Alaska Miles Value: Guide To Understanding and Maximizing Your Travel Rewards

Of all the airline miles you can earn — and there's a lot — Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are some of the most valuable. From aspirational business-class redemptions on international airlines to short-hop partner awards, Alaska miles can take you far for a reasonable rate.

Here's everything you'll ever need to know about the value of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles — as well as why this is one of the most valuable airline loyalty programs.

Understanding Alaska Airlines Miles Value

It's easy to brand Mileage Plan miles as one of the most valuable based on how we've personally used Alaska miles. But the numbers back up the claim. At AwardWallet, our editorial team and writers don't assign values to points and miles. Instead, the numbers are based on actual redemptions from our readers.

What Is the Value of Alaska Airlines Miles?

In recent redemptions, AwardWallet users have obtained an average value of 2.11¢ per mile when redeeming Alaska Mileage Plan miles. However, Alaska miles are only really valuable for certain redemptions, as you'll see when looking at the average value by flight type below:

• Short-haul economy/premium economy: 1.3¢
• Short-haul business/first class: 3.42¢
• Long-haul economy/premium economy: 1.75¢
• Long-haul business/first class: 4.19¢

How is this value calculated?

If you weren't aware, AwardWallet is more than just a blog. AwardWallet itself is a tool to keep all of your travel reservations in one place and give you a bird's eye view of your points and miles balances. And each time you redeem, AwardWallet tracks the value you're getting from your miles by calculating the average cents per mile.

So, the value AwardWallet publishes for the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program (and dozens of other currencies) is real, not arbitrary. It's a function of recent user redemptions — based on thousands of award bookings and the data found in your Mileage Plan account.

Related: How Much Do AwardWallet Members Actually Save When Redeeming Points?

Credit: Jeffry Surianto/Unsplash

Real-world value example

Let's look at a quick example to showcase the math behind the mile value that AwardWallet publishes. You'll get the most out of your Mileage Plan miles when you book award travel on partners — especially in business class.

We'll start there on a round-trip American Airlines business class award from Philadelphia (PHL) to Lisbon (LIS). You can book this award for 90,000 Mileage Plan miles plus $91.

Credit: Alaska Airlines

When purchased with cash, this round-trip itinerary costs a whopping $9,794.

Credit: Google Flights

We'll subtract the $91 worth of taxes you'll pay when you make the redemption and divide that result by the 90,000 Alaska miles needed to book. That calculates the cents per point you'll get by making this redemption. For this itinerary, it's a stellar 10.78¢ cents per point — even better than what AwardWallet users typically redeem Alaska miles for.

Feel like $9,800 is a bit expensive of a comparison? Let's think of it another way. You can often buy Alaska Mileage Plan miles at 1.85¢ cents per point. At that rate, this 90k mile award only requires $1,665 worth of miles. Add in the $91 taxes and fees, and you're only paying $1,756 for a round-trip business-class flight to Europe!

How do Alaska miles compare to other airlines?

To showcase the value of Alaska miles, here's a side-by-side comparison of the average values AwardWallet users have gotten when redeeming other popular airline currencies.

On average, Alaska ranks among the best in average mile value and offers compelling value for domestic and international business class redemptions. Economy flights, on the other hand, leave a bit to be desired.

Maximizing the Value of Alaska Miles

The numbers don't lie. To maximize the value of your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles, you'll want to redeem your miles for flights on partner airlines — especially in premium cabins. Partner award availability can be hard to come by at times, as some airlines are stingy about what award space they release and when — if they release much at all.

As a rule of thumb, you'll generally find the most partner space when you book as early as possible. Even better, there's a greater chance you can find coveted partner awards like Qatar Airways Qsuites and Cathay Pacific first and business class.

One of our favorite ways to search for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan awards comes via a neat tool called Seats.aero. This tool lets you get a bird's eye view of many different kinds of awards you can book — including harder-to-find awards, such as those in business or even international first class.

