September is the last month to qualify for Alaska Mileage Plan Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) for spending using the Alaska Airlines Visa Card. This is the first time that Alaska Airlines has used credit card spend to help passengers qualify for elite status. I will cover this promotion and all of the program promotions to help you either retain your current elite status or upgrade your status.
Elite Status Rollover For 2021
Like most airlines, Alaska will rollover your existing elite status for the 2021 benefit year. This means that if you don’t do anything this year, you will be able to keep your elite status. Alaska has gone beyond the other airlines with three EQM promotions.
EQM Rollover Into 2021
Alaska Airlines will rollover any EQMs earn during the period of January 1, 2020 through April 30, 2020. I had 23,216 miles post during that period and those EQMs will rollover to my account on January 1, 2021 for the 2021 qualifying year.
Earn a 50% Mileage Bonus On Flights Through 2020
Elite qualifying miles are determined by the base miles between point A and point B. Every time you connect with a different flight number, the base mileage counter starts over. Alaska Airlines awards a minimum of 500 miles per flight at a rate of one mile earned to every mile flown.
Alaska Airlines also awards EQM bonus miles for higher price tickets:
- First class fares F, P and I receive an EQM bonus of 75% over the base miles,
- Economy fares Y and S receive an EQM bonus of 50% over the base miles and
- Economy fares M and B receive an EQM bonus of 25% over the base miles.
The “Fast Track To Status” promotion adds additional EQM earning at a rate of 50% of base mileage on top of any fare class bonus. This promotion applies to Alaska Airlines flights from June 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Terms and Conditions
50% bonus elite-qualifying mile offer terms: No registration required. All active Mileage Plan members will receive a 50% bonus on elite-qualifying miles earned on flights marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines between June 1 and December 31, 2020. Mileage for qualifying flights must be credited to the member’s Mileage Plan account. Not valid on free or award travel. The bonus elite-qualifying miles awarded as part of this promotion count toward elite status qualification only, are non-redeemable, and cannot be used toward award travel. All terms and conditions of the Mileage Plan program apply.
EQM Earning Through Credit Card Spending
If bonus EQMs, status and mile rollovers weren’t enough, you have another program to earn EQMs. Through September 30, 2020, you can earn 2,500 EQM for every $5,000 of spending using the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card. You can qualify for up to four bonus earnings up to 10,000 miles.
Terms and Conditions
Alaska Airlines Visa® bonus elite-qualifying mile offer terms: Qualified members can earn 2,500 elite-qualifying miles (maximum of 10,000) that count toward elite status qualification if they make any combination of purchase transactions totaling at least $5,000 (exclusive of any fees, including the annual fee, returns and adjustments) that post to an eligible Alaska Airlines Visa card between June 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020. Purchases from different Alaska Airlines accounts cannot be combined to reach the $5,000 threshold.
One individual can only earn a maximum of 10,000 elite-qualifying miles via this campaign, even if they hold multiple Alaska Airlines consumer and small business Visa cards. Elite-qualifying miles will be credited to your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account within the first two billing cycles after qualifying. To qualify for this offer, your credit card account must be open with active charging privileges.
Bank of America is not responsible for fulfillment of this elite-qualifying miles offer and posting of miles directly to your Alaska Mileage Plan account. Elite-qualifying miles will not appear on your credit card statement.
Elite-qualifying miles count toward elite status qualification only, are non-redeemable and cannot be used toward award travel. All Mileage Plan terms and conditions apply
Alaska Airlines Ends Change Fees
Today, Alaska Airlines announced the permanent end of change fees. You can read that post here.
Final Thoughts
Alaska Airlines has gone the extra mile to not only keep your 2020 status but make it easier to upgrade your status for 2021. Most airlines stopped at elite status rollover. Alaska has added rollover miles and bonus EQM earning opportunities to upgrade your elite status level.
