Jenn0625

I'm new to AS so trying to understand the program rules. Recently flew from OGG-LAX and then LAX-DAL using points as an award flight. My question is do I not earn miles for this flight due to it being paid for with points, or is that just a benefit for cash paid flights only?

Finkface

No, you don’t earn miles on award flights. You only earn miles on revenue flights - flight you pay for with money. There is one exception; if you buy a Money and Miles award with Alaska (use a combination of miles and cash), you do earn miles on the entire thing.

kevincrumbs

I can't think of any program in which you earn mileage after having paid for the ticket with miles. The only exceptions would be if you paid money for an economy ticket and then upgraded using miles. In cases like that, you only earn based on the cabin that you paid for, meaning economy class.

be_rettSEA

As others have stated, if you used AS miles for a true award flight, you will not earn miles for the flights. However, if you used points (e.g. Amex MRs/Chase URs) and paid in points that way, the flights (in my experience) are technically "paid in cash" as far as AS is concerned, and you will earn elite qualifying/redeemable miles for those flights taken.

Also, while the money & miles awards do earn EQM, they are generally a pretty terrible redemption value of your AS miles.

Jenn0625

thank you. I was just curious and wanted to make sure

ashill

Yup, only flights that book into a cash fare bucket earn miles; flights that book into award fare buckets do not earn miles. Though a slight quibble: award flights are revenue flights, I believe. There is currency exchanged for the flight (though I don't know whether AS accounts for that revenue when you obtain the miles -- either by flying AS on a cash ticket, flying a partner and having the partner pay AS cash to award you miles, paying AS cash directly to buy the miles, or spending money through a third party [like Bank of America] and having that third party pay AS cash for the miles -- or when you fly the flight). "Non-revenue" flights refer to flights for airline employees (either AS or other airlines), at least as I understand the terminology.

Yeah. There are some very minor exceptions; Virgin Australia sometimes grants status credits (their equivalent of elite qualifying miles) for award tickets in some circumstances or at least has in promos. But the exceptions are very rare and prove the general rule. I don't recall AS ever granting miles for award tickets in any circumstance (except a mistake).

CDKing

I'm not sure about Virgin Australia but QF for sure offered promos for the most expensive classic awards. Blog post below is from 2015.

https://www.pointhacks.com.au/qantas...lassic-awards/

Voldoo

Just to confirm, did you use Points or Miles to book your ticket? It's a major distinction that I see people new to the award game make constantly. If you used actual Alaska MileagePlan miles, you will not receive any earnings except in the cases of Cash + Points mentioned above. However if you "paid" for your flights through Points, such as through Chase, Citi, AMEX or Expedia travel portals than those are absolutely considered revenue flights and you have the potential to earn AS MileagePlan miles based on your existing status and ticket fare class.

Jenn0625

I used miles earned from the sign up bonus with the BOA signature card. Not a big deal I just had no idea what the rule was, and if the flight would count towards "miles flown" in my account with AS now.