Frequently asked questions related to COVID-19

• Questions about Mileage Plan
• Questions about reservation changes and travel
• Questions about Alaska Airlines’ operation
• Questions about our Lounges
• Questions about safety, cleaning procedures

Questions about Mileage Plan

Will you be extending elite status?

Yes! Your current Mileage Plan status will be extended through December 31, 2021. That status will unlock even more benefits as we inch closer to our oneworld® launch in summer 2021.

What about companion certificates?

All companion certificates set to expire in 2020 will be extended. You’ll now have until December 31, 2020 to purchase new travel through November 26, 2021.

When can I expect to see my status’ new 2021 expiration date?

With the extension of my status through 2021, will all usual tier benefits apply?

All status benefits will apply, with the exception of the 50,000 bonus miles associated with earned 75K status. Look for more details in a few weeks with info on how 75K members can earn additional bonus miles for travel this year.

I don’t have elite status but was hoping to earn it this year. Will elite tier qualification requirements be adjusted for those trying to earn elite for the first time?

Tier qualification requirements are not being adjusted at this time, but look for more information over the coming weeks on ways you can earn additional elite-qualifying miles this year.

I signed up for a status match challenge, but due to business travel restrictions, wasn’t able to meet the challenge requirements. Am I out of luck?

Members who enrolled in a status match challenge between December 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020 will have their trial status extended through the end of 2021.

Questions about reservation changes and travel

How far in advance should you call to change flights?

We encourage you to take advantage of our online change/cancellation options and to reach out to our Reservations team only if you need assistance with a reservation that can’t be serviced online. Learn more.

I booked a companion fare, am I able to get it back?

What happens if I need to change a flight booked with miles?

If you used miles to purchase your ticket for travel through May 31, you can make changes with no change fee, or if you cancel, we’ll re-deposit the miles in your Mileage Plan account (and even refund the taxes you were charged).

How long does it take to retrieve the miles back into My Account?

Your miles will be back in your account in 24-48 hours.

What if I purchased a nonrefundable First Class, main or award ticket?

If you purchased a nonrefundable First Class, main, or award ticket for travel that falls within one of our flexible travel policies, you may change without fee or, cancel your trip and deposit the funds into your My Account wallet or credit certificate via email.

What if I purchased a Saver fare?

If you purchased a Saver fare that falls within our flexible travel policy, you may cancel your trip and deposit the funds into your My Account wallet or credit certificate via email.

What do I do if I’ve already paid the change fee?

If you were recently charged a fee for a change or cancellation made to a trip that now falls under one of our flexible travel policies, please contact Reservations. We’ll take care of the change fee to your original form of payment.

What if I purchased my ticket through Expedia? Or another third-party website?

If you purchased your tickets through a third party, such as Expedia, another travel agency or another airline, contact them directly for assistance.

What if I’m traveling after May 31st?

For tickets purchased on/before February 26, 2020, our flexible travel policy only applies to travel through May 31, 2020. We will continue to evaluate the situation and may make adjustments as warranted.

Questions about Alaska Airlines’ operation

Are you canceling flights or grounding aircraft?

We are making the difficult decision to implement significant capacity reductions for April and May throughout our network. We’re decreasing our flying by approximately 80% systemwide for each month. We normally average 1,300 daily flights, so that’s about 950 fewer flights a day.

When do the reductions begin?

It’s not happening all at once, rather a bit at a time. The vast majority of the changes will be made by early April and will continue.

Should guests wait a bit to book travel for schedule changes to be made, to better know what their flight options are?

If a booking is made now and a guest’s flight is canceled, they will be rebooked on another flight. We will take care of our guests.

Are we temporarily stopping service to any markets with these reductions?

Some states have enacted travel restrictions, which have resulted in temporary market closures that impact service to Maui, Kona, Lihue and Costa Rica (view all regional advisories). We plan on continuing service to all U.S. cities that we currently serve.

Questions about our Lounges

Are you extending Lounge memberships?

Yes! All active members as of April 1, 2020 will be extended by six (6) months.

When will my membership expiration date be updated?

All membership expiration dates will be updated by May 1, 2020.

Will I get a new membership card?

By May 1, 2020, your digital membership card will be updated. To access, open the Alaska Airlines mobile app, go to “Account,” then click “Alaska Lounge card.” We no longer send out physical membership cards, except upon request. To request a physical card, please email Alaska.Lounge@alaskaair.com with your Mileage Plan number.

Are Alaska lounges still open?

We’ve made the difficult decision to temporarily close all of our lounges, except our location at Seattle-Tacoma Airport in the D Concourse. Our current hours are available on our locations and hours page.

We’re operating as safely as possible.
– We paused the use of the fingerprint biometric scanner.
– We removed seats at high-density areas.
– We added signage to encourage social distancing.
– We are limiting each location to 50% capacity.
Learn more.

Questions about safety, cleaning procedures

What safety measures is Alaska Airlines taking on board?

Safety is our top priority for both our guests and our employees. Below are some of the actions we’re taking to help keep our guests & employees safe. Learn more.

• We’ve updated our onboard service to limit the interaction between our flight crews and guests.
• We’ve removed all seatback contents, except for the safety card to limit the spread of germs.
• We’ve enhanced our aircraft cleaning procedures between flights. Watch video.
• We’ve suspended our warm towel service and blankets in First Class.
• We’ve discontinued onboard sorting of recycling items to reduce touching guest-handled materials.
• We’ll continue to collect and recycle materials on Horizon Air’s simplified service of water.
• We’ve removed inflight entertainment tablets to make room for additional trash carts (except on flights to Hawaii and Florida).

What parts of Alaska Airlines’ aircraft get cleaned after each flight?

We’ve always had robust cleaning processes on our aircraft and will continue using disinfectants that are effective against viruses to ensure the safety of our guests and employees. As an extra level of precaution, we’ve implemented an enhanced aircraft cleaning process between our flights that are on the ground longer than an hour at our hubs. We’re focusing more attention on the areas of the cabin which are touched most frequently such as arm rests, seat belts, tray tables, overhead controls including air vents, light buttons, call buttons and exterior and interior door handles to lavatories.

All our aircraft that remain on the ground overnight get a thorough cleaning. In addition, our crews are also cleaning front and back of seats, window shades and handles to carry-on compartments.

Do Alaska Airlines’ airplanes use HEPA filters in the air vents? If so, how effective are they and how many aircraft have them?

Yes. Every Alaska Airlines aircraft uses High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters as part of our recirculation air systems. HEPA filters are believed to be effective to 99.95% or greater in removing particulate contaminants in the air. Through a combination of outside air and recirculated air, the air in the cabin is completely replaced by our air flow system approximately every 2 to 3 minutes.

What is Alaska doing to make sure their gates/counters are clean?

The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority. We’re encouraging our employees to sanitize work areas before and after they perform tasks, including gate and check-in counters, kiosks, bag sizers and stanchions. We’re also working with our airport partners and cleaning teams to set up additional cleaning runs to sanitize work surfaces.

Have more questions? For additional information, please visit our travel advisory page for all the details about our flexible travel policies and travel restrictions.

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