There’s a lot to like about the changes Alaska Airlines announced today for its Mileage Plan loyalty program, but also some bad news, especially for regular Alaska flyers. Overall, though, Mileage Plan remains a unique and valuable program with some attractive new incentives, particularly for those who earn and burn miles.
Alaska Airlines Announces Changes To Mileage Plan In 2025
Changes to the Mileage Plan program include:
- Earn Elite Miles On Award Travel Redemptions
- When members fly on an award trip with Alaska or on partners, they’ll earn elite-qualifying miles based on the distance flown
- All award trips flown on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will earn EQMs
- Alaska will begin posting those EQMs to members’ accounts starting this spring
- Earn EQMs On The Alaska Airlines Visa Card
- In 2025, cardholders will earn one elite-qualifying mile for every $3 spent on qualified purchases (up to 30,000 EQMs)
- Earn EQMs On Non-Airline Partners
- Members can earn 1,000 EQMs for every 3,000 miles earned with eligible non-airline partners
- Earn More EQMs On Partner Carriers Booked Directly With Alaska
- 150% mileage bonus of the distance flown in Premium Economy, 250% in Business Class and up to 350% in International First Class
- Earn Fewer EQMs On Partner Carriers Not Booked Directly With Alaska (new chart here)
- Revamped Milestone Rewards, Including Rollover EQMs
- Expanded Milestones, up to 250,000 elite-qualifying miles (full list here)
- When hitting the 85,000 elite-qualifying miles milestone, a new perk is the ability to roll over 10,000 EQMs to the following year
- Multi-carrier redemptions
- First rolling out between US and Europe and later worldwide
- Global Getaways Discounts
- Seasonal discounts on award redemptions will expand
Brett Catlin, the Vice President of Loyalty, Alliances, and Sales at Alaska Airlines pledged to make Alaska the “most generous loyalty program” in the industry:
“We’re on a multi-year journey to make the industry’s most generous loyalty program even more rewarding. In 2025, Mileage Plan members will have access to all-new, more frequent perks along with expanded ways to earn elite status, including on award travel. As we invest in a single loyalty platform with Hawaiian Airlines, there is even more to come later in the year.”
The Winners
The big winner in today’s news is the traveler who racks up and redeems a lot of miles via Alaksa Mileage Plan.
Those who redeem miles come out ahead here…earning elite miles on partner award redemptions (matching Delta Air Lines) is a big deal and will alone build up a base of loyalty.
Being able to mix and match carriers on award redemptions is also a big deal and something Alaska has promised for years. This is a big deal.
The Losers
Laoytly Alaska flyers, especially at the MVP Gold 75K level, may not like the new Milestone program, which is not quite as generous as the old one in terms of awarding guest upgrades (GGUs) for making MVP Gold.
Those who purchase tickets on some carriers with the intent to credit to Alaska will see earnings drop. For example, booking a British Airways First Class ticket directly with British Airways will net many fewer miles starting in 2025 (to Alaska’s credit, all tickets booked prior to October 16, 2024 for travel in 2025 will not be subject to the reduced earning, though you will manually have to request the adjustment after the flight).
A likely problem will be the inability to book certain discount premium cabin tickets on partners via Alaska versus directly with the carrier. That is certainly the case on British Airways, for example, right now.
CONCLUSION
In an age of devaluation, I would not call today’s news at Alaska Airlines one. There are winners and losers, but the losses are modest and many will see today’s news as a net gain (I do too). I am impressed that Alaska Airlines continues to offer a compelling loyalty program and hope that it will be a blueprint for other carriers rather than an outlier.
What do you think about the changes announced today for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan in 2025?
This is absolutely fantastic. Alaska once again showing why they are the best US Loyalty program while Delta, United, and American give the middle finger to its customers
Alaska Airlines proves that your customers will give you a pass for not having TVs on a transcontinental flight if you treat them well with good service, rewarding loyalty, and employees who are well taken care of. Their fellow U.S.—based alliance partner should take notes (IYKYK).
Also, having flown the latest products of all the big 3 in the last year, I find Alaska’s seating even in standard Y to be roomier than all of them. Sometimes I wish I lived out west so I could fly them more.
You make an excellent point, Jay.
This is ALL CORRECT!
That’s the thing though, right? internet bloggers can rave about AS and B6 all day long since they only live in LAX and JFK, but if they don’t serve your airport, then ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Didn’t Alaska say say in February that mixed partner awards would be coming soon? I’ve been waiting for this anxiously for some time. I guess my view of soon differs from theirs. Overall though this is pretty decent. For me it’s not even a devaluation.
Yes, they’ve been promsing for four years!
Hopefully 2025 will finally be the year.
I see why some 75K MVPs don’t like the changes, but I think overall AS continues to show its program is valuable.
Love the change of getting EQMs for award travel. I have found partner award travel, especially in business and first class (when you can find them) an outstanding redemtion. I only wish my upcoming business class award trip to Easter Island (IPC) was in 2025 now.
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Wait a sec… you can get to Easter Island on an Alaska award?
Yes , LATAM Airlines is an Alaska MileagePlan partner!
Yes PDX-LAX-MEX, MEX-SCL-IPC
In business class too!
One ticket?
Looking to see when I will be able to use AS miles to book long haul premium (business) on AA to Europe and avoid the insane “fees” that BA screws us with. You do have to be careful because when you are booking saying a Biz class to Europe, it will often show F for the domestic leg and then Economy for the most important part. And if you are taking BA, well, that’s why you will see $1K in bs “fees”
I think it is worth to congratulate AS on the ease of being able to move Hawaiian Airlines miles over and into my AS account. Was easy to do and was fully posted in a few hours….pro tip (while it lasts..) get the Hawaiian Airlines cc….70K bonus for $2K of spend in 90 days, plus pay the annual fee of $90. Did it all within a month and made the switch.
was about to switch programs since mileage rates, availability, and rules have gone downhill. this update does nothing for me so the search continues where to switch to.