaska Airways companions

Alaska Airways is understood for its big suite of airline companions, which incorporates airways in Oneworld and different alliances.

Oneworld alliance companions

Alaska joined Oneworld in late March 2021. Because of this the airline is now a associate with these airways:

• American Airways
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Fiji Airways (Oneworld Join)
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airways
• Malaysia Airways
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian Airways
• SriLankan Airways

Non-alliance airline companions

Alaska has partnered with airways exterior Oneworld for years now. We’re hopeful these non-alliance partnerships will stay long-term now that Alaska is a Oneworld airline, however solely time will inform. Here is the complete checklist of Alaska’s different airline companions:

Associated: 6 issues to know in regards to the Alaska Airways Mileage Plan program

Alaska Airways elite standing

Alaska Airways has 4 elite standing tiers. In 2024, Alaska modified the way in which prospects earn elite standing, and now not requires members to fly a minimal variety of Alaska flights. To qualify, you might want to earn a set variety of elite qualifying miles.

Learn extra about all the advantages of Alaska Airways elite standing.

How you can earn Alaska miles

Although incomes Alaska miles was once more difficult for the reason that airline isn’t related to main bank card packages like American Specific Membership Rewards and Chase Final Rewards, the service introduced a partnership with Bilt Rewards in March.

Moreover, you possibly can nonetheless earn miles by flying with varied airline companions. Alaska Airways additionally gives a cobranded bank card, a buying portal and a eating rewards program that will help you accumulate extra miles.

Earn miles when flying with Alaska Airways

Mileage Plan is an airline loyalty program, so naturally, you possibly can earn while you fly with Alaska Airways.

Not like different main U.S. airways, Alaska continues to award miles based mostly on the precise size of a flight. You will earn 1 mile per 1 bodily mile flown in normal financial system. Saver tickets earn 30% of the miles flown. A one-way flight from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) earns 2,586 miles in normal financial system, as that is how lengthy the flight is.

First-class tickets obtain a minimal 50% mileage bonus, leading to greater mileage earnings. For instance, a flight from SFO to JFK would earn 3,879 redeemable miles. Be aware that this bonus applies solely to paid first-class tickets, not upgrades. Elite members additionally earn bonus miles on all Alaska flights. For example, an MVP Gold 75K member flying from SFO to JFK in first-class would earn 5,818 miles with their 125% bonus.

Bonus miles can accumulate shortly for frequent vacationers. Moreover, higher-fare financial system lessons supply bonus miles, though they could be dearer than normal financial system tickets. You possibly can seek advice from Alaska’s web site for extra details about incomes Alaska miles on Alaska flights.

Associated: The airline miles which might be hardest to earn — and why you need them anyway

Credit score associate flights to Mileage Plan

You possibly can credit score associate flights to 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 associate web page and find the incomes chart for the particular associate and fare class. Multiply your flight’s distance by the share within the “Miles earned (whole)” column.

For flights operated by associate airways with Alaska “AS” flight numbers, all flights comply with the incomes construction under:

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.

These allow you to earn Alaska miles in your on a regular basis spending and supply stable sign-up bonuses. The playing cards embody different inflight advantages, together with an annual Companion Fare that helps offset their annual charges.

Alaska Airways Visa® bank card: The Alaska Airways Visa bank card is Alaska’s private bank card. You possibly can earn 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and costs from $23) after making $3,000 or extra in purchases throughout the first 90 days of opening your account. This card earns 3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Alaska purchases; 2 miles per greenback on eligible fuel, EV charging station, cable, streaming companies and native transit (together with experience share) purchases; and 1 mile per greenback spent in every single place else. You additionally get a free checked bag on all Alaska flights and 20% again on inflight purchases.

Alaska Airways Visa® Enterprise card: The Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise card is solely the enterprise model of the private Alaska card. Get 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and costs from $23) after making $3,000 or extra in purchases throughout the first 90 days of opening your account. The cardboard earns the identical 3 miles per greenback spent on eligible Alaska Airways purchases; 2 miles per greenback on eligible fuel, EV charging station, delivery and native transit (together with experience share) purchases; and 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases.

Associated: Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise card overview: Good for frequent Alaska enterprise vacationers

Switch Bilt Factors

Bilt Rewards members can now switch factors to Alaska Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio. That is big information for award vacationers, as Marriott Bonvoy factors are the one different main transferable forex that transfers to Alaska Mileage Plan.

Later this spring, Alaska Airways cardholders will begin incomes 3 miles per greenback spent (on as much as $50,000 yearly) when utilizing their Alaska Airways Visa bank card to pay lease by Bilt.

Different methods to earn Alaska miles

You possibly can earn miles utilizing the Mileage Plan Purchasing portal when buying on-line and the Mileage Plan Eating program when eating out.

