New applicants for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card get 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s famous companion fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.
Whether you’re looking for business-class flights to Australia and Asia or looking to use Alaska Airlines’ friendly stopover policy, there are many reasons why you want Alaska miles. However, do note that a new award chart came into effect in March. Plus, with the merger between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, you have more new and exciting flight options.
Let’s take a look at the details of this new offer from the Alaska Airlines Visa card.
Alaska Airlines Visa welcome offer
New applicants for the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card can get 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s famous companion fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days from account opening.
Based on TPG’s October 2024 valuations, those 60,000 miles are worth $870. Plus, by meeting the same minimum spending requirement, new applicants will also earn a (very) discounted companion ticket by just paying for the taxes and fees associated with it.
It’s hard to peg an exact value on the companion ticket since you can use it for essentially any economy ticket across the carrier’s domestic and international network (though not on partner airlines). This includes one-way, round-trip and multicity routings. However, it can easily put hundreds of dollars back in your pocket on your next Alaska flight.
The card has a $95 annual fee.
THE POINTS GUY
It’s also worth pointing out that Alaska Airlines does offer targeted bonuses on this card on the final page when booking a flight online. Be sure to try that avenue to see if you receive an even better offer.
Card benefits
The card itself comes with a nice lineup of perks and benefits.
You’ll earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on eligible gas, local transit (including ride-hailing apps), electric vehicle charging stations, cable and select streaming services and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
You’ll also receive priority boarding on Alaska Airlines flights for you and up to six guests on the same reservation when you pay for your flight with your card.
ALASKA AIRLINES
Your first checked bag is free for you and up to six guests on your same reservation, but again, you need to pay for your flights with your Alaska Airlines Visa card to qualify for this benefit. Priority boarding and checked bag benefits also apply to authorized users in your account, even if the primary cardholder isn’t traveling on that reservation.
While Alaska Airlines lounges have no day pass benefits, you can save $100 on an Alaska Lounge+ membership when paying with your Alaska Airlines credit card. Also, if you make inflight purchases with this card, you’ll receive a 20% rebate on food, beverage and Wi-Fi purchases.
In addition, the companion fare benefit is an annual perk granted to you each account anniversary after spending $6,000 or more within the prior anniversary year (in addition to the companion fare included in the welcome offer).
Furthermore, you’ll receive a 10% bonus on miles earned if you have an eligible qualifying bank account with Bank of America.
Plus, with new changes to the Mileage Plan program, cardholders can earn MVP Elite status starting on Jan 1, 2025, by spending on the car. It does require a large amount of spend to reach, but it’s a nice option to have if you’re chasing status.
Additionally, Alaska Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance, adding additional partners for earning and redeeming your miles. Additionally, you can now earn Alaska Airlines EQMs on award flights, making it easier to reach MVP elite status.
CATHAY PACIFIC
One of our favorite uses of Alaska miles is to book Cathay Pacific’s incredibly luxurious premium cabins. One-way awards from the U.S. to Asia start from 85,000 miles in business class or 130,000 miles in first class — though availability can be hard to find.
This current offer on the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card may not be the highest it’s ever been, but it does offer the chance to earn a good haul of miles without exorbitant spending requirements and comes with a generous companion offer. Make sure to brush up on the rules for applying for Bank of America cards, including the 2/3/4 rule, which limits consumers to only being approved for up to four new cards in a 24-month period.
Alaska miles offer some of the best value for premium cabin redemptions. This is a compelling option if you’re in the market for a new airline card, especially if you are looking at jump-starting your way to elite status in 2025.
Back in July, Capital One closed applications for its popular Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. The card was a favorite among cash-back enthusiasts thanks to its impressive bonus categories and a low annual fee of $95.
Capital One’s credit card lineup can be confusing with its similarly named credit cards, and it’s about to get a little more baffling. Starting Tuesday, the no-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card will be rebranded and called the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Slightly confusing, we know. Let’s explore what’s changing and what this means for existing and new cardholders.
New welcome offer
New cardholders can receive a $250 bonus after spending $500 within the first three months from account opening. This offer falls between the now-canceled Savor credit card and the SavorOne credit card offers we’ve seen in the past.
THE POINTS GUY
In addition, the card is getting a refreshed design, which will help distinguish it from the previous Savor Cash Rewards credit card, which closed to new cardholders earlier this year.
What will happen to existing cardholders?
Existing SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card holders will see the card’s name change on their accounts when signed in on capitalone.com, in the mobile app and on their monthly statement after Tuesday.
ALEKSANDERNAKIC/GETTY IMAGES
If a SavorOne cardholder’s card expires, is lost or is stolen, they will be issued a new card starting in November, reflecting the Savor name change and new card design.
What’s staying the same?
Do not let the SavorOne Cash Rewards card name change trick you into believing new benefits or perks are headed your way. The card will still have no annual fee and continue offering unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
It’s strange that Capital One would rebrand the SavorOne to a card it recently closed to new applicants, but what do you expect from an issuer that has nomenclature issues with its lineup offering various Venture, Quicksilver and Spark products?
Overall, this is a name change with no added benefit for existing or new cardholders. At most, you can rejoice that your “new” Savor card draws upon the legacy of the true Savor Rewards credit card that was applauded in cash-back-reward circles.
Adding to its already lengthy portfolio of hotel transfer partners, Citi ThankYou Rewards is now a transfer partner of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Preferred Hotels & Resorts offers a collection of over 650 luxury boutique properties in more than 80 countries.
You can now transfer your Citi points to the hotel’s loyalty program, I Prefer Hotel Rewards, at a 1:4 ratio. This means that for every 1,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards points you transfer, you’ll get 4,000 I Prefer points.
Currently, Citi is also a transfer partner of four hotel loyalty programs (or five, if you count Virgin Red Airlines + Hotels), including:
Accor Live Limitless (2:1 transfer rate)
Choice Privileges (1:2 transfer rate)
The Leading Hotels of the World’s Leaders Club (5:1 transfer rate)
Wyndham Rewards (1:1 transfer rate)
While I Prefer may not be on your radar, Citi is the first major credit card rewards currency to partner with the hotel loyalty program. But is it worth it to transfer to and redeem your hard-earned ThankYou Rewards points with Preferred Hotels & Resorts?
Transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points to Preferred Hotels & Resorts
In 2023, Preferred Hotels & Resorts revitalized its I Prefer loyalty program, making it easier for members to track their rewards earnings and book future stays online with points. Though Preferred Hotels & Resorts, which is part of Preferred Travel Group, has a much smaller portfolio compared to World of Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott, award stays at some hotels start at just 15,000 points per night, per the loyalty program’s website.
However, when searching for award availability on the Preferred Hotels & Resorts website, only three hotels displayed award prices, even though there are over 500 hotels participating in the I Prefer loyalty program. Whether it’s a mistake on the website’s end or not, a non-user-friendly experience is definitely something that would deter me from transferring my Citi points.
PREFERRED HOTELS
But is this a good transfer partnership, even when factoring out the tech issues? It depends on the room rate and the cost of points needed to book. For example, award prices for a stay at the Inn by the Sea, an oceanfront luxury property in Maine, start at 100,000 I Prefer points per night.
PREFERRED HOTELS
For a two-night stay in a traditional room in March, you would pay $848.48 (including taxes and fees). If I were to book this with points, I would pay 200,000 I Prefer points plus $68.38 in taxes and fees. Therefore, to book this two-night stay with Citi ThankYou Rewards points, I would need to transfer 50,000 points.
TPG values Citi ThankYou Rewards points at 1.8 cents per point, per our October 2024 valuations, which means we value 50,000 points at $900. Since the cash price for a two-night stay in a traditional room at this hotel is less than $900, this redemption would not be maximizing my Citi points.
PREFERRED HOTELS
However, a garden suite at this property would cost $1,032.87 (including taxes and fees) for the same two-night stay. If I were to book this room with I Prefer points, it would cost the same as a traditional room: 200,000 points plus $68.38 in taxes and fees. Based on our valuations, transferring my Citi points to I Prefer for this redemption would give me a good value for my points.
Additionally, if you see a Preferred Hotels & Resorts property that catches your eye, you may be able to book that hotel using Choice points. Choice Privileges has a partnership with more than 300 Preferred Hotels & Resorts that allows Choice members to book award nights starting at 20,000 points.
Though this partnership underwent a bit of a devaluation this summer, you can still find some good deals. Plus, Citi is a transfer partner of Choice Privileges at a 1:2 rate; therefore, for every 1,000 Citi points you transfer, you’ll receive 2,000 Choice points.
Best credit cards to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points
If you’re wanting to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points, here are the cards offering lucrative welcome bonuses:
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. A higher offer may be available through Citi.com.
Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 on purchases with your card within three months of account opening.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
ALEXANDER SPATARI/GETTY IMAGES
Bottom line
While Citi continues to expand its transfer partner portfolio, adding I Prefer to its list, the hotel loyalty program’s website is not super easy to navigate, with award prices only showing a list of three hotels. That has to be a tech mistake, right? Either way, a 1:4 transfer ratio is pretty decent, but it’s best to compare cash rates versus how many points you’ll need for your award redemption.
As always, TPG does not recommend transferring points without a specific redemption in mind and without finding availability on the hotel’s and/or airline’s website first. Points transfers are irreversible, so the last thing you want to do is to be stuck with a bunch of points that you can’t use.
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.
If you’re familiar with TPG’s valuations, you’ll notice transferable rewards currencies such as American Express Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points consistently rank as some of the most valuable rewards.
You can earn these rewards with some of the best travel credit cards. But what makes these rewards particularly valuable is the ability to transfer them to various airline and hotel programs — hence why we refer to them as transferable rewards.
GISELLEFLISSAK/GETTY IMAGES
If you look at TPG’s valuations, you’ll notice you almost always “lose” value when transferring these rewards. For example, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, but because our October 2024 valuations value Chase points at 2.05 cents each and Hyatt points at 1.7 cents each, you’d “lose” 0.35 cents per point with this transfer.
You might wonder why we value transferable rewards more than airline miles and hotel points. In this story, I’ll discuss what makes transferable points valuable and why you should earn transferable points.
Diversify your exposure
With so many devaluations, it’s no secret that points and miles are a poor long-term investment. That’s why we don’t recommend hoarding points and miles. But if you want to build a stash of rewards for an upcoming trip, one of the best ways to protect yourself against devaluations is by earning transferable rewards.
PIXELSEFFECT/GETTY IMAGES
If you have a chunk of your points and miles in a single loyalty program, you will lose significantly if a devaluation occurs. But with transferable rewards, you can transfer to the program with the most appealing award rates once you’re ready to book.
Transferable rewards also give you more flexibility than any single airline or hotel loyalty program.
For instance, if you’ve been accruing Delta SkyMiles on the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, you’re limited to redeeming your miles within the SkyMiles program. If you need to fly from New York City to London on a specific date and the flight is 100,000 Delta miles, that’s your only redemption option.
TPG’s valuations give transferable rewards higher valuations than the currencies of the airline and hotel programs you could transfer to since transferable points allow for more flexibility.
The major credit card rewards currencies routinely offer transfer bonuses. You can transfer your rewards at a better ratio with a transfer bonus. Normally, these range between 15% and 40%.
MORSA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
Depending on what’s available when you’re ready to book, a favorable transfer bonus may boost the value you can get from your transferable rewards. You might even get enough points or miles for premium economy seats if you transfer the rewards you’d typically need for economy seats during a transfer bonus.
Now you know why transferable rewards are more valuable than airline miles and hotel points. Here’s some information to consider about each of the major transferable rewards programs.
With transferable credit card rewards, you can convert your hard-earned rewards into points and miles with various hotel and airline loyalty programs. By doing so, you can avoid losing value when one hotel or airline program devalues its rewards. Plus, you can explore a vast network of partners and choose the one that offers the most value and benefits for each redemption instead of being limited to a single airline or hotel program.
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information. Citi is a TPG advertising partner.
Citi closed applications for its premium ThankYou Rewards card, the Citi Prestige® Card, in July 2021. However, some cardmembers, myself included, have kept the card and continued paying its $495 annual fee because of its valuable benefits.
Our Citi Prestige Card review explains all the benefits and why you should consider keeping the card if you already have it. But in this guide, I’ll discuss just one of the card’s unique perks: its complimentary fourth-night hotel benefit. This benefit, more commonly known as the Citi Prestige fourth-night free, gives you a fourth night free on up to two stays per calendar year. Here’s what you need to know.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
What is the Citi Prestige fourth-night free benefit?
The complimentary fourth-night hotel benefit is a perk available to Citi Prestige cardmembers. This perk gives you a fourth night free on up to two hotel stays each calendar year.
To enjoy a complimentary fourth night, you must:
Book a minimum of a four-consecutive-night hotel stay through the Citi Travel site or by calling 1-833-737-1288.
Pay for your stay with your Citi Prestige Card, Citi ThankYou points or a combination of ThankYou points and your Citi Prestige Card.
Citi bases the fourth night benefit on your stay’s average nightly rate, excluding taxes and fees. The price you pay during booking includes the fourth-night benefit savings. Additionally, the fourth-night benefit has the following restrictions and requirements:
Bookings can only be made in the primary cardmember’s or authorized user‘s name.
Only one complimentary night is possible per stay. Citi considers back-to-back stays to be one stay, so you can’t use two fourth-night benefits on back-to-back reservations at the same property.
For group reservations or other reservations consisting of multiple rooms, only one room will qualify for a complimentary night.
Reservations made through any party or channel other than the Citi Travel site or 1-833-737-1288 are not eligible for the fourth-night benefit.
Discount rates such as corporate codes, loyalty program member rates, government rates and AAA rates can’t be used. You can only book rates that are available through the Citi Travel website.
Finally, the fourth-night benefit doesn’t apply to some stay types. For example, it excludes yachts, riverboats, cruises, campgrounds, castles, safaris, villas, apartments and any properties not bookable through the Citi Travel website.
You can book a complimentary fourth-night stay in two ways: online through the Citi Travel site or by calling 1-833-737-1288. Since Citi removed the ability to book hotels that didn’t appear on the Citi Travel website over the phone on Oct. 1, 2021, now there’s no benefit to booking over the phone. So, here’s the process for booking a fourth-night stay online through the Citi Travel site.
Enter dates and destination
After you log in to your Citi account and navigate to the Citi Travel portal, select “Hotels” and enter your destination, dates and the number of guests before clicking “Search.”
CITI.COM
Select a hotel
The next page should return a list of available properties near your destination. You can filter the results by property type, collection type, star rating, neighborhood, room offers, payment options, property facilities, guest rating and more.
CITI.COM
Choose your room and rate
Once you select a hotel, you’ll usually see multiple room types available for booking.
CITI.COM
Pay for your stay
On the next page, you can decide whether to use your complimentary fourth-night hotel benefit. For this stay, doing so would drop the four-night cost from $1,847 to $1,531.
Once you confirm your guest details, click “Continue to payment.” On this page, you can choose how many points (if any) you’d like to redeem.
CITI.COM
You can apply points to hotel bookings at a rate of one cent per point. But this is far below TPG’s October 2024 valuation of Citi ThankYou points at 1.8 cents each. So I don’t recommend redeeming Citi ThankYou points for hotel bookings through Citi Travel.
Unfortunately, stays booked through Citi Travel usually won’t be eligible for points earning and elite benefits through hotel loyalty programs. The frequently asked questions section of the Citi Prestige card benefits notes, “Frequent traveler accounts cannot be used when booking via ThankYou.com or when calling the ThankYou travel center.”
This being said, you can always ask the hotel to add your loyalty number at check-in. Most hotels won’t offer elite benefits and earnings when you book through an online travel agency such as the Citi Travel portal. But even if you don’t earn points and stay credit, the individual property could decide to offer you some on-site elite benefits.
The lowest rates available through the Citi Travel website are often higher than the member rates available when booking directly with the hotel loyalty program. Plus, you usually won’t get elite benefits and earnings when booking through Citi Travel.
However, in some cases, you’ll find that Citi Travel offers rates similar to booking directly. For instance, booking the example stay discussed above directly with Atlantis would actually cost me a few cents more than booking through Citi Travel without the fourth-night benefit (and $317 more than booking through Citi Travel with the fourth-night benefit).
ATLANTISBAHAMAS.COM
Likewise, booking a flexible member rate at The Coral through Marriott Bonvoy would cost $1,808 — $39 less than through Citi Travel without a fourth night free but $277 more than through Citi Travel with a fourth night free. However, I’d get Marriott Bonvoy earnings on my room rate if I booked my stay through Marriott.
MARRIOTT.COM
In general, you’ll get better value from the complimentary fourth-night benefit when you use it at luxury hotels and hotels that don’t participate in major loyalty programs. However, I recommend considering the net cost — the out-of-pocket cost minus elite earnings and credit card earnings — of each of your favorite booking methods when deciding how to book a stay.
Longtime cardholders will lament how the Citi Prestige fourth-night-free benefit is not nearly as valuable as it once was. Indeed, this perk was once one of the best Citi Prestige benefits, whereas now I don’t even use it once most years since I value getting hotel elite status benefits and earnings on my stays. However, the perk can still provide value, especially if you carefully consider when and how to use your two free-night benefits each year.
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the lastest information.
Despite being smaller than the Big Three legacy carriers, Alaska Airlines has gained popularity among American travelers thanks to its loyalty program, Mileage Plan.
As a member of Oneworld, the program offers numerous high-value partnerships with airlines like American Airlines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific. Additionally, it has nonalliance partnerships with airlines such as Icelandair, Singapore Airlines and LATAM, providing a wide range of options for earning and using miles.
This guide will discuss the ins and outs of how you can currently redeem Alaska miles, details on its elite status program and more.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan overview
KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Mileage Plan is Alaska Airlines’ frequent flyer program. You earn Alaska miles by flying with Alaska or its partner airlines. The program also offers additional earning partners, such as a shopping portal, dining program and cobranded credit cards. Once you accumulate miles, you can redeem them for travel on Alaska or its partners.
Mileage Plan includes an elite status program with four tiers: MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold 100K. Each tier includes upgrades, preferred seating and bonus mileage earned on Alaska flights. Elite members also enjoy limited benefits on Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines and other Oneworld partners.
Alaska Airlines is known for its huge suite of airline partners, which includes airlines in Oneworld and other alliances.
Oneworld alliance partners
Alaska joined Oneworld in late March 2021. This means that the airline is now a partner with these airlines:
American Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect)
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
Nonalliance airline partners
Alaska has partnered with airlines outside Oneworld for years now. We’re hopeful these nonalliance partnerships will remain long-term now that Alaska is a Oneworld airline, but only time will tell. Here’s the full list of Alaska’s other airline partners to earn and redeem miles with:
Alaska Airlines has four elite status tiers. In 2024, Alaska changed the way customers earn elite status and no longer requires members to fly a minimum number of Alaska flights. To qualify, you need to earn a set number of elite qualifying miles.
Status tier
Required number of EQMs
MVP
20,000
MVP Gold
40,000
MVP Gold 75K
75,000
MVP Gold 100K
100,000
With Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines’ merger, the carriers are also offering an elite status match at this time.
If you have:
You’ll be matched to:
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold status
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K or MVP Gold 100K status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Gold status
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP status
HawaiianMiles Pualani Platinum status
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold status
Plus, if you’re close to qualifying for elite status, the airlines are offering members the opportunity to combine their elite qualifying miles to achieve status.
Combined EQM balance:
Status you’ll get with Mileage Plan:
Status you’ll get with HawaiianMiles:
20,000 EQMs
MVP
Pualani Gold
40,000 EQMs
MVP Gold
Pualani Platinum
75,000 EQMs
MVP Gold 75K
Pualani Platinum
100,000 EQMs
MVP Gold 100K
Pualani Platinum
Though Alaska and Hawaiian plan to unite under one loyalty program in 2025, no details have been released at this time on the upcoming elite status tiers, qualification requirements and/or benefits.
Plus, since merging with Hawaiian Airlines, Amex members can now transfer their Membership Rewards points to HawaiianMiles and then transfer those miles to Mileage Plan at a 1:1 rate. However, in an interview with TPG, Brett Catlin, Alaska’s vice president of loyalty, alliances and sales, hinted that this transfer option may not be around in the foreseeable future.
“Our intent is not to have a transferable currency where guests can earn across competitor cards, to be totally honest,” he noted.
Additionally, you can still earn miles by flying with various airline partners. Alaska Airlines also offers two cobranded credit cards, a shopping portal and a dining rewards program to help you accumulate more miles.
Earn miles when flying with Alaska Airlines
Mileage Plan is an airline loyalty program, so naturally, you can earn when you fly with Alaska Airlines.
Unlike other major U.S. airlines, Alaska continues to award miles based on the actual length of a flight. You’ll earn 1 mile per 1 physical mile flown in standard economy. Saver tickets earn 30% of the miles flown. A one-way flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) earns 2,586 miles in standard economy, as that’s how long the flight is.
First-class tickets receive a minimum 50% mileage bonus, resulting in higher mileage earnings. For example, a flight from SFO to JFK would earn 3,879 redeemable miles. Note that this bonus applies only to paid first-class tickets, not upgrades. Elite members also earn bonus miles on all Alaska flights. For instance, an MVP Gold 75K member flying from SFO to JFK in first class would earn 5,818 miles with their 125% bonus.
Bonus miles can accumulate quickly for frequent travelers. Additionally, higher-fare economy classes offer bonus miles, although they may be more expensive than standard economy tickets. You can refer to Alaska’s website for more information about earning Alaska miles on Alaska flights.
You can credit partner flights to Mileage Plan, allowing you to earn both redeemable and elite qualifying miles. The miles earned depend on the airline, flight length and fare class. To determine the earning levels, visit Alaska’s partner page and locate the earning chart for the specific partner and fare class. Multiply your flight’s distance by the percentage in the “Miles earned (total)” column.
For flights operated by partner airlines with Alaska “AS” flight numbers, all flights follow the earning structure below:
ALASKAAIR.COM
However, starting in 2025, Alaska is offering members who book international first- and business-class tickets on partners the opportunity to earn more miles when booking through Alaskaair.com. But starting in 2025, if you book tickets through a partner website, you will earn less Alaska miles.
Alaska Airlines has two cobranded credit cards with Bank of America: a personal card and a business card.
These let you earn Alaska miles on your everyday spending and offer solid welcome bonuses. The cards include other inflight benefits, including an annual Companion Fare that helps offset their annual fees.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: The Alaska Airlines Visa credit card is Alaska’s personal credit card. New cardholders can buy one Alaska Airlines ticket and get one for just the taxes and fees starting from $23 ($0 fare), plus 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. This card earns 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska purchases; 2 miles per dollar on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases; and 1 mile per dollar spent everywhere else. You also get a free checked bag on all Alaska flights and 20% back on inflight purchases.
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card: The Alaska Airlines Visa Business card is simply the business version of the personal Alaska card. Get 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Companion Fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. The card earns 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases; 2 miles per dollar on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including ride share) purchases; and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Plus, for cardholders of the business or personal Alaska credit card, starting Jan. 1, 2025, you will earn 1 elite qualifying mile for every $3 spent (up to 30,000 EQMs each year).
Bilt Rewards members can now transfer points to Alaska Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio. This is huge news for award travelers, as Marriott Bonvoy points are the only other major transferable currency that transfers to Alaska Mileage Plan.
Alaska Airlines cardholders can earn 3 miles per dollar spent (on up to $50,000 annually) when using their Alaska Airlines Visa credit card to pay rent through Bilt.
Transfer HawaiianMiles to Alaska Mileage Plan
Following the merger of the two carriers, HawaiianMiles can be transferred to Alaska Mileage Plan at a 1:1 rate. Since Alaska is part of Oneworld alliance, this opens up a slew of redemption partners, such as American Airlines.
Additionally, Hawaiian Airlines is currently a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards; Amex points can be transferred to HawaiianMiles at a 1:1 rate. However, as mentioned earlier, it’s safe to say that the Amex transfer option will eventually become obsolete.
If you already have the Alaska credit cards in your wallet, you may want to consider opening a Hawaiian Airlines cobranded credit card. If you’re looking to secure a large sum of Hawaiian and/or Alaska miles, these Hawaiian Airlines cards are currently offering the following welcome bonuses.
Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 70,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 90 days.
Hawaiian Airlines® Business Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
The information for the Hawaiian Mastercard and Hawaiian Business Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Other ways to earn Alaska miles
You can earn miles using the Mileage Plan Shopping portal when shopping online and the Mileage Plan Dining program when dining out.
On the shopping side, Mileage Plan Shopping awards bonus miles whenever you click through the Alaska portal before making an online purchase. It offers bonus miles with hundreds of different merchants, including Apple and Saks Fifth Avenue. Each merchant awards a different number of miles per dollar spent, and rates can fluctuate frequently.
Watch out for shopping portal deals offered by Mileage Plan Shopping. It occasionally runs limited-time bonuses where you can earn extra miles by spending a specific amount of money.
Mileage Plan Dining is another opportunity to earn bonus miles. Create an account on the Mileage Plan Dining website and link your credit cards. You’ll earn Alaska points and miles from your credit card by dining at participating restaurants. Use a card that offers bonus points on dining for maximum benefits.
The miles you earn depend on your Mileage Plan Dining membership tier. These include:
Basic members: 1 mile per 2 dollars spent
Select members: 3 miles per dollar spent, earned after you enroll in email communications from Mileage Plan Dining
VIP members: 5 miles per dollar spent, earned after you enroll in email communications and dine at participating restaurants 11 times in a calendar year
You can earn 500 bonus Alaska miles after your first purchase. To qualify, spend $30 at a participating restaurant and review it on the Mileage Plan Dining website.
You can use your Alaska miles for flights on Alaska Airlines and its partner airlines. The best value is often found when redeeming on partner airlines, especially for international first- or business-class flights.
Awards offered by Alaska Airlines are dynamically priced. Your price for a specific award ticket varies by route and day.
You’ll generally find the lowest-priced awards on short flights — think Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Portland International Airport (PDX) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to SFO.
On the airline’s website, you’ll see award pricing for all of Alaska’s partners, depending on the region you are traveling to.
ALASKAAIR.COM
All partner awards are now dynamically priced. For instance, American Airlines award flights in the U.S. and Canada now only have starting prices and then “vary depending on demand.”
ALASKAAIR.COM
You can add stopovers to one-way award tickets
One of the great advantages of booking partner tickets with Alaska Airlines is the ability to add stopovers to one-way award tickets. Booking a ticket with a stopover costs the same as a nonstop flight to your final destination.
You can have a stopover operated by Alaska Airlines or a single partner in its hub city.
For example, you can book a ticket from JFK to London on British Airways, spend a few days in London, and then continue to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) on British Airways. This should cost the same number of miles as a flight from JFK to FCO, provided the itinerary does not fall into the next-highest band.
You can book most award tickets on alaskaair.com. Log in to your account and enter your search criteria on the home page, ensuring you select the “Use miles” option for award flights. Click “Find flights” to search and view available options in the center of the screen. If you find a suitable ticket, select it and click “Add to cart” to proceed with booking.
For booking stopovers, click the “All search options” link on the homepage and select “multicity” under the “Flight type” header. Enter your flights and search for connecting tickets. All available options will be displayed in the center of the screen. If you find a desirable itinerary, book your ticket as usual.
Plus, Alaska announced this month that Mileage Plan members will begin earning elite qualifying miles on award flights starting Jan. 1, 2025.
Mileage Plan redemption sweet spots
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Now that you know about Mileage Plan, let’s explore some top ways to use your Alaska miles.
Business class to Fiji and Australia/New Zealand: One-way business-class seats on Fiji Airways now start at 75,000 Alaska Airlines miles. You could fly to New Zealand and Australia, with a stopover in Fiji for just 10,000 miles more.
Domestic flights within Australia: Alaska’s Oneworld partner Qantas operates many wide-body services on the “golden triangle” routes between Sydney Airport (SYD), Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Brisbane Airport (BNE). These flights can be booked in economy class starting at 7,500 Alaska miles each way for journeys of 1,500 miles or less.
Business class to the United Kingdom: While many flight routes from North America to Europe will fall within the 3,501-5,000-mile range, such as a flight from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) costing 55,000 miles in business class, there are several routes from the East Coast to the United Kingdom that will only cost 45,000 Mileage Plan miles in business class as they are under 3,500 miles, such as the New York-to-London route.
Book South America flights on LATAM: Despite having left the Oneworld alliance, LATAM maintains a partnership with Alaska Airlines. By taking advantage of the free stopover, you can book flights like Miami to Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) to Santiago International Airport (SCL), allowing you to experience two vibrant South American cities in one trip from just 25,000 miles for economy and 50,000 miles for business class each way.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is a top airline loyalty program, thanks to its wide range of partners and reliable award charts. Additionally, with its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and updated program announcements, there are many notable benefits to the Mileage Plan loyalty program.
However, it remains to be seen how the impending joint loyalty program between the two carriers will follow Alaska’s current Mileage Plan program. For us, we hope it’s not a total devaluation of a valuable airline program.
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information.
United Airlines has launched a new round of Mile Play promotions, which award bonus miles to targeted members after they complete specific tasks. Now’s a good time to check your eligibility and register — even if you’re unsure about your upcoming travel plans.
To see if you’re eligible and to register, visit United’s Mile Play page. Enter your MileagePlus number, check the box stating you aren’t a robot and click “Start Mile Play.”
As is normal with these promotions, offers vary widely from one member to another. United may not have targeted some members for Mile Play, while others will see different rewards and requirements to earn them. We checked around the TPG team and found varying offers.
Examples of United’s Mile Play offers
TPG Senior Director of Content Summer Hull received an offer for 5,000 bonus miles if she takes three trips of $300 or more by Dec. 13.
TPG’s managing cruise editor, Erica Silverstein, has Premier Silver status. She received an offer to book and take a trip three times to get 5,000 bonus miles; each fare must be $175 or more.
UNITED.COM
Senior Travel Editor Lyndsey Matthews, who does not hold MileagePlus status, received an offer to book and take a trip three times to earn 7,000 bonus miles; each fare must be more than $100.
Associate Credit Cards Writer Chris Nelson, who has Premier Silver status, received an offer to earn 6,800 bonus miles by booking and taking two trips; each fare must be $250 or more.
UNITED.COM
Other TPG staffers and their loved ones received the following offers:
Earn 3,100 bonus miles after you book and take two trips, each with a fare of $175 or more.
Earn 7,500 bonus miles after you book and take five trips, each with a fare of $100 or more.
Keep in mind that to count toward these promotions, trips generally must be booked and flown after you register and before the promotion’s end date (Dec. 13). So if you already have a trip planned during the Mile Play window, it won’t qualify (though you might consider canceling and rebooking it). And unless otherwise noted in your offer’s terms, only paid flights marketed and operated by United and United Express will count toward Mile Play offers.
Best cards to use for United flights
Whether or not you’re targeted for this promotion, you can earn lots of bonus United miles by opening a cobranded credit card. Here’s a look at the current welcome bonuses on select United cards:
United℠ Explorer Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
United Quest℠ Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
United Club℠ Infinite Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
United Gateway℠ Card: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
United℠ Business Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
Although cobranded credit cards can help you earn United miles, you may earn more rewards when you book with one of the best cards for airfare purchases. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
Bottom line
Even if you don’t have any upcoming travel plans with United, it’s worth registering and considering whether it’s time to plan a trip. If you have any flights booked that are fully refundable — with United or other airlines — you should consider whether your Mile Play offer is compelling enough for you to cancel and rebook with United.
Five new long-distance domestic flights are coming to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
After months of public and behind-the-scenes jockeying among airlines and lawmakers, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced tentative approval for the airlines — and cities — awarded these highly-coveted flight rights.
A DOT spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed to TPG the new routes airlines that are tentatively approved to soon launch.
Those include:
American Airlines, with nonstop service from DCA to San Antonio International Airport (SAT).
Alaska Airlines, with nonstop service from DCA to San Diego International Airport (SAN).
Delta Air Lines, with nonstop service from DCA to Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
Southwest Airlines, with nonstop service from DCA to Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).
United Airlines, with a second daily nonstop flight from DCA to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Tightly-restricted space
Airlines badly wanted these new routes. Reagan is easily the closest and most convenient airport to downtown Washington, just a short Metro or car ride away from the city center and key landmarks.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
However, for decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation has closely guarded DCA’s limited space.
DOT rules technically prohibit airlines from flying routes from Reagan to destinations beyond 1,250 statute miles.
However, over the years, Congress has authorized dozens of exceptions to these rules in the form of so-called “beyond perimeter exemptions.”
Each exception allows an airline to fly a specific DOT-approved route by way of a “slot pair” handed down by the agency. One “slot pair” includes one takeoff and one landing — in other words, a single round trip beyond the 1,250-mile perimeter.
Through the years, exemptions to the DCA perimeter rules have allowed a handful of airlines to establish transcontinental routes from Reagan to the West Coast by way of cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Denver — among others.
Current “beyond-perimeter” route map from DCA. CIRIUM
In May, Congress directed the DOT to hand out five additional slot pairs, in a controversial decision that came “over the strong opposition” of the airport’s governing body.
Along with lawmakers in the region, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has criticized Congressional decisions to add flights to already congested airspace at Reagan — and pointed to the comparably larger Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) as better suited for growth.
The total number of seats on domestic flights out of Reagan is set to rise nearly 19% in 2024 versus 2014, a decade ago, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Domestic seats out of Dulles were set to rise by just over 10%.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Nonetheless, the move sent airlines clamoring for potential new routes from Reagan to cities beyond the perimeter.
The DOT outlined highly specific criteria in late June that governed which airlines and routes might be eligible, with promises to base decisions on promoting competition and serving the public with the best connectivity to underserved routes.
These rules, no doubt, influenced which carriers even bothered applying.
Which airlines lost out?
Seven airlines applied for the five routes, with two ultimately left out.
Left out carriers include Spirit Airlines, which applied for a DCA nonstop to Norman Mineta International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, California, and JetBlue, which had proposed a second daily nonstop to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The airlines getting DCA’s new long-distance flights
Here’s a closer look at the routes that did win DOT approval:
Airline
Route
Notes
American Airlines
DCA-SAT
Expands the carrier’s hub operations at DCA.
American already operates four “long-distance” DCA routes to Austin, Las Veags, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Alaska Airlines
DCA-SAN
Connects the Seattle-based to its only largest West Coast hub without a DCA nonstop, along with LAX, San Francisco, Porland and Seattle.
Delta Air Lines
DCA-SEA
Adds competition to the DCA-SEA route currently served exclusively by Alaska.
Gives Delta a second beyond-perimeter DCA route, on top of existing Salt Lake City service.
Southwest
DCA-LAS
Gives the carrier a second beyond-perimeter destination, along with Austin.
Also adds competition to DCA-LAS route currently served exclusively by American.
United
DCA-SFO
The new route marks United’s second daily DCA nonstop to SFO, which it will now serve from all three major D.C. region airports.
United also flies a beyond-perimeter route from Reagan to Denver.
United plans to fly the route with a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
While the DOT’s announcement Wednesday is technically just tentative, airlines and cities awarded the routes already began celebrating the news.
“Today marks a significant milestone for San Antonio as we get one step closer to securing a nonstop flight between SAT and DCA,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement. “This connectivity between San Antonio and our nation’s capital is long overdue.”
Sometimes, those changes are huge, such as the introduction of categories that made finding the kind of place you want to book easier than ever (hello, castles!). Other times, the modifications are geared toward Airbnb hosts on the back end and affect travelers indirectly, like by requiring clearer checkout instructions or integrating smart locks into the app.
This year’s winter Airbnb release includes a mix of updates for both travelers and hosts, providing 50 new upgrades that’ll make the experience more personalized than ever. There are now ways for hosts to get help from experts to both list and manage their properties, and Airbnb will now provide tips on where people should book stays.
“We’re really trying to make the app much more personal,” Tara Bunch, Airbnb’s global head of operations, told TPG ahead of the winter release. She added that the company has a serious amount of data from users’ past stays and searches and wants to use that information to make finding the perfect Airbnb easier than ever.
Alongside the updates, Airbnb is also celebrating the platform’s 2 billionth stay (yes, billionth … with a b). And while that’s a huge accomplishment for the brand, it’s also a reminder of just how big the platform is, how many people use it and just how many listings there are for guests to comb through when planning a trip. For Bunch, this update peels back some of the layers of Airbnb and helps people get to the good part — the stay itself — more efficiently.
“The site has gotten big, you know, we’ve got an enormous amount of listings now, and it can be overwhelming,” she said. “So, we really want to make it less around planning the trip and more about enjoying the trip, and we want to make it easier.”
Here’s how Airbnb is doing exactly that.
AIRBNB
The Airbnb app gets more personal
Airbnb frequently changes the ways people interact with the platform, from making it easier to search its millions of listings to ensuring you only see properties that fit your specific needs. In its most current update, it’s zooming in on ways to make the app more personalized to you, your preferences and the places you travel.
“The idea is to get much more personal, sort of create some shortcuts for you because we know a lot about you,” Bunch explained. “While you might want to do something you’ve never done before, most people kind of tend to have some patterns that they tend to repeat.”
Here are the highlights, according to Airbnb:
Welcome tour: If you’re a first-time guest, Airbnb will help you get started with a guided tour of the app.
Suggested destinations: When you tap the search bar, Airbnb will recommend locations based on your search and booking history. It will also offer shortcuts to your past searches and your recently viewed listings.
Search tips: Throughout your search, Airbnb will offer relevant tips to help you find last-minute stays, discounts from hosts and more. For example, if you search for a six-day trip, it will suggest extending your trip by one day to take advantage of a weekly discount.
Recommended filters: Airbnb has redesigned search filters with recommendations based on your past bookings and current searches. It’s also made it easier to view, add and remove filters.
Personalized listing highlights: When you view a listing, Airbnb will highlight details that are relevant to your search — like a property’s playroom or backyard if you’re traveling with kids.
All-new checkout: If you’re a returning guest, Airbnb has simplified the booking process with a redesigned checkout page that is shorter and includes key details at a glance.
Local payments: You’ll soon have access to more than two dozen ways to pay around the world, including Vipps in Norway, MobilePay in Denmark and MoMo in Vietnam.
AIRBNB
The new co-host network
For folks who host on Airbnb or have been looking to, Airbnb is introducing a new network of more than 10,000 vetted co-hosts with expert ratings who can help manage bookings, offer insight into how to make homes and stays better for guests, set up new listings, and everything between.
This might not be the most interesting update for those of us who aren’t Airbnb hosts ourselves, but having more people working on a property (at least on the back end) allows for quicker and easier communication, more personalization and convenience, and — just maybe — a person on the ground closer to the home in case they’re ever needed.
“Oftentimes, the host doesn’t live near the property because it’s a vacation home for them, and this is a way for us to really improve that experience in these locations,” Bunch, who hosts an Airbnb about three hours away from her primary home, explained. “It’s not an easy place for me to just run up there if they, you know, need an extra set of sheets or some towels or something’s not working.” That’s when the co-host steps in.
Other updates and new features for hosts include new price suggestions based on similar listings that can be applied with a simple tap, presaved “quick replies” that can be automatically sent to guests and an improved earnings dashboard with custom reporting features.
Winter travel trends from Airbnb
With over 2 billion guest stays under its belt, Airbnb has its finger on the pulse of where people are traveling this fall and winter.
Here in the U.S., sports and concerts are a major driving force of travel, likely due to the return of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” to the U.S. and Canada, plus football and basketball season. Americans are also heading abroad for cultural celebrations like Dia de los Muertos in Guatemala City or to Zermatt, Switzerland, for Christmas markets.
Using Airbnb’s robust categories systems is a great way to dive deeper into the types of trips people want to take. This winter, the five most popular categories are Golfing, Amazing Pools, National Parks, Beach and Top Cities. Among those top-level searches, people are further narrowing down their searches by looking for listings that also include extra bells and whistles like pools, Wi-Fi, Jacuzzis, free parking and kitchens.
And for families and groups consisting of an average of four guests, Airbnb is sharing some popular destinations across the globe to inspire your next family vacation (preferably one with a Jacuzzi!).
Trending family domestic destinations among US guests
Fort Myers, Florida
Indianapolis, Indiana
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Sevierville, Tennessee
Columbus, Ohio
Broken Bow, Oklahoma
Sarasota, Florida
Aspen, Colorado
Stowe, Vermont
Davenport, Florida
Trending family destinations worldwide among US guests
The Atlanta-based carrier Tuesday announced plans for a cabin facelift for its planes, featuring updated seat coverings, new mood lighting, and an overall refresh for the airline’s cabin aesthetic across the fleet.
Now, don’t board your next Delta plane expecting to see the updated look; it’ll be a bit of a methodical rollout.
By the end of this year, Delta plans to retrofit one of its Boeing 757 jets serving domestic and short-haul international routes with the new appearance. The new aesthetic will make its way onto a brand-new Delta Airbus A350 serving long-haul routes in early 2025.
However, the carrier eventually hopes to give its entire fleet a new — and uniform— look, Delta said Tuesday.
“This refreshed cabin interior infused utility with beauty to create an atmosphere that feels fresh, elevated, and timeless while reflecting our customers’ evolving tastes and expectations,” Delta vice president of customer experience design Mauricio Parise said in a statement announcing the news.
Delta’s cabin refresh
DELTA AIR LINES
The changes will be evident as soon as you climb on board a Delta aircraft in the future. The airline’s royal blue seat coverings will be replaced by a much darker color palette, trimmed in bright red striping.
New Delta branding and motifs will be evident around the cabin, too. Delta’s shooting for an interior that “feels fresh, elevated and timeless,” as the company’s statement put it.
To be clear, Delta’s not getting all-new seats, so don’t expect a major hard product overhaul. This is more of a cosmetic update.
DELTA AIR LINES
The seats will get a new trim and finish, plus new cushions on its 757s.
On jets with the Delta One cabin, the carrier says its new leather seat covers — atop memory foam — are better for temperature regulation.
DELTA AIR LINES
And, Premium Select and domestic-style First Class seats will also get memory foam cushions, adorned in leather seat coverings.
DELTA AIR LINES
Plus, it wouldn’t be a cabin refresh without improved ambient lighting. Delta will offer a variety of mood lighting settings based on the stage of the flight, including a “warm and inviting” setting for boarding, with separate sunset and sunrise tones for overnight flights — not to mention a “candlelight” setting for dinner service.
DELTA AIR LINES
The cabin itself will get a new trim and look, too, including new dividers featuring a “celestial sky pattern” and additional Delta branding.
New cabin timeline
Again, you won’t see these changes right away. By late 2025, new jets delivered to Delta will have the updated look, a spokesperson told TPG.
Delta has dozens of wide-body aircraft slated for delivery in the coming years, including an order of 20 A350-1000s announced in January. That’s on top of hundreds of additional narrow-body jets from Airbus slated for the fleet in the coming years.
The airline is also planning to retrofit its existing fleet with the new look. However, there’s no timeline, yet, for when those refits might take place:
“Additional aircraft will receive the new cabin design as Delta’s schedule and operation allows over the next few years,” the carrier said.
Delta’s premium push
These aesthetic improvements come as Delta aims to position itself as the top premium airline in the U.S. — a mantle on which it’s gotten increased competition in recent years from United Airlines, itself in the midst of an ambitious cabin overhaul and fleet growth.
Executives regularly tout the high-dollar spending charged by its loyal SkyMiles members to its suite of cobranded American Express credit cards. Delta made $1.8 billion from its Amex partnership during the third quarter of this year, the company reported last week.
Now, it seems, the carrier hopes a touch-up for its cabins will give its planes a fresh look in the years to come.
