Can I Transfer American Airlines Miles To Alaska Airlines? | Mileage Transfer Facts

The Basics of Airline Loyalty Programs and Mile Transfers

Airline loyalty programs are designed to reward frequent flyers with miles or points that can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other perks. Each airline typically operates its own program with unique rules, earning structures, and redemption options. While some airlines allow transferring miles between partner programs, this is usually limited to those within the same alliance or with established transfer agreements.

American Airlines operates the AAdvantage program, while Alaska Airlines runs Mileage Plan. These two programs are distinct entities with different partners and policies. Understanding how these programs work individually is crucial before exploring if miles can move between them.

Why Are Miles Not Transferable Between American Airlines and Alaska Airlines?

The primary reason you cannot transfer American Airlines miles to Alaska Airlines is that the two airlines are not part of the same airline alliance. American Airlines is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, while Alaska Airlines belongs to none of the three major global alliances but has its own set of partners.

Transferability depends on formal partnerships or alliances allowing points or miles to move seamlessly between accounts. Since no such agreement exists between AAdvantage and Mileage Plan, direct transfers are not possible.

Moreover, each program’s miles have different valuation systems, expiration policies, and redemption options. Allowing transfers without strict controls could cause program abuses or imbalance in reward availability.

Understanding Earning and Redeeming Miles on Both Programs

While transferring miles directly isn’t an option, it helps to understand how you can earn and redeem miles on both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines separately.

American Airlines AAdvantage Program

AAdvantage miles are earned by flying with American Airlines or its Oneworld partners like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. You also collect miles through credit card spending with AAdvantage co-branded cards or shopping portals.

Redeeming AAdvantage miles offers flexibility across a wide network of partner airlines within Oneworld plus select others like Etihad Airways. Award charts vary by region and cabin class but generally allow for one-way bookings starting at 7,500 miles for short-haul flights.

Miles in AAdvantage typically expire after 24 months of inactivity unless your account remains active through earning or redeeming activities.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Program

Mileage Plan is known for its generous award chart and unique partnerships beyond traditional alliances. You earn miles by flying Alaska Airlines or partners such as Emirates, Japan Airlines, and Korean Air.

Alaska’s redemption options include flights on its partners with some of the lowest mileage requirements for premium cabins compared to other U.S. carriers. The program also allows stopovers on one-way awards—a rare feature among U.S.-based airlines.

Mileage Plan miles expire after 24 months of inactivity but can be extended by earning or redeeming activities at least once within that period.

Indirect Ways to Use Miles Across Both Programs

Though direct transfers aren’t possible between American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, there are alternative strategies savvy travelers use to maximize value from both programs.

Booking Partner Flights Using Each Program’s Miles

Both AAdvantage and Mileage Plan allow you to redeem their respective miles on partner airlines’ flights. For example:

• You can use American Airlines miles to book flights on British Airways or Japan Airlines (a partner of Alaska as well).
• You can use Alaska Mileage Plan miles for travel on American Airlines flights since they have a partnership agreement for award travel redemption only—not mile transfers.

This means if you want to fly an American Airlines flight but don’t have enough AAdvantage miles, you might book it using your Alaska Mileage Plan balance instead—though availability will vary by program rules.

Mile Transfers via Third-Party Points Programs

Some credit card rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Citi ThankYou Points allow transferring points into multiple airline loyalty programs including both American’s AAdvantage (in limited cases) and Alaska Mileage Plan.

However:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards does not currently transfer directly into American Airlines AAdvantage; it transfers mainly into United MileagePlus or Southwest Rapid Rewards among others.
• Citi ThankYou Points do not transfer directly into either American or Alaska.
• Amex Membership Rewards do transfer into both programs but as separate transfers—you cannot move points from one airline’s account to another through Amex either.

Thus, while third-party points give flexibility in choosing which airline program to top up your balances in, they don’t enable direct mile transfers between AA and Alaska accounts.

