Alaska Airlines Announces Major Changes for Mileage Plan Program
Alaska Airlines is making major changes to it Mileage Plan program starting in 2025. The overhaul of the loyalty program is a mixed bag that seems positive overall. There are more benefits, choices and enhancements that make it faster to secure elite status. But there is also bad news for some current elites who will have to work harder to get some of the existing perks. Alaska is also working on combining its loyalty program with the newly acquired Hawaiian Airlines. Let’s go over all the changes.
Milestone Perks for All Mileage Plan Members
As members earn elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) in 2025, they can choose from a selection of perks when they hit various EQM milestones between elite status levels. With milestones starting at just 10,000 EQMs, these perks are accessible to a broader range of Mileage Plan members and not just those who have elite status.
At each milestone, members choose the reward that means the most to them – perks that include bonus miles, lounge access, trying an elevated status for a trip, rollover EQMs, and access to exclusive events and unique experiences.
Additional milestones happen at 30,000; 55,000; 85,000; 150,000; 200,000 and 250,000 elite-qualifying miles on the journey to MVP (20,000 EQMs); MVP Gold (40,000 EQMs); MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold 100K status levels.
Easier Path to Elite Status
Mileage Plan members can now achieve elite status quicker than ever. Alaska is introducing more ways to secure perks and status by earning valuable EQMs – in the air and on the ground. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, here are the new ways guests can earn EQMs:
- Award travel redemptions: When members fly on an award trip with Alaska or its global partners, they’ll earn elite-qualifying miles based on the distance flown. All award trips flown on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will earn EQMs. The airline will begin posting EQMs to members’ accounts starting this spring.
- For example, a guest redeems a roundtrip award ticket between Seattle and Tokyo–Narita which covers 9,538 miles. That translates to earning 9,538 EQMs toward attaining elite status or the next milestone.
- The Alaska Airlines Visa® card: In 2025, cardholders will earn one elite-qualifying mile for every $3 spent on qualified purchases (up to 30,000 EQMs).
- Earn more with our eligible, everyday travel partners: Members can earn 1,000 EQMs for every 3,000 miles earned with a number of eligible non-airline partners.
- Rollover EQMs as a milestone choice: When hitting the 85,000 elite-qualifying miles milestone, a new perk is the ability to roll over 10,000 EQMs to the following year, offering a head start to keeping status.
More Options to Earn and Redeem
Alaska partners with 30 domestic and international airlines, including oneworld Alliance members. In 2025, the airline is streamlining how miles are earned and redeemed with its partners:
- Simplified way to earn miles with our global partners: When a flight is booked with one of the 23 book direct partners at alaskaair.com, members always earn 100% of the miles they fly. For travel in a premium cabin on any of the partners, the earning of miles gets even greater starting next year: 150% mileage bonus of the distance flown in Premium Economy, 250% in Business Class and up to 350% in International First Class. That’s a mountain of miles. Get more details here.
- Multi-carrier redemptions: Rolling out this winter, members can mix and match from global partners to travel around the world. For example, a journey can combine an American Airlines flight and a British Airways flight for a trip to Rome. Multi-carrier redemptions will first become available on flights between the U.S. and Europe, and then expand to other regions and partners throughout next year.
- Use miles for exclusive events: Coming in 2025, members will get access to Extras – an opportunity to redeem miles on exclusive experiences and events.
- Travel the globe with fewer miles: Alaska promises additional Global Getaways in 2025 to international destinations. These seasonal discounts on award redemptions can take you farther for less.
Upgrades
Later in 2025, Alaska says it will prioritize its upgrade waitlist based on a member’s recent and long-term loyalty:
- Million Milers will receive the highest priority within their tier. After Million Milers, guests will be prioritized by how many elite-qualifying miles they’ve earned – not by how much they paid for their ticket.
- With these changes, a guest with an MVP member will now be eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades when traveling on the same reservation.
- Members with upgrade certificates will also be the first to know when confirmable upgrade space opens for their flight.
Guru’s Wrap-up
As you can see, there are a lot of changes coming later this year and especially in 2025. Alaska is introducing milestones which are available to all members. That’s goo news for some, but bad for others. MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K elites for example will need to select some of the current benefits such as upgrades or lounge passes when they reach milestones that will require more elite qualifying miles.
Going back to the positives, Alaska Airlines status will be easier to earn as award flights will count, including those on partner airlines. Multi-carrier redemptions are also a notable addition for the program, but we’ll have to wait for more details to be revealed.
Let me know what you think about these changes!
Credit: Source link
