Alaska Airlines and Air France-KLM Are Ending Their Partnership
Alaska Airlines announced on Wednesday that it's cutting partner ties with Air France-KLM. As of April 30, 2018, you'll no longer be able to earn Mileage Plan miles with Air France or KLM.
This move is the latest Mileage Plan partner reduction, though you'll be able to continue to earn Mileage Plan miles with the European carriers until April 30. On its Mileage plan partner pages for both carriers, Alaska says:
"Effective April 30, 2018, the partnership between Air France [and KLM] and Alaska Airlines will end. Our other global partners serve all of the top destinations members have earned miles to in the past with Air France [and KLM], but we recognize that this change leaves a gap in coverage to some small European destinations. Europe continues to be a key focus area, served by partners including British Airways, Icelandair, Condor, and Finnair, and we'll continue to evaluate additional partnerships to serve your needs both to and within Europe."
In preparation for the end of the partnership, Alaska has detailed what Mileage Plan earning will look like for those traveling with Air France or KLM. Depending on when you purchased your ticket and when your flight is scheduled to depart, you'll either have the same mileage earning as you do currently, or no mileage earning at all. Here's how the Alaska earning breaks down if you're traveling with Air France or KLM:
| Tickets Booked | For Travel | Earn Miles |
|---|---|---|
Through December 5, 2017 | Any dates already ticketed | Per chart below |
On or after December 6, 2017 | Through April 30, 2018 | Per chart below |
On or after December 6, 2017 | Beginning May 1, 2018 | No miles earned |
If you fall into the first category in the above chart and already have travel booked after April 30, you'll need to submit a Mileage Credit request with Alaska in order to receive the miles from your trip. As for the mileage earning, here's how it breaks down for Air France:
... And here's the mileage earning with KLM:
This is just the latest Mileage Plan partner reduction. Delta and Alaska ended their partnership on April 30, 2017, and Alaska's partnership with Aeromexico is set to end on December 31, 2017. It's likely that this move from Alaska to terminate its partnership with Air France-KLM was influenced by Delta. As One Mile at a Time points out, Delta announced plans to purchase a 10% stake in Air France-KLM, and the Atlanta-based carrier is territorial over its partners. The same situation happened with Aeromexico — after Delta formed a joint venture with Aeromexico, Alaska ended its partnership with the Mexican carrier.
After the partnership has officially ended on April 30, 2018, Alaska Mileage Plan will still have 17 partners: American Airlines (although that partnership has been altered), British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Condor, Emirates, Fiji, Finnair, Hainan Airlines, Icelandair, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, LAN, PenAir, Qantas, Ravn Alaska, Singapore Airlines and, given its soon-to-be combined loyalty program following the merger, Virgin America.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.