Alaska Airlines lets you transfer your miles to about 15 partner airlines, but the exchange rate and which airlines are worth it depend on what you want to book.

When you earn Alaska Airlines miles through their credit card or flying, you can move those miles to partner airlines instead of booking directly with Alaska. The transfer happens in your Alaska Airlines account, takes about 24 hours to show up in the partner's account, and is permanent — you cannot move them back. The catch is that partner airlines value miles differently, and some give you much worse value than others.

The main reason to transfer is if you want to book a flight that Alaska does not serve, or if a partner airline's award chart gives you a better deal on a route you want. For example, if you want to fly from Anchorage to Tokyo, Alaska may not have a direct award option, but one of its partners might. You trade your Alaska miles at a set rate — usually 1 Alaska mile equals 1 mile with the partner, though some partners offer bonus miles during promotions.

Key Takeaways

  • Alaska Airlines partners include American, Delta, United, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and about 10 others, each with different award charts and mile values.
  • Transfers happen at a 1:1 ratio in most cases, though some partners occasionally offer bonus miles if you transfer a certain amount.
  • The transfer takes about 24 hours and cannot be reversed, so confirm the partner's award price before you move your miles.
  • Some partners charge fuel surcharges on top of the mile cost, which can make the deal worse than booking with Alaska directly.
  • You need a frequent flyer account with the partner airline before you can transfer miles to them.

Which Alaska Airlines Partners Are Worth Transferring To

The best partners depend on what route you want to book. American Airlines and Delta are useful if you want to book domestic flights or connections through their hubs — they have large networks and reasonable award charts. United works well for some international routes, especially to Asia and Europe. British Airways and Cathay Pacific are better for long-haul international flights, though both charge fuel surcharges that add to the mile cost.

Japan Airlines and Qantas are popular for specific routes — Japan Airlines if you fly to Japan, Qantas if you fly to Australia or New Zealand. Air France and KLM work for Europe, though again with fuel surcharges. The full list of Alaska's partners changes occasionally, so check your Alaska Airlines account for the current roster before you decide to transfer.

Partners that typically offer poor value include some smaller carriers where the award chart requires many more miles than Alaska does for the same route. Before you transfer, look up the award price on both Alaska's chart and the partner's chart for the exact flight you want. If the partner requires significantly more miles, or if they charge a fuel surcharge, staying with Alaska is usually the better choice.

How to Transfer Miles to a Partner Airline

First, create a frequent flyer account with the partner airline if you do not already have one. You will need the account number when you initiate the transfer. Log into your Alaska Airlines account, go to the "Mileage" or "Transfers" section (the exact name varies), and select the partner airline from the list. Enter the amount of miles you want to transfer and the partner's frequent flyer account number.

Double-check the transfer amount and the account number — mistakes here are hard to fix. Once you confirm, the miles leave your Alaska account when ready, but they do not show up in the partner's account for about 24 hours. Some partners send a confirmation email when the miles arrive. After that, you can log into the partner's account and search for award flights using the miles you just transferred.

Keep in mind that the transfer is final. Alaska Airlines cannot reverse it or move the miles back to your account. If you transfer to the wrong account number or change your mind, you will need to contact the partner airline directly to ask if they can help — and they often cannot.

Understanding Award Charts and Fuel Surcharges

Each partner airline has its own award chart, which lists how many miles a flight costs. Some partners use a distance-based chart (the farther you fly, the more miles it costs), while others use a zone-based chart (the chart divides the world into regions). A few partners have dynamic pricing, meaning the mile cost changes based on demand — a popular flight might cost more miles than an unpopular one on the same route.

Some partners, especially international carriers like British Airways and Cathay Pacific, add a fuel surcharge on top of the miles cost. This is a cash fee that you pay when you book, separate from the miles. For example, a flight might cost 60,000 miles plus $200 in fuel surcharges. This can make the total cost much higher than booking with Alaska, which does not charge fuel surcharges. Always check whether the partner charges fuel surcharges before you transfer.

A few partners offer sweet spots — specific routes where the award chart is unusually generous. For example, a partner might charge fewer miles for a particular long-haul route than Alaska does. Travel blogs and frequent flyer forums often discuss these sweet spots, so it is worth reading reviews of the partner you are considering before you transfer.

When Transferring Miles Makes Sense

Transfer miles when Alaska does not offer the route or cabin you want, or when the partner's award chart is clearly better for your specific flight. For example, if you want to fly business class from Seattle to London and Alaska does not offer that award, but British Airways does, transferring makes sense — even with the fuel surcharge, you might come out ahead. Or if you want to fly from Anchorage to a small city that only one partner serves, transferring is your only option.

Do not transfer if Alaska's award chart is the same or better, or if the partner charges fuel surcharges that push the total cost above what you would pay with Alaska. Also avoid transferring small amounts of miles — the transfer itself is free, but moving 5,000 miles to a partner just to use them on a low-value flight wastes the opportunity to use them on a better deal with Alaska.

One more consideration: some partners have limited award availability on popular routes. Even if the award chart looks good, you might search the partner's website and find no award seats on the dates you want. Before you transfer, search the partner's award calendar for your specific dates to confirm that seats are actually available.

Transferring Miles During Promotions

Alaska Airlines occasionally runs promotions where transferring to certain partners gives you bonus miles. For example, they might offer "transfer 50,000 miles to Qantas and receive 10,000 bonus miles" — meaning you send 50,000 miles and the partner receives 60,000. These promotions are temporary and vary by partner and time of year.

Check your Alaska Airlines account or email for current promotions before you transfer. If a promotion is active for the partner you want, it can make the transfer more valuable. However, do not transfer just because a promotion exists — only use it if you were already planning to transfer to that partner for a specific flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer miles to a partner if I do not have a frequent flyer account with them yet?

No. You must create a frequent flyer account with the partner airline first and have the account number ready before you start the transfer. Creating an account is free and takes a few minutes on the partner's website.

How long does it take for transferred miles to show up in my partner account?

About 24 hours. In rare cases it can take up to 48 hours. Once the miles appear, you can use them to search for and book award flights on the partner's website.

What happens if I transfer miles to the wrong frequent flyer account?

The transfer is permanent and Alaska Airlines cannot reverse it. You will need to contact the partner airline directly and explain the mistake. They may be able to move the miles to the correct account, but they are not required to. Always double-check the account number before you confirm the transfer.

Do I pay taxes or fees when I transfer miles?

No. The transfer itself is free, and you do not owe taxes on the miles. However, the partner airline may charge taxes or fees when you actually book and use the miles for a flight.

Can I transfer miles back from a partner airline to Alaska?

No. Once miles leave your Alaska account and arrive at the partner, they stay there. You can only use them to book with that partner airline.