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

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Andrew Kunesh

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Andrew’s a lifelong traveler who puts in over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew’s worked at Th...
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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.

And that’s just what we’ll show you in this article. Here, we’ll run through the fastest ways to earn Alaska miles so you can build up a large balance quickly. But first, we’ll take a look at why you’d want to earn 100,000 Alaska miles in the first place.

Let’s dive in!

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. Sign Up for Alaska Airlines Credit Cards

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card
You can quickly earn Alaska miles using the 2 Alaska Airlines co-branded credit cards from Bank of America. Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

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.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card

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)!

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)!
Get 70,000 Bonus Miles plus Alaska's Famous 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.
70,000 bonus + Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™
$1,260
$95
18.24% - 26.24% Variable
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)

With the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card in your wallet, you could 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

  • 3x miles per $1 spent on Alaska purchases
  • 2x miles per $1 spent on eligible gas, local transit (including rideshare), cable, and select streaming services
  • 1x mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Annual companion fare
  • Free checked bag for you and up to 6 traveling companions
  • 20% back on Alaska inflight purchase

Cons

  • $95 annual fee
  • LIMITED TIME ONLINE OFFER — 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™!
  • Get 70,000 Bonus Miles plus Alaska’s Famous 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™. Every year on your credit card account anniversary you’ll receive a companion fare which allows you to book a companion flight from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23). Valid on all Alaska Airlines flights booked on alaskaair.com.
  • Free checked bag for you and up to 6 guests on the same reservation – that’s a savings of $60 per person roundtrip!
  • Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, local transit (including rideshare), cable, and select streaming services, and unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your miles don’t expire on active accounts.
  • 10% reward bonus on all miles earned on card with an eligible Bank of America checking, savings, or investment account.
  • Priority boarding on Alaska Airlines when tickets are purchased with 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 and a low $95 annual fee.
  • This online only offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 18.24% - 26.24% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

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

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.

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.
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
30,000 points
$210
$0
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)

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

  • Up to 14x points per $1 on Marriott purchases
  • 2x points per $1 on travel purchases
  • 15 Elite Night Credits each year (automatically gives you Silver Elite status)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No annual fee

Cons

  • Lower point earn rate than other Marriott Bonvoy cards
  • Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status is the lowest status tier
  • 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.
  • 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

LIMITED TIME OFFER
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

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.

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.
Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!
Earn 5 Free Night Awards
$1,750
$95
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)

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

  • 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
  • 1 Free Night Award each cardmember anniversary (valued up to 35,000 points)
  • One year complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

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

Financial Snapshot

  • Foreign Transaction Fees:

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

NEW 155K OFFER
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® CardTerms 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.

Learn More(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.
Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
155,000 points
$1,085
$250
20.99%-29.99% Variable
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)

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

  • 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
  • Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
  • 15 Elite Night Credits per year
  • 1,000 bonus points per paid stay
  • 1 Free Night Award (up to 50,000 points) when you spend $15,000 on the card in a year
  • No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

  • $250 annual fee (rates and fees)
  • Free Night Award certificate is not an automatic benefit
  • Earn 155,000 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.
  • 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.
  • Terms apply.

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

NEW 185K WELCOME OFFER
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® CardTerms 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.

Learn More(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.
Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
185,000 bonus points
$1,295
$650
20.99%-29.99% Variable
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)

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

  • 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
  • 25 Elite Night Credits each year
  • Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit
  • Annual Free Night Award after card renewal
  • Complimentary Platinum Elite status

Cons

  • Earn 185,000 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®. 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
  • 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 ($100) 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. Terms apply.
  • 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.
  • Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

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.

Alaska Aer Lingus
Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

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.

Booking Hotels in Chicago Through Alaska's Rocket Miles Portal
Earn Alaska miles on your hotel stay by using Alaska’s Rocketmiles portal. Image Credit: Rocketmiles

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:

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Rental Car PartnerMiles EarnedDiscount
Alamo50 miles per dayN/A
Avis50 miles per day, 500 miles on 5+ day rentalsUp to 35% off base rates using code AWD K197800
Budget50 miles per day, 500 miles on 5+ day rentalsUp to 30% off base rates using code BCD U072200
Dollar50 miles per day, 150 miles per day on all 3+ day rentalsN/A
Hertz50 miles per day, 500 miles on 5+ mile rentals worldwide. 4x miles up to 2,000 miles on rentals in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto RicoVaries, use code CDP 321739
National50 miles per dayN/A
Thrifty50 miles per day, 150 miles per day on all 3+ day rentalsN/A

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.

Using Alaska Cars to Book A Rental Car in Chicago
Booking cars through Alaska Cars may help you find better deals and earn more miles. Image Credit: Alaska Cars

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

Alaska miles SoFi personal loan
Earn Alaska miles when you take out a personal loan with SoFi. Image Credit: 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.

The Apple Store on the Mileage Plan Shopping Portal
You can earn Alaska miles on all of your online purchases with the Mileage Plan shopping portal. Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

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.

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

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 Business Class Seat
Use your Alaska miles to fly Cathay Pacific’s luxurious business class to or from Asia. Image Credit: Greg Stone

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.

Booking Chicago to Melbourne on Alaska AIrlines
You can add a stopover in Fiji on your way to Australia. Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

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!

The information regarding the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan work?

Mileage Plan members earn and redeem miles for travel on Alaska Airlines and its global airline partners. You can read more in our in-depth review of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program.

When do Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles expire?

Your miles will never expire as long as you earn or redeem at least 1 mile every 24 months to keep your account active.

Is there an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan credit card?

Yes, with the Alaska Signature card or Alaska Airlines Business card, you earn Mileage Plan miles for your purchases.

Another option is to earn points or miles with a Marriott Bonvoy credit card. Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Alaska at a 3:1 ratio, and you’ll get a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.

What is the contact number for the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan?

Contact Mileage Plan customer service by calling 800-654-5669.

Can you earn Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles for dining out?

Earn up to 5 miles per $1 spent on meals out as part of the Mileage Plan Dining program. It’s free to join and you can earn bonus miles just for enrolling and eating at your first restaurant.

More than 10,000 dining establishments participate in the program.

Where can I find Alaska award charts?

Browse the award charts on Alaska’s website.

How much are baggage fees on Alaska Airlines?

Our guide to Alaska baggage fees explains everything you need to know about baggage fees on Alaska (and even gives you tips to avoid them!).

How do I book an Alaska Airlines award ticket with a stopover?

You can add a stopover to any Alaska Airlines award ticket by searching for a multi-city ticket. Just enter your stopover as the first destination and the final destination as your second destination.

Remember, stopovers are available on both one-way and round-trip bookings!

Andrew Kunesh's image

About Andrew Kunesh

Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.

He’s a lifelong traveler and took his first solo trip to San Francisco at the age of 16. Fast forward a few years, and Andrew now travels just over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew formerly worked for The Points Guy and is now Senior Money Editor at CNN Underscored.

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