With 2025 shortly approaching, now’s the proper time to examine your Alaska Airways Mileage Plan frequent flyer mileage stability, calculate your journey earnings for the rest of the yr and pinpoint which elite standing tier you’ll qualify for earlier than Dec. 31, 2024.
If you happen to assume you won’t hit your aim earlier than the cutoff, the excellent news is that there is nonetheless time to earn elite qualifying miles earlier than the tip of 2024. Plus, with the current acquisition of Hawaiian Airways, incomes elite standing with Alaska Airways could also be on the forefront of your thoughts.
Here’s what you must find out about Alaska’s MVP program, together with qualification necessities, tier advantages and last-minute methods for incomes elite standing with Alaska Airways.
Associated: Alaska Airways Mileage Plan: Learn how to earn and redeem miles
What are Alaska Airways’ elite standing tier necessities?
Alaska Airways has 4 revealed elite standing tiers, which Mileage Plan members can qualify for every calendar yr by incomes elite qualifying miles via flying on Alaska, Oneworld and world associate flights and spending on cobranded bank cards.
Moreover, not like with different carriers akin to United Airways, there isn’t any minimal variety of segments that Mileage Plan members have to take every calendar yr on Alaska-operated flights to safe elite standing.
This is a have a look at the MVP standing tier necessities:
| Standing tier | Elite qualifying miles |
|---|---|
| MVP | 20,000 |
| MVP Gold | 40,000 |
| MVP Gold 75K | 75,000 |
| MVP Gold 100K | 100,000 |
To be taught extra about the advantages of every MVP standing tier, take a look at our full information to Alaska Airways elite standing.
Associated: Of venture on Alaska miles — why I utilized for two Hawaiian Airways playing cards on the identical day
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Final-minute Alaska Airways elite status-earning methods
Listed below are a couple of methods to rack up extra elite qualifying miles to cross the end line to your required elite standing tier earlier than time runs out.
Maximize your itinerary to earn elite qualifying miles
Alaska’s beneficiant same-day flight change coverage allows you to request a same-day confirmed flight change at any time through the check-in window. Your new flight should depart on the identical calendar day as the unique departure, however you possibly can change your route to incorporate further layovers.
That is helpful as a result of you’ll earn extra elite qualifying miles on longer routes. For instance, as an alternative of flying nonstop from Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport (DCA) to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) and incomes 2,311 EQMs, you might fly from DCA to Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) after which fly to LAX for 3,282 EQMs.
Be aware that altering your same-day flight will value between $25 and $50. Nevertheless, in case you have MVP Gold standing or greater, you’ll obtain complimentary same-day flight modifications.
Alaska Airways cobranded bank card spending
Alaska Airways has two cobranded bank cards with Financial institution of America: a private card and a enterprise card. Except for incomes Alaska miles on on a regular basis spending, cardholders can earn 4,000 EQMs for each $10,000 spent in 2024 (as much as 20,000 EQMs whole).
This implies you might earn base-level MVP standing purely via bank card spending. And if you’re seeking to attain a better standing degree however would not have journey plans, you might earn 20% of the EQMs required for top-tier MVP Gold 100K standing with out stepping foot on a airplane.
The Alaska cobranded playing cards are at present providing the next welcome bonuses:
Be aware that beginning Jan. 1, 2025, Alaska cardholders will earn 1 EQM for each $3 spent on certified purchases (as much as 30,000 EQMs every year). So, when you spend $60,000 in a calendar yr in your private or enterprise Alaska card, you’ll earn 20,000 EQMs, which implies you will have certified for MVP standing simply via bank card spending.
Associated: Alaska Airways unveils 4 main modifications to MVP elite standing
Alaska Airways standing match problem
If you happen to do not have already got elite standing with Alaska however do have elite standing with one other airline, an airline standing match could be the best choice for attaining elite standing shortly. If you happen to qualify, you will obtain non permanent standing with Alaska primarily based in your present tier with a competitor.
Alaska has a full listing of its standing match companions on its web site.
