Alaska Airlines is making major changes to its Mileage Plan program as of 2025. In a separate post, I talked about how Mileage Plan is making it easier to earn status as of next year, including having partner award flights count toward elite status.
However, that’s only one of the things that’s changing about the program. Also as of 2025, we’re going to see Mileage Plan introduce the concept of milestone perks, whereby members can receive benefits for passing certain thresholds. Let’s cover all the details.
In this post:
Details of Alaska Mileage Plan’s new milestone perks
We’re increasingly seeing airline loyalty programs introduce milestone perks, whereby members can select benefits when they pass certain thresholds, rather than just receiving benefits when they qualify for elite status. The logic for this is two-fold:
- It’s intended to reward members more often, and keep them engaged in the program, since perks can be picked even outside of the traditional elite thresholds
- It’s intended to give members more options to pick the perks that matter most to them, given that we all value rewards differently
With that in mind, Alaska’s new milestone perks can be picked at 11 different thresholds, ranging from 10,000 elite qualifying miles to 250,000 elite qualifying miles. Let’s go over the details, though before I do, let me note a couple of things:
- For those wondering about Extras redemptions, Alaska will be introducing an experiences marketplace in 2025, so that’s what this refers to
- As of 2025, Mileage Plan is reducing mileage bonuses for MVP, MVP Gold, and MVP Gold 75K members, but this change was announced a long time ago
Alaska Mileage Plan 10K milestone choices
For passing 10,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members can choose one of the following milestone perks:
- 750 bonus miles
- Pre-order a complimentary meal for your flight
- One complimentary Wi-Fi pass
- Try MVP status for a trip
- Earn double miles with non-air partners
- Upgrade your next Avis rental
Alaska Mileage Plan MVP status (20K milestone)
For passing 20,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members earn MVP status (oneworld Ruby), which offers the following perks:
- Earn 25% bonus miles on every flight, including with partners
- Enjoy exclusive day-of-travel benefits including upgrades to first class and Premium Class on Alaska, when available
- Starting later in 2025, companions traveling on the same flight, in the same reservation will become eligible for first class and Premium Class upgrades, when available
- Your status goes further with oneworld Ruby privileges, including upgrades to first class and Main Cabin Extra on American Airlines, when available
- Extra benefits with non-air partners, including a status match to Avis Preferred Plus status and discounts on a Clear Plus membership
It’s worth specifically calling out that two aspects of MVP status will be changing:
- As of 2025, companion upgrades for MVP members are a new perk, as historically those earning Alaska’s lowest elite tier haven’t qualified for this benefit for companions
- As of 2026, MVP members will receive one free checked bag, rather than two free checked bags
Alaska Mileage Plan 30K milestone choices
For passing 30,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members can choose one of the following perks:
- 2,500 bonus miles
- $25 off a future Alaska flight
- Four Wi-Fi passes
- Try MVP Gold status for a trip
- $100 off an Alaska Lounge membership
Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold status (40K milestone)
For passing 40,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members earn MVP Gold status (oneworld Sapphire), which offers the following incremental perks:
- Earn 50% bonus miles on every flight, including with partners
- Your status goes further with oneworld Sapphire privileges, including access to business class lounges when traveling on a oneworld member airline to a destination outside of the US, Canada, or Mexico
- A complimentary premium drink or chocolate when you fly in Main Cabin
- Standby and waitlist for full flights
- Complimentary same-day flight changes
- Extra benefits with non-air partners, including status-matching to Avis Preferred Plus status and discounts on a Clear Plus membership
Alaska Mileage Plan 55K milestone choices
For passing 55,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members can choose two of the following milestone perks:
- 5,000 bonus miles
- 10,000 miles off an Extras redemption
- Gift MVP for a trip
- One complimentary lounge day pass
- Two upgrade certificates
Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold 75K (75K milestone)
For passing 75,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members earn MVP Gold 75K status (oneworld Emerald), which offers the following incremental perks:
- Earn 100% bonus miles on every flight, including with partners
- Complimentary upgrades into Premium Class upgrades at booking for all Main Cabin fares (excluding Saver)
- Your status goes further with oneworld Emerald privileges, including access to business and first class lounges when traveling on a oneworld member airline to a destination outside of the US, Canada, or Mexico
- A complimentary premium drink or chocolate when you fly in Main Cabin
- Extra benefits with non-air partners, including status-matching to Avis President’s Club status and discounts on a Clear Plus membership
Alaska Mileage Plan 85K milestone choices
For passing 85,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members can choose two of the following milestone perks:
- 15,000 bonus miles
- 25,000 miles off an Extras redemption
- Two complimentary lounge day passes
- Two upgrade certificates
- Gift MVP Gold status for a trip
- Nominate someone to MVP status
- 10,000 elite qualifying miles rolled over
Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold 100K (100K milestone)
For passing 100,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members earn MVP Gold 100K status (oneworld Emerald), which offers the following incremental perks:
- Earn 150% bonus miles on every flight, including with partners
- Complimentary upgrades into Premium Class upgrades at booking for all Main Cabin fares (excluding Saver)
- Your status goes further with oneworld Emerald privileges, including access to business and first class lounges when traveling on a oneworld member airline to a destination outside of the US, Canada, or Mexico
- A complimentary premium drink or chocolate when you fly in Main Cabin
- A complimentary meal when you fly in Main Cabin
- Extra benefits with non-air partners, including status-matching to Avis President’s Club status and discounts on a Clear Plus membership
On top of that, for passing 100,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members can choose one of the following milestone perks:
- 50,000 bonus miles
- 75,000 miles off an Extras redemption
- Alaska Lounge+ membership
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on every flight
- Four upgrade certificates
- Nominate someone for MVP Gold status
Alaska Mileage Plan 150K, 200K, 250K, milestone choice
For passing 150,000, 200,000, or 250,000 elite qualifying miles in a year, Mileage Plan members can choose two of the following milestone perks:
- 15,000 bonus miles
- 25,000 off an Extras redemption
- Two complimentary lounge passes
- Two upgrade certificates
- 10,000 elite qualifying miles rolled over
Who are the winners and losers with these changes?
