What are Alaska Airlines Milestone Rewards?

Milestone Rewards are benefits you get after earning a certain number of elite-qualifying miles (EQMs) each year. There are 7 different thresholds you can meet to choose a benefit at no cost. Options include things like flight discounts, bonus miles, complimentary lounge passes, Wi-Fi credits, and more.

How do I get EQMs in Alaska's Mileage Plan?

EQMs, or elite-qualifying miles, are earned from both travel and nontravel activities. You can earn EQMs by spending on Alaska Airlines’ co-branded credit cards, renting a car, dining, and other nontravel options. You also can earn EQMs by flying both paid and award (using miles) flights with Alaska Airlines and its partners.

What are the perks of the Alaska Mileage Plan?

Mileage Plan offers several benefits. Those with elite status get perks like early boarding, complimentary checked luggage, upgrades, lounge visits, and more. However, all members can earn Alaska Airlines miles, which are extremely valuable toward flight bookings with Alaska’s numerous partners. Moreover, a new benefit for 2025 includes Milestone Rewards, which are available at no cost when you earn certain numbers of EQMs (elite-qualifying miles) during the year. Options include lounge passes, upgrade certificates, and more.

What are the tiers of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan?

Mileage Plan has 4 elite tiers: MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100K.

Everything You Need To Know About Alaska Airlines’ Milestone Moments [2025]

Updated: April 28, 2025, 8:00am CDT

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Table of Contents

What Are Milestone Moments?
How To Earn Alaska Airlines EQMs
Alaska Mileage Plan Milestone Moment Choices
Which Milestone Moments Should You Choose?
Final Thoughts

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In 2025, Alaska Airlines got into the game of rewarding travelers with perks along their elite status journey. Rather than waiting until you reach the next tier to gain benefits, you can receive additional perks in between.

Dubbed “Milestone Moments,” these awards are available starting at 10,000 elite-qualifying miles (EQMs). That’s a relatively achievable threshold, and travelers don’t need to qualify for any levels of elite status before they can get extra benefits.

The best part about Milestone Moments is their customization, letting you choose the perk you like — or 2 perks you like, depending on which milestone you’ve reached.

Here’s everything you need to know about this new benefit for Mileage Plan flyers and the options you can choose from this year.

What Are Milestone Moments?

Alaska Airlines announced Milestone Moments along with its other loyalty program changes for 2025. Milestone Moments are perks that you can choose, starting at 10,000 elite-qualifying miles (EQMs for short) and available at 7 different thresholds as you earn more EQMs throughout the year.

Choosing Milestone Moments in your Mileage Plan account is free after you’ve qualified for them. However, you need to make your selection within 120 days.

Hot Tip:

Different perks have different expiration periods. However, if you choose to get elite status for a day, you would have up to a year to use the perk. According to a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines, it would be valid for 14 days from activation.

How To Earn Alaska Airlines EQMs

Alaska Airlines economy cabin aisle view on E175LR — Flights are an easy way to earn EQMs. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Qualifying for Milestone Moments requires earning elite-qualifying miles. Luckily, you can earn EQMs from more than just flying. Ways to collect EQMs include spending on a credit card, travel, shopping, and more.

These are the same EQMs that count toward earning Alaska Airlines’ elite status tiers, though you don’t need to reach any level of elite status to qualify for Milestone Moments. That’s because you need just 10,000 EQMs in a year to make your first milestone choice, though you need 20,000 EQMs to reach the lowest level of elite status: MVP.

Here are some of the ways to earn EQMs with Alaska Airlines:

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Earning Method	Earning Rate
Paid flights	Earn based on distance flown and the fare type purchased.
Award travel using miles	Earn 1 EQM for each mile flown.
Travel aside from flying	Earn 1,000 EQMs for every 3,000 airline miles earned from Alaska’s partners that aren’t airlines.
Alaska Airlines credit cards	Earn 1 EQM for every $3 spent on purchases with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card or Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business credit card, up to 30,000 EQMs per year.
Rollover EQMs	New for 2025, you can choose to roll over 10,000 EQMs into the next year. This option is available after you reach 85,000 EQMs
Promotions	Occasional promotions can provide bonus EQMs on things like sustainable aviation fuel donations or credit card spending.

Since Mileage Plan awards EQMs on flights according to flight distance, fare type, and where you purchased the ticket, you can check your earnings against this chart here.

