How To Earn 100,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles [in 90 Days]

Key Takeaways

• Accumulating 100,000 Alaska Airlines miles can be achieved through a combination of credit card welcome offers, frequent flying, and leveraging partner airline flights.
• The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® Credit Card offers a 60,000 miles welcome offer bonus and 3x miles per $1 spent on Alaska purchases.
• Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred to Alaska Airlines, and you can also earn points through hotel bookings, car rentals, and purchases made through the Mileage Plan shopping portal.

Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program is an award-winning airline loyalty program that allows members to earn and redeem miles for travel on both Alaska Airlines and its suite of Oneworld partners like American Airlines and British Airways and non-alliance partners like Aer Lingus and Singapore Airlines.

The airline’s wide range of partners opens you up to tons of interesting redemptions. Think low-cost American Airlines business class awards to Europe and posh first class flights to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific.

However, Alaska Airlines miles are also some of the hardest airline miles to earn. You can’t transfer in points from any major credit card points programs outside of Marriott Bonvoy and the airline’s co-branded credit card offerings have relatively limited welcome bonuses and spending categories.

But this doesn’t mean that you can’t build up a large Mileage Plan point balance quickly. In fact, with a bit of dedication, you can earn a cool 100,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles within just 90 days of opening an account.

So, Why Would You Want To Earn 100,000 Alaska Miles?

As discussed earlier, Alaska Airlines has a suite of different international airline partners and is now a member of the Oneworld alliance — coincidentally, most of the program’s sweet spots are for redemptions on these partner airlines.

This means that Alaska Airlines miles are some of the most versatile airline miles on the market, as they can be used to book flight tickets to just about anywhere on the planet. Even better, Alaska often offers the best redemption rates for these airlines and includes free stopovers on both one-way and round-trip tickets.

For example, you can use Alaska miles to book a one-way business class ticket from Chicago (ORD) to Tokyo (NRT) to Hong Kong (HKG) for just 60,000 Alaska Airlines miles. Your stopover in Tokyo can be for as long as you’d like, giving you a chance to see 2 awesome cities on your trip without having to pay for 2 separate flights.

But you’re not just limited to international redemptions. Short-haul Alaska Airlines domestic awards — like Portland (PDX) to Seattle (SEA) — can be booked for as few as 5,000 Alaska miles one-way. This can be useful for booking expensive last-minute and holiday tickets between cities on the West Coast.

So, are you sold on earning Alaska miles? Good! Now, let’s take a look at how to build that 100,000-mile balance.

How To Earn 100,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles

1. Get Alaska Airlines Credit Cards

Alaska Airlines offers 2 co-branded credit cards with Bank of America: the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® Credit Card and Alaska Airlines Visa^® Business Credit Card.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Provides the potential to earn plenty of miles to fly with Alaska Airlines or over a dozen partners. Plus, get an annual companion fare from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) when you spend at least $6,000 a year on the card!

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature^® credit card

Provides the potential to earn plenty of miles to fly with Alaska Airlines or over a dozen partners. Plus, get an annual companion fare from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) when you spend at least $6,000 a year on the card!

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

60,000 miles + $99 Companion Fare™

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$960

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.74% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

With the Alaska Signature card in your wallet, you can get great perks and earn miles at the same time. This is a win-win if Alaska is the airline you prefer to fly with! Plus, its annual companion fare is a great benefit for traveling couples.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x miles per $1 spent on Alaska purchases
• 2x miles per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging, local transit (including rideshare), cable, and select streaming services
• 1x mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

Cons

• Charges a $95 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

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Card Highlights

• Get 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening.
• Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™. Get a $99 Companion 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.
• Free checked bag. Any cardholder who purchases airfare with their card, and up to 6 additional guests traveling on the same reservation, may check their first bag free.
• Enjoy priority boarding so you can get to your seat quicker, when you pay for your flight with your card.
• 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.
• A faster way to earn status with your Alaska Airlines credit card. Throughout 2024, for every $10,000 you spend on purchases, you’ll automatically earn 4,000 elite-qualifying miles (EQMs), up to 20,000 EQMs total.
• Enjoy 20% back on all Alaska Airlines inflight purchases and get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership when you pay with your new card.
• 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.
• Flexibility with no blackout dates on Alaska Airlines flights when booking with miles or a companion fare.
• Plus, no foreign transaction fees.^†

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Frequent Flyer Program

2. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards (and Transfer the Points)

While Alaska Airlines doesn’t have any credit card transfer partners like Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can transfer points to Alaska from Marriott Bonvoy.

Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Alaska Airlines at a transfer ratio of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that you transfer, you’ll receive a bonus of 5,000 miles — that means if you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Alaska you’ll end up with 25,000 Alaska miles. You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points by staying at Marriott hotels or through Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.

