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Alaska Airlines recently relaunched a promotion to earn elite status faster and earn bonus miles via credit card spending, but the deal isn't as good as last year. At least the promotion gives more incentive to use your Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card and Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card. This appears to be a targeted offer, so check your email to see if you've been selected.
Alaska already announced that existing Alaska Mileage Plan elite members will have their elite status extended through April 30, 2022 for anyone who didn't requalify. Thus, this promotion to fast-track to elite status is best for those who are looking to switch their loyalty to Alaska or earn a higher level of Alaska elite status. If you're not already a member, you can sign up for the Mileage Plan program here.
Earn Alaska Airlines Bonus Miles From Credit Card Spending
Cardholders of the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card and Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card have a new promotion to earn bonus elite miles:
- Earn 1,000 elite qualifying miles for every $5,000 spent using an Alaska Visa Card or Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card.
- Valid on all purchases between March 1 and December 31, 2022.
- Unlike the last promotion, there doesn't seem to be a limit to the number of bonus elite miles you can earn.
- Spending excludes any fees—including the annual fee, returns, and adjustments.
- Spending across multiple accounts cannot be combined to reach the $5,000 threshold.
- Accounts opened after February 28, 2022 are not eligible.
The bonus elite-qualifying miles earnings won't show up on your credit card statement but will be credited to your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account within the first two billing cycles after qualifying.
Alaska Elite Status Requirements and Benefits
There are four tiers of Alaska elite status: MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and the new MVP Gold 100K as of 2022. And there are two ways that you can earn this status:
- earning a set number of elite-qualifying miles on Alaska Airlines (20k, 40k, 75k, and 100k, respectively)
- flying a certain number of qualifying segments (30, 60, 90, and 140, respectively)
Either way you'll need to fly a minimum number of flight segments on Alaska flights to qualify for status.
Alaska elite benefits vary based on each tier but include perks like bonus points, first-class upgrades, preferred seating, priority check-in, and boarding. Remember that Alaska joined the Oneworld alliance in March 2021. This means that if you use the above deals to get to Alaska elite status, you will also qualify for Oneworld benefits when flying on airlines like American Airlines, British Airways, and more.
Other Alaska Airlines Promotions
Alaska Airlines has no shortage of promotions and new offerings so far in 2022. As a recap:
- The airline introduced Flight Pass subscriptions
- Regular promotions to buy Alaska Airlines miles with a bonus or discount
- 50% off promotion when using your Alaska miles for flights on Fiji Airways (if booked by March 31, 2022)
- Reduced elite status requirements in 2022
Our Take
The Alaska Visa Card and Alaska Business Card usually aren't the best cards to use for everyday purchases, with only 1 mile earned per $1 spent, but this promotion continues the incentive to use the card for those hoping to move up Alaska's elite status levels. The promotion could also make sense for those who are just a bit short on status qualification with Alaska Airlines this year and willing to complete the requirements via credit card spending.
If you don't already have the Alaska Visa Card, you can earn 40,000 bonus miles + a $100 statement credit bonus miles after spending $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Interesting Article. Check with Alaska Airlines and their Customer Service has no clue about this promotion. Could not find anything about it on the Alaska Air website either. Is this real?
Yes it’s real. However, it’s a targeted offer. Also, it’s a promotion that’s offered through Bank of America – so it’s understandable that the BoA customer service agents wouldn’t know about it.
I wish Alaska Airlines would travel to the Middle east.
Alaska miles are some of the most valuable out there, I wish they would become a transfer partner with Chase or AMEX.
Will call BOA to verify, but I am assuming the spend portion would not include donations made using the card?
Charity donations charged to your credit card would count toward qualifying spending. That’s one way that I have personally used to help knock out sign-up and welcome bonuses on cards requiring a large spend such as the Amex Business Platinum. However, point donations or other non-cash donations wouldn’t count.
I am seriously thinking of changing some of my spend to this card due to these benefits. I might want Alaska Airlines elite status and this would be a great way to start.
If Alaska joins Oneworld in 2021, what will happen to the unused miles? Can they be transferred to a Oneworld partner free of charge?
You can’t generally transfer miles between oneworld partners. Transfers BA and IB are an exception but that is because they are both owned by IAG. You can of course use your miles in one oneworld airline program to redeem for flights on another oneworld airline.
Alaska miles are the best for cathay!
I’m going to take advantage of this. Probably mostly the 2x miles on restaurants but elite points are nice too. I need to build AS miles and I know I could probably get better on my Chase or Barclay right now I view AS as a great place to get miles built up.
Wow. Citi and Chase should follow on board!
still a ton of money to spend. Also MVP is nearly useless so to get any real benefits you gotta be MVP gold
I am not sure that I want to be dining out full time right now. That’s a lot of commitment.
It’s a lot of spend, especially right now, but I wouldn’t say MVP is useless. Priority check-in and boarding, 2 free checked bags and 50% bonus RDMs are solid perks.
The restaurant purchase bonus is quite nice, just what the Alaska credit card needed.
Does Alaska have its own dining plan as well?
Not entirely sure about that one….
Yes they do, if you mean this common offering: https://mileageplan.rewardsnetwork.com
The same promotion AA & AC have with their co branded credit cards, a good way to incentivize people to reach a tier status.
Maybe some of them will keep it permanently?
Getting Alaska EQM on everyday spend is a good if you afford to make the purchases currently.
Decent bonus. That are so late to offer the grocery spend incentive. I am not sure what took BOA so long.
Yes, especially when the pandemic is technically under control.
I think that they made an error in judgement in delaying the bonuses.
They don’t have to do anything, but to your point they DID do something so either do it on time or not at all.
This is a good deal from a very good airline. I’ve been very satisfied with Alaska. Fourth thousand bonus miles would go a long way. I like this option.
I really want to try Alaska – I’ve heard good things – but living on the east coast makes it hard. 🙁
I agree! I’ve liked flying with Alaska but the flights are more limited for us here on the East coast, so I’m not sure this would be that good of a deal right now 🙁