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Alaska Airlines has a slew of partners, both in the Oneworld alliance and through non-alliance partners. These partners give Atmos
Now, Qantas-owned Jetstar Airways has been added to Alaska Airlines' expansive roster of partners, but this is an earn-only partnership. That means you can earn points on Jetstar-operated flights booked through Alaska's website, but you can't yet redeem your points for Jetstar flights.
Here's everything to know about Alaska's partnership with Jetstar.
Alaska Airlines Adds Jetstar as Earning Partner
If you're unfamiliar, Jetstar is an Australian low-cost airline, headquartered in Melbourne. Jetstar operates a fairly robust route network — mostly in Australia but also covering Japan, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
Jetstar's low-cost pricing model means added fees for bags, seat selection, and meals. But if you are traveling throughout the region, the prices are typically very competitive.
For now, Jetstar is an “earn-only” partner, meaning you can only earn points when booking cash fares through Alaska Airlines' website and entering your Atmos Rewards number during booking. Theoretically, booking is now live.
However, AwardWallet performed several searches, and it seems that you can only book tickets operated by both Alaska Airlines and Jetstar. You can't yet book routes that are operated solely by Jetstar or Jetstar Japan.
For instance, you could book the following route from Seattle (SEA) to Sapporo (CTS) via Tokyo (NRT) for $889 each way. Alaska Airlines operates the Seattle to Tokyo flight, while Jetstar Japan operates the Tokyo to Sapporo route.
If you were to switch the results to show award redemptions, this flight would disappear.
Similarly, if you tried to book one of Jetstar's busiest routes — Melbourne to Sydney — you won't find any results.
Related: Alaska Atmos Rewards Award Chart Sweet Spots
Atmos Rewards earning rates on Jetstar flights
Earning Atmos Rewards points on partner flights depends on the fare purchased and Atmos status. Luckily, Atmos Rewards standardized its partner earning chart. Now, you'll earn the same rates, regardless of the partner.
As you can see in the chart below, you can earn from 100% to 350% total redeemable points and status points based on your fare class and distance flown. Keep in mind that Jetstar is a low-cost airline, so it doesn't offer business class seats on all routes.
You'll likely earn economy rates, which is 100% of distance flown. And remember, this applies only to flights purchased directly with Alaska — not those purchased on Jetstar's website.
What about Atmos Rewards redemptions?t
The big question is, will there be an opportunity to redeem Atmos Rewards points for Jetstar flights in the future? We don't know yet, but it would be great news if the partnership added redemptions. Alaska does have several earn-only partners, so that may be the ceiling for this relationship, but we shall see.
Until then, remember that you can transfer Rove Miles to Qantas at a 1:1 ratio, and since Qantas owns Jetstar, you can book Jetstar-operated routes for just a handful of miles.
Not a Rove member yet? Sign up for free and earn
Bottom Line
If you are traveling throughout Asia and Oceania, you are sure to come across Jetstar as an airline option. Now, if you purchase Jetstar tickets through Alaska, you can earn valuable Atmos points. Compare cash fares on Alaska with booking directly with Jetstar or another third-party booking platform. Although you only earn Atmos points when booking through Alaska Airlines, if the cost is noticeably higher, foregoing the points and saving cash may be the prudent choice.
