In this article
Background on the “New” Alaska Mileage Plan Award Chart
When Alaska merged their award charts (one per partner) into one big partner award chart (including oneworld alliance partners as well as their non-alliance partners such as Starlux (review) and Fiji Airways, there was a lot of grumbling.
To be sure, the award chat isn’t all glorious compared to the “old days.” Pre 2023, you could book First Class on Japan Airlines for just 70,000 Alaska miles – from anywhere in the US! That’s now 75,000 in Business and 110,000 in First from anywhere in the US.
But some awards in the new chart, which is entirely distance based, will result in better deals from one coast vs. the other, for example.
Earning Alaska Mileage Plan Miles
Alaska is like American AAdvantage in terms of not having many transfer partners.
The primary ways you can earn miles are:
- Flying Alaska Airlines or crediting miles from a oneworld flight or Alaska partner to MileagePlan
- An Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card (bonus offer + spend) or the business version.
- MileagePlan dining and shopping
- Transfer from Marriott Bonvoy or Bilt Rewards
5 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Sweet Spots
One quick note: As the new chart is distance based, connections DO count towards the mileage.
Domestic Shorthaul Flights on Either Alaska or American Airlines.
They get as cheap as 4,500 in economy for the shortest flights on American Airlines – up to 700 miles. You could fly from New York to Toronto, for example, for 4,500 Mileage Plan miles and $19. There is no cheaper way. Business class would be just 9,000 miles. Or step up to flights up to 1,400 miles (i.e. NYC-Chicago) for 7,500 miles in coach or 15,000 miles in Business.
Some of these awards had been cheaper with Qatar Avios – until a surprise devaluation on August 14, 2024.
You can even do a transcontinental flight for 17,500 miles in coach (not a great deal) or 35,000 miles in Business (saver level – pretty rare, but a great deal).
This award chart would also apply to shorthaul flights on oneworld carriers like JAL, Qantas, BA, etc so it’s not just domestic – but people are hungriest for cheap domestic AA/AS options ever since BA started creeping up their shorthaul awards which, if you are newer to this, used to be 4,500 miles. Then 6,000. Then 9,000. And now 12,000 Avios.
Note that flying Alaska metal starts just a touch higher, at 5,000 miles.
Starlux!
Starlux is a premium airline based in Taiwan which I just reviewed. Flights between the US and Asia start at just 75,000 miles.
Business Class from Midwest and East Coast of the United States to Western Europe for 45,000 Miles
If you are on the West Coast, I think you are out of luck here and will pay 70,000 miles.
But if you are on the East Coast or even the Midwest, the 5,000 mile maximum for a 45,000 Business Class award opens many interesting options.
Examples of 45,000 mile routes include:
- Chicago to just about anywhere in Europe.
- Philadelphia to just about anywhere in Europe
- New York to just about anywhere in Europe. Even a nonstop on Finnair to Helsinki is just 45,000 miles (well, it starts from 45,000 miles – you still need saver inventory!)
- Boston to just about anywhere in Europe
- Miami to just about anywhere in Europe
You get the idea. How do I see at a glance what routes fall under 5,000 miles? I use a very old school tool called MileCalc. If you need to connect, enter the connecting city.
LATAM to Peru
Want to go to Machu Picchu? Take LATAM for just 35,000 miles in Business Class.
It’s 3,993 miles from JFK-LIM-CUZ, keeping it in the <4,000 mile band by a hair. Of course, JFK-LIM is the same price. LATAM has lie flat seats on the JFK-LIM route.
LIM-CUZ can be difficult to find but even if you can only get to Lima on the award, a flight to Cusco from Lima is super, duper cheap.
And technically if you found an award flight later from LIM-CUZ, you could get it added on, but without inventory on the JFK-LIM flight you need a really experienced Alaska agent.
Israel and Qatar
From New York, Boston., Miami, or Ft Lauderdale to Tel Aviv is just 70,000 miles in Business Class. It’s 85,000 from the West Coast. For a flight that far, it’s a heck of a deal.
The trick is finding space on AA, though. You can fly British Airways for 70,000 miles as well, but with a surcharge just over $1,000 each way. Note that the website will show it as First Class but change to Business when you click in.
You WERE able to book El Al for the same price, but that partnership ended August 1st, 2024.
You can also book East Coast to Doha on Qatar for 70,000 miles, but good luck finding it!
BONUS: MileagePlan Stopover Policy
Alaska is super generous still allowing stopovers, even on a one way award.
This basically means you can get two flights for the price of one as long as you are stopping over in a hub city. It only applies to international itineraries and has a few rules – like that you must be flying only one partner or a combination of Alaska and a partner, but you can’t mix, for example, American Airlines and Finnair or BA, etc.
You COULD fly Iberia to Madrid, stay there a week, and then fly onwards from Madrid on Iberia metal. You could even have a connecting flight in the US on Alaska (but not a stopover, so under 24 hours). i.e. SAN-JFK on Alaska then JFK-MAD on Iberia and MAD-somewhere else in Europe, all on one ticket at the price dictated by the award chart distances.
Apply for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
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