This Airline Just Made It Easier to Earn Status—and It's Already Rated the No. 1 Domestic Airline Loyalty Program
The new tiers start at 10,000 miles and offer perks or status in increments.
Travelers can earn perks such as future flight credit or discounted lounge access.
It just got easier to experience the perks of frequent flier airline status.
Alaska Airlines recently announced it would be dropping the minimum mile requirement to only 10,000 miles for frequent flier perks with the airline. This means that it is now faster than ever to achieve benefits and perks by flying with the airline.
Alaska previously had a minimum of 20,000 miles to achieve its lowest status, called MVP. The next tier was 40,000, then 75,000, and finally 100,000 for the highest tier.
Starting at 10,000 miles, travelers can choose a perk including earning 750 bonus miles, or experiencing MVP status for a trip. The MVP status offers priority check-in, free checked bags, seating upgrades, and more.
Once a traveler hits the 20,000 mile threshold, they will earn MVP status overall, with all of the perks listed as well as Oneworld airline alliance Ruby status. The Oneworld alliance includes Alaska, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and Qatar Airways.
With each increment of 10,000 points, travelers unlock additional perks and statuses. For example, the 30,000 tier offers a perk of four Wi-Fi passes, or 2,500 bonus miles.
'We're on a multi-year journey to make the industry's most generous loyalty program even more rewarding,' Brett Catlin, the carrier's vice president of loyalty, said in a statement.
The loyalty program updates come at a time where other airlines have downgraded benefits for frequent fliers and customers, providing an opportunity for Alaska to potentially capture new business. For example, Southwest Airlines made headlines in March 2025 for ending its long-standing free bag policy on most tickets. Also in March, United Airlines increased fees and removed guest access for many members of its United Club airline lounge.
Alaska Airlines also offers a status match challenge, which means that if a passenger has a high tier of status on a competitor airline, Alaska will match that level of status for their own tier. For example, members of Southwest Airlines' rewards program at the A-List Preferred can get a match to MVP Gold, and members of United's program at the Platinum level can get a match to MVP Gold 75K.
In its annual report looking at the best frequent flyer programs, WalletHub recently named the Alaska Mileage Plan from Alaska Airlines the No. 1 in the country.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
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