Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members can now earn credit toward elite status by purchasing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) credits.
Customers can purchase SAF credits in the booking path on AlaskaAir.com and on the Alaska mobile app soon, the airline said.
Alaska says it's the first U.S. airline to create a link between SAF contributions and obtaining status. Flyers on the Alaska website can choose to reduce 5%, 10% or 20% of their emissions impact through SAF contributions. The option appears in the booking path on the website just below the option to purchase trip insurance. A sample roundtrip economy class search on Tuesday for a flight between Denver and Seattle yielded a cost of $21.75 for a 5% emissions credit and $86.05 for a 20% reduction.
Mileage Plan members will earn 500 elite qualifying miles (EQMs) for every $100 spent on SAF with a cap of 500 EQMs annually.
Obtaining Alaska's first-level status, called MVP, this year requires 20,000 EQMs.