The Ultimate Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Guide

Last updated on July 6th, 2021

Alaska Airlines is one of the most popular airlines on the American West Coast and its Mileage Plan program offers quality and value for members. Alaska Airlines is headquartered at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and is the fifth-largest carrier in the United States. Mileage Plan™ is the airline’s frequent flyer program, offering exceptional rewards for Alaska travelers – and its codeshare partners.

What is the Mileage Plan™?

Mileage Plan™ is the loyalty program of Alaska Airlines. The Mileage Plan™ program is consistently ranked among the top frequent flyer programs in North America for its excellent rewards – which are also applicable to well over a dozen other airlines across the globe.
Earning Mileage Plan™ Miles

Flying with Alaska Airlines

The easiest way to earn Mileage Plan™ miles is by booking flights with Alaska Airlines. When flying with Alaska, Mileage Plan™ members earn one rewards mile for every mile flown – it’s that simple. These earnings apply regardless of the type of fare, meaning that even those flying on the cheaper Saver fares earn one mile for every mile flown. On short flights, members earn a minimum of 500 miles.

Miles earned also vary based upon flight class, meaning those with higher class fares will earn increased miles over the base one mile per mile flown. Those in first class, for instance, will earn 75% bonuses on miles flown, meaning they will receive 175 miles for every 100 miles flown.

Those in main economy on Y or S class flight services will earn a 50% bonus (150 miles per every 100 miles flown), while those in the main economy on M or B class of service flights earn a 25% bonus (125 miles per 100 miles flown).

Earning with Other Partners

Mileage Plan™ members can also earn miles when they spend money with Alaska Airlines partners, including:

Hotels: Alaska partner hotels include Alaska Airlines Hotels, Best Western, Choice, Coast, InterContinental, Marriott Bonvoy, Westmark, as well as bookings made with RocketMiles.
Rental Cars: Alaska rental car partners include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.
Mileage Plan™ Dining: Members also earn miles every time they dine at one of over 10,000 participating restaurants across the U.S.
Shopping: Mileage Plan™ miles can also be earned when making purchases through Mileage Plan™ shopping, where miles are earned for making purchases with over 850 leading brands. There’s even a handy extension button to make shopping and earning easier.

Credit Cards

One of the best ways to earn miles with Alaska Airlines is through its co-branded credit cards. Offered through Bank of America, the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card, and Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card, both offer a bonus mile introductory offer after an initial spend in the first 90 days. Both cards also offer Alaska’s Companion Fare once a year, allowing a customer’s companion to fly round-trip for as little as $121.

Transferring Rewards from Other Programs

One of the easiest ways to supercharge a Mileage Plan™ account is by moving rewards from other programs – and one of the easiest (and most lucrative) methods is through Marriott. Marriott points transfer to Alaska Airlines miles at a ratio of 3:1, which, while not spectacular, is boosted by Marriott’s offer of adding 5,000 airline miles to any transfer of 60,000 points or higher.

Alaska Airline Codeshare Airlines

Mileage Plan™ members can also earn Mileage Plan™ miles when they fly with Alaska Airlines partner carriers. While Alaska Airlines is not a member of any alliance, it does have codeshare agreements with 18 airlines – including some of the most significant airlines across the globe.

Alaska Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines, allowing Mileage Plan™ members to earn miles on partner flights with them:

Aeromexico

American Airlines

British Airways

Cathay Pacific

Condor

El Al

Emirates

Fiji Airways

Finnair

Hainan Airlines

Japan Airlines

Icelandair

Korean Air

LATAM Airlines

PenAir

Qantas

Ravn

Singapore Airlines

For a complete calculation on how many miles can be earned when flying with Alaska partners, visit the Alaska Airlines partners website.

Codeshare Limitations

Mileage Plan™ members cannot earn miles when flying domestically on American Airlines-coded flights.

How Much Are Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles Worth?

cents per mile

Do Mileage Plan Miles Expire?

