Alaska Airlines is adding perks for its loyalest flyers, and I’m impressed. I first wrote about this several weeks ago, when this was first revealed. These changes have now been rolled out, including the ability to nominate someone for elite status. Let’s cover all the details.
Continue reading: Alaska Airlines Improving Million Miler Program
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
With my wife and I both at 950,000 lifetime miles, this is very timely and something we can really look forward to. AS is the best program hands down (upgrades 75%+) and this just proved it.
At the young age of 28 and extremely loyal domestically to Alaska since the pandemic, I’m even more excited to eventually reach 1-2 million miler!
Just 850,000 miles to go LOL
Good for Alaska but beware, things can change over time. Just ask original United Million Milers like myself. After Continental took over they stripped us of the status level and other benefits United had promised. Then in 2013 a court ruling allowed it. (now precedent) And that was before Kirby LOL
The only negative (unless they've changed it) is that partner miles do not count towards the million miles, unlike the other programs) so it's a much harder target to hit since they don't have much of an international footprint (mainly Canada and Mexico).
I'm a life long Alaska resident (as in the state, not the airline). I've been MVP Gold or higher for the last 15 years, I'm at 60k with AK Air so far in 2023. I've lost trust in the airline I'm all but forced to use 90% of the time I travel. This is a nice perk for million milers but I have no faith it will last. In addition to that to those that think the loyalty program is "great" I challenge you to get an upgrade on any day of the week ANC-SEA in either direction... I've literally seen 70+ names on the upgrade request list on a flight of 120 people. I'm MVP 75k currently and have had one upgrade (even then, this was after boarding) in 14 RT trips to Seattle this year. None of my flights are "saver" tickets, most are full fare business travel. Simply put, given the choice, I fly American and actually get upgrades and better service. I've been upgraded over 50% of my AA flights this year, much higher than AS, including flights to/from ANC, DFW, CLT, SEA, PDX, PNS, PHX and more.
Same status. I get them out of SEA quite a bit. Never in/out of ANC. Too many 100k military, oil & gas flying hub to hub.
I've flown SEA-ANC-SEA on a Saturday and was upgraded at Gold, but this was in 2021.
A couple weeks ago I got an upgrade on Monday out and Thursday return, but as a 100k. Definitely a ton of elites on the route but that's how it goes when there are a lot of flyers and only one airline. At DFW there's about a billion AA elites.
American's million miler program is the absolute worst. I stopped flying them because of it ... I have 8 million miler miles accumulated as I commuted between São Paulo and Miami for 10 years. Now based in Madrid, I avoid AA at all costs. I was Concierge Key for 8 years, EP more this I can count ... The AA million miler program is a slap in the face. Kudos to Alaska!
Alaska Airlines has always been the "go to" for reward travel on so many airlines and to so many destinations.
I have travelled on purchased points many times around the world. So many CX, SQ, JAL, Hainan, Condor, Air Tahiti Nui. Iceland Air, Qantas, Sri Lankan, and Qatar flights.
Sadly points travel (even though paid for with cash) do not qualify for elite status. Earned points from travel are a reward but paid points are a Revenue Stream and it does seem unfair that they don't qualify for Million Miler etc status.
But honestly I would never have been able to pay full fare so its a trade-off.
Congratulations. It would be helpful to know your home airport so maybe we could re-position a layover there ;-).
Now that Alaska is in OneWorld, it really makes AA look bad, and often. Where is our annual boost???
As a Member of the elite Alaska Million miler - I say thank you! Very thoughtful insensitive to keep family members in the circle. Win - win.
Awesome Alaska! As a retired person with 1.8M Delta MQM provided with "lifetime" Silver status I am the ultimate free agent. Silver is worth 25% bonus Skypesos. Woo Hoo. I'll be at 1.8M for the foreseeable future as I credit to AF when flying Delta for the superior award structure and availability. When that changes I'll reassess.
I have no problem with this. I think it should be harder to attain than status. Yes, I am a MM and will continue to fly AS as the schedule and prices are reasonable to most (not all) of my regular destinations. This boost was a nice surprise and will take me from 75K (organic flying) to 100K before mid November based on what I have already booked.
IMHO United treated me better in the earned top tier status at both airlines UNTIL last year. My default airline is now AK Air. Their mileage program was always the best. Now they also treat me better. Mm and 100k AK. 1k united. Alaska now do a 360 equivalent please!
Any idea if the shared status for a household member will automatically apply to the MVP nominee for 75Ks, or is this benefit in addition to the MVP nominee?
This is Great as long as they don't take it away. My husband has had to fly for work for years and years and be gone so much.
I am a million miler on American and Alaska and these benefits have me using only my Alaska mileage number. I received my 20,000 mileage boost immediate following the announcement and called about the spouse benefits. I understand I will receive an email when the system is ready to accommodate adding my spouse as a fellow 100k Gold flyer, but as of June 29th 2023, it has yet to appear. I am not worried. I really respect what Alaska Air does form a customer experience perspective,
It would be interesting to see another blog post, comparing this and others with the British airways Gold for life and Gold guest list for life tiers (the latter of course including 1 x Emerald and 2 x Sapphire partner cards for life).
THIS is what makes AA look bad? AA has been trash since US Airways management took over.
Isnt AA's program crap because everyone is a MM, since any activity counts? Even partner airlines?
United is the hardest to get, without any boosts, class bonuses, etc.
It’s so silly why United and American don’t monetize their million milers. After getting MM on both I just started flying whoever had the best price, we have not crossed an Ocean on either in years since it wasn’t worth it just for points.
It makes no difference to American how many miles you have flown. All that matters is how profitable you are for them.
Alaska giving away bonus miles to million milers and letting people gift elite status to their significant others is throwing profits out the window. I’d be infuriated as a shareholder.
Two points: 1) the miles they are giving million milers (or two-million milers) aren’t redeemable miles, so there’s really no cost to them to give those away. It encourages million milers to fly more with Alaska, which is smart.
2) My spouse is a two-million miler with United, so I have lifetime platinum status as well. It absolutely incentives me to fly more with United than other airlines on my solo travel (about $5k a year for work/leisure). Again, that’s smart for United. Otherwise, I wouldn’t fly as often with them. Yes, I get a few extra bonus miles as a result (the “cost” to United), but that’s about 20,000 extra miles for being platinum vs. not having status), but that’s worth it to them for my extra business.
“since any activity counts?”
That is incorrect. Only BIS counts. (Though partner airline flights credited to Aadvantage do count.) It’s been this way for a while (since USAirways management took over?).
I thunk the reason why AA doesn't do this is because of previous CC spend earnings and the fact that many racked up MM status that way. Also that there are like 5 former loyalty programs mixed in. Kudos to Alaska for doing this, and I hope that AA figures out a fair way to allow current members to earn something better than what's currently offered.
Did You read? It's only Elite Qualifying Miles.....not redeemable miles. It only "matters" of they are still active, so they get a boost to requalify at a higher tier. Otherwise it's a mute point.
Ann, they stopped counting CC spend like a decade ago. That's how many MM's were created. Otherwise it's been "bitter in seat miles" for at least the last 7 years. No status bonus or anything. I'm EP, fly 30+ segments a year including 2 long international trips, and have been OW Emerald that whole time and have less than 400k miles for Million Status.
Okay! You are right. It can motivate customers to go for MVP 100k and obtain OW emerald status for you and a family member for life.
“adding perks for its loyalest flyers.” I think Ben meant to write “it’s most loyal flyers.”