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Thanks to Alaska Airlines' membership in the Oneworld alliance and partnerships with several non-alliance carriers, travelers can use Alaska Mileage Plan miles to book award flights to nearly every corner of the globe.
And because of Alaska's merger with Hawaiian Airlines, there's been an open “loophole” allowing you to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Alaska Airlines through Hawaiian. But that workaround won't be around much longer. It's closing on June 30, 2025.
So, if you're thinking about stocking up on Alaska miles, now’s the time. Here's how easy it is to use them to reach every continent.
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North America
Alaska's partnership with American Airlines makes it easy to get around North America, often for even fewer miles than American charges.
Domestic flights
Domestic American Airlines flights start at just 4,500 Alaska miles each way in economy. Alaska uses a distance-based partner award chart, so the cost of an award depends on how far you fly.
For routes under 700 miles, you’ll pay 4,500 miles in economy or 9,000 miles in domestic first class. A flight from Chicago (ORD) to Raleigh, North Carolina (RDU) is just one of hundreds available for this low rate.
The Caribbean and Central America
You can even use Alaska miles to fly American down to the Caribbean and Central America, and not just from American Airlines hubs, either. Adding a connecting flight increases the distance and therefore the cost, but there's still good value to be had.
For instance, a flight from Charlotte (CLT) to Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ), costs 7,500 Alaska miles each way in economy, but adding the leg from Cleveland (CLE) brings the total to a reasonable 12,500 miles one-way.
Similarly, a flight from Omaha (OMA) to Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) with a layover in Charlotte costs 15,000 Alaska miles one-way.
South America
LATAM business class
Alaska’s partnership with LATAM Airlines opens the door to affordable business class redemptions between the U.S. and South America. You can book a one-way flight to Lima, Peru (LIM) for just 35,000 Alaska miles in business class, whether you're departing from Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK), or another city the airline serves.
Getting to South America with points and miles can be tricky, simply because there aren't many airlines that fly there. But Alaska's partnership with LATAM Airlines makes it possible. Shorter flights like these from Atlanta (ATL) to Lima (LIM), Peru are the best deal at just 35,000 each way in business class.
But under Alaska's distance-based award chart, longer flights from the U.S. down to São Paulo, Brazil (GRU), and Santiago, Chile (SCL) from the U.S. on LATAM are under 6,000 miles, meaning they'll cost just 50,000 Alaska miles each way for business class.
Europe
Partner business class starting at 45,000 miles
Partner business class awards to Europe start at just 45,000 Alaska miles each way. Flights under 3,500 miles fall into this pricing band, which includes routes from the northeastern U.S. to cities like Dublin (DUB) and London (LHR). For example, this Boston (BOS) to Dublin flight on Aer Lingus fits the bill.
In some cases, you can even add a domestic leg and still pay the same amount. One example is a business class itinerary from Pittsburgh (PIT) to New York (JFK) to London (LHR), which still costs just 45,000 miles one-way.
Related: The Best Business Class Sweet Spots to Europe
Asia
If you’re looking to fly to Asia, especially in business class, Alaska miles offer some excellent options. Here are three fantastic redemptions.
Japan Airlines business class
Japan Airlines is one of the best ways to fly between the U.S. and Japan. You can book a JAL business class seat between the U.S. West Coast and Tokyo for just 60,000 Alaska miles — such as this award from Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo Narita (NRT):
Longer awards — such as Tokyo (NRT) to Chicago (ORD) — cost 75,000 Alaska miles each way in business class or just 50k in premium economy.
The catch: JAL awards can be tough to find, but availability often improves close to departure or near the end of the calendar.
Qatar Airways Qsuite
Qatar Airways' Qsuite signature business-class product is one of the best in the world. While award space is coveted, it’s still worth searching for. Like JAL awards, award prices on Qatar depend on where you're flying from. Saver award flights from the U.S. East Coast to Doha (DOH) start at just 70,000 Mileage Plan miles:
Meanwhile, a longer one-way flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Doha (DOH) costs 85,000 miles:
Starlux business class
Starlux is a newer Alaska partner and offers a nice business class experience to Asia. You can book a one-way flight from Seattle (SEA) to Taipei (TPE) for 75,000 miles. This 12.5-hour journey is a great way to reach Taiwan in comfort.
