Frequent fliers on the West Coast now have a new way to lower their travel budget. Alaska Airlines launched a subscription service Wednesday called Flight Pass, allowing customers to take at least six round-trip flights per year on select routes for a flat monthly fee that starts at $49.
The base subscription, which costs $99 per month for 12 round-trip flights per year (or $120 for 24), covers the Seattle-based carrier’s most popular routes within California, along with direct flights from the Golden State to Las Vegas, Reno and Phoenix.
“Flight Pass builds on our mission to offer travelers the most West Coast destinations at the best value,” Alex Corey, the airline’s managing director of business development and products, said in a news release.
The pass features two annual plans. The first, Flight Pass, requires travelers to book flights at least 14 days in advance and up to 90 days ahead. Flight Pass Pro is steeper but offers passengers same-day booking up to two hours before departure. The premium service starts at $199 per month for six round-trip flights, rising to $399 per month for 12 flights in a year and $749 per month for 24. Travelers with that plan can also book up to 90 days in advance.
Depending on the plan, the airline will deposit credits into customers’ Flight Pass accounts on a monthly or bimonthly basis, which can be redeemed for eligible trips. In addition to the subscription fee, customers will have to pay taxes and fees on each flight, as well as a small fare. That fare amounts to $0.01 in most cases, according to the airline.
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Main cabin seats are free, or customers can select a premium class seat for an extra fee. Customers can also earn miles toward elite status on the airline’s Mileage Plan loyalty program.
Alaska Airlines isn’t the first domestic carrier to offer a deal of this kind. Starting in 2009, JetBlue sold its now-defunct “All You Can Jet” pass, which gave customers one month of unlimited travel on the airline for a fixed fee.
