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Alaska Airlines is currently running a ‘Mystery Bonus’. You can buy miles on the Alaska Airlines website. According to this promotion, you can get up to a 50% ‘mystery bonus’ when you buy miles. The promotion expires on October 31.
Alaska Airlines Buy Miles Promotion
As it often is, this promotion is also tiered. Here’s what I was targeted for.
- Buy 3,000 – 14,000 miles, get a 40% bonus
- Buy 15,000 – 100,000 miles, get a 50% bonus
If you max out the first tier and buy 14,000 miles, you will get 19,600 miles for $385 at a rate of 1.97 cpp. However, if you max out the upper tier and buy 100,000 miles, you will get 150,000 miles for $2,750 at a rate of 1.83 cpp.
Link to ‘Mystery Bonus’ Promotion
Should you buy Miles?
Now you may ask whether it makes sense to buy miles or points in advance, even when they’re sold at a discount. Here’s how I view that decision.
You should buy miles/points if you:
- Have an upcoming trip and you’re falling short by a few miles to book it
- Want to buy miles for a very specific trip that will give you outsized value. For example, I often purchase miles during promotional periods when I know I can book a business class ticket which will give me a value of over 5 cpp on miles purchased at 1.5-2 cpp
- Are ineligible for a credit card sign-up bonus for that points currency due to restrictions by the card issuer
You should not buy miles/points if you:
- Can easily transfer flexible points like Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards or others to top up your balance to book an upcoming trip
- Are simply purchasing miles to increase your balance without any specific use on the horizon
- Can easily rack up enough miles or points via credit card sign-up bonuses
The Pundit’s Mantra
I find Alaska Airlines MileagePlan Miles to be a very valuable points currency. Over the last few years, I’ve redeemed Alaska Airlines miles to fly business class on many of their partners like Japan Airlines and Emirates.
What’s your favorite use of Alaska Airlines miles? Tell us in the comments section.
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The Points Pundit loves these newly relaunched Chase credit cards!
Firstly, they offer you a 0% APR for the first 15 months.
Secondly, they have no annual fee and have a lucrative welcome bonus of $200 or 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $500 in the first 3 months.
Moreover, you can earn up to 60,000 Ultimate Rewards bonus points in the first year if you maximize the bonus points categories.
They’re packed with brand new benefits and bonus points categories.
Overall, a great option to carry in your wallet for everyday spend!
(Chase’s 5/24 rule may apply to these cards)
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