Alaska Airlines Improving Million Miler Program

Alaska Airlines is adding perks for its loyalest flyers, and I’m impressed…

Alaska’s new perks for lifetime elite members

On May 17, Alaska held an event for some of its frequent flyers, and FlyerTalk user Endventure shared a great summary of what was discussed. Perhaps the most significant thing revealed during this event is some changes coming to Alaska’s million miler lifetime elite program.

For context, up until now, those who earn one million miler status receive MVP Gold for life, while those who earn two million miler status receive MVP Gold 75K for life. That will continue to be the case, but now they’ll get even more value:

• Alaska one million milers will receive an annual status boost of 20,000 elite qualifying miles, while Alaska two million milers will receive an annual status boost of 40,000 elite qualifying miles
• Alaska million milers will be able to share status with someone in their household; they can share the higher of their lifetime status or their annual shared status
• Alaska million milers will get prioritized ahead of other elite members in the same elite tier and fare class for upgrades
• Alaska will increase recognition of million milers, both via the call center (where an agent tool will flag the status) and onboard flights (where the flight attendant app will reflect this)

These are fantastic changes

Earning million miler status with Alaska takes commitment, given that the airline doesn’t have as big of a network as the “big three.” Alaska’s million miler program was already competitive, and now it’ll be industry leading.

These latest changes are great:

• The annual status boost is a good way to incentivize incremental business, especially for those looking to go for a higher elite tier, like MVP Gold 100K
• I love when a loyalty program creates rewards not just for the members, but also for family members, who are often making quite a sacrifice by having their loved one travel so much
• I think it makes perfect sense to prioritize upgrades for million milers vs. non-million milers, all else being equal

Well done, Alaska! As an American frequent flyer, I’m jealous. To say that American’s million miler program is uncompetitive would be a severe understatement. Meanwhile at Alaska, you can earn oneworld Emerald for life, not just for yourself, but also for a companion. *drool*

Bottom line

Alaska Mileage Plan is making significant improvements to its million miler program, with the introduction of an annual elite boost, household status sharing, and higher upgrade priority. It’s nice to see an airline listening to member feedback in this way.

What do you make of these Alaska million miler changes?