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Delivering an industry-leading SAF program with Alaska Airlines

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Alaska Airlines airplane

Amid growing concerns about climate change and aviation’s environmental impact, Alaska Airlines is prioritizing sustainability as a key part of its operations. With a long-standing commitment to reducing carbon emissions and waste, and protecting local ecosystems, Alaska aims to achieve net-zero emission by 2040 — ten years ahead of the broader industry’s target.

In late 2023, Alaska Airlines integrated its sustainability goals into the guest experience through its frequent flyer program, the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Partnering with Chooose, Alaska educated guests about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and facilitated their support for it, leading to contributions that supported over half a million gallons of this low-carbon fuel.

Objective: Engaging Alaska Airlines' most loyal guests

As 2023 drew to a close, Alaska Airlines incentivized Mileage Plan members to maintain or reach elite status in a sustainable way. This initiative offered a sustainability-focused alternative to the end-of-year “mileage run” flights seen in many airline loyalty programs.

Supporting sustainable aviation fuel while earning status

Understanding the importance of scaling SAF production and use, Alaska AIrlines provided an alternative way for guests aiming for elite status to achieve their goal. Through a limited-time promotion, Mileage Plan members could support SAF by purchasing its environmental attributes and earn elite-qualifying miles in return:

For every $100 spent supporting SAF, guests earn 500 elite-qualifying miles towards their status.

Using Chooose's digital solutions, Alaska scaled its SAF program and offered guests a customized purchasing experience. Mileage Plan members had access to a flexible, easy-to-use platform, allowing them to choose the amount they needed to spend to reach their desired status level.

Results: Promoting education of, investment in, and contribution to SAF

Mileage Plan members made significant investments in SAF, supporting the use of over half a million gallons by Alaska and paving the way for more extensive SAF procurement for its fleet.

By the numbers

  • Over 500,000 gallons of SAF were supported by Mileage Plan members during the limited time promotional period.
  • 8.6% of participating Mileage Plan members maximized their contribution.
  • The custom program landing page drove a 2.7% conversion rate.

This campaign highlighted the value of incorporating sustainability into loyalty programs, showing that compelling incentives can drive meaningful action and encourage climate-friendly choices. Alaska not only enhanced customer loyalty but also fostered a culture of environmental responsibility through the education, investment, and contribution to SAF — a win-win for both the airline and its environmentally conscious frequent flyers.

The importance of sustainable aviation fuel

SAF is a significant opportunity for the aviation industry to decarbonize, as it can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% depending on the feedstock and processing methods. However, challenges like limited supply and high costs remain. Achieving net zero by 2050 will require support from private financing, public policy, aligned carbon accounting systems, and direct demand and use.

Did you know?

  • Compared to conventional jet fuel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80%, resulting in a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by aviation.
  • SAF can also:
    • Contribute to cleaner air
    • Work with existing aircraft and infrastructure
    • Create new economic opportunities
    • Increase energy security

An industry-leading SAF program

Alaska Airlines’ innovative approach to integrating sustainability with its loyalty program serves as a blueprint for the aviation industry. By engaging its most loyal guests, providing compelling incentives, and leveraging Chooose’s digital solutions, Alaska delivered a first-of-its-kind, scalable, flyer-focused SAF program.

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Incorporate the support of SAF into your customer experience by reaching out to us today.

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About Alaska Airlines

A dedication to sustainability

Since its founding, Alaska Airlines has been dedicated to sustainability, recognizing the need for immediate action and long-term investments to protect the environment. Their EverGreen journey includes a comprehensive, five-part path to net zero: fleet renewal, operational efficiency, SAF, new technologies, and, as a last resort, credible, high-quality carbon removal technology.

Making air travel more sustainable requires innovation, partnership, and ongoing investment from airlines, stakeholders across the aviation industry, and travelers. Alaska demonstrates that responsible travel can be both rewarding and beneficial, leading the way toward a more sustainable future.


The award-winning Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Alaska’s’ award-winning frequent flyer program, Mileage Plan (ranked No. 1 in “Best Airline Rewards Programs” by NerdWallet in 2023), allows members to earn status, providing them with elite status benefits, such as complimentary upgrades upon availability, free checked bags, priority check-in and boarding, and more. These benefits can be accessed by elite status members across Alaska flights, as well as those operated by the oneworld Alliance and its global partners.

Miles are earned on a 1:1 basis, meaning loyalty program members receive one mile for every mile flown in Main Cabin, Premium Class, or First Class to any of the 120+ destinations on Alaska flights. In order to reach or maintain MVP status year-over-year, members must earn at least 20,000 elite-qualifying miles through qualifying flights using Alaska Airlines, oneworld Alliance, and global partners.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. We offer our guests a premium flying experience with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program, Mileage Plan. With our fellow oneworld Alliance members and additional global partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.