Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan is one of the best travel loyalty programs around, with plenty of ways to earn miles. But what about when it comes to redeeming them?
We currently value Mileage Plan miles at 1.4 cents each and a look back shows that they've only increased in value over the years:
If you've banked a significant number of Alaska miles, then it pays to know how to make the most of them. Here's how to redeem miles for maximum value:
The first and most obvious choice for squeezing value out of your Alaska miles is redeeming them for flights. Award flights start at just 5,000 miles for a one-way ticket.
Here's the full list of airlines Alaska partners with:
Alaska's airline partners
Aer Lingus.
Air Tahiti Nui.
American Airlines (Oneworld).
British Airways (Oneworld).
Cape Air (earn partner only).
Cathay Pacific (Oneworld).
Condor.
El Al Israel Airlines.
Fiji Airways. (Oneworld).
Finnair (Oneworld).
Hainan Airlines.
Iberia (Oneworld).
Icelandair.
Japan Airlines (Oneworld).
Kenmore Air (Earn partner only).
Korean Air.
LATAM Airlines.
Malaysia Airlines (Oneworld).
Mokulele Airlines (earn partner only).
Qantas (Oneworld).
Qatar Airways (Oneworld).
Ravn Alaska.
Royal Air Maroc (Oneworld).
Royal Jordanian (Oneworld).
Singapore Airlines.
Southern Airways Express (earn partner only).
SriLankan Airlines (Oneworld).
STARLUX Airlines.
The key to stretching your miles is to get familiar with the award charts to see the airlines with flights to the destinations you want to visit. From there, you can compare which one will offer the most value.
Alaska's award charts are distanced-based with award rates for flights on Alaska starting at 5,000 miles in economy for the shortest ditance band.
Economy starting at 5,000 miles.
First class starting at 15,000 miles.
Economy starting at 7,500 miles.
First class starting at 25,000 miles.
Economy starting at 10,000 miles.
First class starting at 25,000 miles.
Economy starting at 12,500 miles.
First class starting at 30,000 miles.
By comparison, partner redemption rates for flights within the United States and the Americas are as follows:
Distance | Economy starting at | Premium economy starting at | Business starting at | First starting at |
---|---|---|---|---|
Under 700 miles | 4,500 miles. | 6,000 miles. | 9,000 miles. | 13,500 miles. |
701-1,400 miles | 7,500 miles. | 10,000 miles. | 15,000 miles. | 25,000 miles. |
1,401-2,100 miles | 12,500 miles. | 17,500 miles. | 25,000 miles. | 40,000 miles. |
2,101 - 4,000 miles | 17,500 miles. | 22,500 miles. | 35,000 miles. | 52,500 miles. |
4,001 - 6,000 miles | 25,000 miles. | 32,500 miles. | 50,000 miles. | 75,000 miles. |
6,001 miles and above | 30,000 miles. | 40,000 miles. | 60,000 miles. | 90,000 miles. |
If you don't have enough miles to cover your flight, you can also use a combination of money and miles.
Money & Miles awards are good for up to a 50% discount on coach and first-class fares. You just can't use them along with Saver fares; maximum discount limits apply.
Here's a snapshot of how you can apply Money & Miles awards:
Award type | One way | Round-trip |
---|---|---|
50% discount up to $100 | 10,000 miles. | 10,000 miles. |
50% discount up to $200 | 20,000 miles. | 20,000 miles. |