Aleutian Airways passengers can now earn Alaska Airlines miles while traveling

Alaska Airlines mileage plan members can now book Aleutian Airways flights on Alaska’s website and earn miles with the major American airline, according to a Friday announcement from Aleutian Airways.

The regional airline serves five communities, including Cold Bay, Sand Point, King Salmon and Homer. They began flying between Anchorage and Unalaska in November of 2022 on their Saab 2000 turboprop airplane.

Aleutian Airways President and CEO Wayne Heller said in the Friday statement that the company is thrilled to partner with Alaska.

“This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and commitment to excellence by our outstanding team members who support our operation and serve our guests,” Heller said.

A spokesperson for Aleutian Airways, which is operated by Sterling Airways, said this is the first step in their partnership with Alaska Airlines. While passengers can earn miles with Alaska, they can’t use those miles to book Aleutian Airways flights yet.

Mileage sharing programs are helpful for residents and industry workers in remote communities like Unalaska. They offer a more affordable way to travel on and off the island, where one-way tickets cost upwards of $700.

Ravn Alaska, the other commercial airline serving the island, partnered with Alaska Airlines about two years ago to allow travelers to purchase flights with Alaska miles. Currently, a ticket from Anchorage to Unalaska costs about 35,000 miles, about the same price of a mileage ticket from Anchorage to Paris, France.

“Partnering with Aleutian Airways is a great way for Alaskans to have more options when flying, including connecting more of Alaska to our extensive out of state network,” added Alaska Airlines regional vice president Marilyn Romano.

Passengers must book Aleutian Airways flights on Alaska Airlines’ website in order to earn miles.