Mileage Program Comparison: Key Differences at a Glance

Loyalty Program Feature	AAdvantage (American Airlines)	Mileage Plan (Alaska Airlines)
Main Airline Alliance	Oneworld	No global alliance; independent partners
Mile Expiration Policy	Miles expire after 24 months inactivity	Miles expire after 24 months inactivity
Award Chart Style	Zoned region-based pricing; dynamic pricing introduced recently	Award chart with fixed mileage levels; stopovers allowed on one-way awards
Main Credit Card Partners	Citi & Barclays co-branded cards primarily	BofA co-branded cards mainly; Amex Membership Rewards partner
Mile Transferability Between Programs?	No direct transfer possible with Alaska Mileage Plan	No direct transfer possible with AAdvantage program

The Impact of Airline Alliances on Mile Transfers

Alliances like Oneworld (which includes AA), Star Alliance (United), and SkyTeam (Delta) facilitate smoother mile earning/redemption across member airlines. They sometimes allow limited mile sharing or easier award bookings across carriers within the alliance network.

Because Alaska is not part of any major alliance—though it has many partnerships—it lacks the integrated mile transfer features common among alliance members. This limits interoperability with Oneworld members such as American Airlines when it comes to moving points between accounts.

This structural difference explains why “Can I Transfer American Airlines Miles To Alaska Airlines?” results in a firm no—the business models simply don’t support it yet.

The Role of Codeshare Agreements vs Mile Transfers

Codeshare agreements let airlines sell seats on each other’s flights under their own flight numbers but do not automatically translate into mile transferability between loyalty accounts.

American and Alaska do have codeshare agreements allowing passengers more seamless booking experiences across their networks. However, these agreements focus strictly on ticketing convenience rather than moving loyalty currency between programs.

Therefore, even though you might book an AA-operated flight through an Alaska reservation system (or vice versa), your earned or redeemed miles remain locked within each respective loyalty program unless explicitly allowed by partnership rules—which currently excludes direct mile transfers between them.

The Best Ways to Maximize Your Miles Given No Direct Transfers Exist

Since “Can I Transfer American Airlines Miles To Alaska Airlines?” isn’t possible directly, here are practical tips:

• Earning Miles Strategically: Use credit cards that earn transferable points like Amex Membership Rewards where you can choose which airline program suits your next trip.
• Diversify Your Accounts: Maintain active accounts in both programs so you can leverage each airline’s strengths depending on route availability.
• Mile Redemption Planning: Search award availability separately in both AA’s AAdvantage site and Alaska’s Mileage Plan portal before booking.
• Avoid Letting Miles Expire: Keep some activity going in both accounts every 18-20 months via small redemptions or earning transactions.
• Taking Advantage of Partner Flights: Book partner flights using whichever mileage currency offers better value for your destination.

These approaches help sidestep the limitation posed by lack of direct mile transferability while still optimizing travel rewards from both carriers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer American Airlines miles to Alaska Airlines?

No, American Airlines miles cannot be directly transferred to Alaska Airlines miles. The two airlines operate separate loyalty programs with no transfer partnership, making direct transfers impossible.

Why can’t I transfer American Airlines miles to Alaska Airlines?

The main reason is that American Airlines and Alaska Airlines are not part of the same airline alliance. Without a formal partnership or alliance agreement, transferring miles between their programs is not allowed.

Are there any indirect ways to use American Airlines miles on Alaska Airlines?

While direct transfers aren’t possible, you can sometimes redeem American Airlines miles for flights operated by Alaska Airlines if they are partners on specific routes. However, this depends on award availability and program rules.

How do American Airlines and Alaska Airlines loyalty programs differ?

American Airlines uses the AAdvantage program within the Oneworld alliance, while Alaska Airlines runs Mileage Plan independently. Each program has unique earning methods, redemption options, and policies that don’t overlap for mile transfers.

What alternatives exist if I want to use miles on both airlines?

You can earn and maintain separate accounts with both AAdvantage and Mileage Plan. Use each program’s miles for their respective flights or partners since transferring between them is not supported.