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New Baby? Alaska Airlines Just Added a Great Perk for Folks Taking Parental Leave!

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    Great news for new parents!  Via Travel Codex, Alaska Airlines will let you keep your elite status while on parental leave, and will even extend it an additional year!

    So you don’t have to worry about losing your Alaska Airlines status, or flying enough to earn it the following year.

    New Parent? Don’t Let Your Alaska Airlines Elite Status Go to Waste!

    Here’s more about the details of Alaska Airline’s new “Elite Leave” program.

    Alaska Airline’s Elite Leave Program for New Parents

    Link:   Alaska Airline’s Parental Leave Policy

    If you’re a new parent taking maternal, paternal, or adoption leave, you can now take advantage of Alaska Airlines’ Elite Leave program.  So you’ll be able to keep your elite status throughout your leave, without having to worry about losing it or qualifying again the following year!

    To register for Elite Leave, email the following information to elite.flyer@alaskaair.com:

    It can take up to 4 weeks for verification and approval.

    Kudos to Alaska Airlines for Adding This Family-Friendly Benefit!

    Not only will you get to keep your elite status through the current year, but it will be extended for an additional year!

    So, for example, if you take parental leave this year, 2017, that ends in 2018, you’ll get to keep your elite status through 2019.

    That’s incredibly generous.  Especially given that no other US airlines offer this kind of perk!

    The only people NOT eligible for Alaska Airlines’ Elite Leave are those who were gifted status, got a status match, or received complimentary status.

    If you’re interested in learning about other airlines that have similar programs, check out this post.  Along with airlines like Qantas and Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Air Canada also offer elite status parental leave.

    Bottom Line

    Alaska Airlines will now allow new parents to keep their elite status while on maternity, paternity, or adoption leave.  So you won’t lose your status if you’re not flying as often after welcoming a new baby to the family!

    This is great news for lots of folks, and it’s always nice to see airlines introducing family-friendly policies.

    Do you think it’s time other US airlines, like American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta, offer perks like this?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)