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Buy Alaska Airlines Miles With up to a 60% Bonus [Until December 23]

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Jarrod West

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Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in o...
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Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publicat...
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Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is a valuable airline loyalty program, thanks to its high-value airline partners like Cathay Pacific and Fiji Airways.

Given the number of possible redemptions you can book with Alaska miles, purchasing the miles needed for an award flight can save you some serious cash — even more so when you can buy them with up to a 60% bonus.

Here’s a look at everything you need to know about this flash sale.

Buy Alaska Airlines Miles — Promotion Details

Through December 23, 2024, you may be targeted to buy Alaska miles and receive a bonus of up to 60%.

Buy Alaska miles 60 bonus November 2024
Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

The following bonus amounts depend on the number of points you purchase:

  • Buy 3,000 to 19,000 miles and get a 40% bonus (2.11 cents per mile)
  • Buy 20,000 to 39,000 miles and get a 50% bonus (1.97 cents per mile)
  • Buy 40,000 to 100,000 miles and get a 60% bonus (1.85 cents per mile)

Purchases of less than 3,000 miles don’t receive any bonus.

This is one of the better offers we have seen, so if you are interested, you can buy miles from the storefront here.

Here are the important terms:

  • Transactions must be completed by December 23, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
  • You can purchase miles from points.com for a cost of $27.50 per 1,000 miles when there’s no sale on Alaska miles.
  • Miles are non-refundable and do not count toward MVP and MVP/Gold status.
  • MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100K Mileage Plan elite member accounts have no annual limit on the number of miles purchased or gifted through points.com. If you’re not an elite member, your account may only be credited up to a maximum total of 150,000 miles acquired through points.com in a calendar year. Bonus miles do not count toward the maximum total of 150,000 miles.

We value Alaska Mileage Plan miles at 1.6 cents apiece, and even the best tier in this offer (a 60% bonus) costs more than that on a per-mile basis. That means you’ll need to have a specific redemption in mind before pulling out your wallet. Unless you’re redeeming your miles at a value above 1.85 cents apiece, you should skip this offer.

Hot Tip:

Purchases of Alaska miles are processed by Points.com, so these won’t count as an airfare purchase on your credit card. Using a good credit card for everyday spending will help you maximize your earnings if you decide to make a purchase.

Should You Buy Alaska Miles?

It can make sense to purchase Alaska miles if you have a specific redemption in mind that you know will provide more than 1.85 cents per mile in value. It also can make sense if you’re on the cusp of a redemption but don’t currently have enough miles to complete the booking.

Cathay Pacific business class cabin on the Airbus A35K
Business class passengers flying Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A350s will soon get access to free in-flight Wi-Fi. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

An example could be purchasing a one-way ticket in Japan Airlines (JAL) business class between the U.S. and Tokyo for 75,000 Alaska miles, plus $19 in taxes and fees.

To purchase the 75,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles needed, the cost would be around $1,390 during this promotion. This is a sizable sum, for sure. But when you consider that the cash cost of this ticket is usually $3,000 to $4,000, paying ~$1,390 to fly in one of the world’s nicest business-class cabins is certainly a bargain.

Unfortunately, this costs more than a recent promotion to buy Hawaiian Airlines miles for just 1.27 cents each, which you could transfer into your Alaska Airlines account. That promotion has ended, though, but it’s worth considering the context for this promotion to decide if it’s a good deal.

Hot Tip:

Learn about the best ways to earn and redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles in our detailed guides!

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Final Thoughts

When it comes to buying Alaska miles, the 60% bonus is appealing if you want to book expensive business- or first-class seats. As always, the decision of whether to buy points and miles is very situational. If you can redeem the miles at more than they cost (and were going to buy the ticket with cash), it can make sense. Therefore, run the numbers yourself and weigh your options before deciding if it makes sense for you to do so.

If you do decide to jump on this promotion, make certain that you do so before December 23.

Jarrod West's image

About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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