No

Redeeming Mileage Plan™ Miles

There are several redemption options for Mileage Plan™ miles:

Flights with Alaska Airlines

The easiest way to use miles is by booking award tickets with Alaska Airlines. To use miles for flights, members need to book their flight on the Alaska Airlines website and pay with miles. Miles can also be used for first class upgrades within 24 hours of departure.

Alaska rewards flights start at as few as 10,000 miles for main cabin flights between 700 and 1,400 miles, with first class flights on the same routes starting at 30,000 miles one-way. For longer trips (greater than 2,000 miles), expect reward flights to begin at roughly 17,000 for the main cabin, and 30,000 for first class.

Alaska allows for free stopovers on reward flights – even on one-way fares – meaning booking a sightseeing getaway with rewards has never been easier!

Flights with Alaska Airlines Partners

Alaska also allows miles to be used with their codeshare partners, but this is trickier than simply booking with Alaska. One of the great things about Alaska’s Mileage Plan™ is that it is a true mileage plan – meaning you get a mile for every mile you fly. This perk means that it’s possible to amass an impressive number of miles which can be transferred to other airlines, such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, or Emirates.

Bookings for partner airlines must be completed through Alaska Airlines, so it is key to check with the airline to see which award flights are available with partner carriers. Some awards fares may not be visible; if this is the case, contact Alaska Airlines customer support at 800-252-7522.

Hotels

Mileage Plan™ miles are also redeemable towards hotel stays with some of the biggest names in the industry, including bookings made through Alaska Airlines Hotels, Best Western, Choice, Coast, InterContinental, Marriott Bonvoy, Westmark, as well as bookings made with RocketMiles.

Other Ways to Redeem Miles

Alaska miles are also redeemable for gift cards or magazine subscriptions.

Mileage Plan™ Status Levels

Alaska’s Mileage Plan™ has three membership tiers, which are reached by obtaining a required amount of one of the three following criteria: miles flown with Alaska, miles flown with Alaska and combination of qualifying partner airlines, or a number of segments flown with Alaska or partner airlines. One of these three minimum requirements must be reached in the calendar year to achieve the next tier.

MVP

MVP is the first elite member tier in the Mileage Plan™ program.

Attaining MVP Status

To reach MVP status, a traveler must earn at least 20,000 miles with Alaska, a combination of 25,000 miles with Alaska and partner airlines, or have flown 30 segments.

MVP Perks

Free preferred seats
Instant premium upgrades on B, S, Y, or Z class services
Instant first class upgrades on Y, S, or Z class services
First two bags checked for free
Priority check-in
Priority boarding
Free upgrades 49 hours before departure
50% bonus miles on Alaska and qualifying partner airlines
Discounted Alaska lounge access

MVP Gold

MVP Gold is the second tier in the Alaska Mileage Plan™ program, offering improved perks over MVP. Complimentary MVP Gold lifetime status is awarded when a passenger amasses over one million miles with Alaska.

Attaining MVP Gold Status

To reach MVP Gold status, a traveler must earn at least 40,000 miles with Alaska, a combination of 50,000 miles with Alaska and partner airlines, or have flown 60 segments.

MVP Gold Perks

In addition to those outlined in MVP tier, MVP Gold members also receive the following perks:

Instant free upgrades on B, M, S, Y, or Z class services
Free in-flight drink if not provided with an upgrade
Free upgrades 72 hours before departure
4 one-way companion upgrades per year
Same-day flight changes for free
Priority security
Priority standby and waitlist
Increased bonus miles (100%) on Alaska and qualifying partner airlines
Increased Alaska lounge discounts ($50 off membership, no initiation fees)
Access to British Airways’ Galleries Lounge at Heathrow Airport
Entry to Hainan Airways’ lounges in China
Access to Icelandair’s lounge in Reykjavik
Select access to Qantas International lounges

MVP Gold 75K

MVP Gold 75K is the elite tier of the Mileage Plan™ program, offering the pinnacle of perks available through Alaska.

Attaining MVP Gold 75K

To reach MVP Gold 75K status, a traveler must earn at least 75,000 miles with Alaska, a combination of 90,000 miles with Alaska and partner airlines, or have flown 90 segments.