The fastest way of earning Marriott Bonvoy points is through credit card welcome bonuses. Here’s a quick look at Marriott Bonvoy’s current co-branded credit card lineup:

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.

60,000 points + 1 Free Night Award

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$770

Annual Fee

$0

APR

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Casual travelers who like to frequent properties that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection of brands may want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card.

The Marriott Bold card rewards cardholders for Marriott stays and gives them a boost towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Up to 14x points per $1 on Marriott purchases
• 2x points at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services
• 5 Elite Night Credits each year

Cons

• Lower point earn rate than other Marriott Bonvoy cards
• Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status is the lowest status tier

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Pay no annual fee with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card from Chase^®!
• Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Card.
• New! Earn 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services.
• 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• New! Travel now, pay later - Break up purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest plus no plan fees on qualifying travel purchases. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Welcome Offer

Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

125,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$875

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn big when you use your card at thousands of participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• Earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
• Automatic Silver Elite Status

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• Marriott Silver Elite Status is the lowest status tier

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
• Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
• 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
• Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Card.
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you spend $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

85,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$595

Annual Fee

$250

APR

19.99%-28.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card, the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 2x points)
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $250 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Free Night Award certificate is not an automatic benefit

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
• Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card.
• Marriott Bonvoy 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy^® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card^® you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
• Plan It^® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
• $250 Annual Fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

95,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$665

Annual Fee

$650

APR

19.99%-28.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.

So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy program
• 3x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines and restaurants worldwide
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• Steep annual fee of $650 (rates & fees)
• 6x points per $1 is the same earn rate offered with lower annual fee alternatives like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card at restaurants worldwide.
• With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy^® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy^® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card.
• Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
• $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton^® or St. Regis^® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck^® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
• Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• $650 Annual Fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

3. Give the Gift of Flowers

There’s a reason why flowers are one of the most popular gifts — people love to receive them for all occasions. Better yet, when you send flowers from certain merchants, you can earn Mileage Plan miles at the same time.

You’ll earn a cool 20 miles per $1 spent at 1-800-Flowers.com when you use code AKA3. Additionally, Teleflora awards 10 miles per $1 spent on all purchases to Mileage Plan members, so make sure to compare prices and see which site has the best price for the bouquet of your choice.

That means a gorgeous $100 bouquet can earn you 1,000 to 2,000 miles, putting you even closer to your 100,000-mile goal.

4. Become a Mileage Plan Dining Member

If you enjoy going out to restaurants and cafes, you’ll want to join the Mileage Plan Dining program. More than 10,000 U.S. restaurants participate in this free dining rewards program that lets you earn Alaska miles when dining out.

How does it work? Just link a credit card to your account. Then, earn 1x to 5x miles per $1 on your bill, which includes everything: food, beverages, and even the tax and tip!

You’ll earn 3 miles per dollar spent if you opt into emails, and you’ll earn 5 miles per dollar when you reach VIP status after dining out 11 times with Mileage Plan Dining. Unfortunately, you’ll earn just 1 mile per dollar if you opt out of emails from Mileage Plan dining.

To get the most out of each purchase, link a credit card that earns bonus miles or points on dining purchases. One of our favorites is the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card which earns 3x points on dining, plus a host of other benefits. The points you earn from your credit card are on top of the miles you get from Mileage Plan Dining.

5. Earn Miles When Flying With Alaska’s Airline Partners

Since Alaska Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance, there are a ton of international partners that you can both earn and redeem miles with.

So if you have a flight booked with one of Alaska’s many airline partners, consider crediting your miles to Alaska Airlines by adding your Mileage Plan number to your reservation. In some cases, this will earn you more miles than if you were to credit the miles to the airline you’re flying with.

For example, a $600 round-trip Aer Lingus from Chicago (ORD) to Dublin (DUB) in N-fare economy class would only earn 3 Aer Lingus Avios per $1 spent on the ticket, giving you 1,800 Avios for the flight. On the other hand, you’d earn 50% miles flown if you credit to Alaska. This would give you 3,660 Alaska miles as the round-trip flight is 7,320 miles long.

You can find out how many miles your partner flight will earn by locating the chart for the airline you’re flying with. Then, find the fare class you’re flying in and multiply the length of your flight (in miles) by the percentage located under the “Base miles earned” to the right of your booking class. Our math for the example above looks like this: 7,230 (miles flown) x 0.50 (50% earned) = 3,660. You can find the length of a flight route by using a tool like Great Circle Mapper.

You’ll generally earn more miles for tickets in higher-fare classes. For example, a D-fare business class fare would earn 100% mileage, plus a 150% additional bonus. This means you’d earn 18,075 miles for a D-class round-trip fare between ORD and DUB.

