Very recently, I received a pre-approved invitation in the mail to apply for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card through Bank of America. The offer seemed interesting enough: 30,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan points and a companion fare offer for as low as $121 after spending $1,000 within three months.
With the fair amount of points and lower annual fee ($75 compared to $95 for other similar cards), it seemed like a good deal. However, one key point prevented me from completing the application and waiting patiently for my card to arrive: neither Alaska Airlines nor Virgin America flew in or out of my home airport.
In retrospect, this may not have been the greatest reason for me to give up so quickly. As an alternate rewards program, Alaska Airlines could still offer plenty of rewards if I played my options correctly. I have never been afraid of alternate rewards programs before – why should I be afraid of Mileage Plan?
After some thought and retrospect, I might once again place some faith into Mileage Plan miles, despite the fact they probably won’t be coming to my home airport anytime soon. For those caught in reward program limbo, here are three reasons why it may be time to take another look at Alaska Airlines.
Easy Ways to Earn Bonus Miles WITHOUT Flying
Traditionally, one of the best reasons to sign up for and hold onto an airline credit card was for the benefits. Holding these cards, including the United MileagePlus Explorer Card or the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard, allows travelers to earn perks like a free checked bag when they use the card to buy airfare. Arguably, the most valuable reason to hold onto these cards is the ability to earn miles without even boarding an aircraft.
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature offers many of the same benefits, which I may not be able to enjoy because of my inability to fly aboard their flights. Therefore, the most important reason to hold this card is the miles – which I can earn with little effort.
One of the understated values of this card is automatic enrollment in the Mileage Plan Dining Rewards program, where cardholders can earn up to 5 points per dollar when using their Mileage Plan card. The restaurants are not just limited to the cities where Alaska flies. Running a search on their website, I found over 100 restaurants within 30 miles of my location, giving me plenty of places to earn quadruple miles with every swipe.
Value Domestic Redemption Options
Of course, miles are no good unless we can trade them in for flights to see the world for cheap. This is where the Mileage Plan award chard shines. Award prices are based on the distance of a flight when flying on Alaska or Virgin America, with fixed prices aboard partner aircraft. While this may not benefit me much, it can come in handy for longer flights.
For example: in searching for a flight from Ohio to California costs as little as 25,000 Mileage Plan miles for a flight on American Airlines. Aboard American, that same flight cost 32,500 AAdvantage miles – giving Mileage Plan a significant edge.
International Partners for International Reach
While domestic flying can be a frugal option for Mileage Plan flyers, one of the major reasons flyers collect Mileage Plan miles is for international travel options. With a number of international travel partners, Mileage Plan flyers often save up their pennies to fly aboard some of the world’s most luxurious carriers.
Miles can be used across a number of carriers, including Emirates, Air France, British Airways, KLM and others. Despite the devaluation of miles for Emirates redemptions last year, there are still plenty of great deals to be found, sometimes at a lower price than other carriers.
Even though they may not fly to my home, there are plenty of great ways for me to still use Alaska’s Mileage Plan miles when I travel. After taking a close look, it may be time to pick up that application after all, and invest myself in a new alternate program.
Do you find value out of Alaska Mileage Plan miles in a non-served market? Or will your personal mileage plan revolve around airlines you can fly? Share your ideas in the comments below!
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com