Alaska Airlines stands out for its outstanding customer services, vast network of routes, and the rewarding frequent flyer program, the Alaska Mileage Plan. No matter whether you keep flying with the airline, or need to book your first flight with it, it’s beneficial to understand the procedures on buying Alaska Airlines miles. While there are straightforward ways to earn miles through flights and partner sites, as defined by the airline, sometimes extra miles are certainly required to fulfil your travel goals.
So, if you have already registered for the Alaska Mileage plan, and you are planning to boost your account, read the guide below whether it could be beneficial or not.
Go ahead!
What is Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan?
Before we proceed further, let’s first quickly look at what this is all about!
Mileage Plan is an award-winning loyalty program designed by Alaska Airlines for travel enthusiasts, as it helps earn miles from flights and everyday activities. The same can be used to book your dream trips. Be it reserving flights, dining out, shopping at partner stores or sites, or engaging in other daily activities, you can accumulate miles and redeem them to enjoy extraordinary travel experiences.
So, if you also want to be a member, you can explore the features and exclusive benefits provided on the Alaska Airlines website. There is no charge for the membership, and the airline offers you to level up to MVP elite status faster.
Although frequent flyers are encouraged to opt for the Alaska Mileage Plan, you could still explore its advantages even if you fly with the airline on rare occasions. This would be beneficial in assessing how miles can help elevate your travel experience.
Should You Buy Alaska Airlines Miles?
It is often advised to go for the straightforward ways to earn miles, which includes collecting the points through flight bookings, credit card bonuses, and purchases through partner sites, aligning with the airline’s policies. This is actually economical.
But, here’s why purchasing Alaska Miles could be a great choice as well.
- You need to upgrade your flight to a premium cabin.
- You want to reserve an award flight and a few extra miles are required.
- You need to avail a limited-time promotion offering bonus miles, as announced from time to time by the airline.
- The cost of one mile is less than the cash price of the ticket you want to purchase.
Expert Tip: The cost of Alaska Airlines miles is generally around 2 cents per mile or more. This may not be worth it unless you are looking for a high-value redemption. Thus, if you are not aiming for any of the factors shared above, buying miles could be a questionable decision. Apart from this, the additional miles purchased by you usually don’t result in achieving or maintaining elite status, except in cases of targeted promotions. So, think of your actual requirements and the suitability in terms of budget, before you plan to buy Alaska miles.
How to Buy Alaska Airlines Miles?
Buying Alaska miles involves a step-by-step process. In a nutshell, you need to log into your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account on the airline’s official website. Make sure your account is active at that time. Then visit the tab or section “Buy Miles” and enter the number of miles you want to buy. There could be minimum and maximum limits per transaction. Thus, you need to be careful. Then you can checkout and enter your payment information to add miles to your account.
Expert Tip: Alaska Airlines keeps announcing bonus miles during promotional periods. You can check if any deals are mentioned there so that you can maximize the purchase value.
How to Maximize Your Alaska Miles Purchase?
Here’s how you can make the most of your Alaska miles purchase.
Check Promotions
As there are regular bonus mile offers, they can add up to 50% more miles to your purchase. So, stay alert and keep a track to seek advantage.
Combine Purchases with Earning Miles
You can top up your account during promotions to maximize your miles for award flights.
Plan Ahead
It is advised to use purchased miles for high-value redemptions, such as international flights or upgrades.
Be Aware of Limits
Make sure to completely analyze your needs and the maximum allowed miles per purchase so that you don’t overspend on it.
Alaska Airlines Transfer Miles Feature
Alaska Airlines allows you to transfer your miles to the Mileage Plan account of a family member or a friend. You are permitted to transfer 1,000 to 30,000 miles in increments of 1,000 miles. The transfer cost is US$10.00 for every 1,000 miles. At the same time, you also need to pay a US$25.00 processing charge for every transaction. Defined taxes will apply in case you are a Canadian resident.
You can transfer miles through your “My Account” profile, where you need to enter the Mileage Plan number and name of the recipient, as given in their Mileage Plan account. The payment can be made using a major credit card (valid).
Do Alaska Airlines Miles Expire?
Alaska Mileage Plan miles do not expire, as per the airline’s policy. They always remain active in your account. However, there is a certain time limit defined by the airline, during which your miles must be used. If you fail to do so, the airline can mark your mileage account inactive, after which you can apply to turn it active, within a certain time frame.
Concluding Words
On the whole, purchasing Alaska Airlines miles could be a strategic decision. You may consider it if you want to maximize your travel budget, make a high-value redemption in case of an international flight booking, access premium cabins at a discounted rate (easy upgrades), boost your mileage account for future trips, and enjoy more flexible travel options.
However, you need to compare the cost of buying miles plus redemption value against cash fares. It is also beneficial to assess the costs and benefits, especially during promotional periods. No wonder, such planning can make purchasing miles a valuable tool for loyalty rewards.
A careful analysis will help you decide whether you really need to purchase miles, or if the economical ways to earn the same through flights, purchases on partner sites, and credit card bonuses, are suitable for you.
Conduct a check today, and unlock new travel opportunities for exploring the world with Alaska Airlines. For any queries, you can visit the nearest Alaska Airlines office to get assistance..
Frequently Asked Questions
Need quick answers to certain queries? Take a look below!
Buying Alaska Airlines could be beneficial for high-value redemptions like if you want to upgrade to a premium cabin, you aim to book international flights, or if the cash value of your ticket is higher than the miles. You can assess such requirements and purchase Alaska miles, otherwise it’s better to earn miles through usual flight bookings and other relevant purchases.
You can earn Alaska Airlines miles through flight bookings, purchases on partner sites, credit card bonuses, and other daily activities, as per the defined policies.
No, these miles do not have an expiration date. But you need to use them within a specific time period, otherwise the airline will mark your account inactive.
Yes, you can use your Alaska miles to purchase an award ticket for a family member or a friend. You need to enter their name and details in the Passenger Information section at the time of flight booking, and follow the remaining procedure for a successful booking.
Yes, if you choose to cancel your flight ticket purchased through miles, the miles will be transferred back into your account. Taxes, if any, will also be refunded. However, you will not get the refund of the call center booking charge, and the partner award fee, as per the airline’s policy.
