Do Alaska Visa Miles or Purchased Miles Count Towards Elite Qualification? (No)
Feb 3, 2019, 11:17 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 9
Do Alaska Visa Miles or Purchased Miles Count Towards Elite Qualification? (No)
1. Can the 30K-40K bonus miles reward from the Alaska card help you achieve status (specifically MVP Gold)?
2. What about purchased miles (and any bonus miles offered from buying miles outright)?
2. What about purchased miles (and any bonus miles offered from buying miles outright)?
Feb 3, 2019, 11:28 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: SFO
Programs: Free agent; tend to fly DL and UA most
Posts: 41
Like many airlines, Alaska makes a distinction between miles that go towards status, and miles that can be redeemed for awards. In Alaska parlance, these are Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) and redeemable miles (RDMs), respectively. Card bonuses give you RDMs. You only earn EQMs through flying (and occasional promotions, like corporate status match programs). As for miles purchases, I'm pretty sure those too are RDMs, but I'm not 100% sure.
Feb 3, 2019, 9:40 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: ANC
Programs: Alaska 100k
Posts: 1,012
If you go fly SEA-LAX on AS, for example, 954 miles will be added to both the EQM section and the RDM section (unless there are bonuses).
Feb 3, 2019, 10:02 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 9
Thank you! The visual is really helpful.
I realize that I have a typo in the title of this thread; I have MVP Gold but seeking MVP Gold 75k. I believe I'm able to keep the Gold status I earned late last year through the 2019 calendar year. I haven't flown Alaska YTD so my dashboard is showing 0 EQMs; I don't see a view to get at eligible miles from last year (if that exists?). Can I build on top of the total EQMs I've gathered since becoming MVP Gold to step me up to 75K? Or am I somehow reset to hit at least 20K EQMs to re-earn MVP for 2020?
I realize that I have a typo in the title of this thread; I have MVP Gold but seeking MVP Gold 75k. I believe I'm able to keep the Gold status I earned late last year through the 2019 calendar year. I haven't flown Alaska YTD so my dashboard is showing 0 EQMs; I don't see a view to get at eligible miles from last year (if that exists?). Can I build on top of the total EQMs I've gathered since becoming MVP Gold to step me up to 75K? Or am I somehow reset to hit at least 20K EQMs to re-earn MVP for 2020?
Feb 3, 2019, 11:07 pm
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,957
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