Alaska Airlines has launched an innovative new subscription service for airfare.
On Wednesday, the airline announced Flight Pass – a new subscription service that will start at $49 per month and will include more than 100 flights with service to and from the 13 California cities Alaska Airlines serves, plus Reno (RNO), Phoenix (PHX), and Las Vegas (LAS). “Flight Pass” subscription holders will still be on the hook for taxes and fees associated with those tickets which can cost anywhere from $0.01 to $14.60.
It's a creative new way to think about air travel, leveraging Alaska's huge network of west coast airports.
You can register for the service on Alaska's Flight Pass homepage.
How Does Alaska's Flight Pass Work?
Flight Pass subscribers can choose between two annual plans: Flight Pass and Flight Pass Pro. The “Pro” version starts at $199 a month and allows same-day bookings up to two hours before departure and as early as 90 days in advance.
In the regular version, travelers can choose either one roundtrip flight per month at $50 a month, or two roundtrip flights a month at $140 a month. Regular Flight Pass members have to book at least 14 days before departure.
Flight Pass Pro members can choose one roundtrip flight per month for $200 a month or 2 roundtrip flights a month for $550 a month. Pro members can book up until two hours before departure.
Subscribers choose the number of roundtrip flights they would like annually. They can choose 6, 12, or 24 roundtrips as part of their pass, but credits are deposited into their account monthly, not all at once.
Then, when booking, the traveler can redeem their credits and book their trip on an eligible flight. Alaska says 100 of its daily flights are eligible for the program.
Interestingly, all of the fares on Flight Pass are main cabin and can help travelers earn toward Alaska's Mileage Plan elite status. Flight Pass members will not be flying on Alaska Basic Economy tickets.
Flight credits do expire, but if you need to cancel your trip before your credit expires, the credit will be redeposited in your account.
Related Reading: What It's Like Flying Alaska Airlines
Our Analysis
Alaska Airlines' Flight Pass is an interesting new offering and a creative way for the airline to generate additional revenue. It can be a great value for people who travel in and around California, Nevada, and Phoenix often.
While Alaska is the newest airline to offer a subscription-based flight pass, they aren't the first.
JetBlue famously had its “All You Can Jet” subscription service years ago which included unlimited travel for a fixed fee on any route in the airline's network. That service is no longer available.
The CEO of Caravelo, the company that implemented the flight subscription model for Alaska, hinted at the Alaska announcement a few weeks ago, saying a “major North American airline” would be rolling a subscription program out, joining Africa's FlySafair and Mexico-based Volaris Airlines.
CEO Inaki Uriz Millan also said the company is building subscription programs for three other airlines and is in final talks with two more.
Will Alaska and other airlines have more success with this model than JetBlue? Time will tell. But we will be keeping a close eye on how this plays out.
Bottom Line
Alaska Airlines has a new subscription-based service called “Flight Pass” starting at $49 per month and will include more than 100 flights with service to and from the 13 California cities Alaska Airlines serves, plus Reno (RNO), Phoenix (PHX), and Las Vegas (LAS).
Head to the Alaska Airlines Flight Pass page to learn more and register for this new service.