Alaska
Alaska Mileage Plan devaluation – sweet spots scrapped from March 2024
Well it’s safe to say the writing has been on the wall with this one for a while. The popular Alaska Mileage Plan award programme has been at risk of having its competitive partner redemption rates hiked ever since Alaska Airlines announced it was joining the Oneworld alliance a few years ago.
Since then we’ve seen the announcement that award chart “changes” would be coming to the programme, followed earlier this year by a no-notice devaluation of one of the most valuable “sweet spots” enjoyed by our readers in the Asia-Pacific region – with Japan Airlines redemption rates doubling in some cases.
Now Alaska Mileage Plan has announced it will be adopting something we long predicted since its entry into Oneworld was on the cards – a harmonised distance-based award chart for partner redemptions – from March 2024.
That means rather than each partner carrier having its own unique award chart, miles rates for flights on all partners will simply be determined by this ‘cookie cutter’ technique, based on how many miles your trip covers.
As you might imagine, that will decimate some of the programme’s most valuable uses among our readers in this region, including competitive Cathay Pacific, Finnair and Qantas awards.
New Alaska Mileage Plan award charts
From March 2024 (exact cutover date to be confirmed), Alaska Mileage Plan will adopt three distance-based award charts for partner flight redemptions, based on the global origin and destination region applicable to your routing.
For bookings made before the new pricing takes effect, current award rates will be in force regardless of your actual travel date. Only bookings made after the new charts take effect will attract the new pricing.
Americas
Routings between the US and the Americas, and within the Americas
| Distance (miles) |
Starting award rates in: | |||
| Economy | Premium Economy |
Business | First | |
| 1 700 |
4,500 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 13,500 |
| 701 1,400 |
7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 25,000 |
| 1,401 2,100 |
12,500 | 17,500 | 25,000 | 40,000 |
| 2,101 4,000 |
17,500 | 22,500 | 35,000 | 52,500 |
| 4,001 6,000 |
25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| 6,001+ | 30,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
Americas includes North America, Caribbean Islands, Central America and South America
Europe, Middle East, Africa
Routings between the US and the EMEA, and within the EMEA
| Distance (miles) |
Starting award rates in: | |||
| Economy | Premium Economy |
Business | First | |
| 1 1,500 |
7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 22,500 |
| 1,501 3,500 |
22,500 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 67,500 |
| 3,501 5,000 |
27,500 | 35,000 | 55,000 | 82,500 |
| 5,001 7,000 |
35,000 | 45,000 | 70,000 | 105,000 |
| 7,001 10,000 |
42,500 | 55,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 |
| 10,001+ | 55,000 | 72,500 | 110,000 | 165,000 |
EMEA includes Europe, Middle East and Africa
Asia Pacific
Routings between the US and Asia Pacific, within Asia Pacific, and between Asia Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa
| Distance (miles) |
Starting award rates in: | |||
| Economy | Premium Economy |
Business | First | |
| 1 1,500 |
7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 22,500 |
| 1,501 3,000 |
25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| 3,001 5,000 |
30,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| 5,001 7,000 |
37,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 | 110,000 |
| 7,001 10,000 |
42,500 | 55,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 |
| 10,001+ | 65,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 | 195,000 |
Asia Pacific includes Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the South Pacific, Japan and Korea
Alaska says it will retain its US$12.50 nonrefundable fee for partner awards per person per direction of travel.
One stopover of up to 14 days is permitted per one-way international itinerary, or two on a round-trip itinerary (maximum of one in each direction).
If you want to book an award flight where both the origin and destination are outside the USA, it must be booked at least 72 hours (3 days) prior to departure.
In good news, thanks to the harmonised award chart it will be possible to mix partners on a one-way award itinerary using Alaska miles for the first time. Currently, this is only possible if you are mixing an Alaska Airlines flight with a single partner airline.
“Starting at” rates
In these new award charts, Alaska notes that these are the starting rates for award tickets on partner carriers.
That means that on some dates, higher award rates will apply, as they do now with partners like Starlux.
What it means for “sweet spots”
Since the unannounced devaluation of Japan Airlines awards using Alaska miles, the list of “sweet spots” for Asia-Pacific-based members was already looking a little thin.
It is now largely based on Cathay Pacific awards, with some Qantas, Finnair and Korean Air options also coming in at good value.
Here’s how these will be impacted by the new harmonised award charts, from March 2024.
| Award rates using Alaska Miles | |||
| Route / Cabin | Old Rate | New Rate | Increase |
| Singapore – USA First |
70,000 | 130,000 | 85% |
| Singapore – USA Business |
50,000 | 85,000 | 70% |
| Australia – USA First |
80,000 | 195,000 | 144% |
| Australia – USA Business |
60,000 | 130,000 | 117% |
| Hong Kong – Europe Business |
45,000 | 75,000 | 67% |
| Hong Kong – NZ Business |
30,000 | 75,000 | 150% |
| Singapore – Japan < 3,000 miles* Business |
22,500 | 50,000 |
122% |
| Singapore – Japan > 3,000 miles* Business |
22,500 | 60,000 | 166% |
Singapore – Japan less than 3,000 miles would include routings like SIN-HKG-FUK
Singapore – Japan more than 3,000 miles would include routings like SIN-HKG-KIX/NRT
While locking in some of these excellent Cathay Pacific awards using Alaska miles at current rates would be a great strategy before the devaluation hits, partner availability on Cathay is currently almost impossible to find, especially on long-haul flights in premium cabins.
Cathay Pacific lags behind almost all main competitors in its COVID-19 recovery, and is still flying limited capacity in many otherwise fully-recovered markets. Offering award seats in this climate, especially to partners, unfortunately makes little sense for the carrier, while such high fares can be commanded.
| Award rates using Alaska Miles | |||
| Route / Cabin | Old Rate | New Rate | Increase |
| Australia – USA First |
70,000 | 130,000 | 85% |
| Australia – USA Business |
65,000 | 85,000 | 31% |
| Within Australia < 1,500 miles* Business |
20,000 | 15,000 | 25% |
| Within Australia > 1,500 miles* Business |
20,000 | 50,000 | 150% |
Within Australia less than 1,500 miles would include routings like SYD-MEL and PER-ADL
Within Australia more than 1,500 miles would include routings like PER-SYD
| Award rates using Alaska Miles | |||
| Route / Cabin | Old Rate | New Rate | Increase |
| Singapore – Europe < 7,000 miles* Business |
60,000 | 75,000 | 25% |
| Singapore – Europe > 7,000 miles* Business |
60,000 | 85,000 | 42% |
Singapore – Europe less than 7,000 miles would include routings like SIN-HEL and SIN-HEL-LHR
Singapore – Europe more than 7,000 miles would include routings like SIN-HEL-BCN
Finnair recently significantly improved award availability in its Business Class cabins for Avios and partner award redemptions, especially when booking close to a year in advance, so this could be a good way to cash out of Alaska miles.
| Award rates using Alaska Miles | |||
| Route / Cabin | Old Rate | New Rate | Increase |
| Singapore – USA Business (return) |
120,000 | 170,000 | 42% |
Korean Air awards using Alaska miles are charged at the same rate for a one-way redemption as a return, so it only makes sense to redeem a round-trip itinerary.
This will no longer be the case from March 2024, with one-way award pricing kicking in, but the hike in award rate between Singapore and the USA to 85,000 miles each way decimates the “sweet spot” at the same time.
Sub-1,500-mile routings could be good value
As you can see from the award charts, for both Asia and Europe there is a significant jump in Alaska’s award rates between the lowest distance band of less than 1,500 miles and the next band above that, come March 2024.
That will open up Economy Class awards for 7,500 Alaska miles and Business Class awards for 15,000 Alaska miles, which could be good value if you can maximise an itinerary towards the upper end of the distance boundary.
For example, a Finnair flight from Helsinki to London lasting upwards of 3 hours 20 minutes uses the carrier’s latest Airbus A350 with the new long-haul ‘AirLounge’ Business Class seats falls into this zone.
Currently priced at 20,000 Alaska miles, this will drop to 15,000 Alaska miles from March 2024.
In Economy Class, a 3.5-hour Helsinki – Nice flight will be priced at 7,500 Alaska miles instead of 12,500 Alaska miles from March 2024.
Within Asia-Pacific, if Cathay Pacific restarts its daily “fifth freedom” Singapore – Bangkok flight (loaded in GDS from 31st March 2024, but with availability zeroed out at this stage), one-way Economy awards will price at 7,500 Alaska miles with Business Class at 15,000 Alaska miles.
Domestic Japan flights with JAL will also decrease from 12,500 miles in Economy and 30,000 miles in Business to 7,500 miles and 15,000 miles respectively, as will the carrier’s shorter international flights like Tokyo to Seoul.
Starlux awards remain unaffected
Back in July, Alaska Mileage Plan added Starlux as an award redemption partner, and though we didn’t know it at the time, it actually revealed parts of this upcoming distance-based award chart in the process.
Short-haul Starlux awards using Alaska miles
(one-way, starting from)
| Route | Travel Class | ||
| Economy | Premium | Business | |
| Intra-Asia (short) |
7,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
| Intra-Asia (medium) |
25,000 | 32,500 | 50,000 |
| Intra Asia (long) |
30,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 |
These zones and rates are in fact the 1 -1,500 mile, 1,501 – 3,000 mile and 3,001 – 5,000 mile ones all Alaska partners will be using on intra-Asia routes from March 2024.
That does mean shorter one-sector Starlux flights, or two-sector itineraries via Taipei with a total distance of 1,500 miles or less, will continue to price at 7,500 Alaska miles in Economy Class and 15,000 Alaska miles in Business Class.
For example:
- Da Nang to Taipei
- Hanoi to Taipei
- Ho Chi Minh to Taipei
- Taipei to Tokyo Narita
- Macau to Okinawa via TPE
- Manila to Okinawa via TPE
Unfortunately these won’t help the majority of our readers too much – the use cases are quite limited.
Starlux’s long-haul flights to the USA will also retain their original rates (i.e. they always priced under the “new” chart), but these aren’t too attractive if you’re starting or ending your journey in Singapore, with 85,000 miles needed one-way in Business Class.
