Often, Alaska Airways Mileage Plan affords reductions on buying miles. Since these miles will be troublesome to earn, shopping for them throughout these gross sales might help high off your account to save lots of on future redemptions.
From now till Feb. 24, Alaska is providing a bonus of as much as 60% whenever you buy miles, with costs as little as 1.72 cents per mile. Merely log in and purchase miles by the Alaska Airways web site.
TPG’s valuations peg Alaska miles at 1.4 cents every. Nevertheless, shopping for miles barely above this worth can nonetheless be worthwhile when you’ve got a particular redemption in thoughts. This sale is particularly useful for those who’re able to e-book a high-value award flight and have already discovered out there award area, particularly given the upcoming adjustments to the Mileage Plan award chart in March 2024.
Now, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at this supply.
Shopping for Alaska Miles with as much as a 60% bonus
This can be a focused supply, and a few TPG staffers acquired a 60% bonus for sure purchases on their accounts.
Right here is an overview of what we have seen with the 60% bonus supply:
| Miles bought | Mileage bonus | Value per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 3,000 to 19,000 miles | 40% | 1.96 cents |
| 20,000 to 39,000 miles | 50% | 1.83 cents |
| 40,000 to 100,000 miles | 60% | 1.72 cents |
Buying miles with the 60% bonus decreases the associated fee to 1.72 cents per mile so long as you buy at the very least 40,000 miles.
This is among the highest bonuses we have seen for Alaska miles, although not so good as the 70% bonus we have seen previously.
You may sometimes get greater than our valuation of 1.4 cents out of your miles. You may redeem Alaska miles for first- and business-class journey on one among Alaska’s many worldwide airline companions like Cathay Pacific, Japan Airways and Fiji Airways.
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Associated: 6 issues to know in regards to the Alaska Airways Mileage Plan program
What number of Alaska miles can I buy?
Should you maintain MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K or MVP Gold 100K elite standing within the Mileage Plan program, there isn’t any annual restrict on what number of Alaska miles you should buy or obtain as a present. Should you do not maintain elite standing with Alaska, you may solely purchase or be gifted as much as 150,000 miles per calendar 12 months.
Know, although, that the calendar 12 months restrict for non-elite members does not embody bonus miles. Should you’re focused for a 60% bonus and have not bought or acquired any Alaska miles as a present this 12 months, you might purchase 150,000 miles by this sale and obtain 90,000 bonus miles for a complete of 240,000 miles deposited into your account.
Nevertheless, needless to say you’d have to buy your miles in two transactions because the web site solely helps shopping for as much as 100,000 miles per transaction.
Associated: Alaska Airways unveils 4 main adjustments to MVP elite standing
How ought to I redeem Alaska miles?
Alaska Airways companions with many nice airways. On high of Alaska’s Oneworld and Oneworld Join companions, the airline additionally companions with varied different airways, together with Korean Air and LATAM.
Better of all, you may add a free stopover on many Alaska Mileage Plan awards.
Alaska Airways will bear main Mileage Plan award chart adjustments in March 2024, transferring to a brand new distance-based construction and dividing into three region-based charts. This overhaul will result in some will increase in award costs, so it is essential to notice for those who’re considering of redeeming miles down the road.
You may try Alaska’s beginning award costs for inspiration, however listed below are a number of of our favourite methods to redeem Alaska miles earlier than the adjustments come to Alaska’s award chart.
Stopover in Fiji on the way in which to the South Pacific in enterprise class
With its pristine seashores, Fiji is a bucket-list vacation spot for a lot of vacationers. Earlier than its accomplice award charts change in March 2024, you may fly from the continental U.S., Alaska or Canada to Fiji in Fiji Airways’ enterprise class. Flights begin at 55,000 Alaska miles, making it among the finest redemption values for the airline.
For instance, if you wish to fly nonstop from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to Nadi Worldwide Airport (NAN) in Fiji in enterprise class, you would wish 55,000 Alaska miles to e-book this flight. With the present bonus promotion, you might buy 37,000 miles with a 50% bonus, supplying you with 55,500 whole miles. This might value you $1,017.50, which offers you a purchase order price of 1.83 cents per mile.
Whereas this price continues to be larger than TPG’s valuation of Alaska miles at 1.4 cents, it’s a nice redemption if you do not have Alaska miles and need to pay with factors as a substitute of buying a business-class ticket. Should you have been to buy the nonstop business-class flight from San Francisco to Fiji, it might value you $8,308. Subsequently, it can save you about $7,291 if you buy miles as a substitute of shopping for a ticket outright with money.
Plus, you should use Alaska’s free stopover to proceed to New Zealand, Australia or one other South Pacific vacation spot for no extra miles.
Fly from the US to South America in LATAM enterprise class
LATAM is the most important airline in South America, with hubs in Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and different main cities. You may e-book a one-way award from the continental U.S., Alaska or Canada to South America in LATAM enterprise class beginning at 45,000 Alaska miles.
Throughout this sale, 45,000 (30,000 miles plus a 15,000-mile bonus) Alaska miles would value about $825 if you should buy the miles at a price of 1.83 cents every.
Head to Asia in Cathay Pacific first-class
Cathay Pacific flies from a number of completely different U.S. gateways to its hub in Hong Kong. You should use your Alaska miles to fly in Cathay Pacific’s swanky first-class product to Hong Kong and past for simply 70,000 Alaska miles one-way with minimal taxes and costs. Contemplating these tickets typically value greater than $5,000 one-way, buying miles is a superb deal for this award.
Throughout this sale, 70,000 Alaska miles would value about $1,210 — 44,000 Alaska miles plus 26,400 bonus miles. Nevertheless, make sure you discover first-class award availability earlier than shopping for the miles. Honest warning: It may be onerous to come back by.
Associated: Alaska Airways broadcasts main Mileage Plan award chart adjustments in 2024
Use 1 of those bank cards to pay for Alaska miles
Factors.com — not Alaska — will course of your buy for those who use this promotion. As a result of Alaska is not processing the acquisition, you will not earn bonus rewards for utilizing a card with airline spending as a bonus class.
Pay with a bank card that provides a stable return on on a regular basis purchases to earn essentially the most rewards on your buy. For instance, think about using the next playing cards that supply bonus earnings on all purchases:
Associated: The perfect bank cards for getting factors and miles
Backside line
We do not advocate shopping for factors or miles speculatively. Nevertheless, when you’ve got an upcoming journey that you just need to e-book with Alaska miles and you have discovered award availability, this sale could allow you to earn Alaska miles at an affordable price.
Should you do not want the miles instantly and are as a substitute beginning to plan a visit, you could desire to join an Alaska Airways bank card and earn miles by its sign-up bonus and bonus classes. For instance, the Alaska Airways Visa® bank card presently affords a sign-up bonus of 70,000 bonus miles plus a companion fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and costs from $23) whenever you make $3,000 or extra in purchases inside the first 90 days of opening your account.
