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In August, Alaska Airlines teamed up with Expedia to launch Stays by Alaska Vacations. This portal allows travelers to earn and redeem Mileage Plan miles at a reported 900,000+ hotels and vacation rental properties. This followed the earlier rollout of Packages by Alaska Vacations, which offers packaged discount rates on airfare and stays.
Given that Alaska miles are somewhat hard to earn given limited transfer partners, it’s no surprise that this new program caught our attention. But are the redemptions and earning opportunities a good value for your points and money?
Let’s dig in and explore this new booking opportunity. Here’s what you need to know about Stays by Alaska Vacations.
Page Contents
What Are Stays by Alaska Vacations?
The Stays by Alaska Vacations portal offers a way to book hotel or vacation rental stays through a third-party booking site powered by Expedia. However, it is also linked to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. With over 900,000 properties listed, there are plenty of booking options available worldwide. You can find hotels, homes, and apartments from Las Vegas to Tokyo.
The benefit of booking through Alaska Airlines is that you can earn valuable Alaska Mileage Plan miles with your booking. You can also use Alaska miles to book your stays — but we'll get into why that probably isn't a great idea momentarily.
To book a hotel, open Alaska's booking engine and search as you normally would on Expedia, entering your desired location and the dates of your stay. Notice in the example below that the prices displayed include taxes and fees, so this is the final price you would pay.
Note that some hotel prices can be cheaper directly through the hotel itself. It's worth comparing prices before you enter your card details to book.
How Many Mileage Plan Miles Can You Earn Through Stays by Alaska Vacations?
Paid stays booked through the Alaska Vacations portal will earn 1 mile per $1 spent. Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card holders will earn an extra 3X per dollar, as these bookings are considered Alaska Airlines purchases.
As you can see in the example booking above, the number of miles you would earn is displayed on the search results. Non-cardholders would earn 272 Alaska miles for a one-night stay at the Omni Austin, whereas Alaska Visa Card holders would earn an additional 816 miles (for a total of 1,088 miles).
- 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
How to Book Stays by Alaska Vacations With Miles
Stays by Alaska Vacations also allows you to use your miles to book hotels. To book with miles, you must be logged in to your Alaska Mileage Plan account. Then, simply search for your stay and toggle the Pay with Miles button below the search. The prices will now be displayed in miles instead of money, but be aware that additional property-specific fees may not be included in the miles redemption. These fees will be outlined in the property description.
The rate varies by property but is rarely a good use of miles. For example, one night at the Omni Austin costs 39,649 Alaska Miles or $272, yielding just 0.68 cents per mile — far less value than AwardWallet users typically get when booking award flights (2.11¢ apiece).
Consider that you could fly one way to Europe or even Japan for fewer Alaska miles than this one-night stay costs. Alaska Mileage Plan cardholders receive a discounted booking rate, but it's still enough to make a redemption like this worthwhile.
Related: The Best Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Sweet Spots
Is It Worth Booking Stays With Alaska Vacations?
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are highly valuable, and we appreciate any opportunity to collect more of them. However, for booking Stays by Alaska Vacations to be worthwhile, consider these factors:
- Ensure the price difference by booking with Stays by Alaska Vacations doesn’t outweigh the value of the miles earned. Always compare prices.
- High-status hotel loyalty members will lose significant perks (such as waived fees, free breakfast, etc.) when booking through third parties. Factor in any resort or additional fees that would be avoided with a direct booking.
When it comes to using miles for a hotel stay, you're far better off saving your valuable Alaska miles for booking flights. The redemption rates through the portal are just far too low to be worth it. But if you can live without elite benefits and the price is right, it's absolutely worth booking through Alaska's portal.
Bottom Line
For Mileage Plan members seeking another way to earn Alaska Miles, Stays by Alaska Vacations can be a good option in the right situations. However, booking through the Alaska portal offers poor value in many instances, so proceed cautiously.
For those looking to use their miles, Stays by Alaska Vacations is not a great option. The value of booking a flight is far superior to that of a hotel booking in this case.
Overall, while Stays by Alaska Vacations can offer a decent way to earn miles, it's best to save your Alaska Miles for flights where they provide far greater value.
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