Alaska Mileage Plan has just launched a unique promotion, offering elite status if you fly to Auckland or Sydney. This is a pretty smart way for Alaska to leverage its loyalty program to increase business for newly acquired Hawaiian.
Alaska Mileage Plan incentivizing AKL & SYD flights
The Alaska Mileage Plan program is offering MVP elite status if you fly between the continental United States (including Alaska) and Sydney or Auckland. As you’d expect, there are some terms to be aware of:
- You must travel by December 31, 2025
- Status will be awarded as soon as a member completes a flight, and status is valid through December 31, 2026
- You must fly Hawaiian Airlines on the long haul sector, on the carrier’s routes between Honolulu (HNL) and Auckland (AKL) or Sydney (SYD); your flight between the continental US and Honolulu can be on Alaska or Hawaiian (but not on another airline)
- Those who already have MVP status won’t receive higher status if they complete this offer
Hawaiian flies to Sydney five times weekly year-round, and to Auckland three times weekly seasonally (through April 30, and starting again on November 16). Hawaiian operates these flights with Airbus A330s, featuring Starlink Wi-Fi.
This is why Alaska took over Hawaiian, sort of
No, Alaska didn’t specifically take over Hawaiian in order to offer elite status to those flying the carrier to Auckland or Sydney. However, for years, Hawaiian was losing money, and it seems the airline didn’t really tap into how the appeal of Hawaii could bolster its own loyalty program.
What’s interesting is that when Alaska acquired Hawaiian, the airline expected better financial results for the carrier almost immediately, and that partly comes down to Alaska leveraging the popularity of Hawaii with its loyalty program, plus leveraging Hawaiian’s long haul network for one-stop service.
We’re seeing Alaska Air Group start to shift the long haul network from Honolulu to Seattle, as the airline hopes to launch 12 long haul routes from Seattle by 2030. In the meantime, it seems smart for Alaska to increasingly incentivize long haul travel on Hawaiian.
It’s not like there’s all that much cost to giving out MVP status, and for that matter, it’ll make a customer more loyal, if anything.
Bottom line
Alaska Mileage Plan is offering elite status to members who fly to Auckland or Sydney on Hawaiian, connecting from the continental United States. This is a creative promotion that’s clearly intended to leverage the loyalty program to improve Hawaiian’s yields. I’m not sure how much incremental business this will generate, but it seems like a logical promotion.
Are you taking advantage of this Alaska Mileage Plan promotion?
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