U.S. Aviation News: Alaska rolls out new promos to earn bonus miles

   

Earning Alaska miles — one of the most valuable currencies among the major U.S. airlines — just became easier with a couple limited-time promotions from the carrier.

The latest offer, available until Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET, offers Alaska Mileage Plan members a 1,000-mile bonus for taking a Lyft ride within the U.S. or Canada costing $15 or more (before taxes and fees).

This bonus is awarded on top of the standard earnings of Alaska miles with the rideshare company, which awards 1 mile per dollar spent on Lyft rides through this ongoing partnership. 

To participate, travelers must first select Alaska Mileage Plan as their preferred travel partner in the Lyft app. While other loyalty programs, like Hilton Honors or Delta SkyMiles, maintain their own partnerships with Lyft, bonus rewards will apply only within the selected program.

Alaska says that it may take up to 24 hours for the miles to appear after completing the Lyft ride.

In addition, miles are redeemable for future Alaska flights and on its partner carriers but do not count toward qualifying for elite status with the airline.

In addition, there are just a couple of days left to buy Alaska miles at a discounted rate. This sale ends on Thursday, Oct. 31, at 11:59 p.m. PT, with targeted bonuses of up to a 60 percent bonus:

  • Buy 3,000 to 19,000 miles, get a 40 percent bonus
  • Buy 20,000 to 39,000 miles, get a 50 percent bonus
  • Buy 40,000 to 100,000 miles, get a 60 percent bonus

At the best rate, each mile can be purchased for approximately 1.7 cents each. This is an excellent time to accumulate Alaska miles, especially with the added option to transfer miles from Hawaiian Airlines to Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio following the merger approval. 

“Mileage Plan helps you rack up miles from day one,” the airline shared on its website.

‘Whether you're booking a trip, dining out in your neighborhood, or shopping at your favorite stores—almost everything you do adds up to more travel rewards.”

These new opportunities enable travelers to earn Alaska miles quickly for upcoming flights, with one-way tickets starting at just 4,500 miles.