In the world of airline loyalty programs, flexibility and maximizing your rewards are key. With Alaska Airlines being a oneworld alliance member, and American Airlines being a founding member of oneworld, there's a strong partnership in place that allows for significant benefits. While you can't "link" your Mileage Plan and AAdvantage accounts in the sense of merging them into one, you can absolutely ensure that your flights on one airline count towards your status and mileage accrual on the other. This guide will walk you through the process, allowing you to seamlessly enjoy the perks of both programs!
Are you ready to unlock a world of shared benefits?
If you're a frequent flyer with both Alaska Airlines and American Airlines, you're in for a treat. By understanding how their partnership works, you can earn and redeem miles across both carriers, enjoy elite status benefits, and generally make your travel experience much smoother. Let's dive in!
 |
| How To Link Alaska And American Airlines Accounts |
Understanding the Alaska Airlines and American Airlines Partnership
Before we get into the "how-to," it's crucial to grasp the nature of their relationship. Alaska Airlines joined the oneworld alliance, which American Airlines is a long-standing member of. This alliance is the foundation of their partnership, allowing for reciprocal benefits.
Reciprocal Mileage Earning and Redemption: This means you can earn Alaska Mileage Plan miles when flying on American Airlines, and American AAdvantage miles when flying on Alaska Airlines. Similarly, you can redeem miles from one program for flights on the other.
Elite Status Recognition: If you hold elite status with one airline (e.g., Alaska MVP Gold), you'll generally enjoy equivalent oneworld benefits when flying on the partner airline (e.g., American Airlines). This can include priority check-in, boarding, lounge access, and even complimentary upgrades on eligible routes.
Step 1: Confirm Your Frequent Flyer Accounts
This might seem obvious, but it's the most crucial first step. Ensure you have active frequent flyer accounts with both Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan) and American Airlines (AAdvantage).
Already have both? Fantastic! You're ahead of the game.
Only have one? No worries! Your first task is to create the missing account. Visit the respective airline's website (alaskaair.com for Mileage Plan, aa.com for AAdvantage) and sign up. It's usually a quick and free process. Make sure to keep your account numbers handy!
Step 2: How to Ensure Miles Accrue to Your Preferred Program
This is where the "linking" really happens – by making sure the correct frequent flyer number is associated with your booking.
Sub-heading 2.1: Booking an Alaska Airlines Flight and Earning American AAdvantage Miles
When you book a flight directly on Alaska Airlines' website (alaskaair.com):
Search for your flight: Proceed as you normally would to find your desired itinerary.
During the booking process: As you go through the passenger information section, you will be prompted to enter your frequent flyer number. This is where you'll input your American Airlines AAdvantage number.
Important Note: Do not enter your Alaska Mileage Plan number if your goal is to earn AAdvantage miles for this specific flight.
Verify Confirmation: After completing the booking, double-check your confirmation email or log into your Alaska Airlines "Manage My Trip" section to ensure your American AAdvantage number is indeed listed on the reservation. This is critical for mileage accrual and elite benefits.
QuickTip: Return to sections that felt unclear.
Sub-heading 2.2: Booking an American Airlines Flight and Earning Alaska Mileage Plan Miles
Similarly, when you book a flight directly on American Airlines' website (aa.com):
Find your flight: Search for your desired American Airlines itinerary.
Enter Frequent Flyer Information: During the booking flow, typically in the passenger details section, you will be asked for your frequent flyer program. Select "Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan" and enter your Alaska Mileage Plan number.
Important Note: Avoid entering your AAdvantage number if you want to earn Mileage Plan miles.
Confirm Details: Review your booking confirmation to ensure your Alaska Mileage Plan number has been successfully applied to your reservation.
Sub-heading 2.3: Managing Existing Reservations
What if you've already booked a flight and forgot to add your preferred frequent flyer number, or initially added the wrong one?
Access Your Reservation: Log in to the airline's website (where you booked the flight) and navigate to "Manage My Trip" or "My Reservations."
Edit Passenger Details: Look for an option to edit passenger information or add/change frequent flyer number.
Input Correct Number: Enter the frequent flyer number for the program you wish to earn miles with. For example, if it's an Alaska flight and you want AAdvantage miles, put your AAdvantage number here.
Save Changes: Always remember to save any modifications you make.
Sub-heading 2.4: Leveraging Phone Support
Sometimes, the online system might be finicky, or you might prefer human interaction.
Call Customer Service: Dial the customer service number for the airline operating your flight. Have your confirmation code and both your Alaska Mileage Plan and American AAdvantage numbers ready.
Clearly State Your Request: Explain that you want to add or change the frequent flyer number on your reservation to ensure miles are credited to your preferred program. Be specific about which program you want the miles to go to.
Step 3: Enjoying Elite Status Benefits
One of the biggest advantages of the Alaska-American partnership is the reciprocal recognition of elite status.
Sub-heading 3.1: Understanding oneworld Tiers
Both Alaska Mileage Plan and American AAdvantage elite tiers map to oneworld alliance status levels:
Alaska MVP: Generally maps to oneworld Ruby.
Alaska MVP Gold: Generally maps to oneworld Sapphire.
Alaska MVP Gold 75K/100K: Generally maps to oneworld Emerald.
Similarly, American AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum map to oneworld Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, respectively.
QuickTip: Read again with fresh eyes.