You can earn even more miles if you have Alaska Airlines status, as Alaska gives elites bonus miles when flying on partners. Here’s how much of a bonus each status tier earns:

• MVP: 50%
• MVP Gold: 100%
• MVP Gold 75K: 125%
• MVP Gold 100K: 150%

So if you’re an Alaska MVP Gold member and take the same Aer Lingus flight we mentioned above, you’d earn 7,320 miles for the journey.

Hot Tip: Don’t have Alaska status but have status with another airline? Check out our full guide to Alaska Airlines status matches. Here, we’ll show you how to get free Alaska Airlines status for a year by matching your current airline status.

6. Book Hotels Through Rocketmiles

Alaska Airlines has partnered with Rocketmiles to give Mileage Plan members extra miles when booking hotels worldwide.

You can use the Alaska Airlines Rocketmiles to earn miles on all of your hotel stays. You’ll earn a different number of miles for each hotel, with more expensive hotels generally earning more miles. Further, Rocketmiles offers special mileage bonuses for staying at specific hotels.

To book a hotel with Rocketmiles, just head over to the Alaska Rocketmiles website and input your destination and check-in and checkout dates. You’ll be presented with a list of different hotels alongside how many miles you’ll earn per booking. You can click the green Select Now button to the right of the hotel’s name to book your hotel stay.

Just note that booking hotels through Rocketmiles may make you ineligible for earning hotel points and using any sort of hotel status benefits that you may have. So with that in mind, make sure to consider which miles and benefits are more important to you before you book through Rocketmiles.

You can earn up to 10,000 miles per stay, giving frequent business travelers an easy way to earn bonus Alaska miles on the job. This can put you even closer to your 100,000-mile goal, depending on how often you book hotel rooms.

7. Rent a Car With One of Alaska’s Partners

Alaska Airlines also has a wide range of rental car partners. The airline has partnered with these companies to offer bonus miles and discounts on rental cars worldwide, so no matter where your travels take you, you can score an excellent deal on a rental car.

Hot Tip: Make sure to pay for your next rental car with a credit card that includes rental car insurance.

Here’s a look at all of Alaska’s rental car partners and their respective mileage-earning and discounts:

You can earn miles on your next rental by going to Alaska’s rental car partner page, clicking on your rental car partner of choice, and clicking the Book Now button. You’ll then be redirected to your rental car partner and can book your car as normal; the miles will post to your Alaska account shortly after you return the car.

Alternatively, you can book airport rental cars through Alaska Cars.

You can use this portal to search for rental cars across all major rental car companies, and you’ll earn miles when you book through them. You may even be able to score special deals through this portal, so it’s worth comparing prices and mileage-earning here before you book through one of the above partners.

8. Take Out A Personal Loan Through SoFi

You can earn Alaska miles when you take out a personal loan through SoFi.

You’ll earn 1 Alaska mile for every $2 of your funded loan amount, up to 50,000 Alaska miles. This means that you’d have to take out a $100,000 personal loan to take advantage of the full 50k offer.

Taking advantage of the offer is pretty simple — just head over to SoFi’s Alaska Airlines landing page and click the Find My Rate in 2 mins button at the center of the screen. You’ll be taken to a page where you can enter your personal information, and — of course — your Alaska Mileage Plan number. Then, SoFi will run a credit check and give you your potential loan terms.

We only recommend taking advantage of this offer if SoFi gives you the lowest interest rate on your personal loan and if you actually need to take out a personal loan. If you do need to finance a large purchase, and can put that purchase on a credit card, it may be wiser to use a credit card with an introductory 0% APR as you’ll potentially save a lot on interest fees.

It’s not worth taking out a loan with SoFi just to earn Alaska miles, so make sure to shop around with other banks and loan companies to find the best rate.

9. Shop Through the Mileage Plan Shopping Portal

If you shop online frequently, you can rack up a ton of Alaska miles by shopping through the Mileage Plan shopping portal.

This portal gives you miles for every dollar you spend at one of Alaska’s participating merchants — including the Apple Store, Bed Bath and Beyond, Staples, and hundreds of other retailers.

The number of miles you’ll earn per dollar fluctuates regularly, but most merchants offer somewhere between 1 and 4 miles per dollar spent.

Additionally, the portal offers frequent bonuses during holidays that will give you extra miles for spending a specific amount of money. For example, a holiday bonus offered 1,500 bonus miles after spending $500 in combined purchases during the promotional period.

Using the Mileage Plan shopping portal is simple. Just head over to the portal, sign in using your Alaska Airlines credentials, and search for your merchant of choice to see how many miles it’s offering per dollar spent. Then once you’re ready to shop, click the Shop Now button to be redirected to the merchant, and you can shop as you normally would.

Hot Tip: Use CashBack Monitor to check rates for specific merchants on all major airline shopping portals at once — this will help you maximize points earning for all of your online purchases.

