Alaska Airlines Passengers Can Now Earn Status Upgrades For Offsetting Emissions

AlaskWell known for an organizational commitment to sustainability, Alaska Airlines aken the next step in signaling demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF by allowing passengers to buy SAF credits and more with each ticket purchased on alaskaair.com. For Alaska Airlines, the sale of SAF credits is a partnership with climate technology company CHOOOSE using the international standard International Air Transport Association (IATA) Recommended Practice 1726 (Passenger CO2 Calculation Method).

A market demand signal for SAF

For Alaska Airlines, having passengers buy Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) credits is a way to send a free market signal to SAF producers that there is a clear market demand for more SAF supply or aviation fuel made from substances other than fossil fuels. As Diana Birkett Rakow, senior vice president of public affairs and sustainability at Alaska Airlines explained in an Alaska Airlines May 7 statement,

“SAF is a critical part of aviation’s path to a more sustainable future, and while we use it today, there is not enough SAF available. It will take all of us to grow this market. The more people who know about and support this important technology, the better we can impact efforts to make a sustainable future for air travel a reality.”

Hence a strategic decision to increase SAF awareness for the flying public by providing a purchase opportunity on alaskaair.com and soon Alaska Airlines’ mobile apps.

A look down the Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-890 cabin before upcoming renovations
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

Additionally, as Rakow shared in the May 17, 2023, Financial Times Sustainable Aerospace Together Forum about the need for financial support for SAF;

“Alaska Airlines serves, you know, some of the largest metropolises in the country, but we also serve 20 communities in the state of Alaska, only three of which are accessible by road, which means that aircraft is the way that you get to the major grocery store, to the doctor to everything, you know, sports teams travel by airplane, and I think we are really wrestling with how do we make sure this is a transition that’s managed economically so that it doesn’t put air travel and the economic opportunity of air travel out of reach for more people.”

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

Indeed, Alaska Airlines conducts several “milk run” flights the traveling public can board to experience that need for commercial aviation. You can read a guide below;

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A Brief Guide To Alaska Airlines’ Milk Run Flights

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Ultimately, even though one can now buy SAF credits – Rakow also made clear in the same Sustainable Aerospace Together Forum that she understands the desire to self-select SAF flights but wants SAF to be placed into planes without special equipment or attention. Nonetheless, the financial support towards providing fuels based on more sustainable supply with lower emissions.

Net Zero by 2040 with an invitation and frequent flier miles

Additionally, Alaska Airlines sees this as a continuation of an April 2021 goal to get to net zero by 2040. Alaska Airlines has a brief explainer of their plans below;

As Rakow shared in the May 7 statement;

“Alaska is on a journey to make air travel more sustainable with an ambitious goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Now we are inviting our guests to join us on the journey. We’re proud to be the first U.S. airline to make this connection between guest engagement in SAF and earning elite status.”

Alaska Airlines is also offering mileage credits in the form of elite-qualifying miles or EQMs. Alaska Airlines allows passengers to use not just frequent flyer miles but also miles in combination with cash to purchase tickets – and learn more from our previous coverage below:

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How To Spend Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles

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

See for every $100 spent on SAF up to $1,000, 500 EQMs will be rewarded for a maximum of 5,000. Below are Alaska Airlines’ estimates for two routes of the costs to make a reduction in CO2e emissions:

Table: Alaska Airlines

Climate technology company CHOOOSE is operating this system for Alaska Airlines using the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Recommended Practice 1726 (Passenger CO2 Calculation Method) to calculate the cost. Factors such as aircraft fuel consumption, flight path, seat configuration, cabin class, and load factors sourced directly from Alaska’s operational data are plugged in.

Southwest Airlines also offering climate offsets

What Alaska Airlines is doing is new for Alaska Airlines and focusing on SAF incentives, but other airlines like Southwest Airlines are offering general emission offsets direct to passengers with a “Carbon Offset Program”. The author recently bought some Southwest Airlines emission credits and found the process straightforward. Below is a Southwest Airlines YouTube explainer:

In fact, one can use the Southwest Airlines CHOOOSE calculator to cover flights from any point A to point B in the Southwest Airlines network. So, one can theoretically buy carbon offsets from flying with, say, Alaska Airlines or United Airlines as much as Southwest Airlines. But you do not get frequent flyer miles for any airline as an incentive…

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines is offering the opportunity to help fund SAF development with the incentive of frequent flyer miles. Alaska Airlines’ hope is to send a signal to financial markets there is airline customer support for increasing SAF supply for sustainability.

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

By allowing passengers to recieve a frequent flyer incentive for purchasing SAF, SAF supporters are able to recieve currency to use towards future Alaska Airlines flights.

Do you want to purchase SAF credits to help fund SAF development? Is the incentive of frequent flyer miles a factor? Please share in the comments your thoughts.