Sub-heading 3.2: Benefits When Flying on a Partner Airline
When flying on a partner airline (e.g., an Alaska elite member flying on American, or an American elite member flying on Alaska), you can enjoy benefits such as:
Priority check-in
Priority boarding
Increased baggage allowance
Lounge access (for Sapphire and Emerald equivalents)
Preferred seating
Priority on standby and waitlists
Complimentary upgrades (for certain elite tiers on specific routes/fare classes)
To receive these benefits: Your frequent flyer number from the program where you hold elite status must be on your booking. For example, if you are an Alaska MVP Gold and flying American, ensure your Alaska Mileage Plan number is on the American Airlines reservation.
Step 4: Redeeming Miles Across Both Airlines
 |
This offers tremendous flexibility for award travel.
Sub-heading 4.1: Redeeming Alaska Miles for American Flights
Visit AlaskaAir.com: Go to the Alaska Airlines website.
Search for Award Travel: When searching for flights, make sure to select the "Use miles" option.
Specify American Airlines: While Alaska's search engine should display American Airlines flights as options, you might sometimes need to specifically filter by oneworld partners or American Airlines if the option exists.
Book Your Award: Once you find an American Airlines flight that meets your needs and budget, proceed to book it using your Alaska Mileage Plan miles.
Sub-heading 4.2: Redeeming American Miles for Alaska Flights
Visit AA.com: Go to the American Airlines website.
Select Award Travel: When initiating your flight search, choose the "Redeem Miles" or "Award Travel" option.
Find Alaska Flights: American's search engine will show Alaska Airlines flights as part of its oneworld and partner network.
Complete Redemption: Select your desired Alaska flight and complete the booking using your American AAdvantage miles.
Step 5: Post-Flight Mileage Credit and Troubleshooting
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, miles don't post automatically. Don't panic!
Sub-heading 5.1: Verifying Mileage Accrual
Check Your Account Statement: Log in to your preferred frequent flyer account (where you intended to earn the miles) a few days after your flight. Miles usually post within 1-3 days for the operating carrier and up to 30 days for partner airlines.
Look for Loyalty Points (AA): For American AAdvantage, ensure you also see Loyalty Points credited, as these are crucial for elite status qualification.
Sub-heading 5.2: Requesting Missing Miles
Reminder: Short breaks can improve focus.
If your miles haven't posted within the expected timeframe:
Gather Information: Have your flight details (date, flight number, origin, destination), ticket number, and boarding pass (if available) ready.
Online Request Form: Both Alaska Airlines and American Airlines have online forms for requesting missing mileage credit. This is often the quickest and most efficient way.
Contact Customer Service: If the online form doesn't work or you encounter issues, call the frequent flyer program's customer service directly. Be patient, provide all necessary details, and be prepared to follow up.
Why Bother "Linking" (or rather, Coordinating) Your Accounts?
Maximize Earnings: Don't let valuable miles go to waste! Ensure every eligible flight contributes to your preferred program.
Accelerate Elite Status: By crediting flights across partners, you can reach or maintain elite status faster, unlocking a wealth of travel perks.
Greater Redemption Options: Having miles in both programs, or the ability to redeem across both, gives you more choices for award travel, especially to a wider range of destinations.
Seamless Travel Experience: Enjoy priority services and lounge access regardless of which of the two airlines is operating your flight.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to check my Alaska Mileage Plan balance?
You can check your Alaska Mileage Plan balance by logging into your account on alaskaair.com and navigating to your "Mileage Plan" dashboard or "My Account" section.
How to find my American AAdvantage number?
Your American AAdvantage number can be found by logging into your AAdvantage account on aa.com. It's usually displayed prominently on your account summary page. If you can't log in, you can often retrieve it via an "Forgot AAdvantage Number" link or by calling American Airlines customer service.
How to add my frequent flyer number to an existing reservation?
Log in to the airline's website where you booked the flight, go to "Manage My Trip" or "My Reservations," and look for an option to edit passenger details or add/change your frequent flyer number.
How to ensure I get elite benefits on a partner flight?
Tip: Remember, the small details add value.
Make sure the frequent flyer number of the airline where you hold elite status is associated with your booking on the partner airline. For example, if you're an Alaska MVP Gold, ensure your Alaska Mileage Plan number is on your American Airlines reservation.
How to redeem Alaska miles for American Airlines flights?
Go to alaskaair.com, search for flights, select "Use miles," and American Airlines flights will appear as options if available for award redemption.
How to redeem American miles for Alaska Airlines flights?
Visit aa.com, select the "Redeem Miles" or "Award Travel" option when searching for flights, and Alaska Airlines flights will be shown as part of the oneworld and partner network.
How to request missing miles from a past flight?
Both Alaska Airlines and American Airlines have online forms for requesting missing mileage credit. You'll need your flight details (date, flight number, ticket number) to complete the request.
How to contact Alaska Airlines customer service for mileage issues?
You can find contact information for Alaska Airlines customer service, including their Mileage Plan department, on alaskaair.com under "Contact Us."
How to contact American Airlines AAdvantage customer service?
American Airlines AAdvantage customer service contact details are available on aa.com under their "Contact Us" or "Customer Service" sections.
How to understand oneworld alliance status benefits?
Visit the oneworld alliance website (oneworld.com) or the "Partner Airlines" sections of both Alaska Airlines and American Airlines' websites. They provide detailed charts outlining the reciprocal benefits for each oneworld tier.
 |