This will match with Cathay Pacific and JAL rates on Singapore – USA flights in Business Class from March 2024.
Practically all of the “sweet spots” in the Alaska Mileage Plan programme for Singapore and Asia-Pacific members are being decimated in March 2024, by the long-expected introduction of a harmonised award chart for partner award bookings.
This follows a no-notice devaluation of Japan Airlines awards using the programme back in March this year, doubling redemption rates in many cases. That had already significantly limited the benefits of holding Alaska miles in this region.
The latest news gives members around three months to lock in awards at current rates, but after that the value in this programme becomes extremely limited, primarily to some short routings of less than 1,500 miles in Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Unfortunately some of the best options for cashing out of Alaska miles – via a Cathay Pacific award – are practically unavailable to partners at the time of writing. Let’s hope that situation improves between now and March.
For now, look at options like Finnair and Qantas for the best ways to cash out.
(Cover Photo: Alaska Air)
Alaska
Alaska Airlines faces heat after UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets removed from flight: 'Shame on you'
Alaska Airlines is getting called out on social media after a clip surfaced showing a famous UFC fighter get into a dispute on-board until he was escorted off his flight. The video shows Russian hall of fame athlete Khabib Nurmgomedov debating airline staff in the U.S. while he was sitting in the exit row on the plane.
The video of the incident, which reportedly took place at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Saturday, shows an employee telling the 36-year-old mixed martial artist he either has to switch seats or get off the plane. “They’re not comfortable with you sitting in the exit row,” the worker added.
“It’s not fair,” said Nurmgomedov, who was reportedly flying to Los Angeles, to which the worker replied, “It is fair. Yes, it is.”
Nurmgomedov explained that when he was checking in for the flight, he was asked he if knew English, to which he said he did. The airline worker responded, “I understand that, but it’s also off of their judgement. I’m not going to do this back-and-forth. I will call a supervisor.”
The employee reiterated the athlete could either take a different seat on the plane, or staff could “go ahead and escort” him off the flight. She asked “which one are we doing?” and then replied to Nurmgomedov saying they were going to have to rebook him on a different flight.
Across social media, people have been calling out Alaska Airlines asking why they had him removed from the plane. Many called for others to boycott the airline, and some claimed the staff were profiling Nurmgomedov, who is Muslim.
“Why did you remove Khabib from your plane? His fans need to know! I hope he sues you,” an Instagram user wrote on the airline’s most recent post.
“Are you aware of who Khabib is? His legacy surpasses that of the entire airline,” another chimed in.
“Shame on you, Alaska Airline. We all boycotting them,” a TikTok user added.
“What is the reason!? Because they don’t feel comfortable he’s sitting by a window?” another questioned.
Neither Nurmgomedov or Alaska Airlines have yet commented on the situation.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – With a storm approaching and high winds in the forecast for a portion of Southcentral Alaska, experts recommend preparing for potential power outages and taking safety precautions.
Experts with the State of Alaska, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management recommended taking the initiative early in case of power outages due to strong weather.
Julie Hasquet with Chugach Electric in Anchorage said Saturday the utility company has 24/7 operators in case of outages.
“We watch the weather forecast, and absolutely, if there are power outages, we will send crews out into the field to respond,” Hasquet said.
She echoed others, saying it’s best to prepare prior to a storm and not need supplies rather than the other way around.
“With the winds that are forecast for tonight and perhaps into Sunday, people should just be ready that it could be some challenging times, and to be aware and cautious and kind of have your radar up,” Hasquet said.
For the latest weather updates and alerts, download the Alaska’s Weather Source app.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – More than 100 music professionals and music makers from Anchorage and across the state signed up to visit ‘The Nave’ in Spenard on Saturday for the annual Alaska Music Summit.
Organized by MusicAlaska and the Alaska Independent Musicians Initiative, the event began at 10 a.m. and invited anyone with interest or involvement in the music industry.
“The musicians did the work, right,” Marian Call, MusicAlaska program director said. “The DJ’s who are getting people out, the music teachers working at home who have tons of students a week for $80 an hour, that is real activity, real economic activity and real cultural activity that makes Alaska what it is.”
Many of the attendees on Saturday were not just musicians but venue owners, audio engineers, promoters and more, hence why organizers prefer to use the term “music makers.”
The theme for the summit was “Level Up Together” a focus on upgrading professionalism within the musicmaking space. Topics included things like studio production, promotion, stagecraft, music education policy.
“We’re kind of invisible if we don’t stand up for ourselves and say, ‘Hey, we’re doing amazing stuff,‘” Call said.
On Sunday, participants in the summit will be holding “office hours” at the Organic Oasis in Spenard. It is a time for music professionals to network, ask questions and share ideas on music and music making.
“You could add us to the list of Alaskan cultural pride,” Call said. “You could add us to your conception of being Alaskan. That being Alaskan means you wear Carhartts, and you have the great earrings by the local artisan, and you know how to do the hand geography and also you listen to Alaskan music proudly.”
The event runs through Sunday and will also be hosted in February in Juneau and Fairbanks.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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