Via NotiFlyer, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is offering up to a 40% bonus on purchased or gifted miles through April 15.

• Buy or gift up to 19,000 miles and receive a 20 percent bonus.
  
• Buy 20,000 – 29,000 miles and receive a 30 percent bonus
  
• Buy 30,000 – 40,000 miles and receive a 40 percent bonus

The full 40% bonus brings your cost down from 2.75 cents plus tax per mile down to 2 cents per mile. Not worth stocking up for its own sake, but strategically useful, e.g. to top off towards a Cathay Pacific first class award to South Africa via Hong Kong (i.e. “the long way”) for 140,000 miles.

Alaska is also a great opportunity for Qantas awards — Qantas opens its schedule about 355 days out from travel. Partner American Airlines AAdvantage only lets members book travel 331 days out. So they don’t have access to Qantas seats immediately when those seats open up.

When the schedule opens isn’t always the best time to book awards, butt those seats which are opened immediately with the schedule may be gone – taken by Qantas or British Airways or AsiaMiles members — before American members have access to them.

Alaska, though it doesn’t open its own schedule until 331 days out, will allow members to book partner awards earlier than that (and call back later to add connecting Alaska segments if needed).