Alaska Airlines is offering free flights for new frequent flyer members who are California residents. The first 25,000 Californians to sign up to be Alaska's Mileage Plan members can purchase one-way or round-trip tickets within California by just paying the taxes and fees (from $15). Let's find out more. 

Move quickly

Alaska Airlines is offering California residents a rare opportunity: the chance to get free flights by just signing up for the airline's Mileage Plan. The first 25,000 residents to sign up will have the chance to book any roundtrip or one-way flight within California and just pay the taxes on the ticket, which are $15 or higher. The offer is open from 1st to 3rd March, meaning it expires tonight and you can sign up here.

As you might have noticed, the offer is only open to new members of Alaska's Mileage Plan - existing members cannot sign up. Additionally, a California address is needed while signing up for the offer. Travel dates can any time between March 29th to May 26 on Mondays to Thursdays. However, those who snag the offer must book their ticket by March 7th.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900
The offer is only open to new Mileage Plan members. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

In a statement, Alaska Airlines' Managing Director of Marketing and Advertising Natalie Bowman said,

"We've made our mark in California, and we love converting new fans into loyal ones. There's so much West Coast territory for Californians to explore — especially within their own state — that we're excited to offer a fun way to jumpstart earning Alaska miles doing just that."

Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests!

Where can I fly?

If you happen to be one of the lucky 25,000 lucky Californian residents reading this, Alaska offers a strong network across the Golden State. The carrier serves 15 destinations in the state, Burbank, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Oakland, Ontario, Orange County, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Sonoma.

Alaska 737
Alaska offers a robust network in California, with major hubs at LAX and SFO. Photo: Alaska Airlines

While there are conditions on what travel classes are open to the offer holders, low demand means finding flights should be easier right now. For anyone looking holiday in the next two months, move fast to sign up and book your tickets!

Brighter future

For Alaska Airlines, the first quarter of 2021 could mark the beginning of a recovery. The carrier plans to fly only 30% fewer flights than the same time in 2019. This is part of the airline's strategy to aggressively ramp-up capacity as the summer approaches.

Alaska Airlines Getty
The Boeing 737 will continue to be the staple of Alaska's fleet. Photo: Getty Images

As vaccines roll out across the US and cases fall, travel could begin to recover once again. However, unlike previous times, this recovery could prove to be sustained and continue for a while. For now, airlines are making preparations on how best to target traffic this summer.