Alaska just made one of the better award sales going into a monthly thing, and most people are going to under-use it.
It's called Global Getaways, and as of June 3 it's part of Alaska's new Atmos Members Day, a members-only drop that lands on the first Wednesday of every month. Alaska's Atmos Rewards program (the old Mileage Plan) is taking up to 50% off award travel to a rotating set of international destinations, and now it refreshes every single month.
So even if a city you want isn't on this month's list, a new batch is coming in a few weeks. Think of it like Flying Blue's Promo Rewards or Singapore Airlines' rotating award deals, except Alaska's version comes with two things those don't: it works on partner airlines, and it includes a free stopover.
That stopover is where this gets fun. Done right, you can fly halfway around the world for the same discounted points as a single nonstop. I'll show you exactly how below.
What the Global Getaways sale actually is
Each month, Alaska picks a handful of international destinations and discounts the award price by up to half. These are one-way economy awards. This month's batch is six cities, and the starting rates are genuinely low.
This month's Global Getaways destinations and rates
Mexico City from 7,500 points one-way is the standout. Paris and Tahiti from 20,000 points one-way in economy are also strong. These are starting rates, so exact pricing depends on the date and the airline, but the floor is low.
The details that matter:
- Booking window: June 3 through June 6. It's short. That's the catch with these sales every time.
- Travel window: September 1 through November 15.
- Cabin: Economy only. There's no business class in this promo. If you're chasing a lie-flat seat, this isn't your deal. For economy on a long international route, it's a solid one.
- Where you start: You have to originate in the United States.
So the booking window is tight and the travel window is relatively narrow. You have to make your trip fit inside that September-to-mid-November box. If you can, the value is real.
The part most people miss: it works on partner airlines
Here's what separates this from a normal Alaska sale. The discount isn't limited to Alaska-operated flights. It applies to Alaska's partner airlines too.
That means you can fly Air Tahiti Nui to Papeete, Starlux to Taipei, American Airlines to Europe, or any other partner you can pull up on Alaska's site, and you still get the discounted rate. You're not stuck with whatever Alaska metal happens to fly the route. You get to pick the airline you actually want to fly and pay the sale price for it.
How to really maximize it: the free stopover
This is the move.
Alaska still allows a free stopover on these award tickets. On a one-way international ticket, you get one stopover. On a round-trip international ticket, you can add a stopover on the return too, for the same number of points. It's a genuine free stopover, no extra charge.
A stopover means you can stop in a connecting city for days, not hours, and treat it as a second destination. So you're not booking one city. You're booking two trips for the price of one discounted award.
A few real examples I found while searching:
Example 1: Taipei + Bangkok for the price of Taipei
Fly LAX to Taipei, stop in Taipei for up to 14 days, then continue on to Bangkok. It prices at the same 30,000 points as just flying to Taipei. You get a week (or two) in Taiwan plus onward passage to Thailand, all on one discounted award.
Example 2: London + Helsinki for the price of Helsinki
Fly LAX to London Heathrow, spend a couple of days in London, then continue to Helsinki, which is one of the sale cities. Same 15,000 points. London isn't even on the sale list, but because it's a stopover on the way to a sale city, you get it for the discounted rate.
Stopover routing examples at a glance
The lesson: don't just book the nonstop. Build the routing around a stopover and you can double your trip for nothing extra.
Watch the taxes and fees (and avoid British Airways)
Award taxes and fees on these are low, which is the other thing that makes the deal work. The points discount doesn't matter much if you get hammered on fees at checkout.
The one rule: avoid British Airways. BA's carrier-imposed surcharges can run the fees way up and eat into the value. Stick to partners with low surcharges and your out-of-pocket cost stays small. (If you've read my British Airways Avios guide, this is the same surcharge problem, different program.)
How to get the points
You need Alaska Atmos Rewards points to book this. Two main ways to get there:
Transfer from Bilt. Bilt points transfer to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio. If you're earning Bilt on rent and everyday spend, that's the cleanest path. (New to it? Start with how to earn points on rent with Bilt.)
Bilt Palladium Card1
Bilt Obsidian Card1
Buy Alaska points. Alaska regularly runs buy-points promotions, and right now the bonus is in the 70% to 90% range. That can make purchased points cheap enough to justify, but you have to run the math on your specific itinerary first. Add up the points you need, price out the cost to buy them with the bonus, and compare that to what the flight would cost in cash. Only buy if the math actually works for your trip. Don't speculatively buy points you don't have a booking for.
Bottom line
Up to 50% off award flights to six international cities, bookable on partner airlines, with stopovers that let you turn one trip into two. Get your points lined up through Bilt or a buy-points promo, build your routing around a stopover, skip British Airways to keep fees low, and make it fit the fall travel window.
If this kind of rotating award sale is your thing, you'll like the Flying Blue Promo Rewards and transfer bonus stack too. Same idea, different program.
