Even if Alaska Airlines isn’t your local carrier, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan offers incredible value, largely thanks to its extensive network of partners. While earning Alaska miles directly can be less straightforward compared to other programs, the secret lies in strategically utilizing Transfer Partners Alaska Airlines has cultivated. This guide dives deep into how you can leverage these partnerships to accumulate miles and unlock exceptional travel experiences.
Why Transfer Partners are Key to Earning Alaska Miles
While you can earn miles by flying with Alaska Airlines and its partners, or through co-branded credit cards, transfer partners Alaska Airlines collaborates with provide a significant avenue for boosting your Mileage Plan balance. Currently, Marriott Bonvoy stands out as the primary major transferable currency that converts to Alaska miles. Understanding how to effectively transfer Marriott Bonvoy points is crucial for maximizing your Alaska Mileage Plan rewards.
However, the landscape of loyalty programs is always evolving. While Marriott Bonvoy is the current key player, it’s important to stay informed about any potential future additions to the list of transfer partners Alaska Airlines works with. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the current transfer options and prepare for any new opportunities that may arise.
Navigating Alaska Mileage Plan Airline Partners
Alaska Mileage Plan’s strength lies in its diverse array of airline partners, spanning both the Oneworld alliance and independent carriers. This broad network opens up a world of redemption possibilities, often at more favorable rates than using miles on Alaska Airlines flights alone.
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You can redeem Alaska miles across Oneworld airlines, including Oneworld connect partner Fiji Airways. Here’s a breakdown of Alaska’s Oneworld partners:
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Fiji Airways (Oneworld connect airline)
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
Beyond Oneworld, Alaska partners with several non-alliance airlines, further expanding your reach. These partners include:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Condor
- El Al Israel Airlines
- Hainan Airlines
- Icelandair
- Korean Air
- LATAM Airlines
- Mokulele Airlines + Southern Airways Express
- Ravn Alaska
- Singapore Airlines
Related: Your complete guide to earning and redeeming with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
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Understanding Alaska Mileage Plan Award Charts
Alaska Mileage Plan has simplified its award charts, moving away from airline-specific charts to a more region-based approach. Currently, you’ll find three primary award charts on Alaska’s website:
- North America Award Chart
- Money and Miles Award Chart (for Alaska flights)
- International Award Chart
Related: Alaska Mileage Plan publishes a new partner award chart
Here’s a glimpse of the North American award chart:
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And the Money and Miles award chart for Alaska flights:
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Finally, the International award chart overview:
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These charts provide starting points for award flights on Alaska partners. For precise pricing and availability, especially for destinations outside North America, you’ll need to utilize Alaska’s search tool, specifying your origin, destination, and travel dates.
Since not all partners are available for redemptions on every route, and award availability can fluctuate, direct searches on Alaska’s website are essential to confirm both availability and mileage costs for your desired itinerary.
Related: Maximizing redemptions with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Redeeming Alaska Miles for Partner Flights: A Step-by-Step Guide
To begin your award search and explore redemption options, navigate to the Alaska Airlines website. Ensure you’re logged into your Mileage Plan account. Before initiating your search, tick the “Use miles” box.
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For travelers with flexible dates, checking the “Award calendar” option provides a calendar view of award availability, potentially revealing more cost-effective partner options.
The calendar view is particularly useful when you have flexibility and are seeking the best value from partners. Consider this example of one-way business class awards from New York to Hong Kong:
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As you can see, options range from a mixed-cabin award on Korean Air for 120,000 miles, a Singapore Airlines business class award for 100,000 miles, to a notably lower 50,000 miles for business class on Cathay Pacific.
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Important Considerations for Partner Award Bookings
Keep these points in mind when redeeming Alaska miles with partners:
- A nonrefundable fee of $12.50 per person, per direction applies to itineraries involving partner award segments.
- Stopovers are not permitted on awards within international regions (e.g., intra-Asia or intra-Europe).
- For origins and destinations outside the U.S. and Canada, bookings must be made at least 72 hours before departure.
- Be aware of carrier-imposed charges on select partners like British Airways, Hainan Airlines, and Icelandair, which can increase the overall cost.
- Ravn Alaska awards between Fairbanks and Anchorage cannot be booked using Alaska miles.
- One-way Korean Air awards often price at the same mileage level as round-trip awards.
- International partner award bookings may have restrictions on lap infants. Alaska recommends booking a separate seat at the standard mileage rate for infants on these flights.
A key restriction to note is that mixing partner airlines on a single award ticket is not allowed. Each award ticket must be operated by a single partner airline. However, you can incorporate Alaska Airlines flights within a partner itinerary.
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Related: How to book free stopovers with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Uncovering Sweet Spots in Partner Redemptions
While the removal of partner-specific award charts might signal potential changes, many popular sweet spots within the Alaska Mileage Plan remain, at least for now.
Cathay Pacific business and first-class awards are consistently highlighted as exceptional uses of Alaska miles. Previously, pre-devaluation, one-way awards from the U.S. to Asia on Cathay Pacific were fixed at 50,000 miles for business and 70,000 miles for first class. The current international award chart indicates starting prices from 50,000 miles for business and 70,000 miles for first class to Asia.
