The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan loyalty program is an absolute powerhouse of value, thanks to individual airline partnerships. Alaska Airlines joined Oneworld back in 2021, but it maintains partnerships that other Oneworld airlines don't have — and its award pricing is altogether unique.
As previously announced, the program now has a distance-based award chart, which is divided into three region-based charts: the Americas; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Asia-Pacific. Unfortunately, this means that some of the previous sweet spots have been devalued, but there are still valuable redemptions to be had. While the program has maintained the use of award charts, these charts are now "starting from" dynamic prices, so you may be charged more than the introductory price, depending on the date.
While Alaska Airlines miles can be incredibly valuable, they're also some of the hardest to earn as the airline previously did not partner with any major credit card rewards program. However, Alaska Airlines announced Friday that the carrier has added Bilt Rewards as a transfer partner.
With Alaska Airlines now partnering with Bilt, let's look at how you can get the most value from your awards. Keep reading to find Alaska's best sweet spot redemptions in 2024 to ensure you make the most of your hard-earned Alaska miles.
Add stopovers with Alaska miles
Unlike other U.S.-based airlines, Alaska Airlines offers a free stopover on international award tickets — even on one-way itineraries.
Your stopover is typically limited to the hub city of whichever partner airline you're flying. If you're flying internationally, it must be with one partner (plus Alaska Airlines-operated flights, if necessary). For example, you can tack on a connecting Alaska Airlines flight to an international gateway.
If you're flying from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT) on Japan Airlines, you can stop in Tokyo before continuing to another city.
Why it's valuable: Despite these setbacks, reserving a free stopover with each international one-way flight is a lucrative benefit that can turn one vacation into two. This is a rarity among airline loyalty programs.
How to book: Alaska Airlines has one of the most intuitive methods of booking a stopover. Here's how to book a free stopover:
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Step 1: Search 'Multi-city' on the Alaska Airlines website
Use the "Multi-city" search option to manually input your stopover. Make sure you've also checked the "Use miles" box.
Step 2: Choose your itinerary
You'll then see your one-way flight — including your stopover — as one price.
Book business class to Fiji and Australia/New Zealand on Fiji Airways
Alaska Mileage Plan miles can be a great tool for getting you to the remote tropical paradise of Fiji. If you're flying from the West Coast, one-way business-class seats on Fiji Airways now start at 75,000 Alaska Airlines miles.
Fiji Airways operates from Nadi International Airport (NAN), the largest airport in Fiji, connecting to destinations in Asia, North America and the South Pacific. The airline offers a reliable business-class experience on flights from the U.S. to Fiji, ensuring a comfortable journey.
You can redeem award miles starting at just 75,000 miles for a one-way business-class flight from the U.S. to Fiji, which is a great deal. Moreover, you could fly to New Zealand and Australia, with a stopover in Fiji for just 10,000 miles more. Even though Fiji Airways only flies from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), you can connect to these gateways from other U.S. cities served by Alaska Airlines.
Why it's valuable: Many airlines charge 60,000-plus miles to get to Australia in economy class. The fact that it's possible to book a business-class flight to the South Pacific and Australia for as low as 85,000 miles makes this route a steal for Alaska Airlines miles collectors.
How to book: Fiji Airways flies from Nadi to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Since Alaska Airlines has a large presence at both airports, you should be able to tack on connecting flights from dozens of other U.S. cities.
Premium-cabin award space on Fiji Airways can be tough to come by — and that's because it's such a good deal.
You can book Fiji Airways flights through the Alaska Airlines website.
Book domestic flights in Australia
Alaska Airlines' Australian partner, Qantas, has a comprehensive domestic (and international) route network. Given the huge geographical size of Australia, you may find yourself needing to fly within Australia on your next trip Down Under.
Why it's valuable: Qantas operates many wide-body services on the "golden triangle" routes between Sydney Airport (SYD), Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Brisbane Airport (BNE).
How to book: These flights can be four-plus hours depending on the route and can be booked in economy class starting at 7,500 Alaska miles each way for journeys of 1,500 miles or less.
Book business-class award flights to the United Kingdom
Alaska Airlines' Oneworld membership allows you to redeem Mileage Plan miles on European airlines like British Airways, Iberia and Finnair. While programs with dynamic pricing, like Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, regularly charge more than 300,000 miles for a one-way business-class ticket to Europe, Alaska has much more reasonable rates.
Why it's valuable: While many flight routes from North America to Europe will fall within the 3,501-5,000-mile range, such as a flight from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) costing 55,000 miles in business class, there are several routes from the East Coast to the United Kingdom that will only cost 45,000 Mileage Plan miles in business class as they are under 3,500 miles, such as the New York-to-London route.
How to book: You can book Japan Airlines-operated award flights via the Alaska Airlines website. Aim for American Airlines-operated flights to avoid British Airways' carrier-imposed fees and surcharges.
Book South America flights on LATAM
Despite having left the Oneworld alliance, LATAM maintains a partnership with Alaska Airlines.
LATAM's major hubs include cities like Lima, Peru; Sao Paulo; and Santiago, Chile, making it a convenient option for travel within South America.
Why it's valuable: By taking advantage of the free stopover, you can book flights like Miami International Airport (MIA) to Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) to Santiago International Airport (SCL), allowing you to experience two vibrant South American cities in one trip from just 25,000 miles for economy and 50,000 miles for business class each way.
How to book: You can book LATAM-operated award flights via the Alaska Airlines website.
How to earn Alaska Airlines miles
Now for the bad news: Alaska Mileage Plan miles are some of the hardest rewards to collect. Alaska Airlines is only a transfer partner of Bilt Rewards, which has a 1:1 transfer ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy, which has a 3:1 transfer ratio (3 Marriott points for every 1 Alaska Airlines mile, plus a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred). In other words, 60,000 Marriott points will net you 25,000 miles.
If you want to earn Alaska miles quickly, your best bet is to consider opening an Alaska credit card.
Alaska Airlines has two cobranded credit cards with Bank of America: a personal card and a business card. These let you earn Alaska miles on your everyday spending and offer solid welcome bonuses. The cards include inflight benefits, including an annual Companion Fare, which can help offset their annual fees.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
Right now, applicants for the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card can earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening. To earn the Companion Fare each year, you'll need to spend $6,000 or more on purchases within your account anniversary year.
The card earns 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska purchases and 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride-hailing services) purchases. You'll earn 1 mile per dollar spent everywhere else.
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card
Bank of America's Alaska Airlines Visa Business card currently offers a bonus of 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23). To qualify, you'll need to make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.
The card earns the same 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including ride-hailing services) purchases. All other purchases earn 1 mile per dollar spent.
As with the personal credit card, to earn the Companion Fare each year you hold the card, you need to spend $6,000 or more on purchases within your anniversary year.
Aside from opening a credit card, you can also buy Alaska miles, though we typically don't recommend this unless you need to top off your account to snag a specific redemption.
Related: The best credit cards for buying points and miles
Bottom line
Redeeming Alaska Mileage Plan miles for maximum value isn't as complicated as it used to be, as more of the airline's partners are now bookable online. However, Alaska's loyalty program still has some unique aspects, and its new award chart has taken away some of the sweet spots. Nevertheless, there are some incredible redemptions at your disposal, especially if you're booking a shorter, nonstop award flight.
No matter where you choose to travel, the free stopover on award tickets is an incredibly generous perk and can effectively give you two vacations for the price of one. In addition, the mix of partners inside and outside the Oneworld alliance opens up many opportunities.
Updated as of 4/18/2024.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
