Alaska Airlines becomes a transfer partner for Bilt, while ending its partnership with American Airlines.

Bilt is adding the Alaska Airline Mileage Plan as a 1:1 Bilt Rewards transfer partner, increasing the versatility of Bilt points and making Bilt the only major travel rewards program to partner with Alaska Airlines.

Although Bilt has ended its partnership with American Airlines in June, you can still use Bilt points to book American Airlines flights through Alaska Airlines and other Oneworld alliance members.

Alaska Airlines is currently updating its award pricing and will have fully implemented distance-based awards charts for three global regions by the end of March. Here's what you need to know about Bilt's new transfer partner and how to maximize your Alaska miles.

How to maximize Alaska Airlines miles

Short-haul economy flights

The new award charts provide excellent value for short-haul flights, with one-way economy partner awards in the Americas starting at 4,500 miles for flights under 700 miles. This means you can book partner flights on American Airlines from Miami to places such as Grand Cayman, Saint Kitts, Turks and Caicos for 9,000 miles round-trip. This flight could cost $450 or more per person, which is a value of five cents per point.

International stopovers

Alaska Airlines permits stopovers on select award flights, allowing you to maximize your miles. You can include one stopover of up to 14 days on one-way international awards and two stopovers on round-trip international awards. As long as the stopover doesn't increase your mileage into the next pricing tier, it won't incur any additional miles.

What to use American Airlines miles for before the Bilt partnership ends

Partner airlines offer fixed pricing for American Airlines miles, making them more valuable for booking flights.

You can find domestic flights for 10,000 miles or less if you travel on less popular days or routes. American occasionally has awards sales with one-way flights starting at 5,000 miles. However, partner awards are even better.

For only 70,000 miles, you can book a business-class flight from the continental U.S. (and Canada) to the Middle East and experience Qatar Airways' Qsuite, one of the top business-class cabins in the world. These tickets cost between $5,500 and $6,500 on the low end, but can easily exceed $10,000, so you're getting a value of at least eight cents per mile.

Alternatives to earning Bilt Rewards

The Bilt Rewards program is free to join, but to maximize your earnings, consider getting the no-annual-fee Bilt Mastercard®. This card allows you to earn rewards on rent without transaction fees and offers bonus rewards on travel and dining purchases. However, the Bilt card doesn't come with a welcome bonus, so you may want to consider opening a travel credit card with a strong intro bonus to earn rewards faster.

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is a top choice for earning Alaska miles, with an increased bonus offer of 70,000 miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Later this spring, cardholders will earn 3X miles when using the card to pay rent (with an annual cap of $50,000 in rent) via Bilt Rewards.

Besides discounts on an Alaska Lounge+ membership and free checked bags for the cardholder and up to six guests on eligible flights, cardholders also receive other benefits.

Although you cannot transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to Alaska Airlines, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can still help you reach your destination. The Sapphire Preferred offers a welcome bonus for new members and allows you to use Chase points to book awards with Oneworld airlines by transferring to British Airways or Iberia. Additionally, when you pay for an award flight's taxes and fees with your Sapphire Preferred, you'll be covered by the card's robust insurance, including coverage for trip delays, trip cancellations and interruptions, baggage delays and lost luggage.

Bottom line

Alaska Airlines is now a transfer partner of Bilt's rewards program, making it stand out among competitors. Unlike other major transferrable travel rewards programs, Bilt is the only one to partner with Alaska Airlines. Even with recent award chart changes, Alaska miles remain valuable and can be used to book flights with airlines such as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Japan Airlines.

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