What is the Alaska Airlines Frequent Flyer Program?
Alaska Airlines has a frequent flyer membership program for customers called “Mileage Plan.” This program allows customers to earn miles(rewards) for each flight they take under their membership. There are more ways to earn these reward points on Alaska Airlines, which we will explain in more detail below.
If you are a loyal customer of Alaska Airlines or fly often with them, you must join the Mileage Plan and become an earning member. Your membership can allow you to qualify for complimentary seat upgrades and more benefits. But before you become a member, read more to learn about everything your Mileage Plan membership can offer to you..
An Overview of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
To reward loyal customers, Alaska Airlines has this loyalty program or frequent flyer membership benefit known as the Mileage Plan. According to the reports, Alaska Airlines's popularity among its customers is all thanks to its frequent flyer program.
This program was first launched in 1983 as Gold Coast Travel, and over the last two decades, Alaska Airlines has expanded its horizons. Notably, today’s Mileage Plan gained its importance among travelers after Alaska Airlines oneworld membership and its merger with Virgin America.
What Do Customers Get By Joining Mileage Plan?
If you join Alaska Airlines frequent flyer membership and become a Mileage Plan member, there are many perks that await you. Here are a few details:
- Earn Miles with Alaska Airlines applicable towards future travel
- Earn with Oneworld Alliance member airlines
- Get rewards by flying the airline’s Global Partners
- Take advantage of Award Travel.
- Enjoy MVP Elite Status earlier than expected.
- Earn way more than other major airline’s frequent flyer members.
Most importantly, becoming a Mileage Plan member is free of cost. In 2023, Nerdwallet gave Alaska Air’s Mileage Plan the “Best-of Awards” in the competition among different big carriers. So, these perks are the reason you must become a member and start your journey with an elevated experience.
How Do I Become a Mileage Plan Member on Alaska Airlines?
If you often fly on Alaska Airlines(even if not too frequently), you can join the Mileage PlanTM and start earning rewards. To join the membership program and start earning loyalty rewards, you can create an account directly on the Alaska Airlines website. Follow these steps below to be a Mileage Plan member:
- Open the official website of Alaska Airlines.
- Locate the Mileage Plan page on the official website.
- Click on the “Join Mileage Plan” button.
- A new page will open.
- Enter your personal information
- First Name
- Middle name
- Last Name
- Any Suffix
- DOB
- Provide a Phone and Email to connect with you if necessary.
- Enter your Mailing Address in detail.
- Create a User ID and Password.
- Click on the email alerts sign-up checkbox if necessary.
- Again, click the Green “Join Mileage Plan” button below.
Your Mileage Plan account will become active, and you can log in to the Alaska Airlines website using this account. After you join, you will earn to fly in over 900 different locations and earn a mile with every flight mile to any Alaska Airlines destination. Your exclusive elite status begins the moment you reach a 20,000-mile balance.
Username and Password restrictions for Mileage Plan
When you create a username and password for your Mileage Plan membership, you must take care of these things:
- A username can be your email address, or you can create a user ID with 7 characters at minimum and at least 1 letter.
- You can not use spaces or symbols in User ID.
- Your password should be at least 8 characters long with 1 uppercase and 1 lowercase letter and at least one number.
After that, we suggest keeping a strong password, but it should be easy to remember for you to avoid the hassle of forgetting it each time.
How Do I Earn Miles on Alaska Airlines?
To earn miles on Alaska Airlines, the best you can do is fly with them or their oneworld alliance partners. You can also choose to fly with their global partners to earn miles. Let’s explain the various options for earning more miles with your mileage plan membership in detail:
1. Travel With Alaska Air
The best way to earn miles with your membership is to book flights on Alaska Airlines and fly with them to earn miles. An average flight can let you earn up upto 200% of your base fare making you qualify for Elite status sooner than you expect.
The number of miles you earn with your booking varies depending on your cabin and the fare class you purchased. Sometimes, you even earn bonus miles based on class of service.
