Alaska Mileage Plan members earn MVP status either by flying on Alaska and its partners or via status matching explained below. You keep your status for the remainder of the year in which you earn it, as well as the following calendar year. You can even keep your status indefinitely by becoming a Million Miler. The requirement you guessed it is flying 1 million miles on Alaska-operated flights.
That will earn you lifetime MVP Gold status. Alaska offers three levels of elite status:. Each level provides bonus frequent flyer miles, the opportunity for upgrades to premium and first class, free checked bags and other benefits. The higher levels receive even better benefits. You can get similar benefits on partner airlines, but the details vary.
Check Alaska Airlines' website for more information. Mileage bonus: Alaska elite members earn extra frequent flyer miles for flying. Note that this bonus only applies to miles flown, not those earned through credit cards or other means. Additionally, the bonus does not apply to elite-qualifying miles see below. We performed a comprehensive analysis of airline elite status, and found that the Alaska MVP program is highly valuable.
This assumes that you fly as much with Alaska as is required to earn each status level. Alaska elite status is earned in one of three ways:. Earning enough elite-qualifying miles within a calendar year.
Earning enough elite-qualifying segments within a calendar year. To earn this status, you must earn this many eligible miles on Alaska Airlines:. OR fly this many segments on Alaska Airlines and elite-qualifying partners:.
AND at least this many total flights marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines. Elite-qualifying miles are miles earned by flying on Alaska and its qualifying partners. They do not include:. Miles earned on co-branded credit cards. Award tickets which do not earn any miles. Elite-qualifying segments are the individual portions of a given itinerary.
So a roundtrip flight with a stop in each direction would earn four qualifying segments. Earn this many elite-qualifying miles. OR earn this many elite-qualifying segments. One of the most compelling — and confusing — benefits of Alaska MVP elite status is the opportunity to receive upgrades from the main cabin to first class.
There are three ways to leverage your elite status to get yourself in front of the curtain:. Join the waiting list for complimentary upgrades. As an Alaska elite, you can buy these fares directly at a lower price than the full first-class fare. You have to use the Alaska search tool. A blue box indicates that the fare is available for immediate upgrade. These upgrades do not apply to companions on the same itinerary who do not have the same MVP status.
Your chances of scoring a free upgrade depends on a number of factors:. The availability of first-class seats. The number of Alaska elites on the same flight. Complimentary upgrades begin clearing hours prior to departure for MVP Gold 75K members, though the upgrade waitlist is only viewable 24 hours prior to departure.
The upgrades can be applied to any Alaska flight with available first-class availability, except tickets in the G, T, R, or X classes of service. Alaska elite flyers are eligible for free upgrades. Alaska is one of these airlines, and it extended all elite status through and made Alaska status slightly easier to achieve by lowering requirements for earning status with partner flights.
Remember, you can edit the provided Excel sheet and make changes to my assumed valuations for a more accurate look at the value of elite status. Likewise, the status you earn this year will be valid through , when travel will hopefully return to normal. Related: When will international travel return? A country-by-country guide to coronavirus recovery. Alaska Airlines is one of the smallest traditional U. Its hubs are mostly contained to cities on the West Coast, including:. If you fall into this camp, you may want to chase status with an airline that better serves your home airport instead.
Remember that Alaska Airlines operates a mainly domestic route network, with limited connections to Central America and Canada. That said, Alaska Airlines elite status is a great match for West Coast travelers who usually travel domestically. The benefits will make your travel experience more enjoyable, with complimentary upgrades, preferred seating and bonus mileage earning.
This is especially true for travelers based in Portland and Anchorage, where Alaska Airlines is the dominant carrier. Travelers in other Alaska hub cities may want to shop around and see if another airline — for example, Delta in Seattle — is a better fit for their travel needs.
But again — even in these other cities — Alaska provides an excellent domestic route network. Another thing to note is that Alaska Airlines joined the Oneworld alliance in late March. This brings new elite status benefits, like reciprocal checked bags, lounge access and priority boarding on other Oneworld carriers like British Airways and American Airlines. This will largely be a net-positive for Alaska elites as they will gain access to useful benefits on Oneworld airlines.
The airline is also set to introduce a new K status tier at the end of Benefits are yet to be announced, but it will likely increase upgrade priority and other expanded benefits on Oneworld carriers. For example, we could see Oneworld membership cause Alaska to devalue Mileage Plan miles in the coming months. This could be to bring Alaska miles in-line with American AAdvantage.
Likewise, we could see Alaska move toward revenue-based mileage earning for the same reason. This is all speculation for now, but everything is on the table as Alaska prepares for such a large change. Additionally, the airline could shed some of its non-alliance partners once in Oneworld.
While no official news has been announced, this is a possibility if Alaska wanted to shift business toward Oneworld carriers. Related: Alaska Airlines quietly slashes mileage earnings with two major partners.
This may not be the most valuable perk but can still save some value during busy travel days. You and your travel companions can also check two bags for free when traveling on Alaska flights. This is a decent jump over similar perks offered to low-tier elites with the legacy carriers, as they only allow a single checked bag. MVP travelers can also select preferred seats on Alaska, which may be aisle seats or those located close to the front of the aircraft. At the end of , Alaska announced a new Premium Class section on its planes.
In addition to Premium Class upgrades, MVP members are still eligible for space-available, complimentary upgrades to first class on Alaska-operated flights. These will start clearing 48 hours before departure Y, S or Z fares are eligible to clear immediately. The final MVP perk is a priority phone line, though this may only pay off when you run into weather issues or other problems.
This includes the ability to pick Main Cabin Extra seats on American flights the day of travel. Related: Alaska offering bonus elite-qualifying miles through June. Finally, you can upgrade a companion traveling with you. First-class upgrades are also available for MVP Golds. Do my tier-based bonus Miles count towards elite qualification? No, bonus Miles do not add to your Flight Miles, which are computed for your eligibility to the elite levels.
Premier Elite Members shall receive two UTC's upon accruing forty-five thousand 45, Flight Miles between Jan 1 and Dec 31, and two additional certificates for every twenty-five thousand 25, Flight Miles earned thereafter during the same period. Million Milers automatically receive four 4 UTC's every year. For flight confirmation using the UTC, please refer to below conditions:.
UTC User. Million Miler. Premier Elite.
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