Alaska Airways Mileage Plan is a well-liked loyalty program identified for its nice offers on redemptions with various airways and frequent mileage gross sales.
With the present flash sale on Alaska miles, you may earn as much as 60% bonus miles in your buy, which is usually a worthy endeavour in sure circumstances.
This time, the sale runs till 11:59pm Pacific Time on Might 21, 2025, so remember to capitalize on the provide earlier than then if you happen to’re .
Purchase Alaska Miles with a 60% Bonus
Usually, Alaska Airways sells miles for two.75 cents per mile (USD), plus a 7.5% tax restoration price, for a complete of two.96 cents per mile (USD). Fortunately, Alaska Airways often presents reductions on buying miles, so it doesn’t ever actually make sense to purchase them exterior of gross sales.
This time round, you may get as much as a 60% bonus on bought miles. You may need a special provide, so remember to log in to your Mileage Plan account to see the precise breakdown of your bonus, as not all members are given the best-available provide.
The present best-available provide is structured as follows:
- Purchase 3,000–19,000 miles, get a 40% bonus
- Purchase 20,000–39,000 miles, get a 50% bonus
- Purchase 40,000+ miles, get a 60% bonus
With a 60% bonus, you would purchase 160,000 Alaska miles for $2,956.25 (USD) together with tax, which works out to a price of 1.85 cents per mile (USD).
At our present valuation of 1.8 cents per mile (USD), the sale worth is simply barely above our goal worth, however it might symbolize an incredible deal you probably have a particular use in thoughts.
Wanting again at earlier presents, Alaska Airways tends to supply bonuses of 35–60%, and we’ve seen uncommon presents as excessive as 70%. This provide is decrease than the all-time bonus, however with the proper use in thoughts, it may actually make sense.
What number of Alaska miles can you purchase?
Except you might have elite standing with Alaska Airways, every Mileage Plan member is restricted to receiving 150,000 miles per calendar yr from mileage purchases (excluding bonuses), whether or not shopping for for your self or being gifted from another person.
There’s additionally a restrict of 100,000 miles bought per transaction (excluding bonuses). If you happen to break up your buy up into a number of transactions, you would purchase as much as 240,000 miles together with the 60% bonus, assuming you haven’t already purchased or been gifted Alaska miles this yr.
Which bank card do you have to use to purchase Alaska miles?
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan sells miles via Factors.com. Which means because you aren’t shopping for miles instantly from Alaska Airways, you received’t earn any class bonus for utilizing an Alaska Airways co-branded bank card.
Moreover, the acquisition received’t code as journey for a class accelerator on different journey bank cards. Due to this fact, it’s best to think about using any card with a excessive baseline incomes fee, or one the place you’re working in direction of assembly the minimal spend requirement to unlock a welcome bonus.
The acquisition shall be charged in US {dollars}, so to keep away from additional prices, it’s best to use a US bank card.
If you happen to use a card with a Canadian billing tackle, you’ll be charged GST/HST on prime of the Tax Restoration Price, since Factors.com is registered in Canada. Even you probably have a Canadian card with no overseas transaction charges, use it solely as a final resort, because the additional value eats into the worth you may get out of your miles.
Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card
- Earn 30,000 Scene+ factors upon spending $2,000 within the first three months
- Earn a further 10,000 Scene+ factors upon spending $40,000 within the first yr
- Earn 2x Scene+ factors on groceries, eating, leisure, and transit
- Plus, earn 3x Scene+ factors on grocery purchases at Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, and FreshCo
- Visa Airport Companion membership with six free lounge visits per yr
- Redeem factors for assertion credit score for any journey expense
- Minimal earnings: $60,000 private or $100,000 family
- Annual price: $150
When Does It Make Sense to Purchase Alaska Miles?
As is the case with any sale on factors or miles, it may be a great way to prime up your account to make a redemption, or to attain a deal on journey in premium cabins (versus paying for it outright with money).
If you happen to’ve discovered an excellent alternative to redeem your Alaska miles at a price you want, however your account is simply shy of the quantity you want, you could discover this sale as a great way to deliver your redemption throughout the end line.
In truth, so long as you’re redeeming above the price of 1.85 cents per mile (USD) of shopping for with this promotion, you’ll come out forward.
