I wrote last month about a great promotion from Alaska Airlines that provides a 40% bonus when you purchase miles by October 6. That date is now here, so this could be the last opportunity for a while to take advantage such a deal.
- 20% bonus on purchases of 10,000 to 19,000 miles
- 30% bonus on purchases of 20,000 to 39,000 miles
- 40% bonus on purchases of 40,000 miles
Buying the maximum number — 40,000 miles — in one transaction will provide a total of 56,000 miles for a cost of $1,182.50 including federal tax. That’s just 2.11 cents per mile, and you can go back to buy more miles with additional transactions.
There are lots of people who can find a good use for Alaska miles, especially for international partner awards on Emirates, Cathay Pacific, and Fiji Airways to name a few. If you won’t be flying Alaska but need the miles, purchasing them can be a good option. Key reminders from my post on Alaska’s award routing rules:
- Great partners, including a mix of oneworld and SkyTeam
- Change/cancel tickets 60 days before departure
- Book one-way for half the price of round-trip
- Get a free stopover, even for one-way awards and domestic flights
- No fuel surcharges for most partner awards
What could you do with these miles if you purchased them?
Cathay Pacific to Africa/India/Middle East in business class for 125,000 miles round-trip (~$2,637). Get a free stopover in Hong Kong both ways to break up that long trip!
Emirates to Middle East/India in first class for 90,000 miles one-way ($1,899). Enjoy the shower on the A380 and then find a cheaper way home. 😉
Cathay Pacific to Asia in first class for 140,000 miles round-trip ($2,954). It’s one of my favorite first class experiences. Business class is still awfully good and only 100,000 miles.
Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific on Fiji Airways in business class for 110,000 miles round-trip ($2,321). One of the few ways to reach the South Pacific using miles, and you can get a free stopover in Hawaii or elsewhere.
Keep in mind that you can always buy additional miles (5,000 or 10,000) from Alaska Airlines when you purchase a ticket from them online. The price per mile is about the same. However, that opportunity is limited to customers. Alaska frowns on people who book a ticket just to buy miles and then quickly cancel the ticket within 24 hours.