Best Ways To Earn Alaska Airlines Miles

Alaska miles are viewed as difficult to earn, but we beg to differ. Here's a snapshot of numerous ways you can earn Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles. You'll earn at least one mile per actual mile flown on almost every fare. Plus, you can also earn cabin bonuses depending on the type of fare you book, or even more if you hold elite status.

Fly Alaska or a partner airline

The most straightforward to earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles is by flying. The number of miles you can earn on Alaska- and partner-operated flights is primarily a function of three things: how far you fly, what cabin you fly in, and what channel you booked your flight through.

In program updates for 2025, Alaska overhauled its earning tables. Before you credit a flight to Mileage Plan, you'll want to refer to this webpage to confirm how many miles you'll earn. And it's worth mentioning that you'll earn more miles on Alaska- and partner-operated flights if you book through Alaska's website. You'll earn fewer miles if you book through a separate channel.

Alaska Airlines credit cards

Bank of America offers two versions of the Alaska Airlines card: the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card and the Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card. Both award bonus miles on similar spending categories and offer similar perks in the Mileage Plan program.

The consumer Alaska Visa Card awards a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus miles + Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ (from $122) after spending $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. The card carries a $95 annual fee and earns Alaska miles at the following rates:

• 3X per $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases.
• 2X per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services, and local transit purchases (including rideshare).
• 1X per $1 spent on everything else.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card

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Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card

Annual Fee$95

Limited Time Online Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Additionally, receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account.

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Why We Like ItHighlightsEarning Rates

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card offers cardholders 3 miles per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 2 miles per dollar on everyday purchases like gas, local transit including ride share, cable, and select streaming services. Other benefits include Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ annually from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $6K in the previous anniversary year, priority boarding, a free checked bag, a 10% reward bonus on miles for Bank of America account holders, and a $100 discount on Alaska Lounge+ Membership.

• LIMITED TIME ONLINE OFFER-60,000 Bonus Miles + a 30% Flight Discount Code!
• Receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. Additionally, earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
• Get Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines flights booked on alaskaair.com.
• Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. And earn unlimited 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your miles don't expire on active accounts.
• Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America^® account.
• Free checked bag and enjoy priority boarding for you and up to 6 guests on the same reservation, when you pay for your flight with your card - Also available for authorized users when they book a reservation too!
• With oneworld^® Alliance member airlines and Alaska's Global Partners, Alaska has expanded their global reach to over 1,000 destinations worldwide bringing more airline partners and more ways to earn and redeem miles.
• Plus, no foreign transaction fees and a low $95 annual fee.
• This online only offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

• Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
• Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
• Earn unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Related: Alaska Visa Card Full Review

Alaska Airlines also offers a product for those who run a small business: the Alaska Business Card. If you're a new applicant, you can bank 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

With its annual fee of $70 for the company and $25 per card, this is an affordable card to carry, and it earns Alaska miles at the following rates:

• 3X miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases.
• 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping, and local transit (including rideshare).
• 1X mile per $1 spent on everything else.

Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card

Apply Now

Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card

Annual Fee$70 for the company and $25 per card

Welcome Bonus Get 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

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Why We Like ItHighlightsEarning Rates

Earn Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary by spending $6,000 or more on purchases annually. Get a free checked bag for you and up to 6 guests when flights are purchased with the card, saving $70 per person on round-trip fares. Earn 3x miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2x on eligible gas station & EV charging station, shipping and transit purchases, and 1 mile per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. Enjoy 20% back on Alaska inflight purchases, $100 off Alaska Lounge+ membership, and no foreign transaction fees.

• Get 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
• Earn another Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after spending $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year.
• Free checked bag for any cardholder and up to 6 guests on the same reservation, when you pay for your flight with your card - that's a savings of $70 per person roundtrip!
• Priority Boarding for any cardholder when paying for the flight with an Alaska Airlines Business card.
• Earn 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if your company has an eligible Bank of America^® small business account.
• Enjoy 20% back on Alaska Airlines inflight purchases when you pay with your new card.
• Get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership purchased with your Alaska Airlines Business card.
• Plus, no international transaction fees and a low annual fee of $70 for the company and $25 per card.
• This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

• Earn 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
• Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases
• Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Related: Alaska Business Card Full Review

Bilt Rewards

Bilt Rewards debuted as Alaska's first credit card rewards transfer partner in March 2024. Now, when you earn Bilt Points by paying rent, playing Rent Day games, or swiping The Bilt Mastercard^®, you'll earn points that transfer instantly to Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio.