2. Get a Credit Card
Alaska Airlines credit card lets you turn your everyday purchases into special rewards. You can enjoy miles and benefits with your Alaska Mileage Plan credit card whenever you dine, shop, or pay bills. Here’s how you earn with the card:
- 3 miles for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases directly from Alaska Airlines.
- 2 miles on every dollar spent on EV charging stations, local transit, gas station purchases, cable, and streaming services.
- 1 mile per dollar on all other spends.
If you already have a credit card, make an Alaska Airlines booking today, or apply for one to start earning miles.
3. Fly with Partners
You can fly with the Alaska Airlines global and oneworld alliance partners and earn miles on booking flights to over 1000+ locations in the world. You can earn with airline partners like
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Qatar Airways
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Hainan Airlines
- Korean Air, etc.
There is a long list of carriers; just start your search today and earn rewards on every mile you fly with these airlines.
4. Book a Hotel or Cruise
As an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan customer, you can also earn miles on your qualifying stays in hotels or with cruise bookings. The airline also lets you use the miles you earn to book your stays.
- You can book Alaska Airlines Hotels spread to around 400k properties across the globe.
Number Of Miles: 10,000 per night stays.
- Book a cruise through Alaska Airlines provider “CruiseOnly” and earn 1 mile per dollar as per the cruise price. Besides, you can even enjoy additional offers at the best rates.
Number of Miles: 1 mile per dollar on purchase and a bonus mile per dollar spent. In short, 2 Miles per dollar.
There are some terms and conditions with each hotel and cruise partner. Check their particular guidelines before your bookings, especially if you use miles to book tickets.
5. Book Rental or Sharing Cars
You can book a car rental or ride share with Alaska Airlines and still earn miles. Alaska Airlines Car rentals are available through its preferred partners, Avis and Budget. If you are a Mileage Plan member, you can even save up to 35% on the base fare of these rental partners. You can also match your elite status with Avis’s. The airline even offers a 1 mile per dollar on all Lyft trips.
Mileage Earned: up to 1250 Miles on qualifying car rentals(Avis or Budget).
6. Shop with Alaska Airlines everyday partners
Apart from the above options, which only let you earn when you specially purchase anything, Alaska Airlines also has some everyday partners. With these, you can earn Miles under your Mileage Plan membership while doing what you do every day. Here’s the airline’s list of everyday partners:
- Mileage Plan Dining
- Mileage Plan Shopping
- 1-800-Flowers.com
- Carrs-Safeway
- Diners Club International
- GCI
- GetYourGuide
- Laithwaites
- The Opinion Terminal
- Rover
- SoFi
- Teleflora
- Vinesse Wine Clubs
So, isn’t earning a lot better with Alaska Airlines now? Let’s see how you can use your miles with Alaska Airlines after earning them.
*Limited Time Offer to Earn More Miles with Alaska Airlines”
Alaska Airlines has a current limited-time offer for customers through which they can earn 60K bonus miles with a trip booked with their Visa Card. remember to check the offer expiry date before applying. Get your 60K bonus miles and a Companion fare fast.
How Do I Use My Alaska Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles?
Similar to earning, using miles is also best if you book your Alaska Airlines flights with every mile you earn. However, there are many more options available. Let’s take a quick look at the details:
- Book Award Travel
You can use miles only to book air travel to any destination flown by Alaska Airlines or its Global or oneworld partners.
- Get a Hotel
Your Miles balance is also available to book hotels and stays with Alaska Airlines partners. You can even try to book cruises with the balance.
- Request an Upgrade
You can request a seat upgrade via Alaska Airlines manage booking and get a first-class seat for just 15,000 miles per person. This may depend on your fare eligibility and seat availability.
- Choose Miles+Money Bookings
Miles and Money bookings mean you can use miles and money both to book and enjoy up to 50% discount from Alaska Airlines on flights. T&C apply.
Final Words
That’s all about Alaska Airlines frequent flyer membership. If you want to earn rewards, you can become a member today and start earning. For more information, consult a customer service agent at Alaska Airlines
See Also:
Alaska Airlines Premium classClick & Read Alaska Airlines EcreditClick & Read Alaska Airlines Discount CodeClick & Read