74. How to Maximize Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (A Complete Guide)

[@crystalgiannone2683]

Love you all ❤ Love all your episodes!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge🙏 Please keep the great work👍

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Hi Crystal and thank you for your support! Wonderful comments from loyal viewers like you encourage us to keep making videos! Have a great week! ❤️

[@mfyout00b]

Ugh I'm right there with you on the user experience with the BOA business accounts online! 26:19 lol hot dumpster fire!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thanks for sharing your experience! It’s always helpful to hear from others who are navigating the same situation. HOT dumpster fire! They need to do better!

[@LuxuryTravelPOV]

Watched the show, applied for the Hawaiian card, approved! Let’s go!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Whooo hooo! What are your plans for the miles?

[@LuxuryTravelPOV]

@@LetsGetToThePoints Starlux is the goal. I also want to try the boba tea on a plane.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

🧋

[@lanamarx5277]

Same here 😂 FOMO

[@jimmyjames6492]

Thanks for the info + video!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

No problem! Thank YOU for watching!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thank you for watching!

[@Skye14979]

I look forward to your videos every week. For a newbie, my head is spinning with all the cards I want to get! Just when I thought I know which card I want to get next, more special offers come out. 😱

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

That is a good thing! It’s nice to have many different offers so we have options! 🎉. Thank you for watching!

[@TheStallion234]

Always look forward to your Friday podcasts and newsletter guys, will there be a mini Seychelles episode anytime in the future, Serena?

[@Omahottie]

Also interested in a special Seychelles video

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thank you for the love and support! We LOVED the clips Serena teased us with, she's got a special edition episode planned, stay tuned!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thank you! We will add this to our list, didn't her footage look great? Paging Serena, we need a special edition episode please!

[@monkeyfamilyadventures]

I would want a special episode too please!

[@slimydog8946]

Just wanted to say that the self-promos are so seamless on this channel.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[@TR3NDSETR]

Wow. Incredible vidoe. I took 5 pages of notes, & learnt so many nuggets like Bilt alaska , Star lux, condor, the whole seychelles trip ( which i might copy ) , free stop overs....I guess LOL/24 continues as I need a few hawaian cards now.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

We’re so glad you got value out of this video! Keep an eye out for our dedicated Waldorf Seychelles video coming out the Friday after Christmas. Let us know what you end up using your Alaska miles for!

[@LC-W.I.N.]

My P2 and I speculatively jumped on the Hawaiin business card at 70K same as Mitch. Then opened up the personal with no spend requirement. This put us both at 140K each once transfered to Alaska. And to top that off, we already have 80K sitting in Alaska from when we opened up the Alaska business card in January this year. Crazy to think we will be at 220K Alaska miles each

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

That is a NICE stash of AS points! Do you have big plans for those miles?!?

[@LC-W.I.N.]

@@LetsGetToThePoints Starlux business with P2 hopefully & family(2 kids) trip to Asia. Hopefully able to find seats

[@manuelsmith663]

I got a preselected Alaska mail in. 70,000 miles + 50% off my first flight, applied today after the video and got approved with a $12,000 limit! 🙏

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Woohoo!!! Congrats on your new card🎉. This is a great reminder to pay attention to our snail mail!

[@jameso7785]

wife got same mail offer! Alaska coach costs 2500 more miles on transpacific coach than AA, and Starlux coach is 31" seat pitch, compared to 33-34" on many JAL or Korean longhauls.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Nice points about seat pitch comparison! This definitely matters for some people.

[@lovan_travels]

I speculatively transferred Amex points to British Airways when they had their transfer bonus last month. I’ve never done QSuites and that’s something I have on my bucket list so it made sense to get the extra 30%

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Award bookings are so much sweeter with a transfer bonus! We look forward to seeing you in QSuite soon!

[@savvysavingstephanie]

I got the beautiful Hawaiian card last month!! Trying to plan a trip to Hawaii in the spring :)

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Sounds nice! Which island are you planning on going too? ALOHA!

[@epeben1]

Yes, best lounges in the world pls! Al Safwa's the best? I'm excited, will be there in Jan.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

We will add best lounges to our list! Excited for you GPB! You'll love that lounge!

[@thefrugaltourist]

Love this episode! I applied for the Hawaiian card myself, and even though I was not approved at first, I was able to overturn the denial via recon call. The 70K offer after first purchase was so good that I did not even think about my 5/24 status. Regarding speculatively transferring points, I have been guilty of this offense multiple times, including transferring Amex points to Virgin. Oh well. Now, trying to decide whether to speculatively transfer Amex to Hawaiian to Alaska. I love Alaska miles, and I think the 15K intra-Asia biz class redemptions on partners such as Starlux (and possibly CX & JL) are awesome sweet spots, too! Just like a few of the commenters, I also look forward to the special episode about WA Seychelles in the near future ;)!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thank you for providing your data point on the Barclays reconsideration call! Great news on getting approved! 🎉 Speculative transfers are so tempting with a bonus! Sometimes too hard to resist.

