Editor’s word: We’ve up to date this put up with present data.
If your principal expertise within the factors and miles world comes from a U.S. legacy provider, adjusting to Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program has a little bit of a studying curve. With some incredible award candy spots, miles which might be virtually at all times extra priceless on companion airways than on Alaska itself and a singular stopover program, the Alaska Mileage Plan program has its justifiable share of quirks.
Still, Alaska’s Mileage Plan might be extraordinarily useful as you propose your subsequent award journey. Today we’ll focus on some methods to maximise your redemptions with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.
Earning Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles
Since Alaska Mileage Plan doesn’t take part within the main transferrable level currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, there are three main methods to develop your Mileage Plan stability with out touring.
First, you might join a brand new Alaska Airlines bank card. The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® bank card at the moment affords 50,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and costs from $22) after you make $2,000 or extra in purchases throughout the first 90 days of opening your account. TPG values Alaska miles at 1.8 cents every, making the 50,000-mile bonus price a powerful $900.
Second, you possibly can switch factors from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio. For now, you may get a 5,000-mile bonus for each 60,000 Marriott factors transferred. But this bonus could also be short-lived, as Marriott lately lower its 5,000-mile bonus for a number of different airways.
You might apply for a brand new Marriott bank card to earn extra Marriott factors. For instance, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at the moment has a welcome bonus of 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors after you employ your new card to make $5,000 in purchases throughout the first three months of card membership.
Third, you might benefit from one in every of Alaska’s frequent gross sales on bought miles. While we do not advocate shopping for miles speculatively, shopping for Alaska miles can characterize a strong worth for those who’ve already discovered the award house you need.
Finally, Alaska Mileage Plan additionally has a buying portal and eating program. These applications allow you to earn miles when buying on-line and eating at choose eating places.
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Related: How to earn miles with the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program
Pick your companion rigorously
Most frequent flyer applications make the most of a zone-based or distance-based award chart, the place the associated fee to journey between two cities is usually the identical regardless of which companion airline you fly. With Alaska, the other is true. Picking your companion is important; choosing one companion over one other might prevent a big variety of miles.
Alaska has been pivoting away from award charts, a development in keeping with the opposite main U.S. carriers. Still, Alaska has an award chart web page that exhibits beginning award costs.
Let’s take into account a easy instance of a one-way economy-class award from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) within the Phillipines. An straightforward search on the Alaska web site exhibits availability for 2 carriers: Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.
The pricing makes it clear that Japan Airlines is a greater redemption worth than Singapore Airlines.
Price discrepancies might be much more vital on different routes, significantly in premium cabins. For flights from the U.S. to Australia, a one-way first-class award might be had for as few as 70,000 miles for those who fly with Qantas, 80,000 miles with Cathay Pacific and 110,000 with American Airlines.
Previously, Alaska did not present Cathay Pacific awards on-line, however the airline lately added Cathay Pacific and LATAM awards to its web site.
Related: Ultimate information to looking award availability for the foremost airways
Don’t anticipate to guide all companion flights
Even although Alaska is a member of Oneworld, you should use your Mileage Plan miles with an array of carriers throughout all three main alliances (you possibly can see a full record right here).
However, these agreements don’t at all times embody unilateral award entry to each flight operated by these companion airways. Instead, Alaska’s award chart is restricted to designated routes and areas. Even if a companion flies between two cities, you will not have the ability to guide that itinerary with Mileage Plan miles if Alaska’s web site does not present an award chart.
For instance, let’s say you need to journey from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN). It’d be straightforward to imagine that you might redeem Alaska miles to fly on Korean Air. However, whenever you search Europe to Asia, you may discover that Korean Air just isn’t listed as an possibility.
If you are touring from Europe to Asia and need to use Mileage Plan miles, you are restricted to Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines.
Related: Your full information to incomes and redeeming with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Utilize one-way redemptions
Before the pandemic, an enormous draw back to one-way redemptions was that clients needed to pay two $125 redeposit charges in the event that they needed to cancel their journey. Now, nevertheless, Alaska waives redeposit charges for all Mileage Plan members.
Since Alaska doesn’t allow you to mix companions on a single award ticket, there’s a straightforward means round this that allows you to expertise two completely different airways: Book two one-way awards as a substitute of a single round-trip. You nonetheless get a free stopover when reserving one-way awards (extra on that in a minute). And because you’re allowed to guide one-way awards on almost all of Alaska’s companions, there’s no incentive to guide a round-trip award.
Note that flights on Korean Air are the one exception right here. Korean flights are costly to start with when utilizing Alaska miles (so most likely not your finest redemption possibility), however you’re solely allowed to guide round-trip awards. If you attempt to guide a one-way, it should worth the identical as a spherical journey. This naturally defeats the purpose of reserving a one-way award, so that you’ll need to keep away from Korean Air for those who’re attempting to mix one-way awards.
Related: Best candy spots with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Don’t miss a free stopover
Alaska’s award chart might be nice for reaching extra distant locales like India, Australia and Southeast Asia with out breaking the financial institution. You may discover {that a} free stopover on the way in which will allow you to arrive at your vacation spot higher rested and allow you to see a second metropolis for no added value.
A major instance of this could be flying from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) on Cathay Pacific. This journey would set you again 50,000 miles every means in enterprise class or 70,000 in firstclass. You might fly from JFK to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), cease for just a few days, and proceed to Bangkok, all for a similar variety of miles.
On the return, you might route again via Hong Kong (with or with out one other stopover). Or you might leverage the advantages of reserving one-way tickets to go to a special stopover metropolis. For instance, you might choose to return in Japan Airlines enterprise class or firstclass. This would require a minimum of 60,000 miles for enterprise class or a minimum of 70,000 miles for firstclass, however you might take pleasure in time in Tokyo on the way in which house.
With a liberal stopover coverage, we advocate contemplating Mileage Plan stopovers whenever you plan your journey. Even for those who solely spend a day or two exploring your stopover metropolis, it’s an outstanding alternative to see a vacation spot and break up an extended journey with out spending further miles.
Use the multi-city search function to guide a stopover on Alaska’s web site. If you are touring on a companion airline, your stopover should typically be on the companion’s hub (e.g., Helsinki for Finnair).
Related: Maximizing stopovers and open jaws on award tickets
Bottom line
The Alaska Mileage Plan program is a favourite at TPG, however it’s essential do some planning to take full benefit of it.
We advocate familiarizing your self with the completely different companion award costs, routing guidelines and free stopover alternatives. As is the case when searching for award house, flexibility is the important thing to scoring high-value Alaska Mileage Plan redemptions.
Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen.