This post aims to illustrate the advantageous aspects of using Alaska Airlines award miles for regional short-haul routes and the benefits for families following the program’s revamp in March 2024.
Exciting news! Alaska Airlines (AS) has recently revamped its mileage program, effective as of March 14, 2024. Under the new system, all partner airlines adhere to the same redemption standards, with plans underway to enable the mixing and matching of different partner airlines when redeeming miles for tickets.
While this revamp has evoked mixed feelings among travelers, particularly those who frequently travel on short-haul or regional flights, it presents a potentially game-changing opportunity.
The updated redemption chart from AS combines distance and region-based systems, neatly dividing the world into three regions: The Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia.
When redeeming tickets, you consider the region of their destination [Zone] and the total distance they’ll be flying [Distance-based]. For instance, the route between Seattle, U.S. and Los Cabos, Mexico in America. Based on the new award chart for the America zone and the 1,815-mile flying distance between both cities, it is only 12,500 AS miles to redeem an economy ticket for this 2-hour flight.
Here’s another pleasant surprise for U.S. domestic super short-haul flights, in specific to those less than 700 miles. Like Phoenix – San Francisco. For distances less than 700 miles, it only requires 4,500 miles for economy flying on American Airlines (a partner of AS). This is significantly lower mileage compared to before.
Comparing it with the revenue flight ticket cost of $200+ per person one way, the cost per mile is > 4.0 cents per miles (cpm). Domestic first class offers even greater value, requiring just 9,000 AS miles for a flight costing $500+ (> 5.0 cpm).
Now, let’s shift our focus to a route in Asia – Tokyo to Taipei. With a distance of 1,356 miles, it only requires 7,500 miles for an economy ticket, as per the Asia award chart.
These examples demonstrate that the miles needed for AS’s new chart to book short-haul/regional flights are remarkably low, making it easier for travelers to accumulate enough miles.
However, whether these redemptions constitute a good deal or not is something you’ll have to determine by comparing them with actual ticket prices. In our comparison, the short-haul/regional flights are more worthwhile than before.
Returning to the flight from Seattle to Los Cabos, where you can grab an award ticket for just 12,500 AS miles plus $61 in taxes. You might be wondering, “Does this deal really make sense?”
Let’s delve into real-life scenarios
Suppose you applied for the AS and Bank of America (BoA) co-branded card and breezed through the signup spending task (spending $3,000 in three months). With this, you’d earn a hefty 60,000 AS miles. There’s a $95 annual fee, but with 60,000 miles plus the miles earned from completing the signup spending, you could easily redeem enough for round-trip economy class tickets for three people from Seattle to Los Cabos. Three people – It’s a fantastic deal!
Alaska Visa Credit Card
Alaska Airlines Visa Business Credit Card
Route 1: America (Seattle – Los Cabos)
Still wondering if it’s worth it to snag a one-way award travel ticket instead of going for the direct purchase? Currently, nabbing a round-trip economy class revenue ticket from Seattle to Los Cabos for the same dates sets you back at least $850/person. There’s no wiggle room for refunds.
The sweet part of using AS miles to book means you can change dates and cancel for free (though some partner airlines need a tiny $12.5 ticketing fee for cancellations).
Now, if you’re planning for three folks, you’re looking at shelling out at least $2,550! The $95 annual fee could effortlessly rack up $2,500 worth of flight tickets. It’s a total no-brainer deal, isn’t it?
Route 2: America (Chicago, U.S. – Quebec City, Canada)
Another route offers a one-way economy class ticket from Chicago (ORD) to Quebec City (YQB) for just 7,500 AS miles.
With the miles you got from the sign-up bonus and the amount to meet the minimum spending requirement, you can redeem enough for:
- 10 one-way economy class tickets from Chicago to Quebec
- That’s 10 single trips
- or 5 round trips
- or even 5 family members traveling together round trip
If we look at the cash price for the same date and flight, it’s a whopping $341/person. This means $3,410 for 10 one-way tickets! Investing just $95 for the annual fee and swiping this card for your everyday expenses, you can easily earn over $3,400 worth of flight tickets.
As mentioned, you can travel with your friends or family. The wise option is they get a card too. The current sign-up bonus for personal cards is 60,000 miles, and for business cards, it’s 50,000 miles. They’re worth considering!
Route 3: Europe (London – Madrid)
When it comes to redeeming AS miles for European domestic flights, they can work wonders too! Take flights like London (LHR) to Madrid (MAD). While economy class tickets might seem cheap at first, the real cost comes down to those pesky “fees.” Checking in luggage can cost a pretty penny. How about taking a business class with two free checked bags? The price tag is just downright scary.
