NEW: use Avios to book Alaska Airlines flights online – and earn tier points on cash tickets

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Alaska Airlines joined the oneworld airline alliance yesterday. Rhys attended a virtual press conference and we will bring you an update on all things oneworld over the long weekend.

For Avios collectors, the move means that you can now earn and spend Avios, and earn British Airways Executive Club tier points, when you fly with Alaska Airlines.

This is not a massive change for Avios collectors, because Alaska and British Airways have had a bilateral partnership for many years.

This is what has changed:

you can now book Alaska Airlines redemptions online at ba.com, whereas you previously had to call the Executive Club

you will now earn British Airways Executive Club tier points when you fly with Alaska Airlines – previously you only earned Avios but not tier points

First Class flights are now coded as Business Class – this means that you need fewer Avios to redeem for them, but you earn fewer Avios when you fly them

British Airways Executive Club members with Silver or Gold status can now access Alaska Airlines lounges and claim their usual oneworld benefits such as extra baggage allowance

This is how the flights look on ba.com when you redeem:

How many Avios do I need for Alaska Airlines flights?

Alaska flights will price off the British Airways partner chart here:

Reward flight prices on BA partner airlines (plus taxes, fees and carrier charges)
Zone	Distance	Economy	Premium Economy	Business Class	First Class
1*	1—650 miles	6,000	9,000	12,500	24,000
2	651—1,150 miles	9,000	12,500	16,500	33,000
3	1,150—2,000 miles	11,000	16,500	22,000	44,000
4	2,001—3,000 miles	13,000	25,750	38,750	51,500
5	3,001—4,000 miles	20,750	41,250	61,000	82,500
6	4,001—5,500 miles	25,750	51,500	77,250	103,000
7	5,501—6,500 miles	31,000	62,000	92,750	123,750
8	6,501—7,000 miles	36,250	72,250	108,250	144,250
9	7,001+ miles	51,500	103,000	154,500	206,000
* zone 1 does not apply to internal flights in North America
North America	1—650miles	7,500	–	15,000	30,000

Note the small print at the bottom of the chart. There is a minimum charge of 7,500 Avios per one-way economy flight.

What are the taxes and charges?

Virtually nothing, as you would expect on a US domestic flight.

The example above, Seattle to San Francisco, has taxes of just £4 one-way.

How many Avios will I earn when I fly Alaska Airlines?

This page of ba.com shows the Avios you earn from flying with British Airways partners.

Here are the Avios you earn as a percentage of the miles you fly:

Fare class	Avios
Economy lowest (Q, O, G, X)	25%
Economy low (K, M, L, V, S, N)	50%
Economy flexible (Y, B, H)	100%
Business (J, C, D, I)	125%

Alaska Airlines redeeming and earning Avios

Where does Alaska Airlines fly?

Despite its name, Alaska Airlines is based in Seattle. Whilst it flies more passengers to Alaska than any other US airline, it also serves over 100 other destinations in the US, Canada and Mexico.

The airline expanded substantially in 2016 when it acquired Virgin America, the US regional airline which operated primarily on the West Coast.

Alaska Airlines is particularly good for getting to Hawaii with more than 175 flights a week in normal times. It flies from nine West Coast cities (Anchorage, Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle) to four Hawaiian Islands (Big Island, Kauai, Maui and Oahu).

Conclusion

The entry of Alaska Airlines into oneworld isn’t a game changer for Avios collectors, especially as redemptions had always been possible via telephone before this.

It is now far easier to search and book redemption flights, however, and the ability to use your British Airways status benefits when flying with Alaska is an added bonus.

How to earn Avios points from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways BA Amex American Express card

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus: