Porter Airlines Now Bookable with Alaska Miles

Alaska Airlines has quietly rolled out a long-awaited feature that’ll excite many of us award travellers. You can now book Porter Airlines flights using Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles.

The feature launched fittingly on Canada Day and opens up fresh opportunities for redeeming one of the most powerful airline loyalty currencies in North America.

Let’s explore what this means, whether it’s a good deal, and how to make the most of it.

Alaska Mileage Plan Now Offers Porter Redemptions

As expected, Mileage Plan redemptions on Porter Airlines follow Alaska’s partner award chart, allowing you to book flights starting at just 4,500 miles one-way.

Unlike the reverse scenario, where redeeming VIPorter points for Alaska Airlines flights requires a Porter segment, there’s no such restriction here.

You can redeem Alaska miles for Porter-operated flights on their own, with no need to include an Alaska Airlines segment.

Availability looks pretty good year around, and here are some examples:

Toronto (YYZ) – Montreal (YUL)

Toronto (YYZ) – Vancouver (YVR)

Toronto (YYZ) –Las Vegas (LAS)

Ottawa (YOW) – Calgary (YYC)

Vancouver (YVR) – Ottawa (YOW)

Is This a Good Use of Alaska Miles?

As is usually the case, whether or not you want to redeem Alaska miles for Porter Airlines flights really depends on the situation.

Redeeming Alaska miles for Porter Airlines flights can be a great option when cash fares are sky-high—especially during peak travel dates or last-minute bookings.

Take a flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Vancouver (YVR) as an example. Last-minute cash fares on this route can climb to $505 (CAD).

The distance between the two cities is 2,085 miles, placing it just under the 2,100-mile threshold in Alaska’s partner award chart.

That means the flight prices out at 12,500 Alaska miles plus taxes and fees.

Assuming $60 (CAD) in taxes and fees ($44 USD), you’re getting a redemption value of 3.56 cents per mile:

($505 – $60) / 12,500 miles = 3.56 cpp

That’s well above our target valuation of 2.2 cents per mile.

One thing to note is that when booking through Alaska Mileage Plan, you’ll be issued a Refundable Main fare, which maps to PorterClassic Standard Fare. This fare doesn’t include seat selection or complimentary checked baggage.

However, you can offset these limitations by holding the BMO VIPorter World Elite®* Mastercard®*, which grants VIPorter Venture Avid Traveller status.

With this status, you’ll enjoy:

• One free checked bag and one carry-on item
• Free seat selection in rows 8 and beyond for you and one guest
• These perks extend to up to eight passengers on the same booking

Outside of these specific use cases, you’re likely better off saving your Alaska miles for aspirational redemptions in premium cabins.

The program continues to shine for its partner airline sweet spots, such as:

• Toronto (YYZ) – Frankfurt (FRA) in Condor Business Class for 55,000 miles + taxes
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Taipei (TPE) on Starlux in Business Class for 75,000 miles + taxes
• New York (JFK) – Doha (DOH) in Qatar Airways Qsuites for as low as 70,000 miles + taxes

With Alaska miles being harder to earn in Canada these days, you’ll want to be intentional about how and when you use them.

Which Credit Card Should You Use to Book?

Since these are award bookings, most Canadian travel credit cards don’t provide insurance coverage unless the full fare is charged to the card—which obviously doesn’t happen with points redemptions.

Thankfully, there’s an exception. The National Bank® World Elite® Mastercard® includes insurance coverage for award bookings, as long as you charge the taxes and fees to the card.

This makes it the top choice for anyone redeeming Alaska miles for Porter flights while still wanting that peace of mind from travel insurance.

How to Earn Alaska Miles in Canada

Alaska Airlines currently doesn’t offer a co-branded credit card in Canada (fingers crossed for a comeback), but there are still a few ways to earn Mileage Plan miles:

• Transferring Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio
• Flying Porter, Alaska, or other oneworld and partner airlines
• Shopping via Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan shopping portal
• Buying miles during Alaska’s frequent buy points promotions

Conclusion

While this may not be a game-changing update, it does open up some great new options for Canadians looking to redeem their Alaska miles—and that’s always a welcome development.

Being able to book Porter flights directly with Mileage Plan adds practical value, especially for domestic and transborder routes and soon to sun destinations where cash fares can spike.

It won’t always be the best use of your miles, but it’s another handy tool in your redemption toolkit when the timing and pricing line up just right.