The Bilt Mastercard^®

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Rates & Fees

The Bilt Mastercard^®

Annual Fee$0

Welcome Bonus N/A

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Earning Rates

• 3x points on dining
• 2x points on travel
• 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
• 1x points on other purchases

*Must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points—see Rewards & Benefits.

Transfer Hawaiian Airlines Miles to Mileage Plan

Earlier this year, Alaska Airlines completed its merger with Hawaiian Airlines. A perk of this tie-up is that you can transfer miles between Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio.

And as of right now, there are a handful of ways to earn Hawaiian Airlines miles. Buying them outright, opening a Hawaiian Airlines credit card, and leveraging transfer partners are just a few easy ways.

Hotels

You can earn bonus miles on hotel stays in one of two ways: booking through Alaska Airlines Hotels or opting to earn Alaska miles instead of hotel points on stays with select partners.

Rocket Travel powers Alaska Airlines Hotels (a.k.a. Stays by Alaska Vacations) and offers Mileage Plan program members a chance to earn Alaska miles on hotel and vacation rental stays booked through the dedicated portal. While you won't be able to take advantage of any benefits your hotel elite status carries when booking through the portal, the Mileage Plan earnings may be worth the tradeoff.

JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa. Credit: Marriott

Additionally, Mileage Plan members can also book stays through a handful of partners to earn Alaska miles on every stay. Here's how you'll earn with Alaska's hotel partners:

• Best Western: Earn 250 miles per stay on qualifying rates.
• Choice Hotels: Earn 250 total miles per eligible stay at any participating Choice hotel when you provide your MileagePlan number at check-in or set MileagePlan as your earning method in your Choice account.
• Coast Hotels: Earn 500 miles per stay on qualifying rates.
• IHG Hotels & Resorts: Earn up to two miles per dollar spent (or equivalent in local currency) on eligible charges or earn 500 miles per qualifying stay.
• Marriott Bonvoy: Earn two miles per dollar spent on all qualifying charges or one mile per U.S. dollar spent on room rate, depending on the hotel.
• Rocketmiles: Earn 500 to 10,000 miles per night on every reservation.

You can also transfer hotel points earned from select hotel partners to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plus, but note this is generally a poor use of hotel points.

Shopping and dining

Alaska Airlines' shopping and dining portals are ways to earn Mileage Plan miles on items you already buy and at restaurants you frequent. By signing up for one (or both) of these programs, you can watch your Mileage Plan balance grow without going out of your way to earn miles.

Car rentals

There are lots of ways to get from point A to B in rental cars and earn Mileage Plan miles in the process. You can earn miles through the following Alaska car partners:

• Alaska Car Rentals: Save 35% off Avis and Budget base rates and earn up to 1,250 miles on qualifying rentals.
• Alamo: Earn 50 miles per day on qualifying rentals in the U.S. and Canada.
• Avis: Earn up to 1,250 miles on qualifying rentals.
• Budget: Earn up to 1,250 miles on qualifying rentals.
• Dollar: Earn 3X miles per day when you use promotion code 100352.
• Hertz: Earn 4X miles per day when you use promotion code 180143.
• National: Earn 50 miles per day on qualifying rentals in the U.S. and Canada.
• Thrifty: Earn 3X miles per day when you use promotion code 100352.

You can also earn Alaska miles on Lyft rides at a rate of 1 mile per $1 spent. To earn, you'll first need to link your Mileage Plan account to Lyft.

