You can now redeem Alaska miles on Starlux flights

Back in April 2023, we reported on Alaska Mileage Plan adding miles earning and redemption on Starlux flights, an arrangement that started off only with earning but with the option to burn miles with this new ’boutique’ carrier promised later in the summer.

The good news is redemption is now available, and as promised the limited-time discounted redemption rates are quite attractive for many routings, with good award space, now that the carrier is operating daily Taipei – Los Angeles services with its Airbus A350s.

Starlux redemption rates with Alaska miles

Here’s an example of how the lowest promotional one-way award rates look on Starlux when redeeming with Alaska miles on long-haul transpacific itineraries, for the time being at least.

Long-haul Starlux awards using Alaska miles
(one-way, starting from)

Route	Travel Class
	Economy	Premium	Business
Taipei ⇅ Los Angeles	20,000	40,000	60,000
Singapore ⇅ Los Angeles (via TPE)	42,500	57,500	85,000

The award rate between Taipei and Los Angeles is very attractive, at just 20,000 miles in Economy Class and 60,000 miles in Business Class, plus Alaska is not passing on Starlux’s fuel surcharge of S$60 (TPE-LAX) or S$146 (LAX-TPE) on this route.

That makes the cash outlay very low, just US$19 in the Los Angeles – Taipei direction!

It’s also possible to fly to or from Singapore via Taipei on a Los Angeles routing, though this does increase the pricing significantly to 85,000 miles in Business Class, which is more marginal since most of our readers holding on to Alaska miles have purchased them in a bonus sale, typically at around 2 US cents each.

The Singapore – Los Angeles pricing also applies for routings like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Ho Chi Minh to Los Angeles on Starlux, so do check those if you can’t find availability on your preferred dates to or from the Lion City.

We don’t know how the long-term pricing for using Alaska miles on Starlux will look in future, plus there is an element of dynamic pricing involved with higher rates on certain dates, but we do know that the competitive Taipei – Los Angeles rates are set to be available for bookings made by 31st August 2023.

Starlux is loading award inventory to Alaska 330 days in advance of departure date, so that potentially allows you to book redemptions at these rates for travel until 26th July 2024.

There are also some decent award rates for Starlux’s intra-Asia flights, starting at 7,500 miles in Economy Class and 15,000 miles in Business Class.

Short-haul Starlux awards using Alaska miles
(one-way, starting from)

Route	Travel Class
	Economy	Premium	Business
Intra-Asia (short)	7,500	10,000	15,000
Intra-Asia (medium)	25,000	32,500	50,000
Intra Asia (long)	30,000	40,000	60,000

The best rate seems to apply to one-sector flights with a total distance of around 1,500 miles or less, or two-sector itineraries via Taipei with a total distance of around 1,200 miles or less.

For example, the following itineraries are only 7,500 miles in Economy Class and 15,000 miles in Business Class:

• Da Nang to Taipei
• Hanoi to Taipei
• Ho Chi Minh to Taipei
• Taipei to Tokyo Narita
• Macau to Okinawa via TPE
• Manila to Okinawa via TPE

Stray into the higher distance band and there’s a sharp increase to 25,000 miles in Economy Class and 50,000 miles in Business Class, like on the following routes:

• Bangkok to Taipei
• Singapore to Taipei
• Taipei to Sapporo
• Da Nang to Taipei to Okinawa

Finally, longer two-sector itineraries price at an even more unattractive 30,000 miles in Economy Class and 60,000 miles in Business Class, like:

• Bangkok to Japan via TPE
• Singapore to Japan via TPE

Two one-way awards is often cheaper

The good news about the short intra-Asia award pricing is that you may be able to pick an itinerary via Taipei that takes advantage of those attractive lower rates for both sectors, then book them separately.

That’s a nice advantage on routings where the rates would otherwise be much higher when booked as a single award.

For example, an award from Ho Chi Minh to Tokyo via Taipei would be at the 60,000 miles rate in Business Class, but comes out at 30,000 miles (15,000 + 15,000) when booked as two separate awards SGN-TPE and TPE-NRT.

That’s half the cost, but do build in an adequate connection time in Taipei if you’re planning to do this, as the ground agent may not be able to check you in all the way through for both sectors on separate itineraries.

Ideally, build in a stopover or layover in Taipei if you can, which may not be too convenient given that you will also potentially have the hassle of positioning yourself to Vietnam in the first place for this one!

Alaska miles are currently on sale

If you’re interested in snapping up a Starlux award using Alaska miles but you don’t currently have enough in your account, the airline has an ongoing buy miles promotion.

This offers up to 60% bonus for purchases made by 2.59pm Singapore Time on 21st August 2023.

If your account has been targeted at the highest bonus level of 60%, that’s equivalent to 1.85 US cents per mile, though many readers this time round have a 40% bonus, which is 2.11 US cents per mile.

Here’s how some of these itineraries would price up, assuming you had to buy all the miles required for the itinerary, at these two bonus levels.

		Effective cost buying at bonus levels (US$):
		40%	60%
Taipei to Los Angeles Business Class	60,000 miles	$1,266	$1,110
Taipei to Los Angeles Economy Class	20,000 miles	$422	$370
Singapore to Los Angeles Business Class	85,000 miles	$1,794	$1,573
Taipei to Tokyo Business Class	15,000 miles	$317	$278

As we always warn, you should not buy Alaska miles speculatively. Have a plan to use them, preferably immediately for an available award at these partner rates, before you take the plunge.

The Starlux onboard experience

Starlux prides itself on offering a top-notch cabin product and on board service, especially in premium cabins.

The airline uses its Airbus A350s to operate the following routes to and from Taipei:

• Los Angeles (JX1/2)
• Singapore (JX731/732)
• Tokyo Narita (JX800/801)

These are the carrier’s newest aircraft, including a single-row four-seat First Class section, though this is not physically partitioned from Business Class directly behind and in any event First Class awards are not available through Alaska Mileage Plan.

The main focus for our readers is Business Class on the A350, which boasts 26 Collins Elements suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, with 48-inch-high closing privacy doors.

Starlux uses its Airbus A330neos to operate the following routes to and from Taipei:

• Bangkok (JX745/746)
• Macau (JX205/206)
• Osaka (JX820/821/822/823)
• Tokyo Narita (JX802/803)

These also have a flat-bed Business Class product, more akin to a long-haul seat, though without closing privacy doors.

All other Starlux flights not listed above are operated by the airline’s narrow-body Airbus A321neo, though these still have flat beds in Business Class, albeit with a lot less privacy.

You can now redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles for Starlux flights, with a great introductory offer for bookings by 31st August 2023 including Business Class from Taipei to Los Angeles for 60,000 miles one-way.

There are also some nice sweet spots for intra-Asia travel, including Taipei to most cities in Japan for 15,000 miles in Business Class.

If you need to top up your Alaska miles balance to take advantage, don’t forget to check out the ongoing up to 60% bonus sale, but as always do make sure you find the award space you need first before committing.

(Cover Photo: Starlux Airlines)