On the buying facet, Mileage Plan Purchasing awards bonus miles everytime you click on by the Alaska portal earlier than making an internet buy. It gives 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 continuously.

Be careful for buying portal offers provided by Mileage Plan Purchasing. It often runs limited-time bonuses the place you possibly can earn further miles by spending a particular amount of cash.

Mileage Plan Eating is one other alternative to earn bonus miles. Create an account on the Mileage Plan Eating web site and hyperlink your bank cards. You will earn Alaska factors and miles out of your bank card by eating at taking part eating places. Use a card that gives bonus factors on eating for optimum advantages.

The miles you earn rely in your Mileage Plan Eating membership tier. These embody:

• Fundamental members: 1 mile per 2 {dollars} 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 instances

You possibly can earn 500 bonus Alaska miles after your first buy. To qualify, spend $30 at a taking part restaurant and overview it on the Mileage Plan Eating web site.

There are different methods to earn Alaska miles, resembling reserving rental automobiles and lodge stays with Alaska companions. You possibly can be taught extra about these incomes alternatives in our full information to incomes Alaska miles.

How you can redeem Alaska miles

You should use your Alaska miles for flights on Alaska Airways and its associate airways. One of the best worth is commonly discovered when redeeming on associate airways, particularly for worldwide first- or business-class flights.

Awards provided by Alaska Airways are dynamically priced. Your worth for a particular award ticket varies by route and day.

You will typically discover the lowest-priced awards on brief flights — assume Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Portland Worldwide Airport (PDX) and Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO).

On the airline’s web site, you will see award pricing for all of Alaska’s companions, relying on the area you’re touring to.

All associate awards at the moment are dynamically priced. For example, American Airways award flights within the U.S. and Canada now solely have beginning costs after which “range relying on demand.”

You possibly can add stopovers to one-way award tickets

One of many nice benefits of reserving associate tickets with Alaska Airways is the flexibility so as to add stopovers to one-way award tickets. Reserving a ticket with a stopover prices the identical as a nonstop flight to your ultimate vacation spot.

You possibly can have a stopover operated by Alaska Airways or a single associate in its hub metropolis.

For instance, you possibly can e-book a ticket from JFK to London on British Airways, spend a number of days in London, after which proceed to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) on British Airways. This could value the identical variety of miles as a flight from JFK to FCO, offered the itinerary doesn’t fall into the next-highest band.

Associated: How you can e-book free stopovers with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan

How you can e-book Alaska Airways award tickets

You possibly can e-book most award tickets on alaskaair.com. Log in to your account and enter your search standards on the house web page, making certain you choose the “Use miles” choice for award flights. Click on “Discover Flights” to look and look at obtainable choices within the middle of the display. If you happen to 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 “Multi-city” beneath the “Flight sort” header. Enter your flights and seek for connecting tickets. All obtainable choices will probably be displayed within the middle of the display. If you happen to discover a fascinating itinerary, e-book your ticket as typical.

Mileage Plan redemption candy spots

Now that you realize about Mileage Plan, let’s discover some high 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 might fly to New Zealand and Australia, with a stopover in Fiji for simply 10,000 miles extra.
• Home flights inside Australia: Alaska’a Oneworld associate Qantas operates many wide-body companies on the “golden triangle” routes between Sydney Airport (SYD), Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Brisbane Airport (BNE). These flights can booked in financial system class beginning at 7,500 Alaska miles every approach for journeys of 1,500 miles or much less.
• Enterprise-class to the UK: Whereas many flight routes from North America to Europe will fall throughout the 3,501-5,000-mile vary, resembling 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 UK that can solely value 45,000 Mileage Plan miles in enterprise class as they’re beneath 3,500 miles, such because the New York-to-London route.
• E-book South America flights on LATAM: Regardless of having left the Oneworld alliance, LATAM maintains a partnership with Alaska Airways. By making the most of the free stopover, you possibly can e-book flights like Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA) to Lima’s Jorge Chávez Worldwide Airport (LIM) to Santiago Worldwide Airport (SCL), permitting you to expertise two vibrant South American cities in a single journey from simply 25,000 miles for financial system and 50,000 miles for enterprise class every approach.

Associated: Greatest Alaska Airways Mileage Plan candy spot redemptions you possibly can e-book

Backside line

Alaska Airways Mileage Plan is a high airline loyalty program, due to its wide selection of companions and dependable award charts.

Nevertheless, this system has been devalued because it has launched dynamic award pricing and excessive charges for brand new redemption companions. Regardless of this, it’s nonetheless price contemplating incomes miles with Alaska Airways Mileage Plan when flying with its associate airways.