[@Travelingnoypifam]

Did you guys get both the personal and biz hawaiian card?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Nicole got the business version only because she’s sensitive to 5/24. The rest of us got either the personal only or the personal AND biz.

[@prethivedhilip]

I've been following Chew's videos on Seychelles and now Serena's there. I loved both their takes on Bora Bora earlier as well. Might I hope for a trip report from Serena on her trip?😊 Love the great content as always, guys!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thank you for watching! Let’s see if we can get Serena to work on a Seychelles video! Thank you for the encouragement, Prethive.

[@sophiapan22]

Transferred my Amex points to Alaskan miles and booked starlux right away. Also, just got approved for the Hawaiian airline credit card! How exciting!!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Congrats on your new card. How exciting indeed!!! 🎉🎉🎉 🧋🧋🧋

[@theyhateme2601]

Received mailer for pre-approved 80K Alaska miles..Card on the way..can’t wait to hit min-spend

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Wow! What a great welcome offer. Congrats on getting that mailer! Let us know how you plan to use those miles!

[@JudithBaker-b8o]

I’m a million miler (actual paid flights) with Alaska. I’ve flown all over the world using my miles. I love their mileage program.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Wow!!! Congrats on your status. Please let us know your favorite Alaska partners and flights.

[@JudithBaker-b8o]

I liked British before they added their exorbitant taxes and fees to the mileage redemption. I flew first and business class many times with them. I flew Qantas business class several times, which I enjoyed. I’m looking forward to using my miles to fly Japan Airlines next year.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Those are great options! It's so great we can use Alaska miles to travel the world!

[@10Peiying]

Very helpful❤ Did you say you can covert Marriott card point to Alaska mileage? Is it 1 to 1?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Yes, you can convert Marriott to Alaska but it is only 3:1 with a 5,000 mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred. This is not very good unless you are swimming in Marriott points. The better option is to go the Amex->Hawaiian->Alaska route.

[@CarlosHdz-rm6sg]

Only thing I have done is the Amex -> Hawaiian -> Alaska for 80k points as I am planning a round trip for a family of (4) from Okinawa to Taipei sometime next year. Idk if Alaska is that valuable to me as Star Alliance partners get equal to or better rates specifically United and AirCanada. However, I may get an Alaska card just for the bonus and dump it later on next year. Also, as a follow up, Conrad Osaka was a better stay than Conrad Tokyo. I would recommend Conrad Tokyo, however I would rank it 8/10. Osaka was 10/10. I have the Hilton Kyoto next month for Thanksgiving. And as a bonus a good friend of mine stayed at the LXR Kyoto last month and he stated that the property is beautiful but wouldn’t recommend the stay due to how far it is from Kyoto as well as their dining options are not the best. Great show.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Hi Carlos. Thank you for following up with your Osaka stay! Serena agrees. The Conrad Osaka is a fantastic property!!! We have heard the LXR in Kyoto is far from everything. We may need to check out Hilton Kyoto at some points if we don’t have enough Hyatt points for the Park Hyatt. 🤣

[@CarlosHdz-rm6sg]

@@LetsGetToThePoints I'll keep yall posted. After our November trip to Kyoto, we have Signapore for Christmas for 4 nights at the Conrad with a follow-on Royal Caribbean cruise. We are super excited.

[@lanamarx5277]

Thank you guys, I just love your episodes. Just found a code online and applied for personal hawaiian credit card for me and P2 and both were approved!!!! How soon would it be safe to apply for business one as well? Some people say that apply same-day and getting approved, are they getting only one credit pull? If so, do you just need to apply within minutes or something?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Congrats on your new cards! It’s okay to go for the business ones now as well. Same day should be fine but we don’t have any personal datapoints on this. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter because we include card offers, details, and additional tips like how to consolidate Hawaiian and Alaska miles.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

You’ll find the link in the show notes of this episode.

[@treasurehunter1713]

Do you prioritize getting the Hawaiian personal or barcay aacitiadvantage personal right now since both might go away?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Hawaiian card. But why not both?

[@investmenthunter1052]

I would love to get both but does Barclay have rules about how many cc we can apply for within certain timeframe?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

No strict rules that we know of aside from 6/24.

[@MyNameJim]

Is the Alaska card a better deal than the Delta elevated offer right now? I fly between Chicago, LA, and Seattle often. Home base in Chicago.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

If you have access to both airlines and use them equally, it might be a good idea to accumulate both. We would get the Delta cards while they are elevated and the Hawaiian cards while they are still available.

[@nhito-i2r]

how did you get 75k for business class from taipei to lax from Alaska Airline via starlux? I got 175k

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Seats.aero is a good way to easily look. Go to Explore/Alaska Mileage Plan to search for the 75k dates.

[@suzannespadafora4819]

I second the “Best coast is Miami”! Need to plan 2025’s LGTTP meet-up there.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

We will consider an East Coast meetup. Thank you for the idea!

