Alaska Airlines is currently running a promotion where you can purchase miles with up to a 60% bonus. This offer is open to all Mileage Plan members and can be accessed by signing in to your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account. The bonus amount you receive depends on the number of miles you purchase. For example, buying 3,000 to 19,000 miles will give you an extra 40% in bonus miles, while buying 20,000 to 39,000 miles will give you an extra 50% in bonus miles. Purchasing 40,000 miles or more will give you an extra 60% in bonus miles. The maximum purchase amount is 100,000 miles, with a bonus of 60,000 miles, totaling 160,000 miles.
To determine if this promotion is a good deal, we can compare the cost per mile with the retail valuation of Alaska Airlines miles. The Points Guy values Alaska Airlines miles at 1.4 cents per mile. Using this valuation, we can calculate the cost per mile for different purchase thresholds.
For example, purchasing 3,000 miles and receiving a 40% bonus would give you a total of 4,200 miles at a cost of $82.50. This translates to a cost per mile of 1.96 cents. Similarly, purchasing 20,000 miles with a 50% bonus would give you a total of 30,000 miles at a cost of $550, resulting in a cost per mile of 1.83 cents.
Based on these calculations, all the examples provided exceed the retail value of Alaska Airlines miles at 1.4 cents per mile. Therefore, if you need to purchase award tickets and your Mileage Plan account is short on miles, this promotion can be a good opportunity to acquire the necessary miles. You can use the bonus miles to book tickets in a higher-fare class, such as premium economy, business class, or first class.
It’s important to note that when purchasing Alaska Airlines miles, the transaction is handled through the website points.com, which means that the purchase does not qualify for triple miles or double miles when using the Alaska Airlines Visa credit cards. To maximize your points, you should use the credit card that offers the most points for your purchase.
In conclusion, while this promotion may not be an exceptional deal, it can be a good opportunity for those who need to book award tickets immediately and have a shortage of miles. If you fall into this category, it may be worth taking advantage of this offer. As with any sale, it’s always better to pay a discounted price than the full retail price.