Alaska Airlines Lures New Frequent Flyers with Flight Discount
First-time applicants could get a $25 discount off their next flight—one of the most appealing incentives to join in the industry
Photo: Courtesy of Alaska Airlines
Shortly after receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for its long-awaited acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines has introduced a flight discount offer for new Mileage Plan members to attract customers to its frequent flyer program.
The Offer Details
Signing up for a frequent flyer program is typically free, regardless of the airline you’re flying with. However, filling out a lengthy application form may put some travelers off if the benefits aren’t clear, especially if they don’t fly with that particular airline often.
But Alaska’s new offer for first-time applicants—a $25 discount off their next flight—is one of the best incentives to join yet.
Photo: Alaska Airlines reopening of D Lounge in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Courtesy of Ingrid Barrentine / Alaska Airlines
The limited-time offer is available to all U.S. residents (except those in Alaska, California, or Hawaii) who sign up for the airline’s Mileage Plan scheme before December 31, 2024.
Eligibility and Redemption
To be eligible, they must sign up via the dedicated promotional page on the airline’s website, after which a discount code will be sent to their Mileage Plan account within 72 hours.
The discount code, worth $25, can be used on any Alaska Airlines flight or its affiliate carriers, Horizon Air and SkyWest.
Photo: Courtesy of Alaska Airlines
However, the ticket must be bought within 28 days of signing up to Mileage Plan, with the date of travel no longer than 90 days from the signup date.
The offer is only valid once per new member and will be forfeited should the ticket be changed or canceled. Likewise, the offer is also not valid on any flight to or from Prudhoe Bay’s Deadhorse Airport (SCC) in the far north of Alaska.
Benefits of Mileage Plan
Many frequent flyers consider Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan one of the best airline loyalty schemes in the U.S., with award travel starting at just 5,000 miles one way and the airline claiming its members earn more miles on average than any other carrier in the country. It also runs the Global Getaway promotion four times per year, in which members can get up to 50 percent off award flights to far-flung destinations.
Photo: Courtesy of Alaska Airlines
“There’s a reason our loyal flyers are MVPs,” Alaska Airlines states on the promotional page on its website. “Our members earn more miles on average than other airlines. Earn miles every time you fly.”
Merger Update and Future Plans
Mileage Plan’s latest promotion comes as Alaska Airlines finalizes its highly anticipated takeover of Hawaiian Airlines after the DOT gave the historic merger the green light.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines
Under the terms of that merger, both Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles program will remain separate going forward, while members will soon be able to status match and transfer miles at a 1:1 ratio between the two schemes.
