Alaska Airlines Mileage Partners

This former airline frequently flies relationship started in 2010, but Alaska Airlines and Icelandair in 2013 said they had chosen to make the difference in the contract.

Airlines gave no specific reasons at the outset to end their airline alliances, although some airline frequently flyer bloggers were speculating that a 2012 Icelandair Deal on cheap mileage - which could be used for premium Alaska airfare to Hawaii - might have cooled the relationship between the parties. However, the Alaska Airlines and Icelandic Airlines relationship will not only come back, it will also be more resilient than the one before.

Mutual advantages are again being provided to FFPs, but airlines are also planning to conclude a code share package on distribution of passengers. This allows airlines to place their two-digit code on each other's flight and to resell and commercialise individual ticketing routes involving a link from one to another. Mutual mileage accrual begins on 1 October, with take-back options starting later.

According to Alaska Air, Alaska airline mileage accrued on Icelandair flights will be counted toward top flight level in its mileage planning programme. From October 1 to December 15, Alaska Air offers twice the mileage for its regular flyers who decide to collect Alaska Air mileage when they fly with Icelandair.

Also, from October 1, Alaska Airlines members of the MVP Gold and Gold 75K mileage plan will receive free admission to Icelandair's Saga lounge at their Keflavik International Airport turnstile near Reykjavik. Icelandair's Saga Gold and Silver members also get free entry to the Alaska Board Room Locations in Seattle, Portland, Anchorage and Los Angeles.

Currently Icelandair operates season or year round flights from 16 towns in North America. It provides connections to more than 20 European airports - Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London and Paris - via Keflavik/Reykjavik. Icelandair's 11 US departures are Seattle, Portland and Anchorage - all major Alaska Airlines hubs offering a dozen connection alternatives.

"Icelandair's new relationship with Icelandair is another example of how Alaska is setting the standard higher so that its Mileage Plan members can fly through a varied airline ecosystem and collect mileage to every corner of the globe," says Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines CCO.

"The Icelandair provides our frequent flyers with a great opportunity to fly to Europe and earn mileage from our Seattle, Portland and Anchorage gateway. "Icelandair is further expanding its airline business with today's announcements of our alliance with Alaska Airlines, which includes more frequencies, more gateway and more destinations," said Helgi Mar Bjorgvinsson, Icelandair's Head of Business and Markets.

"Partnerships and code-share will make travelling from the West Coast smooth, rewards those who fly frequently on Icelandair and Alaska Airlines, and give our travellers even more opportunities to fly to Iceland and beyond."