How to make the most of Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan rewards program
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Alaska Airlines is known for its Mileage Plan, which won the title of NerdWallert's Best Airline Rewards Program for 2023 for its great reward rates, elite status benefits and reliability. It even ranked as the most pet-friendly airline.
The free-to-join Mileage Plan makes it easy to collect reward miles by flying or by using Alaska Airlines' Alaska Visa credit card. Bookings with participating hotels, cruises, rental car companies and ride-share services can also build reward miles, as can shopping with any of several partner vendors.
All levels of the elite status program provide value without stacking up fees. Besides flights, miles can be used on seat upgrades and hotel bookings. Additionally, as part of oneworld Alliance, Alaska Airlines rewards can be earned with and applied to flights with any of the other member airlines, which collectively offer more than 900 destinations worldwide.
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Using Alaska Airlines miles
Customers can redeem travel rewards starting at just 5,000 miles logged. These rewards can be used to upgrade a seat to First Class or Premium Class, or to book a stay at one of more than 400,000 hotel partners. Plus, Mileage Plan miles never expire.
What is oneworld Alliance?
Alaska Airlines is part of the oneworld Alliance of airlines, which allows flyers to accrue and redeem miles and points through any member of the alliance network. These partners will also honor a customer's Mileage Plan elite status with corresponding oneworld tier levels Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. Oneworld Alliance partners include:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
- Oman Air
Since Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan awards miles based on distance traveled rather than dollars spent, passengers can collect miles and reach elite status faster than with other frequent flyer programs. (Rafael Henrique / SOPA Images/Sipa USA / IMAGN)
How can Mileage Plan rewards be used?
Alaska Airlines claims their members earn 30% more miles on average than members of other frequent flyer programs.
There are a few different status tiers for which members can qualify, starting with MVP at 20,000 miles flown in a year. The next one is MVP Gold at 40,000 miles, then MVP Gold 75K at 75,000 miles, and finally MVP Gold 100K at 100,000 miles.
These tiers translate to oneworld Alliance's Priority status program, so benefits can follow Mileage Plan members wherever they go. Benefits vary by tier, but opportunities for reward mile redemption include:
- Use miles to book oneworld flights
- Earn elite bonus miles on eligible oneworld flights
- Priority check-in
- Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating
- Priority on waitlists and when on standby
- Priority boarding
- Access to oneworld Business Class lounges
- Extra baggage allowance
- Priority baggage handling
- Access to oneworld First Class lounges
- Fast track at security lanes
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MVP Gold 100K
MVP Gold 100K status comes with additional benefits. Members qualifying for MVP Gold 100K during a calendar year will be invited to select one 100K Choice Benefit for the following year. Options include:
- 50,000 Bonus Miles
- Alaska Lounge+ Membership
- Gifting MVP Gold Status to someone else
- Complimentary Wi-Fi every time you fly
- A complimentary membership to CLEAR Plus, an identity verification company that speeds up the airport security process with designated lanes at TSA checkpoints
Alaska Airlines also offers a "status match" application for customers who already have status with another airline and are looking to make the switch.
An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from Los Angeles International Airport on Dec. 4, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Mario Tama/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Earn Alaska Airlines miles
Mileage Plan members can earn reward miles by flying with Alaska Airlines or shopping with their partners. Members earn a reward mile for every mile they fly.
When shopping with the Alaska Visa credit card, members earn three miles for each dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, two miles for every dollar spent on eligible gas, transit, ride-share, cable and streaming services, and one mile for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
Flights
Miles can be earned and redeemed with the oneworld Alliance partner airlines listed above, which will also honor a Mileage Plan member's tier status with oneworld Alliance's corresponding Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald tiers.