Credit: Casey Horner/Unsplash

Cruises

You can earn one Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan mile per $1 spent on the purchase price of a cruise booking made through CruisesOnly. If you hold the Alaska Visa Card and use it to pay for your cruise, you'll earn an additional mile per dollar spent.

Other ways to earn miles

Eleven other ways to earn Alaska miles exist, courtesy of Alaska's everyday partners. At present, you can earn miles when spending with the following partners:

• 1-800-Flowers.com
• Bilt Rewards
• Carrs-Safeway
• Diners Club International
• e-Rewards
• GCI
• GetYourGuide
• Greenlight
• Harry & David
• Laithwaites
• The Opinion Terminal
• Rover
• Teleflora

Credit: Alaska Airlines

Partner Award Flights Worth Considering

One of the best ways to use Mileage Plan miles is for award flights on partner airlines. At present, you can redeem Alaska miles for flights on the following partners:

Partner award charts

Alaska Airlines publishes three partner award charts with each one focused on travel across a different region. The charts look like this:

For travel across the Americas:

Asia:

And, lastly, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa:

While that's a lot of numbers to keep track of, the distance-based charts create numerous Alaska Airlines mileage sweet spots for high redemption value.

Best-value partner redemptions

Here's a handful of awards you'll want to book with your Mileage Plan miles when considering the distance-based award charts.

• U.S. East Coast to London in American Airlines, British Airways, or Aer Lingus business class: 45,000 miles
• U.S. Midwest/East Coast to Germany in Condor business: 55,000 miles
• U.S. to East Coast to Europe (with a stopover) in Finnair business: 55,000 miles
• U.S. Pacific Northwest to Tokyo in Japan Airlines business: 60,000 miles
• U.S. East Coast to the Maldives (MLE) in Qatar Airways Qsuites: 85,000 miles

Even better, you can also tack on a complimentary stopover to your award ticket. There are rules to the game, but becoming familiar with how Alaska Airlines stopovers work is the key to getting more out of your miles. For example, instead of booking just Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (HND/NRT) in Japan Airlines' business cabin, you could add a stop in Tokyo and then head on to Beijing (PEK) at no extra cost!

The Impact of Alaska Airlines Joining the Oneworld Alliance: What Does It Mean for Mile Value?

One of the most significant pluses of Alaska Airlines joining the Oneworld alliance in 2021 is that it made your Mileage Plan miles go further — literally and figuratively. Joining the alliance grew the Seattle-based carrier's global footprint and introduced a streamlined approach to redeeming miles for travel on numerous alliance partners.

Credit: Alaska Airlines

As the numbers show, you'll obtain maximum value from your Alaska miles (when doing the math for cents per mile) on long-haul international business cabin redemptions. Oneworld opened the doors to a more extensive partner network, and more options to redeem your miles — especially on those extra valuable business class tickets.

For example, before Alaska joined Oneworld, using Mileage Plan miles to book travel on SriLankan Airlines was impossible. Now, award space permitting, you can book award flights from a handful of global destinations to Colombo and beyond. Even better, it's easy to book online when you can find the space. It's like that for each Oneworld partner.

Credit: Alaska Airlines

And, courtesy of Oneworld's global reach, you can get almost anywhere on frequent flyer miles — or cash if you go that route. Additionally, any elite status you hold with Alaska Airlines has a reciprocal Oneworld elite tier, meaning you can enjoy elite benefits across each Oneworld carrier. Fancy international business class lounge access? Alaska Airlines elite status can get you there — all made possible through joining the Oneworld alliance.

Related: Oneworld Awards To Book Through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Best Times To Use Alaska Airlines

If you're looking for the best cents-per-mile value from your Alaska miles, you'll want to use as few of them as possible to book the flight you want. That typically means booking as early as possible. As seats sell out, the number of miles you need can skyrocket, even if the cash price of the ticket hasn't gone up much. Booking early also can provide access to more award availability.

Other Factors To Consider

There are also a few other aspects to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan that make it a standout loyalty program compared to other popular frequent flyer programs. Let's look at these.

