Flying cross-country or using an Alaska Airlines card is not the only way to earn frequent flyer miles. You can also top up your mileage plan account from the comfort of your home by simply visiting the mileage plan purchase portal before shopping online.
Alaska Airlines offers an easy-to-use shopping portal that helps passengers top up their mileage balance and get a free ride faster. Each time you use the online shopping portal, you will earn between 2 and 6 miles for every dollar or fixed number of miles spent. This is in addition to any rewards you may earn with your credit card. The portal is free and easy to use and offers a huge selection of participating stores.
Partners include major retailers such as Walmart, Macy’s and Sephora; media subscriptions such as The Wall Street Journal; and specialist dealers, lije Under Armor. The full list of partners is so long – with over 1100 sellers in total – the chances that you can find your favorite store are high.
How to use the Mileage Plan trading portal
Luckily, you don’t need to understand a complex system to take advantage of the portal. All you have to do is visit the Alaska Mileage Plan portal and sign in to your member account. From there, you can click on the link to any store you want to buy from and start accumulating miles automatically.
To find a specific store, click “Find a Store or Product” at the top of the webpage and enter your choice in the search bar, or browse through the listings alphabetically in the “Explore Stores and More” tab.
You can also install the Purchase Plan button as an extension in your Chrome browser. This way you don’t have to visit the portal first to start earning miles. Each time you visit a partner store, the button will remind you of the miles you can earn and any related promotions. Just remember to click “activate” before placing your order.
Would you like to see the product in person before buying? If you have already decided what and from which seller you are buying, you can link the offer to your preferred card. Then, when you’re in the store, you can checkout with that linked card and earn your miles.
If you’re not sure which store you want to visit, or just want to view available deals, you can also visit the mileage plan portal and click on “All Online Deals”. From this list, you can narrow down your choices by clicking “Expires Soon”, “Highest Earning Rate”, or “Newest”. You can also browse by category.
How many miles can you earn with Milage Plan Shopping?
Revenues will vary by vendor and time of year and change frequently. However, most of them run between 1 and 4 miles for every dollar spent. For example, Dell currently offers just 1 mile per dollar spent, while Sunglass Hut offers 4 miles.
However, there are some major exceptions that offer even more bonus miles, so it’s worth checking before making a purchase. One of them is McAfee, which offers 12 miles per dollar.
Some sellers even give away big one-time bonuses. For example, DISH Network allows you to earn 3,600 miles, while Disney+ earns 350 miles. In general, you will find that the bigger and more established brands offer some of the best deals.
The best credit cards for shopping with miles plan
Paying for your purchases with an Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is the easiest way to increase your bonus balance as you automatically earn 1 extra mile for every dollar spent.
You can also pay for your purchases with a card that allows you to transfer points to Alaska Airlines at a reasonable rate. Marriott, for example, allows you to convert your points into Alaska miles at a ratio of 3:1, which isn’t bad considering every regular purchase earns 2 points for every dollar spent.
How to get the most out of your miles plan purchases
Use these tips to get the most miles from the program:
- Choose your card wisely: If topping up your mileage balance is your main goal, you can boost your earnings by using a travel card like Alaska Airlines. However, its 1X mile speed is not that great. If you don’t mind splitting your priorities, you can make big profits using the 2% cashback card.
- Look for special discounts: The Mileage Plan portal offers not only bonus miles, but also many free offers and promotions. Before you settle on a retailer for their award miles, check to see if a competitor offers a better deal.
- Use the “Purchase Plan” button so you don’t miss anything: The button will remind you to register on the portal each time you shop at a partner store, so you won’t forget to use it. It will also notify you of special offers and brand new bonuses so you can maximize your online savings.
- Check the portal regularly: If you really want to show aggression, it is recommended to frequently reacquaint yourself with the offers of the portal. Not only can the retailers featured change, you can also be involved in certain deals at different times.
Trading partners
There are a huge number of retailers participating in the program, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding what you need. Many of the country’s most famous retailers offer bonuses, including Levi’s, Foot Locker, The Container Store, Home Depot, Apple, JCPenney, Walmart, Samsung, and more. Also featured are online fashion stores such as ModCloth, Society6 and ASOS.
Categories range from cosmetics and skincare to computers, clothing, hardware, stationery, magazines, toys, pets, sporting goods, furniture and more. Even cable TV providers, tax preparation services, personal trainers, publishers and meal kit signing companies appear on the portal’s list of sellers.
bottom line
If you are looking for something specific, you can probably find it in a partner store. Alaska Airlines makes it easy to use the Mileage Plan shopping portal – and it’s one of the easiest ways to earn miles – you’ll be hard-pressed to find an excuse not to use it.
Editorial disclaimer
The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective judgment of our contributors and is not based on advertising. It was not provided or ordered by credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to our partners’ products.