Africa
Royal Air Maroc is a Oneworld airline and the flag carrier of Morocco, and it's your best bet for getting to Africa using Alaska miles. You can fly from Washington D.C. (IAD) to Casablanca (CMN) for 27,500 miles each way in economy or 55,000 miles in business class. Just keep in mind that taxes and fees are on the higher side — typically over $200.
Oceania
Air Tahiti Nui to French Polynesia
The turquoise waters and palm-framed beaches of French Polynesia may seem like a fantasy world, but Alaska miles can make it a reality. Air Tahiti Nui flights can be booked from Los Angeles (LAX) through Alaska, with flights at 30,000 miles each way in economy, 45,000 in premium economy, and 60,000 in business class.
Qantas to Australia and New Zealand
Flights to the Land Down Under are notoriously difficult to book with miles, but they’re not impossible. Being flexible with travel dates and willing to position to different departure airports can improve your chances.
One example is this New York (JFK) to Auckland (AKL) route, which ranks among the longest flights in the world. You can book it for 85,000 Alaska miles each way in business class.
Antarctica
You were probably wondering how Antarctica fits into this global tour using Alaska miles. Much like Ernest Shackleton’s 1913 expedition, getting here is a journey in itself.
Since there are no commercial flights to Antarctica, the best option is to get as far south as possible and board a cruise. Most ships depart from Ushuaia, Argentina (USH), the southernmost city in the world. While Alaska miles can’t get you all the way there, they can help you cover a significant portion of the trip.
Start by booking a flight to Buenos Aires (EZE) using American Airlines or LATAM for as few as 50,000 Alaska miles in business class.
From there, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards or other transferable points to Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France–KLM. That lets you book a connecting flight on Aerolineas Argentinas to Ushuaia for just 14,500 miles.
See More for Less: Add a Stopover
Alaska allows free stopovers, meaning you can visit two places for the price of one. Finding availability for two flights instead of one makes it more difficult, but using a search tool like Seats.aero can help. Let's look at a couple of examples of how using stopovers can help you see more of the world.
Africa from Morocco
As mentioned above, you can fly to Casablanca in business class for 55,000 Alaska miles. With Alaska’s stopover policy, you could spend a few days exploring Morocco before continuing on to Tenerife (TFS) in the Canary Islands — all for the same 55,000-mile price. Keep in mind that taxes and fees on these routes can be relatively high.
Onward in Europe
You can book a nonstop business class flight from Minneapolis (MSP) to Dublin (DUB) on Aer Lingus for just 45,000 Alaska miles. With a stopover, you could stay a few days in Ireland, then continue on to Paris (CDG) for 45,000 miles total.
Other Ways to Earn Alaska Miles
If there’s one takeaway here, it’s that Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are incredibly valuable and can take you just about anywhere. And if any of the awards above caught your eye — and you have American Express Membership Rewards points — now’s the time to transfer them to Hawaiian Airlines, then on to Alaska. This workaround ends on June 30, 2025, so the window is closing soon.
If you’re low on Amex points but still feeling inspired, there are other ways to start earning Alaska miles. While Alaska doesn’t have many transfer partners, there are still a couple to take advantage of:
You could also apply for an Alaska Airlines credit card, earn the welcome bonus, and use it to rack up miles on your everyday spending.
- 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
- 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
And if you’re looking to top off your balance, you can always buy Alaska miles. Alaska frequently runs promotions that include bonus miles or discounts, so if you’re considering a purchase, it’s worth waiting for a sale.
Bottom Line
If you're on the fence about whether or not to transfer your Amex Membership Rewards to Hawaiian Airlines and then to Alaska Airlines before June 30, maybe you shouldn't be. Although we can't predict the future and if the prices we see above will hold — or for how long — you can rest assured that there is great value to be had when booking flights through Alaska on its many partners.
Alaska miles can whisk you across the world, to (almost) every continent, which is part of the reason why AwardWallet users get an average of 2.11¢ apiece from their Alaska miles. So, whether your next flight is domestic or to a destination far away, consider how Alaska miles can get you there.
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