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In February this year, it was announced that Alaska Airlines will join Oneworld. However, the exact date hadn’t been settled until last week. It has now been confirmed that Alaska will complete the process on 31st March 2021.

Alaska Airlines is joining Oneworld on 31st March 2021

Once Alaska joins Oneworld, we can expect more intensive cooperation with existing partners (and fellow Oneworld members) British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Qantas. The airline could also work even more closely with American Airlines – earlier this year, American already started flights from Alaska’s hub in Seattle to Shanghai, London and Bangalore.

Mileage Plan

Mileage Plan is Alaska’s frequent flyer programme and offers a number of fantastic options when it comes to using miles. However, it remains to be seen whether the existing generosity will be preserved once the airline becomes a full Oneworld member.

• For example, Alaska currently has a separate award table for each partner airline. It is still unknown whether Alaska will continue to do so, or whether there will be one award table for all Oneworld partners.
• It is also questionable whether Alaska will remain a partner with non-Oneworld carriers.
• Perhaps the biggest question for points/miles enthusiasts, is whether free stopovers will still (generally) be allowed on one-way itineraries, and how much award pricing might change.

One potential big positive is that Alaska Airlines top-tier MVP Gold 75 status is relatively easy to obtain – click here for details. Once Alaska Airlines joins Oneworld, the benefits of that elite status will increase substantially – particularly for frequent British Airways flyers.

What are you hoping to see, and what are you worried about, when Alaska joins Oneworld?

Image Credits: Alaska Airlines