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan presents entry to some wonderful accomplice airways, together with Japan Airways, Starlux Airways, and lots of extra.
If yow will discover award house availability with one of many airways, this sale might unlock journey in premium cabins at a steep low cost.
For instance, a one-way flight between US hubs on the West Coast and Taipei with Starlux Airways prices 75,000 Alaska miles, plus a modest quantity of taxes and costs.
Shopping for 75,000 miles throughout this promotion works out to about $1,388 (USD), which is a good deal in comparison with the money worth for a similar flights.
Whilst you’ll should cope with award availability (as you do with any loyalty program), there are numerous different best-use circumstances for Alaska miles.
Different Methods to Earn Alaska Miles
If you happen to don’t have a direct want for getting Alaska miles, you may take into account different methods to accumulate them at a decrease value.
US Credit score Playing cards by Financial institution of America
When you have a social safety quantity or ITIN, you’re eligible to use for Financial institution of America’s Alaska Airways co-branded playing cards.
The Alaska Airways Visa Signature at present has a welcome bonus of 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 (USD) within the first three months.
In the meantime, the Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise provide is at 60,000 miles upon spending $4,000 (USD) within the first three months.
Each playing cards have frequent credit equal to a first-year price rebate and occasional elevated factors presents. In any other case, at an annual price of $95 or $70, the price of buying factors is 0.13–0.16 cents per mile for the Alaska Airways Visa Signature and the Alaska Airways Visa Enterprise, respectively.
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy factors could be transferred to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan at a fee of three:1, with a 5,000-mile bonus when transferred in chunks of 60,000 Bonvoy factors.
At our current valuation of 0.6 cents per level, we’d worth 60,000 Bonvoy factors at $360 (USD). When transferred to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan, that is equal to purchasing 25,000 miles at 1.44 cents per mile.
That is nonetheless decrease than our valuation of Alaska miles at 1.8 cents per mile, and cheaper than the promotional value to purchase miles outright. Relying in your Bonvoy steadiness and resort redemption targets, you’ll should weigh whether or not it is a more sensible choice than paying money for Alaska miles.
Plus, there’s a 30% switch bonus from Canadian Membership Rewards factors to Marriott Bonvoy, which additional sweetens the deal.
Bilt Rewards
Final yr, Bilt Rewards added Alaska Airways Mileage Plan as a 1:1 switch accomplice, making it the one transferable factors forex to have such an association.
When you have entry to Bilt Rewards, you may take into account transferring factors to Mileage Plan to prime up your account.
American Specific US Membership Rewards by way of HawaiianMiles
In 2024, Alaska Airways acquired Hawaiian Airways, and 1:1 transfers between the 2 loyalty packages at the moment are stay.
HawaiianMiles is a 1:1 switch accomplice of American Specific US Membership Rewards, which implies you may switch your Membership Rewards factors to HawaiianMiles, after which transfer them to your Mileage Plan account.
Due to this fact, whilst you can’t instantly switch American Specific US Membership Rewards to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan, you may get them there with an additional cease in your HawaiianMiles account.
Mileage Plan Purchasing
You can even flip to the Mileage Plan Purchasing portal for bonuses on on-line purchases at many standard worldwide retailers starting from expertise to sportswear corporations. Excessive bonuses can typically be discovered round large buying days like Black Friday or Boxing Day.
Miles normally arrive in your account inside two weeks, though many shops have restrictions for purchases exterior of the US.
As you weigh whether or not this promotion is an effective alternative so that you can meet your journey targets, right here’s a snapshot of Alaska Mileage Plan’s earlier presents on mileage gross sales, protecting all promotions through the previous yr:
Conclusion
Alaska Airways Mileage Plan’s present 50% bonus promotion on shopping for miles is an effective alternative to push your steadiness over the hump for a dream journey, or to ebook premium flights at a reduction in comparison with the money fee.
This time, you may earn a 50% bonus whenever you buy at the least 20,000 miles. When you have a particular redemption in thoughts, this might be a great way to attain an aspirational flight at a fraction of the value.
The provide runs till March 16, 2025, so make certain to take a look at what’s out there after which make your buy if you happen to stand to learn.
