Above: Coming into Juneau on Alaska Airlines from Seattle.Last-minute travel? STICKER SHOCK!! I was on the phone with a woman who needed to take Alaska Air’s Anchorage-Chicago flight right away. STICKER-SHOCK. But then we checked the mileage redemption award chart online and found a last-minute mileage award was just 12,500 miles.
Just like Alaska has a low-fare finder for air fares on its website, it now has a mileage-redemption feature that details how many miles it takes to get to a specific city. Right now, the calendar applies only to trips exclusively on Alaska and Horizon. You still can redeem your miles online for select partner awards, though (including Delta and American).
The 12,500-mile one-way redemption for Anchorage-Chicago is a steal–and it’s a good reason to build up your mileage account using your Alaska flights, your Bank of America Visa cards–and the other partner offers.
Why do I carry two Bank of America Visa cards? Well, since there are four of us and we occasionally like to travel as a group, we use the companion fares to bring down the cost of the tickets. Last month, we traveled to Atlanta. No matter how we sliced it–it was expensive. But we used the two companion fares ($99 each, plus tax) to bring down the cost of the kids’ ticket. Our tickets 
(during Spring Break) were more than $700 each. But with the kids’ tickets coming in at about $125 each, we saved enough for a car rental, plus beef brisket and deep-fried okra for everyone at Cracker Barrel! Although each Visa card costs $75 per year, those companion passes are worth it!
(during Spring Break) were more than $700 each. But with the kids’ tickets coming in at about $125 each, we saved enough for a car rental, plus beef brisket and deep-fried okra for everyone at Cracker Barrel! Although each Visa card costs $75 per year, those companion passes are worth it!Speaking of the Visa cards, if you don’t have one, you could get 25,000 bonus miles when you’re approved. That’s enough for a free ticket!
Take the kids to Disneyland on Alaska Airlines. Purchase your complete vacation package by May 7, travel by June 9. And the kids (age 2-11) fly for free! It’s a great deal. Oh–just one kid per adult. The Kids Fly Free deals work for travel to Orange County, San Diego, LAX or Long Beach airports.
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