American and Alaska Airlines scale back partnership
Alaska Airlines is paring back its frequent flier agreement with American Airlines.
Mileage Plan members will no longer have the option to redeem miles for domestic or international rewards flights or earn miles on American’s international flights.
American’s AAdvantage members will lose the option to redeem miles for flights on Alaska Airlines’ network.
The changes take effect on March 1, 2020.
However Alaska members can still earn miles on select flights within the airlines’ codeshare arrangement.
Alaska says having acquired and integrated Virgin America business, it has outgrown the partnership.
"Like in life situations, airline partnerships only really work if both parties have objectives that are aligned. You only have so much time and so many partners you can focus on. The utility we got from the American Airlines partnerships was low," said Nathaniel Pieper, Alaska’s new fleet, finance and alliances SVP.
The airlines’ reciprocal lounge access will still continue.
American said the change will benefit its own customers and will ‘enable more award seats for AAdvantage members, particularly in the premium cabin between our domestic hubs and Seattle and Portland in the Pacific Northwest.’
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