Alaska Airlines has just launched a generous promotion for Mileage Plan members, which will make travel in February 2024 more rewarding.
In this post:
Alaska Mileage Plan offering 2-3x elite miles
Between February 1 and February 29, 2024, Alaska Mileage Plan will be offering bonus elite qualifying miles (EQMs). There’s no registration required, but rather members will automatically earn the following:
- All Mileage Plan members will earn 2x Mileage Plan elite qualifying miles
- Mileage Plan members booking fares with corporate rates will earn 3x Mileage Plan elite qualifying miles
In order to take advantage of this, you must be flying on Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air, so travel on partner airlines doesn’t qualify. Furthermore, Saver Fares aren’t eligible for the bonus elite qualifying miles.
As a reminder, here are the Alaska Mileage Plan elite requirements:
- Mileage Plan MVP status requires 20,000 elite qualifying miles
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold status requires 40,000 elite qualifying miles
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold 75K status requires 75,000 elite qualifying miles
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold 100K status requires 100,000 elite qualifying miles
This is obviously in response to the 737 MAX 9 grounding
It’s not tough to figure out Alaska Airlines’ motive here. The airline has had a really rough start to the year, given that Boeing 737 MAX 9s were grounded for most of January, after a door plug blew off shortly after a plane departed Portland.
Alaska Airlines has 65 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, so the plane makes up more than 20% of Alaska’s mainline fleet (and an even higher percentage of overall capacity).
So not only has Alaska had a tough start in terms of capacity, but there’s also definitely concern among some with flying the 737 MAX 9, so it’s not surprising to see Alaska trying to stimulate demand.
Alaska Mileage Plan continues to be an incredibly lucrative program, so if you have any travel in February, it’s going to be quite rewarding. It’s also interesting to note that Delta has been adding promotions in the Pacific Northwest, clearly to poach Alaska flyers. The airline has been offering bonus Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) for travel to and from the region. Obviously Delta was taking advantage of the fact that the airline doesn’t fly any 737 MAXs.
Bottom line
Alaska Mileage Plan will be offering double to triple elite qualifying miles for the month of February 2024. There’s no registration required, and all revenue Alaska tickets except Saver Fares will qualify toward this. This is a great opportunity, especially if you’re a corporate traveler.
Are you taking advantage of this Alaska Mileage Plan promotion?
If you fly Alaska operated flights, but use AA mileage number, will you also earn double miles? And are those miles AA or Alaska?
I have higher status with AA, but prefer to earn Alaska miles. What would be the best solution here?
If I buy my ticket but don’t travel until March does this qualify ?
I also got an offer by Alaska Airlines for a 40% discount on one booking made by 1/31/2024. I am going to do a mileage run, PDX-Hawaii-New York-PDX. This will earn me 10000 EQM's and then with the 2X multiplier I should get 20K EQM's.
I am a happy camper on Elite Qualificaiton as I anticipate 45K EQM's rollover (one time for 2024) and an additional 20K EQM's annually for being a million miler. So, I should be qualifying for 2025 Gold 100K status by end of February.
I think it will apply even if the flight was booked before this was announced? Nothing says it won’t.
Is there a way for a member of the general public to book a corporate rate? I assume not.
I had a fare previously booked through EasyBiz, but I don't think that counts as a "corporate rate". I guess I'll find out in a couple weeks.
Ben, why do I sometimes get the phrase "Click to add lede (max to 3)." just before the Continue Reading link in stories like the "Alaska Mileage Plan Double Elite Miles Promotion" in the OMAAT emails I receive? It's been going on for a while, and as a coder, I was just wondering what was causing this.
Apparently this is too new to even Alaska mileage plan reps. I called and got 2 different responses. Te first rep told me that this only applies to the discount code sent out, so you only get double eqms if you use the discount code. The second rep confirms this should apply to all flights in Feb. she also clarify the double eqm only applies to the base miles, so any first class bonus does not get doubled.
I just landed, flight booked in I. Both base EQMs and class of service bonuses were doubled.
Any idea how this multiplier works with multipliers on premium fares? (e.g. 50% bonus on D fare class already, does the 2x double that too, or just base earning?)
I can't speak for this specific promotion, but when they've offered similar promotions in the past, they *did* give you the multiplier on the class of service bonus (which means it's probable they do this time also).
Thanks for the feedback. t&c weren't clear to me on this.
Following up: I just landed, flight booked in I. Both the base miles and class of service bonuses were doubled.