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Get Up to a 50% Bonus When You Purchase Alaska Miles

Aug. 15, 2016
3 min read
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Get Up to a 50% Bonus When You Purchase Alaska Miles
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Following a massive devaluation for Emirates awards just a few months ago, Alaska miles aren't nearly as appealing as they once were, but you can still get some great deals. If you have a specific redemption in mind, you could get some decent value from the airline's latest promotion, which is offering up to a 50% bonus when you purchase miles through September 29, 2016.

As you can see above, this promotion is available to all Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members and is a "mystery bonus," meaning you'll either receive 35%, 40% or 50% bonus miles after entering your Mileage Plan information.

My 40% bonus would yield me a maximum of 84,000 miles with this promotion.

To max out the promo (assuming you're targeted for a 50% bonus), you'll need to purchase 60,000 miles for $1,773.75 (including tax). You'll receive a bonus of 30,000 miles, bringing your cost down to 1.97 cents per mile (compared to the usual cost of 2.96 cents each).

That may sound like a lot to spend, but it's enough to score a one-way business- or first-class flight to Asia on Cathay Pacific, including a free stopover in Hong Kong. So you could fly one-way from New York to Hong Kong in first class, stop in Hong Kong for a week and then continue on to Bali, for example, for less than $2,000 — and you'd have 20,000 miles to spare. Or, you could pair this promo with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card sign-up bonus and have enough for a round-trip in business class — again, with miles left over that you can use toward another trip.

Here's how to take advantage of the promotion:

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  1. Visit Alaska's Buy Miles page.
  2. Enter your details, select the number of miles you want to purchase and click Continue.
  3. Add your credit card details and click Continue.
  4. Review the information, check the box to agree to the Terms and Conditions and click Continue to finalize the purchase.

Keep in mind that the usual restrictions for purchasing Alaska miles apply to this promotion, including the following:

  • Miles may be purchased in increments of 1,000 miles up to a maximum of 60,000 miles per transaction (though there's no annual limit).
  • Miles may take up to 72 hours to post to your account.
  • Purchased miles do not count toward elite status.

In addition, the transaction is processed directly by Points.com, so it isn't eligible for an airfare category bonus on a card like the Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express.

Will you be purchasing Alaska miles with a bonus?

TPG featured card

Rewards rate
3XEarn 3X Miles on Delta purchases.
1XEarn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
Earn up to 125,000 Bonus Miles
Annual fee
$650
Regular APR
19.49%-28.49% Variable
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
Excellent to Good

Pros

  • Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
  • Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
  • Ability to earn MQDs through spending
  • Various statement credits for eligible purchases

Cons

  • Steep annual fee of $650
  • Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
  • Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
  • Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
  • Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
  • Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
  • $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
  • $650 Annual Fee.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees