How is Alaska Airlines changing elite status qualifications in 2025?

Any regular West Coast flier in the US will tell you that Mileage Plan , the loyalty program from Alaska Airlines , is one of the best in the industry. Unlike many other airlines, Alaska still rewards miles based on distance flown rather than dollars spent, and it makes elite status easier to achieve and more rewarding, so it provides the best value per dollar spent for frequent fliers.

This value increased tremendously when Alaska joined the oneworld alliance in 2021, allowing miles to be earned and redeemed on some of the largest global carriers.

Now in 2025, Alaska has made further upgrades to Mileage Plan, significantly increasing the benefits to loyal travelers with enhancements to elite status qualification. Brett Catlin, vice president of loyalty at Alaska Airlines, describes it as follows:

“We’re on a multi-year journey to make the industry’s most generous loyalty program even more rewarding. In 2025, Mileage Plan members will have access to all-new, more frequent perks along with expanded ways to earn elite status, including on award travel. As we invest in a single loyalty platform with Hawaiian Airlines, even more will come later in the year.”

As you consider where to place your travel dollars for the year ahead, let’s take a closer look at what Alaska offers.

Mileage Plan Elite Status: A primer

Like most other loyalty programs, Alaska allows you to earn miles in a variety of ways, such as by flying on Alaska or partner airline flights or using the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card . These can be redeemed for air travel, hotel stays, car rentals, and other experiences.

Earning eligible miles (and/or flying eligible segments) also earns you Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs), which build up to earn you elite status. Alaska provides four levels of elite status:

• MVP: Earning 20,000 eligible miles or 30 eligible segments on flights with Alaska Airlines, oneworld alliance, and global partners. Must include a minimum of two flights operated by Alaska Airlines.
• MVP Gold: Earning 40,000 eligible miles or 60 eligible segments on flights with Alaska Airlines, oneworld alliance, and global partners. Must include a minimum of six flights operated by Alaska Airlines.
• MVP Gold 75K: Earning 75,000 eligible miles or 90 eligible segments on flights with Alaska Airlines, oneworld alliance, and global partners. Must include a minimum of 12 flights operated by Alaska Airlines.
• MVP Gold 100K: Earning 100,000 eligible miles or 140 eligible segments on flights with Alaska Airlines, oneworld alliance, and global partners. Must include a minimum of 24 flights operated by Alaska Airlines.

Why does elite status matter?

The primary benefit of achieving elite status is earning a mileage bonus. For example, achieving MVP status at 20,000 miles adds a 50% bonus to miles subsequently earned, while MVP Gold adds a 100% bonus, doubling the mile earning rate. This means you can earn miles faster and redeem more awards sooner.

In addition, elite status unlocks the opportunity for upgrades for you and a traveling companion, free checked bags, discounts on lounge access, and a range of other perks (see table below).

However, perhaps the biggest bonus of elite status is for international travelers, who can earn and redeem miles on long-haul flights with Alaska’s oneworld alliance partners.

For example, a loyal Alaska flier in Seattle who has earned their miles traveling up and down the West Coast can splurge those miles on a Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo or a British Airlines flight to London. All the while, they will enjoy reciprocal elite status on oneworld’s three status tiers:

• Alaska MVP = oneworld Ruby status: This tier provides seat selection benefits, preferred seating, and priority check-in.
• Alaska MVP Gold = oneworld Sapphire status: The biggest perk of this level is access to business-class lounges. In addition, you’ll also get priority boarding and increased baggage allowance.
• Alaska MVP Gold 75K and 100K elites = oneworld Emerald status: This tier offers access to first-class lounges, expedited security, first-class priority check-in, and extra baggage allowance.

The benefits are clear, and Alaska has just made it easier to achieve elite status (without requiring more EQMs to qualify for each loyalty tier), as well as adding new benefits along the way. Here are some of the interesting changes that are now active in 2025…

Earn EQMs on award flights

All award flights booked using Mileage Plan miles on Alaska and partner airlines will now count towards elite status and earn EQMs based on the distance flown. You earn one EQM per mile flown on an award ticket, regardless of the cabin you’re traveling in or the partner airline that you are traveling on. There are a couple of important rules:

• You need to be redeeming through Alaska Mileage Plan, so you can’t redeem miles through partner frequent flier programs and earn elite qualifying miles with Mileage Plan.
• You must have your Alaska Mileage Plan number on the reservation at the time of travel, and the person traveling gets credited the elite qualifying miles.

Mileage Plan has over two dozen airline partners, including oneworld alliance airlines and other select global partners, per the table below:

New milestone rewards available

Alaska has also introduced several new incremental tiers called ‘Milestone Moments.’ These are designed to provide an additional choice of rewards (outside of rewards when achieving the elite status tiers), transforming the Mileage Plan program into a ‘journey’ in which there are more frequent perks for loyal members of the program.

There are seven Milestone Moments available to Mileage Plan members:

10K Milestone

Choose one of the following perks:

• 750 bonus miles
• Pre-order a complimentary meal for your flight
• One complimentary WiFi pass
• Try MVP status for a trip
• Earn double miles with non-air partners
• Upgrade an Avis rental

30K Milestone

Choose one of the following perks:

• 2,500 bonus miles
• $25 off a future Alaska flight
• Four WiFi passes
• Try MVP Gold status for a trip
• $100 off an Alaska Lounge membership

55K Milestone

Choose two of the following perks:

• 5,000 bonus miles
• 10,000 miles off an Extras redemption
• Gift MVP for a trip
• One complimentary Lounge day pass
• Two upgrade certificates

85K Milestone

Choose two of the following perks:

• 15,000 bonus miles
• 25,000 miles off an Extras redemption
• Two complimentary Lounge day passes
• Two upgrade certificates
• Gift MVP Gold status for a trip
• Nominate someone for MVP status
• 10,000 elite-qualifying miles rolled over

150K, 200K, and 250K Milestones

Choose two of the following perks:

• 15,000 bonus miles
• 25,000 off an Extras redemption
• Two complimentary Lounge passes
• Two upgrade certificates
• 10,000 elite-qualifying miles rolled over

Other ways to earn elite status quicker

Alaska has also introduced other changes in 2025 that will allow Mileage Program members to earn elite status more quickly. Those members with an Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card can now earn EQMs as part of their credit card spend (previously, the card earned miles but no EQMs). The card will earn members one EQM for every $3 spent on qualifying purchases, up to a maximum of 30,000 EQMs per year.

Mileage Plan members can also earn EQM bonuses through other partners. Specifically, you can earn 1,000 EQMs for every 3,000 miles earned through the Mileage Plan shopping and dining portals and through non-airline partners like Avis, Lyft, Greenlight, and Marriott. Previously, you could earn bonus miles through these partners but not EQMs.

More upgrades to the program in 2025

Alaska also promises to upgrade the Mileage Plan program further in 2025. It is specifically focused on improving upgrades for members and their travel companions, with plans to prioritize its upgrade waitlist based on a member’s recent and long-term loyalty:

• Million Milers will receive the highest priority within their tier. After Million Milers, guests will be prioritized based on how many elite-qualifying miles they’ve earned, not how much they paid for their ticket.
• A traveling companion with an MVP member will now be eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades when traveling on the same reservation.
• Members with upgrade certificates will also be the first to know when confirmable upgrade space opens for their flight, receiving an alert so they won’t miss out.