Why this Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan change may sway me to leave American's AAdvantage program
Since earning AAdvantage Executive Platinum status with American Airlines AAdvantage in 2016, I've continued to qualify for AAdvantage Platinum Pro or higher status with the program each year. After all, I enjoy selecting Main Cabin Extra seating at booking, believe American miles still hold excellent value, appreciate earning miles through Bask Bank and love having Oneworld Emerald status. I also occasionally get a complimentary upgrade when flying within North America, although these have dwindled in frequency over the years.
But I've recently been frustrated with the AAdvantage program as it has chipped away at elite perks and moved from elite qualifying miles to spending-based Loyalty Points. While I appreciate knowing I can spend on my AAdvantage credit card to top off my Loyalty Point balance to requalify for my desired status, I dislike that signing up for a Motley Fool subscription through the AAdvantage eShopping portal can earn more Loyalty Points than a transatlantic flight.
Despite my frustration, I planned to continue earning AAdvantage Platinum Pro status for the foreseeable future. But one notable aspect of the upcoming Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan overhaul — combined with the new ease of earning Alaska miles — has me considering whether Alaska's Mileage Plan might be a better home for my Oneworld loyalty. Here's why.
Earning elite qualifying miles on award travel
Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will earn 1 elite qualifying mile for every mile flown on award travel, including travel on partner airlines. This is music to my ears, as although I rarely fly Alaska, I often redeem miles to fly long-haul on other Oneworld airlines.
I've looked on with jealousy the last few years as other airline loyalty programs, including Delta Air Lines SkyMiles in 2021 and United Airlines MileagePlus in 2022, began letting members earn toward elite status on award flights. American recently offered a promotion to let members earn Loyalty Points on award flights through the end of the year, but it was relatively limited, and I wasn't targeted.
The 500,000 American miles I've redeemed for my flights within the last year have not helped me at all toward American elite status. So, for me, Alaska's decision to allow its members to earn elite qualifying miles on all award flights booked through Mileage Plan — including those on Alaska's global partners — is huge. After all, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines' targeted promotions only offer earnings toward elite status on award flights the airlines operate.
Alaska MVP Gold 75K would get me my beloved Oneworld Emerald status and most of the perks I value when flying with American Airlines. Granted, Alaska is decreasing its elite status bonuses and earning rates on some partner airlines. However, I'm primarily interested in how I could earn elite qualifying miles on partner award flights booked through the Mileage Plan program.
How many award flights would I need to take to reach Alaska MVP Gold 75K? For example, a round-trip economy award from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) through Doha's Hamad International Airport (DOH) is 23,906 flight miles and usually costs 85,000 Alaska miles plus $146 in taxes and fees. This one round-trip award would be enough to get me Alaska MVP status and would put me well on my way toward higher elite tiers.
Specifically, I could fly this route on three round-trip award tickets to get 71,718 elite qualifying miles and then pick up the remaining 3,282 elite qualifying miles through domestic flights and other means. Of course, in practice, I'd likely fly six or seven long-haul one-way itineraries to different destinations instead of doing three round-trip awards to the same destination.
Related: Alaska Airlines MVP elite status: What it is and how to earn it
Alaska miles are now easier to earn
Historically, one of my primary hesitations with the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program was the difficulty in earning its miles. After all, there are only a few cobranded Alaska credit cards, and the only transferable currencies you can transfer to Alaska are Bilt Rewards Points and Marriott Bonvoy points.
But now that you can transfer Hawaiian Airlines miles to Alaska Airlines, earning Alaska miles has become less of a concern. After all, I can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian and then transfer Hawaiian miles to Alaska.
Of course, this transfer partnership could end at any time — and it likely will. Brett Catlin, Alaska's vice president of loyalty, alliances and sales, all but told TPG's Sean Cudahy in an interview that the airline plans to stop allowing Amex points to be transferred to Alaska via Hawaiian when given the opportunity to do so.
Transferring Amex points to Alaska via Hawaiian is currently an easy way to accrue enough miles to earn Alaska MVP Gold 75K status on (mostly) award flights in 2025. However, earning Alaska miles may once again become difficult in the long-term miles game.
Related: A gamble on Alaska miles — why I applied for 2 Hawaiian Airlines cards on the same day
Bottom line
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan status feels more appealing than ever, given my frequent long-haul award travel on Oneworld airlines and the new ability to earn Alaska miles easily.
Of course, there are downsides. For example, earning Alaska miles will likely become difficult again once the Membership Rewards pipeline is closed. And premium cabin Mileage Plan award flights won't earn more elite qualifying miles than economy award flights. Plus, Alaska has slashed some partner earning rates during this overhaul, meaning it will be more difficult to earn Alaska miles on paid flights.
There's also the downside of abandoning a program I've used for many years. After all, if I keep crediting my paid flights to AAdvantage, I'll reach lifetime American status within the next year. Plus, due to AAdvantage's elite bonuses, earning Loyalty Points on flights becomes easier as you reach higher tiers of American elite status. So, if I don't pursue AAdvantage status during the next qualification period, I'll unlikely want to return later, even if the grass isn't greener within the Mileage Plan program.
In an ideal world, AAdvantage would use these Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan changes as a catalyst to improve its program and add Loyalty Point earnings on award tickets for travel on its own metal and its Oneworld partners. I still plan to earn AAdvantage Platinum Pro status during the current qualification period, so I won't need to decide which program to pursue until early 2025.
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