Breaking on TPG: Alaska's new MVP Gold 100K status tier is now visible in accounts

Just before officially becoming part of Oneworld, Alaska Airlines unveiled a new elite status level, MVP Gold 100K. This designation marks a new pinnacle for members who travel 100,000 miles or more annually, surpassing the previous top-tier level MVP Gold 75K.

While Alaska previously outlined the perks associated with the new status tier, it has yet to provide a specific launch date—only indicating it would be by the end of January 2022.

At last, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has come.

Today, Alaska confirmed to TPG that the MVP Gold 100K status tier has officially launched, and updates to eligible accounts are in progress. The airline mentioned that this updating process may take several hours, so don’t worry if your new status isn’t showing up immediately.

How to achieve MVP Gold 100K status

You can attain Alaska's prestigious MVP Gold 100K status by fulfilling either of the following criteria within a calendar year:

• Accumulate 100,000 elite-qualifying miles
• Complete 140 segments

No matter which path you choose, a minimum of 24 segments must be flown on Alaska-marketed and operated flights. Additionally, remember that Alaska continues to award elite-qualifying miles based on actual miles flown, with no spending threshold required for status.

Even though the new tier has just been introduced, you may have already qualified. Any Mileage Plan members who accrued 100,000 miles in 2021 will be automatically elevated from MVP Gold 75K to MVP Gold 100K.

Benefits of MVP Gold 100K

Overall, MVP Gold 100K is quite similar to MVP Gold 75K status, but it comes with a few enhanced benefits, such as:

• Complimentary upgrades available up to 120 hours before departure, with a higher priority than MVP Gold 75K
• 150% bonus on earning award miles (compared to 125% for MVP Gold 75K)
• Two one-way international upgrade certificates on American Airlines (where MVP Gold 75K members receive only one)
• Complimentary premium beverage and snack when traveling in Main Cabin (MVP Gold 75K members receive just a beverage)

The primary advantages here include enhanced upgrade priority and extra international upgrade certificates on American Airlines. However, it appears that 100K elites will not have upgrade priority over 75K elites when flying on American.

In general, these benefits are somewhat disappointing. For example, some TPG team members were anticipating perks like complimentary Alaska Lounge access, improved Gold Guest Upgrades, and elite benefits on Saver fares. Nevertheless, they will still be beneficial for those who often fly with Alaska and American Airlines.

Additionally, Alaska's website states that more MVP Gold 100K perks will be rolled out later in 2022, so stay tuned for updates.

In conclusion

Alaska's new MVP Gold 100K status tier has arrived. The airline is in the process of updating eligible accounts to show the new status, but this may take some time, so you might not see it just yet.

If you held Alaska elite status last year but didn’t requalify, keep in mind that your status has been extended until April 2022, and you can maintain it by meeting reduced thresholds by the end of April. Unfortunately, there’s no quick path to achieving 100K status.