Regardless of being smaller than the Large Three legacy carriers — American Airways, Delta Air Strains 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 provides quite a few high-value partnerships with airways like American Airways, British Airways and Cathay Pacific.
Furthermore, Alaska Airways acquired Hawaiian Airways in a joint merger, and the service is planning a significant overhaul of its Mileage Plan program later in 2025.
This information will focus on learn 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 provides further methods to earn miles, similar to via its procuring portal, eating program and cobranded bank cards. When you accumulate miles, you’ll be able to redeem them for journey on Alaska or its companion airways.
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 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 nice advantages I obtained as an American Airways elite flying Alaska Airways
Alaska Airways companions
Alaska Airways is understood for its suite of airline companions, 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:
Every day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
- 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 outdoors 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 complete record 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, it is advisable to earn a set variety of elite qualifying miles, which could 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 presently providing an elite standing match.
| If in case you have: | You may 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 stability: | 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 |
How one can earn Alaska miles
Incomes Alaska miles was tougher because the airline isn’t straight related to main bank card applications like American Categorical Membership Rewards and Chase Final Rewards, however now you can switch Bilt Rewards Factors to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan.
Plus, since merging with Hawaiian Airways, Amex members can switch their Membership Rewards factors to HawaiianMiles after which switch these miles to Mileage Plan at a 1:1 fee. Nevertheless, Alaska has suggested 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 may earn 1 mile per bodily mile flown in commonplace financial system. Saver tickets earn 30% of the miles flown.
First-class tickets obtain a minimal 50% mileage bonus, leading to increased mileage earnings. Observe 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 financial system courses provide bonus miles, though they could be dearer than commonplace financial system tickets. You may confer with Alaska’s web site for extra details about incomes Alaska miles on Alaska flights.
Credit score companion flights to Mileage Plan
You may credit score companion flights to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan, permitting you to earn each redeemable and elite qualifying miles. The miles earned depend upon the airline, flight size and fare class. To find out the incomes ranges, go to Alaska’s companion web 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 Airways Visa Signature® bank 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 fuel, electrical automobile charging station, cable, streaming service and native transit (together with ride-hailing companies) purchases; and 1 mile per greenback spent in every single place else. Cardholders additionally get a free checked bag on all Alaska flights and 20% again on inflight purchases.
- Alaska Airways Visa® Enterprise 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 fuel, EV charging station, transport and native transit (together with ride-hailing companies) purchases; and 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Plus, for cardholders of the non-public Alaska bank card, you’ll earn 1 elite qualifying mile for each $3 spent (as much as 30,000 EQMs annually).
Switch Bilt Rewards factors
Bilt Rewards members can now switch factors to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio. That is enormous information for award vacationers, as Marriott Bonvoy factors are the one different main transferable foreign money 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 via Bilt. That stated, Alaska cardholders can pay a small processing price to do that.
Associated: Bilt Mastercard overview: No transaction price hire funds
Switch HawaiianMiles to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan
HawaiianMiles could 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, similar to American Airways.
Moreover, Hawaiian Airways is presently a switch companion of Amex Membership Rewards; Amex Membership Rewards factors could be transferred to HawaiianMiles at a 1:1 fee. Nevertheless, as talked about earlier, it is secure to say that the Amex switch choice will finally change into out of date.
Different methods to earn Alaska miles
You may earn miles utilizing the Mileage Plan Purchasing portal when procuring on-line and the Mileage Plan Eating program when eating out.
On the procuring facet, Mileage Plan Purchasing awards bonus miles everytime you click on via the Alaska portal earlier than making an internet buy. It provides bonus miles with tons of of various retailers, together with Apple and Saks Fifth Avenue. Every service provider awards a special variety of miles per greenback spent, and charges can fluctuate steadily.
Be careful for procuring portal offers provided by Mileage Plan Purchasing. It often runs limited-time bonuses the place you’ll be able to earn further miles by spending a particular sum of money.
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. For max advantages, use a card that gives 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 12 months
There are different methods to earn Alaska miles, similar to reserving rental vehicles and lodge stays with Alaska companions. You may be taught extra about these incomes alternatives in our full information to incomes Alaska miles.
How one can redeem Alaska miles
You should utilize your Alaska miles for flights on Alaska Airways and its companion airways. Redeeming on companion airways typically provides one of the best worth, particularly for worldwide first- or business-class flights.
Observe that Alaska Airways flights are dynamically priced. Your worth for a particular award ticket varies by route and day. You may typically discover the lowest-priced awards on quick flights, similar to 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 web site, you may see award pricing for all of Alaska’s companions, relying on the area you might be 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 “fluctuate relying on demand.”
Associated: Alaska Airways tweaks award charts with HawaiianMiles
Add stopovers to one-way award tickets
One vital benefit of reserving companion tickets with Alaska Airways is the power so as 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 may have a stopover operated by Alaska Airways or a single companion in its hub metropolis.
How one can e-book Alaska Airways award tickets
You may e-book most award tickets on the Alaska Airways web site. 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 go looking and consider out there choices within the heart of the display screen.
In the event you 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” below the “Flight kind” header. Enter your flights, and seek for connecting tickets. All out there choices will probably be displayed within the heart of the display screen. In the event you discover a fascinating itinerary, e-book your ticket as normal.
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan redemption candy spots
Now that you realize about Alaska Airways 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’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 could be booked in financial system class beginning at 7,500 Alaska miles every means for journeys of 1,500 miles or much less.
- Enterprise class to the U.Ok. and Eire: Whereas many flight routes from North America to Europe will fall throughout the 3,501- to five,000-mile vary, similar to 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.Ok. or Eire that can solely price 45,000 miles in enterprise class, as they’re below 3,500 miles. Two such examples are the New York-to-London and New York-to-Dublin routes.
- Guide South America flights on LATAM: Regardless of leaving the Oneworld alliance, LATAM nonetheless companions with Alaska Airways. By profiting from the free stopover, you’ll be able to e-book 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 financial system and 50,000 miles for enterprise class every means.
Associated: Greatest Alaska Airways Mileage Plan candy spot redemptions you’ll be able to e-book
Backside line
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan is a high airline loyalty program, due to its big 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 provides many notable advantages.
Nevertheless, it stays to be seen how the approaching joint loyalty program between the 2 carriers will observe Alaska’s present Mileage Plan program. Our hope is it is not a complete devaluation of a beneficial airline program.
