How To Book First Class Flights With Alaska Airlines Miles

It doesn’t get better than flying in first class – and using miles and points is a popular way to access this premium cabin. Availability with any loyalty program can be hard to find, but when you can it gives some of the best value in the points and miles world.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan offers many ways to access first class awards. As a member of the oneworld alliance, awards can be booked on any oneworld airline – and several have excellent first class offerings. Mileage Plan also has many additional partners, but first class is limited here. To be clear, we are talking here about long-haul international widebody first class products, not North American-style domestic first class.

Booking first class with American Airlines

Perhaps the most obvious option for first class for North America-based Mileage Plan
members is to use American Airlines
. At least for the moment, the airline still operates long-haul first class (known as Flagship First). It has confirmed it will phase this out, however – in line with other major US airlines. The focus now is on offering a good business product rather than the extras of first class.

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The cabin is available on several transcontinental US routes and international flights to Europe, South America, and Asia. However, not all flights will offer it (the first cabin is only available on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft), and availability will continue to decrease as aircraft are reconfigured.

Photo: First Class Photography | Shutterstock

All awards with Mileage Plan are priced dynamically. Starting price levels are published for all partners based on region. Rates can increase above this – as yet, however, experience shows that most partner flight awards are priced at this starting level (with award seats either available or not).

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Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan uses dynamic award pricing but still offers some good value partner awards.

For example, for US to Europe routes (using the Mileage Plan Europe chart), the starting rates for first class would be as follows:

• Routes between 1,501 and 3,500 miles: 67,500 miles
• Routes between 3,501 and 5,000 miles: 82,500 miles
• Routes between 5,001 and 7,000 miles: 105,000 miles
• Routes between 7,001 and 10,000 miles: 130,000 miles
• Routes over 10,000 miles: 165,000 miles

Photo: Alaska Airlines

There is also excellent value on offer with the ability to add a stopover. Mileage Plan allows this on all international awards, but only at the main hub transit location of the airline.

For more ideas on how to make the most out of the stopover option, see our guide

Booking first class with British Airways

British Airways
is another excellent option for those traveling to and from North America. The UK-based airline has a widely available first class on North American routes, plus many other destinations from London. The cabin is available on several aircraft, including the Airbus A380, some Boeing 777 aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 (but not the 787-8 or the A350).

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Which British Airways Aircraft Have First Class Cabins?

Despite having a large and diverse portfolio of aircraft, only five types in British Airways’ long-haul fleet offer a first class cabin.

Routes can change but currently include:

• All A380 flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Boston, Dallas, and Washington Dulles.
• Some Boeing 777 flights to New York JFK, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego
• Some 787 flights to Boston, Chicago, Houston, Newark, Seattle, Washington DC

Routes between the US and Europe would be priced using the same European chart as American Airlines, with starting rates for first class of:

• Routes between 1,501 and 3,500 miles: 67,500 miles (including JFK to LHR)
• Routes between 3,501 and 5,000 miles: 82,500 miles
• Routes between 5,001 and 7,000 miles: 105,000 miles
• Routes between 7,001 and 10,000 miles: 130,000 miles
• Routes over 10,000 miles: 165,000 miles

Photo: Alaska Airlines

Multiple sectors are permitted on one award. So, for British Airways, an onward flight within Europe could be added – likely for the same mileage. For a first class long-haul flight, obviously, lower cabins can be mixed for connecting flights (with the whole award pricing based on first class rates).

Using miles for Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qantas

Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines both offer first class on several routes, including to/from the US. These airlines have excellent first class products and service – worth saving your miles for!

Cathay Pacific
only has first class on some of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

• The cabin is normally offered on flights to New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and some flights to San Francisco.
• It also operates to London and Paris, and on some regional flights in Asia.

Japan Airlines
has first class on the Boeing 777-300ER and the new Airbus A350-1000.

• It is currently found on US routes, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
• The Boeing 777 is also found on flights to London.

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Qantas
now only offers a first class product on the Airbus A380. It currently flies this to Los Angeles, London, and Singapore.

Routes to/from Asia, and within Asia for Cathay regional flights, are priced using the Mileage Plan Asia Pacific chart. The starting rates for first class are:

• Routes between 1,501 and 3,000 miles: 75,000 miles
• Routes between 3,001 and 5,000 miles: 90,000 miles
• Routes between 5,001 and 7,000 miles: 110,000 miles
• Routes between 7,001 and 10,000 miles: 130,000 miles
• Routes over 10,000 miles: 195,000 miles

Using miles for Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways
currently operates first class on a small portion of its fleet – including 10 Airbus A380s and six Boeing 777-300ERs. First class can be found reliably on London routes, plus some other Asia and regional routes, but not on any routes to the US.

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Qatar Airways used to offer first class more extensively (as do other Middle Eastern airlines) but has scaled back. This could be changing now though, with a new cabin planned.

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Using miles for non-oneworld airline partners

Mileage Plan is unusual among oneworld airlines, in having an extensive set of non-oneworld partners allowing miles earning and spending. These currently include:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Tahiti Nui
• El Al Israel Airlines
• Hainan Airlines
• Icelandair
• Korean Air
• LATAM
• Ravn Alaska
• Singapore Airlines
• STARLUX Airlines

For first class, Singapore Airlines
would of course be the most appealing. Its first class and Suites product are perhaps the best in the sky. Unfortunately, these cannot be booked using partner loyalty programs.

Of the other partners, Korean Air and STARLUX Airlines offer very limited first class miles booking options.

Korean Air
offers first class on the Airbus A380, Boeing 747-8, and the Boeing 777. It is not found on its Boeing 787 or Airbus A330 widebodies. The 747 and A380 offer a suite style first class product, with several older types still used on the 777s. These operate several routes to the US, plus other regional routes.

Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock

starlux airlines
has included a small first class cabin on its A350 aircraft. One row of four seats is integrated into the business class cabin, but offer slightly more space and privacy. This operates Taipei to Los Angeles and San Francisco services.

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Both Korean Air and STARLUX Airlines flights (to the US and regional in Asia) will price using the Mileage Plan Asia chart – with starting rates as follows:

• Routes between 1,501 and 3,000 miles: 75,000 miles
• Routes between 3,001 and 5,000 miles: 90,000 miles
• Routes between 5,001 and 7,000 miles: 110,000 miles
• Routes between 7,001 and 10,000 miles: 130,000 miles
• Routes over 10,000 miles: 195,000 miles