Alaska Airlines beginning Jan. 1, 2025, will offer enhanced benefits for its Mileage Plan loyalty members, the carrier announced Wednesday.
The plan's elite levels for MVP and MVP Gold status will remain the same—20,000, 40,000, 75,000 and 100,000 miles—however Alaska is adding new milestones for members to earn benefits before, between and after each tier.
Milestone elite qualifying mile award levels are at 10,000, 30,000, 55,000, 85,000, 150,000, 200,000 and 250,000. The carrier shared only one new perk, the ability at the 85,000 EQM milestone to roll over 10,000 EQMs to the following year.
Alaska also will begin to offer EQMs for award travel with both the carrier and its airline partners. Other new ways members will be able to earn EQMs include one for every $3 spent up to 30,000 on qualified purchases on the Alaska Airlines Visa card, and up to 1,000 EQMs for every 3,000 miles earned with eligible non-airline partners.
In addition, the carrier is "streamlining" how miles are earned and redeemed with its airline partners. For flights booked with one of 23 book-direct partners via the Alaska website or app, members will earn 100 percent of the miles they fly. Beginning next year, members will earn a 150 percent bonus of the distance flown in premium economy, 250 percent for business class and up to 350 percent in international first class.
Alaska this winter will allow members to "mix and match" from global partners. For example, a trip could combine an American Airlines flight and a British Airways flight to Rome. The multi-carrier redemptions will start with flights between the United States and Europe, and then expand to other regions and partners throughout next year, according to Alaska.
Further, later in 2025, Alaska will "prioritize our upgrade waitlist" based on a member's recent and long-term loyalty. Million Milers will receive the highest priority within their tier, with subsequent priority based on travelers' EQM total, not ticket price.
For 2024, Alaska lowered its loyalty redemption levels, and the carrier said it would offer additional seasonal "global getaways" discounts in 2025 to international destinations.