Alaska Mileage Plan Milestone Moment Choices

You have options at each milestone. Some milestones provide just 1 choice, while others provide 2. Once you make a selection, your choice is final, so ensure you’re happy with it before confirming it.

Options include bonus miles, complimentary passes for inflight Wi-Fi, gifting elite status to others, and additional perks you may like. Here are the current choices at each Milestone Moments threshold:

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Milestone	Available Choices
10,000 EQMs	Pick 1 of these: 750 bonus miles Preorder a complimentary meal for your flight 1 complimentary Wi-Fi pass Try MVP status for a trip Earn double miles with partners that aren’t airlines Upgrade your next Avis rental
20,000 EQMs	Qualify for Alaska’s MVP elite status and Oneworld Ruby status
30,000 EQMs	Pick 1 of these: 2,500 bonus miles $25 off a future Alaska flight 4 Wi-Fi passes Try MVP Gold status for a trip $100 off an Alaska Lounge membership
55,000 EQMs	Pick 2 of these: 5,000 bonus miles 10,000 miles off a Mileage Plan Unlocked experience Gift MVP for a trip 1 complimentary lounge day pass 2 upgrade certificates
85,000 EQMs	Pick 2 of these: 15,000 bonus miles 25,000 miles off a Mileage Plan Unlocked experience 2 complimentary lounge day passes 2 upgrade certificates Gift MVP Gold status for a trip Nominate someone for MVP status 10,000 elite-qualifying miles rolled over
150,000, 200,000, and 250,000 EQMs	Pick 2 of these: 15,000 bonus miles 25,000 off a Mileage Plan Unlocked experience 2 complimentary lounge passes 2 upgrade certificates 10,000 elite-qualifying miles rolled over

Which Milestone Moments Should You Choose?

The value you assign to a Milestone Moment option is subjective, but it’s worth comparing them to see what you’re getting or giving up by not choosing a different item.

For reference, we value Alaska Airlines miles at 1.6 cents each. That makes 750 bonus miles worth $12, while 15,000 miles are worth $240. The same math applies to a discount on Mileage Plan Unlocked, for which you can redeem miles toward experiences and events. Getting a discount of 10,000 or 25,000 miles on these redemptions is worth $160 or $400, respectively.

Inflight Wi-Fi costs $8 on most of Alaska’s flights, while onboard meals cost between $8 and $12.50 if you don’t get a complimentary meal. A single-day visit to an Alaska Lounge costs $65.

Then there are choices that are harder to value. What’s the value you assign to moving into first class on a flight? Is it the cost difference of the ticket against the economy-class pricing, the cost of the food and drinks you consume, or some other number in between? The dollar value attached to upgrade awards may vary from person to person and flight to flight.

That same logic will apply to gifting or sampling elite status for a single trip. For an idea of the value differences, check out our comparison of MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold 100K.

Then there are the milestones you probably shouldn’t choose. You can get rental car upgrades rather easily by holding the right credit card and matching your status across various programs. And you should consider the lounge membership discount carefully before choosing this option. It’s just a $100 discount on a membership that covers 9 lounges for a cost of $595 — so $495 with the discount.

If you’re flying long-distance with Alaska Airlines in first class (paid or booked with miles), with Alaska Airlines’ partners, or on military travel, you can access these lounges before departing without paying. You can also access the lounge if you have elite status with a Oneworld airline and are traveling beyond the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. However, that restriction doesn’t apply to those whose elite status comes from airlines other than Alaska and American Airlines, so British Airways Club members, for example, can access the lounges for free when flying in a premium cabin with a Oneworld airline regardless of destination.

As you consider the value of your options, consider both the tangible and intangible to see what value you’ll get from a benefit. Make sure to choose a perk that you’ll use and that you’ll be happy with. Remember that all choices are final.

Hot Tip:

There are other airport lounges you can visit. Memberships like Priority Pass can give you lounge access regardless of what airline you’re flying with that day. Check out our list of the best credit cards for gaining airport lounge access.

Final Thoughts

Alaska Airlines added Milestone Rewards to its Mileage Plan program in 2025. Similar to what we’ve seen with other airline and hotel loyalty programs, guests can earn choice benefits after certain thresholds are met during the year. Some options are clearly better than others, and it’s important that you clearly understand the perk and its value before making a selection, given that all choices are final.