While there are some all-new perks with the milestone perks program, it’s also worth acknowledging that in some situations, existing perks will be changed a bit, and not everyone comes out ahead. Let’s start with those who lose out a bit, which I’d say would be MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K members. Under the current program:
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold members automatically receive four upgrade certificates
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold 75K members automatically receive four Alaska Lounge day passes
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold 75K members automatically receive 50,000 bonus miles
Those perks will no longer be offered simply for qualifying for elite status. Instead, they’ll be tied to the new milestone perks, and in some cases, will be harder to earn:
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold members will no longer automatically receive upgrade certificates; instead, they could select four of these when passing 55,000 elite qualifying miles, but that requires ~38% more activity
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold 75K members will no longer automatically receive lounge passes or bonus miles; instead, they could select some perks at thresholds both below and above the 75,000 elite qualifying miles number
However, others come out ahead:
- Those who don’t even qualify for status can already start to be rewarded when they earn 10,000 elite qualifying miles
- Mileage Plan MVP Gold 100K members have the opportunity to earn up to eight upgrade certificates, which some might find to be a great value
- Those who over qualify for status will have new opportunities to be rewarded, in ways they weren’t previously
Bottom line
Alaska Mileage Plan is introducing milestone perks, whereby members receive rewards at 11 different thresholds, ranging from 10,000 elite qualifying miles to 250,000 elite qualifying miles. There are winners and losers here, since we’re seeing a decoupling of some elite perks from the traditional status thresholds.
MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K members may not be happy about these changes, while those who don’t quite earn elite status, as well as those who over qualify for elite status, will likely be quite pleased.
It’s also important to consider this in the context of Mileage Plan status being easier to earn as of 2025, as even all award flights will count toward elite qualification.
What do you make of the new Alaska Mileage Plan milestone program?
I've been 100K since they rolled out the status level, and was 75k prior. Have only used the upgrade certificates maybe 1x or 2x in my many years with AS - it's a useless perk that I'm glad they're getting rid of these as an automatic perk of status. It's impossible to find confirmed upgrade space, and if you make changes or have to cancel your booking, you lose the certificate that was applied.
I...
I've been 100K since they rolled out the status level, and was 75k prior. Have only used the upgrade certificates maybe 1x or 2x in my many years with AS - it's a useless perk that I'm glad they're getting rid of these as an automatic perk of status. It's impossible to find confirmed upgrade space, and if you make changes or have to cancel your booking, you lose the certificate that was applied.
I will be gladly choosing the bonus miles and EQM rollover as my milestone perks.
At the 85K threshold, do you think you could chose one item twice instead of two different choices. I'd rather choose the 10K EQM twice to get ahead in status.
Yes
The Alaska site just never seems to price out right as noted above. For example the Monday, December 2nd 5:20 PM flight from Seattle to Frankfurt, returning December 9 at 1:05 PM is $470 on Condor. It’s $801 on Alaska Airlines.
So then you have to run the calculation as to whether $331 is worth the miles earned and the EQMs… not straightforward!
I'm so confused by the pricing of (cash) bookings on AS partners when booking on the AS website. The prices are basically never the same. They can sometimes be moderately lower (seems to be when comparing with DE), and can sometimes be preposterously, outrageously higher (2x-3x, such as w/ EI).
One thing I appreciate about Alaska more generally is that they seem not to play games with fares as much as many other airlines. The...
I'm so confused by the pricing of (cash) bookings on AS partners when booking on the AS website. The prices are basically never the same. They can sometimes be moderately lower (seems to be when comparing with DE), and can sometimes be preposterously, outrageously higher (2x-3x, such as w/ EI).
One thing I appreciate about Alaska more generally is that they seem not to play games with fares as much as many other airlines. The same seat doesn't cost more if it's a one-way booking, for example. But it sure is confusing to navigate partner bookings.
Disappointed there's no mention of "rollover" miles from 2024 going into 2025. Does that mean it won't be offered, like it was last year?
You forgot to mention the bonus mile downgrade. Right not for MVP, Gold, 75k, 100k are 50%, 100%, 125% and 150%. And they are axed to 25%, 50%, 100%, 150%. It will be harder to earn bonus miles for mid elite flyers. Though the 2x partner earning at 10k, if it's for the rest of the membership year, that could mean a lot for high spenders, especially if it stack with the 3000:1000 EQM earning.
It appears that Ben has not used a GGU for a while. They are basically useless. I give them out for free to my friends and they would not even bother using them.
Claiming 100K can earn 8 GGU is an upgrade at the opportunity cost of nearly 100000 miles made me laugh.
Agreed.
As a MVPG75k, I'm miffed at the loss of my lounge day passes and Upgrade Certs.
THAT SAID, actually using the Upgrades (Gold Guest Upgrades) has been darn near impossible since shortly before the pandemic, so maybe it's not a loss.
But if I'm going to have to work harder to earn these certificates, they damn sure better let me actually use them. And they won't.
Between this and the elite miles...
As a MVPG75k, I'm miffed at the loss of my lounge day passes and Upgrade Certs.
THAT SAID, actually using the Upgrades (Gold Guest Upgrades) has been darn near impossible since shortly before the pandemic, so maybe it's not a loss.
But if I'm going to have to work harder to earn these certificates, they damn sure better let me actually use them. And they won't.
Between this and the elite miles on award tickets, they've simultaneously made it easier to earn status, but less rewarding to do so.