How to Get Elite Status on Alaska Airlines

What's not to love about earning elite airline status? You get loads of extras, like bonus miles, complimentary flight changes, free premium beverages or chocolate, and complimentary upgrades. It's also tough to complain about how easy it is to earn elite status on Alaska Airlines.

It's simple

Alaska Airlines' formula for earning elite status is straightforward. Here's how it's done.

• Join the Mileage Plan program for free as a base member.
• Fly at least 20,000 eligible miles (either with Alaska Airlines or one of its partner airlines), or
• Earn points by using the Alaska Airlines cobranded credit card.

Partner airlines

Flying any of these airlines allows you to earn and redeem miles.

• Aer Lingus
• Air Tahiti Nui
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Condor
• EL AL Israel Airlines
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• Hainan Airlines
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• Japan Airlines
• Korean Air
• LATAM Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Ravn Alaska
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• Singapore Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines
• STAR LUX Airlines

90-day status matching

You're also in luck if you hold status with one of the following airlines, because it allows you to request a status match on Alaska Airlines. Your request gives you status for 90 days while you undertake the challenge of retaining status.

• Aeromexico
• Air Canada
• American
• Delta
• Frontier
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue
• Southwest
• United

What's the status match challenge?

Depending on your level of status with one of these airlines, you can be matched to three of the four elite levels Alaska Airlines offers: MVP, MVP Gold, or MVP Gold 75K. The only level you cannot be matched to is MVP Gold 100K, the highest elite level. MVP Gold 100K status must be earned the old-fashioned way.

As mentioned, you have 90 days to work on retaining status. Just as you earn rewards on many of the best credit cards, you can meet your goal by spending money on the Alaska Airlines credit card, flying a particular number of elite qualifying miles, or a mix of both. Here's how many miles you're aiming for.

Fun fact: Members who fly 1 million miles on Alaska Airlines earn MVP Gold 100K status for life.

Here's how to apply for the match challenge

If you go to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan website, you'll find a status match form. It asks for details about your current status and requires you to attach a screenshot of the following:

• Proof of status
• Flight activity for the previous year

Earn points by using the Alaska Airlines co-branded credit card

Another easy way to build up elite points is by using the Alaska Airlines Visa® Card. For example, between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024, the following applies:

• Spend $10,000 on purchases and get 4,000 elite qualifying miles (EQM)
• There's no registration necessary
• All cardholders are automatically enrolled in the program
• Any money spent on credit cards attached to a single Mileage Plan account is combined
• There is a 20,000 elite qualifying miles cap on credit card spending
• EQMs are applied toward 2025 elite status

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Every major airline looks for ways to keep customers for life. Alaska does this by going out of its way to help passengers fly in elite comfort and style.