Alaska Airlines Will No Longer Be Our “Delta Hack” for Full Mileage Earning on Cheap Tickets

by Gary Leff

Starting January 1, discounted Delta airlines fares will no longer earn full mileage when crediting to Alaska Airlines.

We knew this had to be coming — with Delta moving to a revenue-based frequent flyer earning structure, with miles earned based on ticket price, it was too big of a leak to just let customers credit their flights to Alaska Airlines and earn full flown miles instead.

Here’s the new earning rates:

  • F and P first class fares increase from 150% mileage earned to 200%
  • A first class fares increase from 150% mileage earned to 175%
  • G first class fares decrease from 150% mileage earned to 125%
  • J and C business class fares increase from 125% mileage earned to 175%
  • D and I business class fares increase from 125% mileage earned to 150%
  • Z business class fares remain at 125% mileage earned
  • Y economy fares increase from 100% mileage earned to 125%
  • B, M, and S economy fares remain at 100% mileage earned.
  • H, Q, and K economy fares decrease from 100% mileage earned to 75%
  • L, U, T, X, and V economy fares decrease from 100% mileage earned to 50%
  • E economy fares decrease from 100% mileage earned to 25%

Basically Delta’s discounted economy fares, what are on sale most of the time and most of us buy, will no longer earn full mileage flown. This had to happen. I suspect Alaska would have been happy to continue offering full mileage-earning, having Delta continue to buy miles from Alaska at a rapid pace. But Delta wasn’t going to make it that easy for us — especially with competition heating up so quickly in Seattle.

Interestingly, Alaska even couches this as Delta’s fault —

Delta has recently announced changes to its frequent flyer program which will affect the way Mileage Plan™ Miles are earned when flying on Delta..

At the same time, Alaska is increasing mileage-earning for their most expensive fares, for instance full fare coach goes from 125% of miles flown to earning 150% and first class goes from 150% to 175%. They’re also increasing the elite status bonus for MVP Gold 75K members to 125%.

(HT: Delta Points)

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  2. This may really be Delta’s fault. It’s possible that the amount that Delta pays Alaska when a Delta flight is credited to Alaska dropped in proportion to the changes in earning for Delta’s own program.

  3. Delta Air Lines is responsible for this gutting of DL SkyMiles mileage earning when flying Alaska Air. Alaska Air didn’t hike the price of miles it sells to DL in a way that would justify this reduction in SkyMiles earning. Delta management did this largely unilaterally as DL wants to reduce the escape routes for

  4. Delta Air Lines is responsible for this gutting of DL SkyMiles mileage earning when flying Alaska Air. Alaska Air didn’t hike the price of miles it sells to DL in a way that would justify this reduction in SkyMiles earning. Delta management did this largely unilaterally as DL wants to reduce the escape routes for DL SkyMiles customers flying in economy class after DL massively reduces DL mileage earning on DL flights for most DL SkyMiles customers and cut its cost of buying miles from Alaska.

  5. Actually Z is staying at 125% … there was an error on the blog this morning, but its correct on the DL earnings page for AS

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