It’s been two years since the Transportation Security Administration declared that the PreCheck airport security fast lanes — no removing shoes, no taking your laptop out of your bag — is only for paying customers. Now Alaska Airlines is letting its frequent fliers use their airline miles to pay the PreCheck membership fee.
Alaska Airlines launched a new program on Monday that allows passengers to redeem 10,000 miles to cover the $85 cost of PreCheck screening charged by TSA.
The deal, which is redeemable until April 30, isn’t just for one pass-through of the TSA PreCheck lane, it covers five years of the program.
“TSA Precheck is a game-changer for those of us who travel frequently for work or pleasure,” Sangita Woerner, Alaska’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “This partnership between Mileage Plan and the TSA will allow more of our customers to take the guesswork out of the day of travel.”
But is spending 10,000 miles worth $85? That, of course, depends on what you use your miles for now.
A look at the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan shows that passengers earn miles in different ways: actual flight miles for the purchase of certain tickets, points through partnerships outside of the airline, and bonuses through credit cards and other promotions.
According to Alaska Airlines’ award chart, a trip on the airline in the continental U.S. will run you between 10,000 and 120,000 for a round trip flight depending on which ticket you book.
Passengers interested in redeeming their miles for the TSA PreCheck program can begin the process by sending an email to TSAredemption@alaskaair.com including their name and Alaska Airlines mileage plan number.
After deducting the 10,000 miles from applicants’ accounts, the airline will reply with a code that can be used on the TSA PreCheck application website.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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