Elite status benefits

When it comes to earning miles on flights operated by the rewards program's own airline, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more generous mileage-earning structure than that of Alaska Airlines. On each Alaska flight credited to Mileage Plan, you'll earn a sum of miles that correlates with the actual number of miles flown and the cabin you're flying in. And if you have elite status, you'll earn 25% to 150% more miles on top of that.

Credit: Alaska Airlines

Alaska elite bonuses for 2025:

• MVP: 25%
• MVP Gold: 50%
• MVP Gold 75K: 100%
• MVP Gold 100K: 150%

What separates Alaska Airlines from the other major carriers like American, Delta, United, and even Southwest is that every other carrier awards miles based on the dollar amount you spent on your ticket. You'll earn more miles per dollar spent if you have elite status on any of those carriers above.

Partner airlines and credit cards

It's no secret that major U.S. airlines have dizzying arrays of co-branded credit cards. And with a lot of credit card options means a handful of ways to earn large welcome bonuses good for many frequent flyer miles awards.

Alaska Airlines isn't like this. Instead, Alaska Airlines offers one personal credit card and one small-business version to earn Alaska miles: the Alaska Visa Card and the Alaska Business Card.

A side-by-side comparison of the two Bank of America-issued credit cards featuring the iconic Alaska Airlines logo won't reveal many differences. As such, there's limited utility to carrying both due to overlapping earning categories.

Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business card

Welcome Bonus Get 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Apply Now

Annual Fee$70 for the company and $25 per card

Credit ScoreExcellent

• Earn 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
• Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases
• Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card

Limited Time Online Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Additionally, receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account.

Learn More

Annual Fee$95

Credit ScoreExcellent/Good

• Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
• Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
• Earn unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

One of the main perks of sizable credit card lineups is that it's easier to find a credit card that fits your wallet no matter how often you fly the carrier on the front of the card. And while the Alaska cards have notable perks, such as the Companion Fare, we'll score a point for the competition here since Alaska's cards aren't one-size-fits-all, and the lack of options suggests they should be.

It's also worth pointing out what many see as a negative: the lack of options for transferring points into your Alaska miles account. While many airlines offer the ability to earn miles with a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and then move those into your frequent flyer account to redeem for flights, Alaska only offers the option to transfer Bilt Rewards Points at a 1:1 ratio or Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio.

Related: When Do Alaska Airlines Miles Expire?

How To Buy Alaska Airlines

You can buy Alaska miles at $27.50 per 1,000 miles purchased, plus a variable tax recovery fee. While buying Alaska miles at this rate (2.75 cents per mile) is not always a good idea, it can make sense in the right circumstances.

For example, it's easy to justify buying Alaska miles if you need to top off your account to make a specific redemption, or the cost of buying miles is considerably cheaper than paying for a flight you want outright. Make sure you check the redemption value to see if the cost is worth it.

You'll always get a better deal on mile purchases when Alaska Airlines runs a promotion. And depending on the sale, you can earn upwards of 50% bonus miles on your purchase, providing further redemption value when it's time to use your miles. To keep an eye on active Alaska Airlines promotions, bookmark this AwardWallet post.

Final Thoughts

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are incredibly valuable, and the numbers prove it. No matter where you want to go, Alaska miles can get you there, and often for great value. Sure, Alaska miles may be more difficult to earn than other carriers' mileage currencies (due to not having transfer partners like Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards), but few other airline miles provide the redemption value or partner offerings you'll find with Alaska Airlines Airlines miles.

AwardWallet Tip of The Day

Did you know that you have a personal referral link in your AwardWallet profile? If you invite people to AwardWallet using your referral link, you will receive an AwardWallet upgrade coupon for every five members you invite. Also, if these users upgrade to AwardWallet Plus, we will credit your AwardWallet account with AwardWallet Bonus points, which can be redeemed for points and miles in your program of choice. We spend roughly 50% of the revenue we receive from those referrals to purchase those miles for you. All of this can be tracked via the Invite to AwardWallet widget in the left navigation bar on your Accounts page.
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