Editor’s note: Starlux provided TPG with a free round-trip business class ticket for its inaugural US route. All opinions expressed here are the author’s own and have not been reviewed by Starlux or Alaska.
Alaska Airlines’ impressive portfolio of airline partners is growing with the addition of a new airline based in Taiwan.
As of Wednesday, April 26, Starlux Airlines is Alaska’s newest partner, bringing exciting new benefits to Mileage Plan frequent customers.
If you don’t know, Starlux is a start-up luxury airline based in Taipei, starting operations in January 2020 with a number of intra-Asia routes. The pandemic has put a halt to the airline’s growth ambitions, but Starlux is now back in expansion mode, with its first flight in the United States landing in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Coinciding with the launch, Alaska and Starlux announced their partnership, which will primarily include loyalty benefits.
First, as of April 26, you can now credit any Starlux flight to your Alaska Mileage Plan account. You will accumulate miles according to the fare class purchased and the distance traveled, as shown in the table below.
| cabin | Fare class | base mile | bonus miles | Total miles earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First class. | F, A. | 100%. | 250%. | 350%. |
| Business class. | J, C, D. | 100%. | 150%. | 250%. |
| Top economy. | W, R, E. | 100%. | 25%. | 125%. |
| Economy. | Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S, N. | 100%. | 0%. | 100%. |
You’ll want to check your tickets to see what class of tickets you bought to calculate your earnings. Alternatively, you could theoretically credit your Starlux flight to airline COSMILE loyalty programbut infrequent visitors to the United States may be better off accumulating Alaska miles.
Plus, starting later this summer, you’ll be able to redeem your Mileage Plan miles to travel on Starlux. While Alaska has recently moved away from fixed rate redemptions, the carrier is introducing some lucrative one-way referral “starting at” bonus rates, as you can see below .
- Savings: 20,000 miles.
- Premium Economy: 40,000 miles.
- Business Class: 60,000 miles.
You will not be able to redeem miles for Starlux first class.
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It’s unclear whether the Alaskan website shows Starlux award availability, nor is it clear what fare groups the award tickets will be placed into.
That said, the referral rewards rate is incredibly lucrative, especially compared to the cash fare Starlux is charging for its business class cabin. I recommend redeeming 120,000 Alaska miles, worth $2,160 according to TPG’s valuationas opposed to paying around $5,500 for a round-trip business class ticket.
It’s all about the details, of course, and with Alaska’s new dynamic “start at” pricing model, you’ll want to calculate the numbers before making the conversion.
While Starlux may not be a household name, especially for travelers in the United States, the partnership with Alaska is sure to help create buzz around the airline and route. new to LA
“Our guests will love flying on Starlux, which connects the West Coast, Taipei and many other great places in Asia. We’re excited to offer Mileage Plan loyal members an enjoyable way to go. to explore the world,” Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleets, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines, said in a statement.
Interestingly, the initial partnership is limited to loyalty, as Alaska and Starlux will not offer codeshare services to enhance connectivity on either side of the Pacific. Perhaps that level of partnership could come in a future update to the partnership.
A rumor has recently spread that Starlux may be trying to get involved Oneworld Aviation Alliance. Cooperation with Alaska, itself a New member of Oneworld, can certainly help Starlux can bid. However, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific is a founding member of Oneworld, which has veto power.
It’s hard to imagine Cathay letting a nearby competitor join Oneworld, though perhaps Model Oneworld Connect could be a better fit for Starlux and a more affordable option for Cathay.
Either way, some level of partnership is definitely better than nothing, and with an attractive initial conversion rate, this partnership is off to a great start.
TPG will be on the first Starlux flight from Los Angeles to Taipei, and we’ll have a full recap of the experience, including an in-depth look at the new seats, to be published in the coming days. next. Keep stable.
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