Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan Frequent Flyer Program: The Simple Flying Guide

One of the few legacy US carriers, Alaska Airlines has been operating its Mileage Plan program since 1983, then known as Gold Coast Travel. As the airline has expanded in the last decade, most notably following its merger with Virgin America and oneworld membership. This has opened plenty of opportunities for Mileage Plan members, making the program a significant one in the crowded market.

Since the carrier only joined the alliance in 2021, it has forged partnerships with several carriers like Air Tahiti Nui, Aer Lingus, Singapore Airlines, and Korean Air, opening plenty of redemption opportunities globally. But with dynamic pricing and a smaller core network, how does the program stack up? Here’s our comprehensive guide.

The pros and cons

No program is perfect, and Mileage Plan is no exception. Starting off the pros, you get:

• Distance-based earning:
  Mileage Plan is the only major program in the country not to shift fully to spend-based earning. Until 2022, you earned 1 mile per mile flown (with bonuses for higher fare classes), while today basic fares only earn 30%. However, you still get 100% miles flown on all fare classes and up to 200% in first class, so cheap fares can bag you a lot (total miles also equal to elite-qualifying miles).

• Plenty of redemption partners
  : One of the few benefits of dynamic pricing is the plenty of availability, and Alaska has no shortage of partners. From American, Qatar, and British Airways (and 18 others) to Starlux, Singapore Airlines, and Aer Lingus, the program is perhaps the most diverse.

• Elite status not (very) hard to reach
  : While Delta and others require you to spend tens of thousands for elite status, Alaska’s distance-based chart means it can be a lot easier to book cheaper tickets on partners and get to MVP Gold or higher. Even just flying in economy can get you status over the course of a year.

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

On the downside, you have:

• Co-brand cards, but fewer transfer opportunities:
  While Alaska Airlines has a few co-brand cards, it doesn’t have transfer agreements with major partners like Citi, Chase, American Express, or Capital One, severely limiting how you can earn points. The only workaround is to transfer through a shared hotel program like Marriott Bonvoy, but this adds time and complexity.

• Dynamic pricing
  : Alaska Airlines moved to a dynamic pricing model for all its partners in the last year. This means flights have gotten more expensive from the flat-rate options previously, especially when mixed itineraries are included. As with all variable pricing, this can get quite expensive in premium cabins, so be ready to shell out for flexibility.

• Smaller network:
  While Alaska is well-established on the West Coast, it routes across the country, relying on partners like American. This hurts elite benefits, placing you below American’s own elites, rather than right at the top of the list.

This brief overview of Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan is helpful to get started, but to really get to grips with this formidable frequent flyer scheme, check out our in-depth guides below.

• Mileage Plan Status Tiers

  There are four levels within Mileage Plan, earned with increasing flying (measured using “elite qualifying miles”). The top level was just added in 2022 and is designed to reward the most frequent flyers, mainly with a higher chance of upgrades.

  Mileage Plan Tier Levels

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  Photo: Vincenzo Pace – Simple Flying

• Spending Mileage Plan Miles

  Mileage redemption rates for Alaska Airlines flights are now variable and can change based on demand. They are not necessarily directly linked to the underlying price of the flight, but you would expect them to increase as the ticket price increases.

  Spending Mileage Plan Miles

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  Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

• Hidden Perks Of Mileage Plan

  Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan stands apart from other major US airline programs with its distance-based earning and redeeming methods. This may change in the future, but for now, it helps make the program one of the most popular with frequent flyers. This guide takes a look at some of the best parts of the program and the best value you can get with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, arranged as a series of tips around earning miles, redeeming miles, and holding elite status.

  Mileage Plan – Hidden Perks

• The Different Ways To Earn Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles

  Alaska Airlines is unusual in that it still uses a distance-based method of earning miles on flights. Plus there are other ways to earn.

  The Different Ways To Earn Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles