Almost to elite airline status? Here’s how you can make the most of the final months of 2024

It’s that time of year when frequent flyers realize they may not be able to earn elite status on Alaska Airlines next year.

I say amateur because the professional level mileage enthusiast plans his rides in advance to achieve MVP or MVP Gold for the year.

If you’re still a few thousand miles short, there are a few things you can do before the end of the year. However, the closer you get to Thanksgiving and Christmas, the more it will cost you.

There are many reasons why flying is more enjoyable for the elite traveler. MVP travelers have access to better seats, more upgrades and bonus miles on every flight. There are special reservation numbers, shorter security lines and more generous baggage allowances.

Almost any traveler who flies several times a year can earn MVP status with a threshold of 20,000 elite qualifying miles. MVP Gold is more affordable: 40,000 EQM.

If you’re low on miles and have an Alaska Airlines Visa card, the airline will award 4,000 EQMs after you spend $10,000. This particular hack works up to 20,000 EQM (after charging $50,000). If you’re new to the Alaska mileage program, you can simply take the money and get the MVP. Or, if you’re already an MVP, you can pay your way to MVP Gold.

The special “earn along the way to MVP” miles are separate from the consistent “one mile per dollar spent” amount that is built into the credit card scheme. Additionally, any bonus miles you receive for getting a new card (currently up to 65,000 miles) are not non-EQM miles.

(Alaska Airlines is making big changes to its loyalty program. Here’s what travelers need to know.)

Another way to earn miles at the end of the year and increase your MVP status is to travel. Or two. Or three. Not all run destinations are created equal. In each direction the price is slightly different.

For mid-November travel, flying between Anchorage and Atlanta or Las Vegas seems like the best deal when you consider dollars spent and miles earned.

For example, a flight from Anchorage to Atlanta on November 19 will generate 3,620 EQM in each direction. To maximize mileage, upgrade your ticket from Saver to Main Cabin. The cost on this day will be $249 one way. That works out to $0.068 per mile. Main Cabin (same seat) tickets cost $50 more each way, but earn 100% of the miles earned on the route. Cheaper Saver tickets at $199 one-way include only 30% of miles flown (1,086 EQMs for Anchorage-Atlanta).

Between Anchorage and Las Vegas, main cabin fares are $157 one way, which is 2,306 miles each way. This works out to $0.068 per EQM.

The best long-haul route I found was on November 18 between Anchorage and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A main cabin ticket on this day costs $269 one way, which works out to 4,150 EQM. That works out to $0.064 per mile.

Several other routes are noted to cost around $0.07 per mile: Anchorage-Los Angeles ($0.078 per mile), Anchorage-Boston ($0.07 per mile), and Anchorage-Chicago ($0.07 per mile).

Just as fares for destinations from Alaska vary widely, fares for certain dates rise and fall. I chose mid-November because most rates had dropped before the Thanksgiving rush. All rates are subject to change without prior notice.

If you’ve accumulated a ton of miles and are ready to use them, you’ll notice that it takes more miles to get where you’re going. This is especially true if you need a better schedule.

In mid-November, tickets to Seattle cost a minimum of 12,500 miles one way (25,000 round trip plus $12). On the day I checked (Wednesday, November 13), the best deal was only available on red-eye flights between 12:30 and 2:55. Fares for more convenient departures (from 9:40 to 17:35). ) are more expensive: 20,000-40,000 miles one way.

From November 16 to 19, fly nonstop from Anchorage to Los Angeles, 12,500 miles one way. Returning Tuesday, November 19th, Alaska is advertising a ticket for 12,500 one way. But it’s a 16-hour, 31-minute journey with a seven-hour stop in Reno and another 90-minute stop in Seattle. More convenient departures range from 20,000 to 50,000 one way.

Hawaii is the #1 destination for redeeming miles. On November 17, fly nonstop between Anchorage and Honolulu, 35,000 miles one way. A less convenient red-eye flight option via Seattle is available for 20,000 miles each way. Instead of 6 hours 14 minutes in the air non-stop, the route through Seattle takes 11 to 21 hours.

Returning from Honolulu to Anchorage on November 22, the non-stop distance is 40,000 miles one way. There is a route through Seattle for 20,000 one way. It takes nearly 15 hours, including a five-hour overnight stop in Sea-Tac.

Heading to Orlando? There is one date in November with tickets for 12,500 one way: Monday, November 18th. Depart Anchorage for Seattle on Flight 80 at 2:55. After arriving at 7:20 a.m., prepare for a long layover to your hometown of Seattle. – Orlando flight at 23:00. The entire trip takes more than 24 hours. A more reasonable route costs 30,000 one way.

Return in 10 days and drive 20,000 miles one way. This is a 29-hour route through Seattle with a 19-hour layover. The best route for this date costs 40,000 miles each way with a one-hour layover in Seattle.

(Few people and cool weather: 8 destinations for the “shoulder season”)

One takeaway from analyzing these earning rates and corresponding redemption rates is that Alaska Airlines is making it much easier than ever before to earn miles and achieve elite status.

But trying to get a good deal on the miles you earn can be a daunting task. You will have to make a lot of effort to beat the leader’s price when searching on alaskaair.com find the best route. Many of the routes presented are impractical, especially if you have children.

However, if you use the award calendar feature on Alaska’s website and are flexible with your dates, you can find a good flight at a great price.

There are only three weeks left until the dates I have chosen. You can get better travel search results now in the first quarter of 2025. However, one trend is clear: as miles and points become easier to earn, they are now more expensive to use than ever.