Then, to maintain your Alaska standing after the promotional 90-day interval, you will have to fly the next variety of miles on flights marketed and operated by Alaska Airways:
- MVP: 5,000 miles
- MVP Gold: 10,000 miles
- MVP Gold 75K: 20,000 miles
Plus, following the Alaska and Hawaiian Airways merger, loyalty program members can take pleasure in reciprocal elite standing advantages from each carriers.
| If in case you have | You will be matched to |
|---|---|
| Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP standing | HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold standing |
| Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K or MVP Gold 100K standing | HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum standing |
| HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold standing | Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP standing |
| HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum standing | Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP Gold standing |
If you happen to do not maintain elite standing with both airline, the loyalty packages are permitting members to mix their elite qualifying miles from each packages to assist safe standing for 2025.
| Mixed EQM stability | Standing you will get with Mileage Plan | Standing you will get with HawaiianMiles |
|---|---|---|
| 20,000 EQMs | MVP | Pualani Gold |
| 40,000 EQMs | MVP Gold | Pualani Platinum |
| 75,000 EQMs | MVP Gold 75K | Pualani Platinum |
| 100,000 EQMs | MVP Gold 100K | Pualani Platinum |
Associated: Full information to airline standing matches and challenges
Alaska’s elite go away for brand new dad and mom
Are you operating behind on elite standing due to a brand new bundle of pleasure that is curtailed your journey plans recently? Alaska Airways has an “elite go away” coverage for brand new dad and mom, permitting vacationers to increase elite standing for one more yr throughout their pregnancies or parental leaves.
To make the most of this profit, you need to e-mail the airline as soon as you come back along with your full identify, date of delivery, Mileage Plan quantity, and proof of being pregnant or parental go away, akin to a notice out of your physician or employer. If accredited, the airline will presume you’ll have certified for elite standing within the yr your parental go away ends and can lengthen it via the next yr.
Alaska Airways mileage run eventualities
Since incomes EQMs is just not tied to a selected greenback quantity, Mileage Plan members can earn elite standing with the airline by reserving low cost economic system tickets on Alaska or its companions.
If you happen to’re just some thousand miles wanting qualifying for elite standing earlier than the brand new yr, listed below are a couple of flight route concepts to contemplate:
1,000 EQMs quick: Alaska is beneficiant in that, whether or not you’ve got elite standing or not, you possibly can earn a minimal of 500 EQMs on flights shorter than 500 miles — besides with tickets booked within the X Saver fare class, which is able to solely earn 30% EQMs.
For instance, you possibly can spend $216 and some hours flying on a Most important Cabin fare between SEA and Spokane Worldwide Airport (GEG) for 1,000 EQMs on a Saturday.
For a similar 1,000 EQMs, you can too spend about $171 to fly from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to Las Vegas’ Harry Reid Worldwide Airport (LAS) for an extended weekend.
Associated: Qualify for elite standing earlier than the tip of the yr: Final-minute home flights you possibly can e-book
5,000 EQMs quick: The simplest option to fill this hole is to hunt low-cost transcontinental flights from the West Coast to the East Coast. These routes might be dearer than short-haul flights, however costs are normally cheap sufficient to justify a fast journey to maintain elite standing.
This is a mid-December flight from San Francisco to Newark for about $336 with a Most important Cabin fare, providing you with a complete of 5,116 EQMs earned. Keep in mind, when you booked a Saver flight, you’ll solely obtain 30% of the bottom miles.
10,000-plus EQMs quick: If you happen to’re properly wanting your aim — and that is in all probability most relevant to these capturing for MVP Gold 75K standing or above — you continue to would possibly have the ability to earn 10,000 and even 20,000 EQMs this yr.
The best approach can be to e-book two back-to-back transcontinental flights (like within the above instance) since you might full every in a day or two and find yourself with round 10,000 EQMs. However that is a number of time flying in narrow-body jets to locations you might have already visited.
Since you possibly can earn further EQMs when buying a better fare class, take into account reserving a premium economic system seat.
Try Alaska’s 2024 incomes chart under.
If you wish to shortly earn a number of EQMs at one time, take into account flying with one in every of Alaska’s many airline companions on an affordable long-haul flight. Simply know you will in all probability be flying intercontinental, so take into account making a trip of it.
Nevertheless, you must pay particular consideration to the incomes charges on airline companions because the variety of miles earned varies by associate and fare class. Verify your fare class and the associate web page for the working provider to calculate what number of EQMs you will obtain from a associate flight.
Sadly, it is price noting that airfares to Asia are excessive proper now, even if you’re connecting. So, it’s possible you’ll be taking a look at greater than $2,000 for a premium economic system ticket on a associate airline from the West Coast of the U.S. to Asia or Australia. You should take into account whether or not the advantages you’ll obtain from attaining Alaska Airways MVP standing are definitely worth the financial funding.
Associated: The most effective bank cards for reserving flights
Backside line
Despite the fact that the yr ends in lower than two months, there’s nonetheless time to lock in your Alaska Airways Mileage Plan MVP elite standing for 2025 so you possibly can benefit from the perks and advantages.
It is best to first assess your present state of affairs in pursuit of elite standing after which determine which technique will allow you to obtain your aim.