Miles will be credited to your account between 5 to 15 days from purchase. Just note that if you return a purchase, the miles will be debited from your account.

Depending on how often you shop online, you can make some serious progress towards your 100,000-mile goal using the shopping portal alone. This is especially true if you make reimbursable purchases for a business or are in the midst of holiday shopping.

10. Link Your Lyft Account to Mileage Plan

Link your Lyft account to Mileage Plan and select Mileage Plan as your earning preference. You’ll then earn Alaska Airlines miles by using Lyft, with 1 mile for every $1 spent.

11. Buy Alaska Miles From Points.com

Finally, you can opt to purchase Alaska miles through partner Points.com. While this can be a costly feat, it can be helpful if you need to get those last few miles needed to book a high-value award. Purchased miles appear in your account instantly, meaning that you can book your award in no time at all.

Oftentimes Alaska Airlines runs purchase promotions that lower the cost of miles significantly. For example, a holiday promotion gave a 50% mileage bonus when members purchased between 40,000 and 60,000 Alaska miles. This meant that 60,000 miles (40,000 plus a 20,000 bonus) cost just $1,182.50 after taxes.

During these promotions, it might actually make more sense to buy the miles needed for an award ticket than actually purchase a paid ticket outright. One good example of this is a one-way ticket in business class from the U.S. to Asia. This award costs 60,000 Alaska miles on Japan Airlines (JAL) and includes a free stopover in Asia.

Buying the 60,000 miles for $1,182.50 during this promotion is significantly cheaper than paying around $5,000 for the same one-way ticket when booked directly through JAL. Just make sure the award space is available on Alaska’s website before you purchase the miles.

Hot Tip: Check out our complete guide to buying miles with Points.com to see when you should and should NOT buy Alaska miles.

Using Those 100,000+ Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles

What will you do with your 100,000 Mileage Plan miles? To help you decide, we’ve put together an extensive list of redemption ideas that truly has something for everyone.

Here’s a quick sampling of our favorite Alaska redemptions:

Book a Mini-tour of Asia

If Asia has been on your bucket list, now’s your chance to go. For just 35,000 (or 60,000 in business class) miles one-way, you can book an economy class ticket with a stopover on Japan Airlines. This means you could book something like Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo (NRT) to Seoul (ICN) and stopover in Tokyo for a few days.

On the return, you can book Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to Hong Kong (HKG) to Los Angeles (LAX) on Cathay Pacific with a long stopover in Hong Kong. This flight would cost 30,000 miles in economy class, 35,000 in premium economy, 50,000 in business class, or 70,000 in Cathay Pacific’s ultra-posh first class.

We highly recommend booking this as 2 one-way tickets. This will make the ticket easier to book as the Alaska Airlines booking engine can get a bit wonky when you’re booking multiple partners on a round-trip ticket.

Fly to Australia (With a Stopover in Fiji)

Fancy a trip to Australia instead? Consider booking your trip on Alaska partner Fiji Airways and you can add a free stopover in Nadi (NAN) in Fiji along the way. A ticket like San Francisco (SFO) to Nadi (NAN) to Melbourne (MEL) would cost just 40,000 miles one-way in economy or 55,000 in business class, and your stopover in Nadi can be for as long as you’d like.

Fiji Airways flies from 2 U.S. hubs: Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). If you don’t live in these cities, simply search from your home airport. Alaska doesn’t let you mix partners on one-way award tickets, but you can add a connection on Alaska Airlines. This means a ticket like Chicago (ORD) to San Francisco (SFO) to Nadi (NAN) to Melbourne (MEL) would be a perfectly valid ticket, and you can still have a layover in Nadi.

Fly to South America on LATAM

LATAM operates several routes from the U.S. to South America, including routes departing Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), and Orlando (MCO). You can book any of LATAM’s flights from the U.S. to South America for 30,000 and 45,000 one-way miles in economy and business class, respectively. Plus, if you’re lucky enough to find off-peak award availability, you can book an economy ticket for just 25,000 miles one-way.

One great example of this is a one-way ticket from Orlando (MCO) to Lima (LIM). Flying to Peru can be pricey, so having this low-cost award ticket available to you can be a huge help when planning a South American adventure. Plus, LATAM has an extensive Lima hub, so you can add a flight to elsewhere in South America from there on the same award ticket.

Final Thoughts

Alaska miles are some of the hardest miles to earn, but they’re also some of the most valuable. You can use your miles to get to just about any corner of the globe in luxury, so make sure to tell us your best Alaska Airlines redemption in the comments.

Once you have 100,000 miles in your account, make sure to check out our full guides to both earning and redeeming Alaska miles for more inspiration on both earning and burning miles.

And as always: safe travels!