Alaska Airlines has introduced a new family-focused benefit that can return 20% of the points used for eligible award flights booked for children 12 and under—including certain partner awards.
• The savings can add up quickly. A 100,000-point award for a child would generate 20,000 points back after the trip. For a family using 400,000 points for two adults and two children, the kids’ awards could generate 40,000 points back.
• It works beyond Alaska flights. The rebate also applies to eligible partner award bookings, and the terms don’t limit the benefit to a particular cabin. That could make the rebate especially valuable when redeeming large numbers of points for premium-cabin awards.
• You need the points upfront. The discount isn’t applied when you book. You’ll initially pay the full award price, with the rebate generally deposited into your Atmos Rewards account within 24 hours after completing the trip.
• There’s no annual rebate cap. Up to seven children can qualify on a single reservation, and eligible bookings can receive the rebate repeatedly. Taxes and fees, however, aren’t included in the rebate.
• Only the adult needs to enroll. The adult using points to pay for the reservation can join Alaska’s Families on the Go community; children don’t need separate enrollment. Even bookings made before joining can qualify as long as the member is enrolled when traveling and remains enrolled through the trip.
The Smarter Take: For families who regularly use points for flights, this could be one of the more valuable benefits in Alaska’s Atmos Rewards program. A 20% rebate on children’s award tickets effectively stretches your points further every time the family travels, particularly on expensive partner or premium-cabin redemptions.