Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has quietly announced that it will be making changes to its partner award charts in December 2022.
Details are scarce, but it looks like we should brace for some significant changes. Let’s unpack this unwelcome news as we try to anticipate what might be in store.
Changes Coming to Partner Redemptions
Alaska has bundled a handful of changes together, some good and some bad. Here’s the text they’ve added to the award chart page:
Good news for 2022! Cathay Pacific awards will be available to book on alaskaair.com in October and LATAM awards will be available before the end of 2022.
Starting late December, the way you view award charts online is changing. We’ll have a simplified award chart to show you where award levels start based on which regions you’re traveling from and to. With this change, similar to awards on Alaska, partner award levels may vary depending on multiple factors including route, distance, or demand. You’ll continue to be able to enjoy great value for your miles. As always, the best way to view pricing and availability for the routes you’re interested in flying is to search for your specific travel dates and destinations.
Let’s start with the good news: Cathay Pacific awards will be bookable online starting in October 2022. This will be a relief to those of us hunting elusive award space for a premium experience, making it easier to find and book award space quickly without having to phone the contact centre.
LATAM awards will also be bookable online before the end of 2022. While South American award travel is far from the most luxurious experience, especially compared to Alaska’s other tantalizing worldwide partners, the convenience of a self-serve booking is a welcome improvement for visitors to the continent.
However, the big news is that Alaska will be changing its partner award chart. This is unfortunate for a number of reasons.
Thus far, Alaska has used individual redemption charts for each of its airline partners. For example, a trip from North America to Asia would cost a different number of Alaska miles depending on which partner airline is operating the route.
This has created some phenomenal sweet spots in the program, with many world-class aspirational airlines offering redemptions at a low mileage cost.
The phrasing on Alaska’s website leads me to believe that they might finally move towards a…
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