About half a year ago I wrote about this instant status opportunity, but let me reheat some leftovers. Alaska Airlines has recently revamped its frequent flyer program, with changes to elite tier names and how miles are earned. However, the trick we covered back then – an instant upgrade to Oneworld Ruby status (previously called MVP, now Silver) – still works!
This is a promotion targeted at the University of Washington. After registering, you’re instantly upgraded to Silver status for 180 days. During that period, if you fly 2 / 4 / 10 round trips on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines, you can keep Silver or upgrade further to Gold or Platinum.
If you have the chance to fly Alaska or Hawaiian, the challenge isn’t too hard. Otherwise, just ignore that part, as the real gem here is six months of free Silver status.
Here’s how it works (assuming you already have an Alaska account). Go to the promo link and fill out the form.
Use your personal email. As shown in the screenshot, the system may say your email isn’t eligible (since it doesn’t have a University of Washington domain), but don’t worry as you can still hit Submit.
You’ll instantly get a verification email. Once you confirm and log back into your Alaska account, you’ll see your status upgraded to Silver immediately.
Alaska Silver corresponds to Oneworld Ruby status. The main perks include priority seat selection and business-class check-in. Not the most generous, but still useful. The actual seat selection policy depends on the airline:
- Cathay Pacific: free standard seat selection
- British Airways: free only within 7 days of departure
- Finnair: 50% discount
If you’re flying on Alaska itself, more benefits including cabin upgrade apply. For British Airways, here’s a guide on how to attach your AS membership number.
A word of caution: this is an IT error, so there could be risks and consequences especially if you care about your Alaska Airlines account.
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