[@jermainewitherspoon8185]

Can anyone on the best coast ie westcoast confirm safeway points convert to Alaskan airlines?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

We haven’t seen any recent datapoints but we believe you have to use a zip code from Alaska.

[@kingsamvisuals]

Is Nicole Jamaican/Caribbean?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

She is Jamaican! 🇯🇲

[@kingsamvisuals]

@LetsGetToThePoints nice. I heard it. Me too.

[@RustinCoziahr]

Alaska is top of mind for me now that I transferred over a bunch of Points via Amex/ Hawaiian. Another banger episode topic!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thank you for the love! What are your plans for the miles you transferred to Alaska?

[@RustinCoziahr]

@@LetsGetToThePoints Probably short haul on American. Just booked from DC to DFW for 7500 Alaska points. Would have cost almost three times as many American points.

[@mostlyfreetravel]

Just FYI if you want to fly Starlux for less miles then Taipei to Tokyo, Osaka & Hanoi is only 15k in Biz Class, 10k PE and 7.5k Economy.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

15k Alaska miles intra Asia is such a great deal, especially for Starlux!

[@timchang6559]

Seychelles vs Maldives - which is better ?

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Great question!!! Serena might need to address this.

[@fray3dendsofsanity]

Just signed up for the emailed 70K offer and I have been stacking Bilt points, let's goooo Alaska give me that sweet business class redemption to SE Asia

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

That 70K offer is great! Love stacking! Where in SE Asia are you planning to use your Alaska miles?

[@fray3dendsofsanity]

​@@LetsGetToThePoints CDG to either KUL or HND in business, depending on if I can find that Japan Airlines availability. If not, then we'll fly to Kuala Lumpur via Malaysian and connect to Tokyo after

[@druiz012]

It seems that Virgin Atlantic has duped us all! Haha. I too have been thinking about just redeeming my Virgin miles for a cruise. If you think about it 140k-180k miles for 2 people 7 nights with all meals included is a pretty damn good deal.

[@druiz012]

I did 100k miles with a 30% bonus when I was brand new to the game because I thought booking Delta 1 and ANA was going to be easy. I was on the phone with Virgin once with 2 ANA The Suite 1st class seats available on United's app but when I got through there was only 1 seat... there was another seat on the flight the next day but my player 2 said no way we are going on different flights! 😮😢😅.... I said it's 1st class!!!! "I'm not flying without you..." it still hurts...

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

🤣 P2 is where first class vacation dreams die. 🤣🤣🤣

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

That’s equivalent to spending about 25k pts per night at an all inclusive. Even fewer pts with a transfer bonus. It’s a crazy good deal. And you get to see multiple countries too without packing/unpacking!

[@monkeyfamilyadventures]

Argh I’ve resisted this whole time those Hawaiian cards and resisted transferring Amex pts over but now I’m not sure if I can resist anymore 😂😅

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

🤣 Alaska is some of our favorite miles and those Hawaiian cards are just too good of a deal to pass up!

[@Raybreeezy]

Manifesting AMEX has a 20%+ transfer bonus to Hawaiian some time next year 😂

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

That would be a dream!!! Let’s hope the transfer bonus gods are listening!

[@JennyKunna]

You get a Hawaiian card, I get a Hawaiian card, everyone got Hawaiian cards!

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

We all get Hawaiian cards!!! 🎉

[@MrsJGilliam05]

Are you telling me I need a Hawaiian card?!? Serious FOMO after watching this episode.

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

😊 If you want Alaska miles, then the Hawaiian card is an excellent idea.

[@MrsJGilliam05]

@@LetsGetToThePointsMe and P2 were both approved for the Hawaiian credit cards! Thank you for this! You guys are the best!! 🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Congrats on your new stash of miles! 🎉 Be sure to consolidate the miles under one Hawaiian account before transferring to Alaska.

[@riosafado]

why is she being dramatic ? geez turn it down lady

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Can you please be more specific?

[@Bud88883]

ANOTHER SCAMMER!!! 👎👎👎👎

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Ouch. We still love you, Bud.

[@ThatGuy-uv2br]

Please don't use the term "Eskimo" when referring to Native Alaskans / Inuit people. It's considered a derogatory term

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Thank you.

[@Eric-1776]

No it’s not

[@northpolealaska]

@@LetsGetToThePointsI don’t mind when someone says Eskimo. I simply say it’s ok to say Indigenous Native Alaskan because not many people would know to say Iñupiaq, Yup’ik, Athabascan, Unangax,, Alutiiq, Eyak,Haida,Tsimshian and Tlingit.

[@wanderrhea]

Re-watching again this episode… after 5 weeks of calls plus mailing a letter/documents to Barclays, Approved 🙌🏼 Thanks for the referral code from the LGTTP newsletter. 🎉 Oh em gee, Don’t even remember where are we planning to use these miles… this HI miles tastes so sweet now… 🧋🧋🧋lol

[@LetsGetToThePoints]

Congrats on your new card, Rhea! Wow, talk about 5 weeks of perseverance! Great job sticking it out with them. We can't wait to see what you do with these miles! 🧋🧋🧋