Over the past few weeks in the US, we’ve seen various airlines issue travel waivers, airline stocks drop like a rock, and business class cabins depart completely empty.
I’ve been keeping my eyes open for various opportunities to use points and miles at discounted rates but, in many cases, I can’t help but feel like loyalty program executives have completely forgotten that they could also use their frequent flyer programs to fill seats on planes.
I’ve also been curious if we’d see any airlines get creative beyond offering “discounts” and launch promotions to actually encourage people to fly.
Well, among US airlines, Alaska has been the first to get creative with their Mileage Plan program and I’m not surprised at all, given Alaska is my favorite loyalty program and consistently does a great job with their Mileage Plan program.
ELITE QUALIFYING MILES
Alaska Mileage Plan is offering 50% bonus elite qualifying miles for Alaska Airlines flights between March 7 and April 11, 2020:
- Registration is required prior to your first eligible flight (It’s worth noting that if you booked future travel prior to registration, it will count also).
- Valid for all flights marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air; not valid for travel on partner airlines
- Only elite miles will receive a 50% bonus, and not redeemable miles
FINAL STAMP
For those not familiar with Alaska Airlines, they are a major American airline headquartered in Seattle, Washington. They are the fifth largest airline in the US when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and number of destinations served. Although they operate a large domestic route network, they are primarily focused on connecting the Pacific Northwest and have a large presence on the west coast.
Personally, I’m not surprised to see them leading all airlines when it comes to this but I wouldn’t be surprised to see other airlines match, and also see Alaska possibly extend the promotion period depending on how the coronavirus situation plays out.
PRO-TIP: Don’t forget about the current sale that Alaska is running right now…$20 on some routes!
Does anyone plan on taking advantage of Alaska’s 50% bonus elite miles promo?
1TattedPassport 