If you fly a lot between cities in California, Nevada, and Arizona, Alaska Airlines has a deal for you.
Today Alaska Airlines is launching a new product called Flight Pass that is a subscription round-trip flight plan program for destinations across California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Prices start at just $49/month.
Here’s how it works:
At FlightPass.alaskaair.com, you can select one of six plans. Subscriptions last for a minimum of 12 months and flights can only be used by the person subscribing. Charges will be made to your credit card each month.
The program has two tiers: Flight Pass and Flight Pass Pro. And there are three package options within each tier. The Flight Pass program requires a booking be made 14 days in advance; the Flight Pass Pro program allows booking up to the time of departure.
Alaska says most flights in the Flight Pass zone are included in the subscription for a fare of $0.01, plus taxes and fees of about $14.60. But the carrier also notes that some flights may require a higher premium access fare. They don’t say which flights those are.
The Alaska Flight Pass program:
Pay $49/month and you’ll get one roundtrip flight every two months. Booking must be made 14 days in advance.
For $99/month, you’ll get one roundtrip flight every month. Booking must be made 14 days in advance.
Pay $189/month and you’ll be able to take two roundtrip flights each month. Booking must be made 14 days in advance.
The Alaska Airlines Flight Pass Pro program:
Pay $199/month and get one roundtrip flight every 2 months. Book any time up to departure.
Pay $299/month and get one roundtrip flight monthly. Book any time up to departure.
Pay $749/month and get two roundtrips monthly. Book any time up to departure.
Each month, Alaska Airlines will put flight credits into your account redeemable for round-trip tickets. The credits have a time limit for use and expire once your next batch of credits is deposited into your account. But, you don’t have to travel before your credit expires; you just need to make sure to redeem the credits for travel you will take within 90 days.
You can read more details of the program here. But keep in mind that Flight Pass credits can be redeemed for travel only on nonstop Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, or SkyWest flights within California and between California and Nevada or Arizona. Flights may be operated by Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, or SkyWest Airlines, but no connections are permitted and roundtrips must be between two airports; no open-jaw itineraries.
Why do this now?
A lot of people are just easing back into travel. So it may seem odd to introduce a subscription program that commits the plan purchaser to a flight every month or every other month.
But Alex Corey, Alaska Airlines’ Managing Director of Business Development and Products said “We’re seeing signs that demand is recovering very quickly and we think this is a good time to launch a product like this.”
And what about travelers who live outside of the cities covered by the Flight Pass program like say, the carrier’s home state of Washington? Maybe they’d like a flight pass too. “We will explore that based on customer feedback after this initial launch,” said Corey. So stand by.