This is where AS miles really shine again! The flight distance from LHR to MAD is just 773 miles. According to the redemption chart,
- A one-way economy class ticket requires 7,500 miles,
- A one-way business class ticket only needs 15,000 miles.
For just 15,000 miles, you can redeem a ticket worth over $600 (this $600 revenue fare is non-refundable). That’s a fantastic deal!
Don’t forget the checked luggage, lounge access, and expedited security; it would be more worthwhile than just the numeric 15,000 miles. It is even better to use 7,500 miles for economy class if you are looking to travel in style and comfort.
Route 4: Asia (Tokyo – Taipei)
A one-way business class ticket from Tokyo to Taipei could cost a whopping $1,000 if purchased directly (crazy, right?). Round-trip tickets look like a better deal, but they can still set you back close to $1,200!
When we use AS miles for redemption,
- A one-way ticket only requires 15,000 miles plus $29 in taxes.
- A round-trip ticket needs 30,000 miles plus $60 in taxes.
With the AS co-branded credit card we mentioned earlier, investing $95 for the annual fee and putting your everyday expenses on the card for the first three months could easily earn you enough miles to redeem tickets worth over $2,400!
Another option to earn Alaska Airlines award miles
What if you don’t want to apply for more credit cards? Or what if you live outside the U.S.? Buying points is a great option. But hold on – only do it when there is a buy points promotion. Alaska Airlines has another batch of BUY points promo, up to a 60% bonus recently.
We are card-carrying members of Team Points-All-The-Way. But reality check: our piggy bank doesn’t spit out 3 million points a year. So, sometimes, we roll with purchasing miles to snag those high-value tickets.
High value doesn’t always mean sipping champagne in First class – it’s all about finding what fits your travel vibe and, for our family squad. Check out these nuggets of wisdom on how to squeeze every drop of value from those miles (as little as 1.85¢ apiece, based on up to 60%) while keeping the cozy vibes intact.
Asia: Taipei to Tokyo
- Economy: 7,500 AS miles x 1.85¢ apiece = $138.75 per person vs. $500+ for a revenue ticket on Japan Airlines. The value exceeds 6.0 cpm.
- Lie-flat Business: 15,000 miles x 1.85¢ apiece = $277.50 per person vs. $900+ cash price (> 5.8 cpm)
- How about availability? 4 – 9 seats for the families showed in our search!
U.S. Domestic: Phoenix to San Francisco
- Economy: 4,500 AS miles x 1.85¢ apiece = $83.25 per person vs. $200+ for a revenue ticket on AA metal (>4.0 cpm)
- Domestic First: 9,000 AS miles x 1.85¢ apiece = $277.50 per person vs. a hefty $500+ ticket (> 5.0 cpm)
- Availability? Oh yeah, we are talking 2 – 4 seats a-plenty!
Europe: Madrid to Venice
- Economy: 7,500 AS miles x 1.85¢ apiece = $138.75 per person vs. dishing out $250+ for a regular ticket on Iberia Airlines (> 2.8 cpm)
- Business: 15,000 x 1.85¢ apiece = $277.50 per person vs. a cool $370 – $700+ for a revenue ticket (> 1.7 to 4.0 cpm)
- 2 – 4 seats are common. Families, there is no need to split into days!
The latest offer for earning Alaska Airlines award miles
Credit Cards
Not only does the 60,000 miles sign-up bonus for the personal card offer incredible value, allowing you to easily redeem tickets worth thousands of dollars, but Alaska Airlines credit cardholders also enjoy a range of practical perks.
- First checked bag free when flying with Alaska Airlines (and you can include up to six additional travelers!) – really adds up in savings
- Spending $6,000 in the previous year gets you a $99 companion pass – perfect for using on expensive routes = even more savings
- No foreign transaction fees
- Enjoy 20% off in-flight purchases
- If you have a specific BoA account, you earn miles 10% faster
Bonus Miles Promotion
Current promotion runs now through May 23, 2024 up to 60% offers.
Final Thoughts
With Alaska Airlines’ Award Chart updates in play, there’s a whole treasure trove of hidden gems, especially in the short-haul flights. We all know racking up Alaska Airlines miles isn’t easy. Applying for the Alaska Airlines co-branded cards and buying miles during bonus promotions would be the secret sauces to saving big on your next adventure!
