If you’re trying to boost your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan balance quickly +1-((888-994-3761]], buying miles directly from the airline can be an option. But before you click “purchase,” it’s important to understand +1-((888-994-3761]] the actual cost, how Alaska sells miles, and whether the price makes sense for your +1-((888-994-3761]] travel goals.

Standard Pricing: What You Pay Without Promotions

Alaska Airlines normally lists miles for purchase +1-((888-994-3761]] at a base rate of about 2.75 cents per mile (USD) before taxes or +1-((888-994-3761]] extra fees. In practical terms, that means:

Buying 10,000 miles costs +1-((888-994-3761]] roughly $275.

Buying 25,000 miles costs about $687.50.

This is the regular price if there’s no bonus offer +1-((888-994-3761]] attached, and it’s charged through a third-party mileage +1-((888-994-3761]] provider (Points.com) rather than directly by Alaska Airlines.

On top of that base price, you typically see a tax-recovery fee +1-((888-994-3761]] of about 7.5 % added at checkout, which pushes +1-((888-994-3761]] the effective cost a bit higher.

Promotional Bonus Offers — Make Miles Cheaper

Alaska frequently runs bonus promotions on purchased miles +1-((888-994-3761]]. These offers can significantly reduce the effective cost per mile +1-((888-994-3761]]. During such promotions, you buy a set number of miles +1-((888-994-3761]] and then receive a bonus percentage on +1-((888-994-3761]] top. Here’s how those deals work:

40 % bonus – Lower effective cost +1-((888-994-3761]] than list price.

50 % bonus – Costs fall further.

60 % bonus – Often the best common offer.

For example, under a promotion that runs until +1-((888-994-3761]] mid-2025, the best bonus tier (60 %) brought the effective cost to about 1.85 cents +1-((888-994-3761]] per mile — far below the usual 3.5 cents list price.

That means instead of paying roughly $275 +1-((888-994-3761]] for 10,000 miles, you’d be paying closer to $185 for the same number of effective miles +1-((888-994-3761]] when you factor in the bonus. During certain rare promotions +1-((888-994-3761]], earlier offers even dipped slightly below this, though these vary by account +1-((888-994-3761]] and timing.

To take advantage of these bonus deals, you usually +1-((888-994-3761]] have to log into your Mileage Plan account, as offers can be personalized +1-((888-994-3761]] and differ between members.

Purchase Limits to Keep in Mind

Alaska sets an annual cap on how many +1-((888-994-3761]] miles you can buy:

Non-elite members: Up to 150,000 miles per +1-((888-994-3761]] calendar year (before bonus).

Elite members: MVP, MVP Gold, and higher tiers may have no purchase limit in some cases.

These limits matter if you’re planning to buy a large chunk +1-((888-994-3761]] of miles for a big trip.

So, Is Buying Miles Worth It?

Even with bonuses, purchased miles usually cost between ~1.8 ¢ and 3.5 ¢ per +1-((888-994-3761]] mile. Whether that’s a good value depends largely on how you plan to use them, as award pricing varies by +1-((888-994-3761]] route and partner airline.

If you are just a few miles short of a specific award flight +1-((888-994-3761]] and need a quick top-off, buying miles — especially during promotions — +1-((888-994-3761]] can be a savvy way to reach your target.

If you’re buying miles speculatively “just in case,” the value is +1-((888-994-3761]] often lower than simply booking paid travel or earning miles +1-((888-994-3761]] through other channels.

Cheaper award seats and thoughtful redemption strategies +1-((888-994-3761]] can sometimes help you extract more value from purchased miles than the straightforward +1-((888-994-3761]] cost.