However, Alaska Airlines has even more affiliated airlines that allow Mileage Plan members to earn and redeem miles on flights, but do not have a corresponding elite tier status. These "earn and redeem partners" are:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Condor
- EL AL Israel Airlines
- Hainan Airlines
- Icelandair
- Korean Air
- LATAM Airlines
- Ravn Alaska
- Singapore Airlines
- STARLUX Airlines
The following "earn partner" airlines allow Mileage Plan members to earn reward miles with flights booked on AlaskaAir.com, though rewards cannot be redeemed with them:
- Bahamasair
- Porter Airlines
- Cape Air
- Southern Airways Express
- Kenmore Air
- Mokulele Airlines
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Hotels and Cruises
Alaska Airlines' Alaska Hotels service offers over 400,000 locations around the world at which Mileage Plan members can earn up to 10,000 miles for every night they stay. Members can also redeem miles for use in hotel bookings.
Best Western Rewards members can earn 250 miles per stay on qualifying rates at Best Western hotels.
Choice Hotels allow Mileage Plan members to earn 250 total miles per eligible stay. To earn miles, members must present their Mileage Plan numbers at check-in, or set Mileage Plan as their preferred earning method in their Choice Privileges account.
Coast Hotels enable Mileage Plan members to earn 250 miles per stay on qualifying rates at Coast Hotels properties.
InterContinental Hotels Group offer more than 4,900 properties worldwide at which Mileage Plan members can earn up to two miles per dollar paid on eligible charges, or 500 miles per qualifying stay.
Through Alaska Airlines' preferred provider, CruisesOnly, Mileage Plan members can earn a mile for every dollar spent booking a cruise, all while getting guaranteed best rates on everything the cruise lines have to offer. Additionally, if cardholders use the Alaska Visa card, they can earn double miles on eligible bookings.
An Alaska Airlines passenger plane taxis at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco on Sept. 17, 2018. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Car Rentals
Mileage Plan members can save up to 35% off base rates for car rentals with Alaska Airlines' preferred partners, Avis and Budget. Members can earn up to 1,250 miles on qualifying Avis and Budget car rentals. Now, Alaska elite members can have their status matched with Avis Preferred Plus or Avis President’s Club.
Members can also earn 50 miles per day on rentals at participating Alamo or National car rental locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Additionally, if Mileage Plan members link their account to Lyft, they can earn one mile per dollar spent on Lyft trips.
Everyday Partners
Mileage Plan Dining allows members to earn up to five miles for every dollar spent at one of over 17,000 participating restaurants across the United States.
Mileage Plan Shopping earns members varying amounts of miles for every dollar spent at hundreds of participating online and local stores like Macy's, Groupon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more, plus extra miles and bonus miles during special shopping events.
1-800-Flowers.com offers 20 miles per dollar spent when members use the promo code AKA3.
When shopping at Carrs/Safeway stores in Alaska, Mileage Plan members can link their accounts with their Carrs/Safeway for U Rewards accounts to earn a point for every dollar spent on groceries and two points for every dollar spent on gift cards. Every 100 points will get members a reward for 100 Mileage Plan miles or more.
Diners Club International rewards points can be converted directly into Mileage Plan miles at a 1:1 ratio.
GCI residential and small-business customers can earn one mile per dollar spent on a wide variety of eligible cable TV, internet, cellular, and local and long-distance plans.
Every dollar spent on experiences booked online with GetYourGuide is worth four Mileage Plan miles.
Laithwaites Wine offers 2,250 Mileage Plan miles with an introductory case of wine and 1,000 miles with each subsequent subscription case. Plus, each dollar spent on non-subscription purchases is worth three miles.
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The Opinion Terminal is an online survey community exclusive to Mileage Plan members that allows them to earn miles for sharing opinions in online surveys about different products and services. Members earn at least 400 miles upon joining, plus more miles for every survey completed.
SoFi offers one Mileage Plan mile for every $2 worth of student or personal loans that members refinance with their service, up to 50,000 miles each.
Teleflora, a flower delivery company, offers 20 Mileage Plan miles for every dollar spent when the promotion code BAAAL10 is used at checkout.
Vinesse Wine Clubs offers 5,000 miles with the first two boxes of wine ordered, as well as five miles per dollar spent on wine purchased through the program.