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Alaska Airlines is offering a 40% bonus on purchased miles through July 13.
You’ll have to enter your Mileage Plan number to see the details of the offer, so it’s possible this is targeted, but every one of the accounts I manage received the same deal.
Here’s the bonus structure:
- 20% Bonus: Buy 10,000 – 19,000 miles
- 30% Bonus: Buy 20,000 – 29,000 miles
- 40% Bonus: Buy 30,000 – 60,000 miles
A 40% bonus lets you buy Alaska miles for 2.11 cents apiece. To be sure there has been a 50% bonus in the past but that’s rare, 40% is a good offer.
Bear in mind that you can buy miles as many times as you wish, so while the most you can buy per transactions with this offer is 84,000 miles you can make multiple transactions. Any Alaska Airlines account that has been open at least 10 days can buy miles. Points purchased post instantly. They’re processed by Points.com and these transactions do not count as airline spend on your credit card. Use the card that earns the best return for unbonused spend.
Alaska Airlines allows a free stopover on each one way award. And they have some of the best redemption prices of any program. I’m not in favor of hoarding miles at this price but I’ve purchased miles with a 40% bonus myself.
- Cathay Pacific first class: 70,000 miles one way even to Africa connecting in Hong Kong, though bear in mind Alaska doesn’t always have access to all available inventory.
- Cathay Pacific business class: 50,000 miles one way to Asia
- Japan Airlines first class: 70,000 miles one way or 75,000 miles to Southeast Asia, availability is generally fantastic close-in to travel out of New York and Chicago.
- Intra-Asia: Cathay Pacific business class for 22,500 one way or Japan Airlines business for 25,000 one way
They partner with many unique airlines in addition to carriers like American and British Airways such as Emirates (and business class pricing is far better than first class pricing), Condor, Hainan Airlines, and Icelandair as well.
I would not have thought that Alaska miles are better than other carriers.
For example , to Asia, they rarely see as many seats on japan or Cathay.
So if American advantage can access one seat, they see none. So that has hurt me when I have looked for one seat for myself, or four for my family (especially since Japan tends to release four economy seats). And they don’t let you have a second carrier , such as Royal Jordanian (from Bangkok to Hong Kong, continuing on Cathay). Less miles required is a plus , but only when you can find space. They still are friendlier, but since the merger, most of their agents are incompetent, and it is hard to get connected to one of their previous partner specialists.
And to Europe, the so called taxes tend to be three hundred dollars each way, unless one takes the very worst routings and worst equipment on American. I am not sure if this is better booking advantage miles, but it is significantly better on United mileage plus . I can’t speak about delta, as I have few miles left with them, so I don’t check.
One can easily get 2.11 cents of value on business class to Asia, if one can find the space, but for economy it is more challenging . Not sure if one can get that much value to Europe or on domestic.
Also, they are changing. Adding fees, losing partners, etc. so buy only for 2018 needs at these prices.
In my opinion, most miles, including Alaska, are sometimes worth more than a penny, sometimes less , whole credit card thing is questionable, excepting for the sign up bonuses. That applies also to the only slightly better transferable point cards, as well as the hotel cards.
@Andrew
If you think American is the worst equipment to take from the US to Europe using Alaska miles, you haven’t flown British Airways.
Just used alaska miles to fly myself and two kids Ord to hkg in f and hkg to melb in J. Great award with the stopover!! Two days enjoying Hk.
Gary, any idea why you can’t use JAL all the way from the US to Australia? Would be great to fly them back
This offer must be targeted with different levels. I received the offer with 35% off and my wife received the same offer with 50% off. I have a ton of miles in my account and she has very few.
Bill – LOL!
Isn’t the current SPG sale a better deal if you then transfer to Alaska? I guess since it maxes out at 30,000 this gives you a way to buy additional miles?