NEW: use Avios to book Alaska Airlines flights online – and earn tier points on cash tickets
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Alaska Airlines joined the oneworld airline alliance yesterday. Rhys attended a virtual press conference and we will bring you an update on all things oneworld over the long weekend.
For Avios collectors, the move means that you can now earn and spend Avios, and earn British Airways Executive Club tier points, when you fly with Alaska Airlines.
This is not a massive change for Avios collectors, because Alaska and British Airways have had a bilateral partnership for many years.
This is what has changed:
- you can now book Alaska Airlines redemptions online at ba.com, whereas you previously had to call the Executive Club
- you will now earn British Airways Executive Club tier points when you fly with Alaska Airlines – previously you only earned Avios but not tier points
- First Class flights are now coded as Business Class – this means that you need fewer Avios to redeem for them, but you earn fewer Avios when you fly them
- British Airways Executive Club members with Silver or Gold status can now access Alaska Airlines lounges and claim their usual oneworld benefits such as extra baggage allowance
This is how the flights look on ba.com when you redeem:
How many Avios do I need for Alaska Airlines flights?
Alaska flights will price off the British Airways partner chart here:
| Reward flight prices on BA partner airlines (plus taxes, fees and carrier charges) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone | Distance | Economy | Premium Economy | Business Class | First Class | ||||||
| 1* | 1—650 miles | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,500 | 24,000 | ||||||
| 2 | 651—1,150 miles | 9,000 | 12,500 | 16,500 | 33,000 | ||||||
| 3 | 1,150—2,000 miles | 11,000 | 16,500 | 22,000 | 44,000 | ||||||
| 4 | 2,001—3,000 miles | 13,000 | 25,750 | 38,750 | 51,500 | ||||||
| 5 | 3,001—4,000 miles | 20,750 | 41,250 | 61,000 | 82,500 | ||||||
| 6 | 4,001—5,500 miles | 25,750 | 51,500 | 77,250 | 103,000 | ||||||
| 7 | 5,501—6,500 miles | 31,000 | 62,000 | 92,750 | 123,750 | ||||||
| 8 | 6,501—7,000 miles | 36,250 | 72,250 | 108,250 | 144,250 | ||||||
| 9 | 7,001+ miles | 51,500 | 103,000 | 154,500 | 206,000 | ||||||
| * zone 1 does not apply to internal flights in North America | |||||||||||
| North America | 1—650miles | 7,500 | – | 15,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
Note the small print at the bottom of the chart. There is a minimum charge of 7,500 Avios per one-way economy flight.
What are the taxes and charges?
Virtually nothing, as you would expect on a US domestic flight.
The example above, Seattle to San Francisco, has taxes of just £4 one-way.
How many Avios will I earn when I fly Alaska Airlines?
This page of ba.com shows the Avios you earn from flying with British Airways partners.
Here are the Avios you earn as a percentage of the miles you fly:
| Fare class | Avios |
|---|---|
| Economy lowest (Q, O, G, X) | 25% |
| Economy low (K, M, L, V, S, N) | 50% |
| Economy flexible (Y, B, H) | 100% |
| Business (J, C, D, I) | 125% |
Where does Alaska Airlines fly?
Despite its name, Alaska Airlines is based in Seattle. Whilst it flies more passengers to Alaska than any other US airline, it also serves over 100 other destinations in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The airline expanded substantially in 2016 when it acquired Virgin America, the US regional airline which operated primarily on the West Coast.
Alaska Airlines is particularly good for getting to Hawaii with more than 175 flights a week in normal times. It flies from nine West Coast cities (Anchorage, Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle) to four Hawaiian Islands (Big Island, Kauai, Maui and Oahu).
Conclusion
The entry of Alaska Airlines into oneworld isn’t a game changer for Avios collectors, especially as redemptions had always been possible via telephone before this.
It is now far easier to search and book redemption flights, however, and the ability to use your British Airways status benefits when flying with Alaska is an added bonus.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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