During a recent update, first-class award availability on Cathay Pacific between the U.S. and Hong Kong was limited. Confirmation of 70,000-mile first-class awards may require further searching. However, business class awards on Cathay Pacific were found to be bookable for 50,000 miles plus minimal taxes and fees.
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Maximizing value can include adding a complimentary stopover in Hong Kong before continuing to other Asian destinations like Bali, all for the same mileage cost as ending your journey in Hong Kong.
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Fiji Airways also presents a compelling redemption opportunity with Alaska miles. Historically, one-way awards between the U.S. (Los Angeles and San Francisco) and Nadi, Fiji, were 40,000 miles in economy and 55,000 miles in business class. These favorable rates appear to persist.
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Consider leveraging the stopover perk to extend your trip, potentially adding a stop in Fiji before continuing onward to Australia without additional mileage costs.
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Related: How to plan a trip to Fiji without breaking the bank
Exploring Other Alaska Mileage Plan Redemption Options
Beyond flights, Alaska miles offer diverse redemption avenues. While flight redemptions typically provide the highest value, here’s a quick look at other non-airline partners:
Before redeeming Alaska miles with non-airline partners, carefully evaluate the value proposition. Options like transferring miles to others usually offer poor value. However, redeeming for event tickets through Alaska Airlines Extras might present worthwhile opportunities in specific cases.
Related: 5 ways the TPG staff would redeem 70,000 Alaska miles
Earning Alaska Miles Through Partners: Beyond Flying
To fully capitalize on Alaska’s partner redemption network, accumulating Alaska miles is key. While flying Alaska Airlines contributes to your mileage balance, partner collaborations offer numerous earning pathways.
Miles from Partner Airline Flights
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Earning miles extends beyond Alaska Airlines flights to most flights marketed or operated by its partners.
Earning rates are airline and fare class-dependent; not all fares accrue Alaska miles. Consult Alaska’s partner airline page, select your operating airline, and refer to the earning table to understand mileage accrual for your specific flight.
For instance, here’s the earning table for flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by American or other Oneworld carriers:
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Fares not listed in the earning table will not earn miles when credited to Alaska Mileage Plan.
Alaska Airlines Co-branded Credit Cards
An efficient way to consistently earn Alaska miles is through Alaska Airlines credit cards.
Consider the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, which frequently offers a generous welcome bonus. Currently, new cardholders can earn 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days.
For business owners, the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card presents another avenue, currently offering 70,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare; ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 90 days.
Both cards reward you with 3 miles per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other spending.
Transferring Marriott Bonvoy Points to Alaska Miles
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The Alaska Mileage Plan program is a valuable Marriott Bonvoy transfer partner. Points transfer at a 3:1 ratio – 3 Marriott points convert to 1 Alaska mile. Furthermore, a 5,000-mile bonus is awarded for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred. Note that Marriott transfers can take up to four days to reflect in your Alaska account. This makes Marriott Bonvoy the most significant transfer partner Alaska Airlines currently has.
Hotel Partners for Alaska Miles
Earning Alaska miles on hotel stays is possible through Alaska Airlines Hotels, offering up to 10,000 miles per night on bookings. Alternatively, booking directly with these brands and setting your earning preference to Alaska Mileage Plan miles is another option:
- Best Western Hotels and Resorts: 250 miles per qualifying stay.
- Marriott Bonvoy: 2 miles per dollar on most charges or 1 mile per dollar on room rate (varies by hotel).
- Choice Hotels: 250 miles per eligible stay at participating hotels.
- Rocketmiles: 500 to 10,000 miles per night.
- Coast Hotels: 250 miles per qualifying stay.
- Westmark Hotels: 2 miles per dollar on room accommodations at eligible rates.
- InterContinental Hotels Group: Up to 2 miles per dollar on eligible charges or 500 miles per qualifying stay (hotel dependent).
Before opting for Alaska miles on hotel stays, consider whether you’d gain more value by earning points within the hotel’s loyalty program. For frequent guests of Marriott or IHG, prioritizing Marriott Bonvoy or IHG One Rewards points might be more strategic.
Car Rental and Rideshare Partners
For car rentals, booking via Alaska Airlines Car Rental can earn you 50 miles per rental day on most rentals. You can also earn miles with these Mileage Plan car rental and rideshare partners:
Review the partner page for specific terms and conditions. Some require specific booking codes, exclude certain locations, or limit mileage earning to select countries.
Additional Alaska Mileage Plan Partners
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Beyond travel, numerous other Alaska Mileage Plan partners allow you to earn miles on everyday purchases. Here are some examples:
Explore Alaska’s Everyday partners page for a comprehensive list of niche partners and earning opportunities.
Related: How to earn miles with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Final Thoughts: Leveraging Alaska’s Transfer Partners for Mileage Plan Success
Alaska Mileage Plan truly shines due to its valuable partner network, particularly its airline partnerships that unlock exceptional redemption opportunities.
Earning Alaska miles is readily achievable through various partners, encompassing car rentals, dining, and shopping. However, the most direct routes to accumulating miles are often through co-branded credit cards like the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card and strategically transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy, the program’s primary transfer partner. By understanding and utilizing these transfer partners Alaska Airlines provides, you can unlock the full potential of the Mileage Plan program and travel further for less.
Additional reporting by Benji Stawski and Victoria M. Walker.
Updated as of 1/8/2025.
