The Most Loyal Alaska Airlines Customers Are Getting A Special Gift, Made From A Plane

by Gary Leff

Earlier in the year Alaska Airlines revamped its lifetime elite program adding rewards for customers that have flown 1 million and 2 million miles.

Alaska Airlines awards lifetime MVP Gold at 1 million miles, and lifetime MVP Gold 75K at 2 million miles. These members now receive additional benefits:

  • One million milers will get a head start on annual status with 20,000 elite qualifying miles, and two million milers will receive 40,000 elite qualifying miles. This helps encourage lifetime members to continue to go for higher status each year, combating one of the concerns loyalty programs have with offering lifetime status in the first place – that once you guarantee status there’s no longer a reason to strive for it.

  • Lifetime elites will be able to share their status with a member of their household like United does – the household member gets the same status level as the lifetime elite (whether that is their lifetime level or an earned higher level).

  • Lifetime elites are prioritized over other elites in their tier for upgrades which is the opposite of American where lifetime elites are effectively last on the upgrade list unless re-earning their status each year, since American prioritizes upgrades based on rolling 12 month total loyalty points earned.

  • Personal recognition on board and on the phone, employees will be trained to recognize and thank lifetime elites. This is something that United has been doing really well.

And Alaska is doing something special for their million milers: luggage tags made from the metal of former Alaska Airlines planes.

They’re gifting hand cut luggage tags made from the fuselage of their retired aircraft.

  • Current and future million milers receive a code to redeem a luggage tag in partnership with PlaneTags which will be personalized, engraved with the member’s name.

    Brett Catlin, Alaska’s vice president of loyalty, alliances and sales for Alaska Airlines, shares:

    We’re always looking for ways to better recognize our Million Milers in addition to the industry-leading benefits we provide, including MVP Gold status for life, complimentary food and drinks on board, the ability to share their status with a companion and a head start to status each year with 20,000 elite-qualifying miles awarded annually.


    Credit: Alaska Airlines


    Credit: Alaska Airlines


    Credit: Alaska Airlines

    Notably, a limited number of tags are available for purchase through PlaneTags as well.

    I have only one metal luggage tag. It was the one made with metal from a retired American Airlines Boeing 757 that I was sent when I earned Concierge Key status.

    I no longer have this status, but I still like the tag, something I’ve never received as a nearly 4 million miler with American Airlines.