{"id":9583,"date":"2024-10-17T13:51:12","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T13:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelaffiliatewebsite.com\/mer\/this-alaska-airlines-mileage-plan-change-may-sway-me-to-leave-the-aadvantage-program\/"},"modified":"2024-10-17T13:51:12","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T13:51:12","slug":"this-alaska-airlines-mileage-plan-change-may-sway-me-to-leave-the-aadvantage-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelaffiliatewebsite.com\/mer\/this-alaska-airlines-mileage-plan-change-may-sway-me-to-leave-the-aadvantage-program\/","title":{"rendered":"This Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan change may sway me to leave the AAdvantage program"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Since earning AAdvantage Executive Platinum status with American Airlines AAdvantage<\/a> in 2016, I’ve continued to qualify for AAdvantage Platinum Pro or higher status<\/a> with the program each year. After all, I enjoy selecting Main Cabin Extra seating at booking, believe American miles still hold excellent value, appreciate earning miles through Bask Bank<\/a> and love having Oneworld Emerald status. I also occasionally get a complimentary upgrade when flying within North America, although these have dwindled in frequency over the years.<\/p>\n

But I’ve recently been frustrated with the AAdvantage program as it has chipped away at elite perks and moved from elite qualifying miles to spending-based Loyalty Points<\/a>. While I appreciate knowing I can spend on my AAdvantage credit card<\/a> to top off my Loyalty Point balance to requalify for my desired status, I dislike that signing up for a Motley Fool subscription through the AAdvantage eShopping portal<\/a> can earn more Loyalty Points than a transatlantic flight.<\/p>\n

Despite my frustration, I planned to continue earning AAdvantage Platinum Pro status for the foreseeable future. But one notable aspect of the upcoming Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan overhaul<\/a> \u2014 combined with the new ease of earning Alaska miles<\/a> \u2014 has me considering whether Alaska’s Mileage Plan might be a better home for my Oneworld loyalty. Here’s why.<\/p>\n

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Earning elite qualifying miles on award travel<\/h2>\n

Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members will earn 1 elite qualifying mile for every mile flown on award travel, including travel on partner airlines. This is music to my ears, as although I rarely fly Alaska, I often redeem miles to fly long-haul on other Oneworld airlines.<\/p>\n

I’ve looked on with jealousy the last few years as other airline loyalty programs, including Delta Air Lines SkyMiles in 2021<\/a> and United Airlines MileagePlus in 2022<\/a>, began letting members earn toward elite status on award flights. American recently offered a promotion to let members earn Loyalty Points on award flights<\/a> through the end of the year, but it was relatively limited, and I wasn’t targeted.<\/p>\n

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