Here's Why Alaska Airlines Is Keeping Its Generous Frequent Flyer Program
Skift Take
It's easy to be skeptical when an airline says it is making passenger-friendly decisions, but this appears to be the real deal. Many travelers will be much closer to a free ticket now that Alaska is retaining its miles-earning policies for the foreseeable future.
Just after closing its acquisition of Virgin America, Alaska Airlines surprised travelers — and some loyalty experts — by making a simple announcement about its frequent flyer program: Passengers will continue to earn one mile for every mile they fly.
Not long ago, that was normal for all U.S. airlines. Travelers on most airlines who flew one-way from Seattle to Chicago, earned roughly 1,720 miles in the carrier's loyalty program, regardless of whether they bought a cheap ticket or an expensive one.
But that's no longer the case. In the past two years, American, Delta and United have joined Southwest, JetBlue and Virgin America in adopting a revenue-based system, awarding miles not for distance flown, but for money spent. That's good new for business travelers who buy four our five figure fares — on United, a high-level elite frequent flyer on a $6,000 business class ticket from Frankfurt to Newark earns 66,000 miles, roughly three times more miles than in the old paradigm — but it's not so helpful for everyone else. Still, airlines argue it makes sense to reward lucrative customers over those who fly long distances on deeply discounted fares.
Alaska had been the lone hold out, rewarding travelers based on how far they fly. But wh
