World Traveller 73 
MBNA Rewards Mastercard One-Time Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Conversion Offer
MBNA involuntarily converted all of it’s MBNA Alaska Airlines World Elite Mastercard holders over to the MBNA Rewards Mastercard. MBNA had initially promised a conversion feature for MBNA Rewards points over to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan points within the first year of card ownership. MBNA has now announced details of that conversion within the first year. However, the transfer details are much more limiting than we would normally expect. Read on to see the details and terms of this offer.
MBNA Rewards Mastercard One Time Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Conversion Offer
Unfortunately, we’ve gotten some bad, but not horribly unexpected, news from holders of the old MBNA Alaska Airlines Mastercard that was converted last year into the MBNA Rewards Mastercard.
While MBNA had initially indicated that there would be an ability to convert MBNA Rewards points into Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan on a 1 to 1 basis, it appears that this transfer option is going to be much more limiting that we would have normally expected.
Why Alaska Mileage Plan:
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is a Member of the One World Alliance. It’s position with the competing Air Canada’ Star Alliance made it a natural credit card to have in your wallet.
Having a credit card that allowed for points accumulation in a competing frequent flier program allowed for a really nice balance between the two programs. With a healthy mileage balance in both programs, you could often find reward space in one program, when you could not find space in the other.
The MBNA Alaska Mileage Plan Mastercard was exceptionally valuable and had become the card that I’d typically pull second, assuming my American Express Platinum Card was not accepted by the merchant.
What is the MBNA Rewards Card?
Previously, credit card holders of the MBNA Alaska Airlines Mastercard were informed that their card was being converted from a card that earned Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles and a great Famous 2 for 1 companion fare, into the MBNA Rewards Mastercard.
In the conversion, which was communicated by mail, the new MBNA Rewards Card indicated that card holders would start earning MBNA Rewards Points as of August 31, 2023.
The MBNA Rewards Card offered the ability to redeem for travel and merchandise, at a floating MBNA Rewards point redemption rate. However, I wasn’t able to find much value in MBNA Rewards flight redemptions.
Transcontinental flights regularly came in at an uncompetitive 55,000+ points compared to RBC Avion’s fixed 35,000 points (maximum $750 point ticket price)
At the time of credit card conversion, there was also a mention that:
“within the next year, you’ll also be able to redeem MBNA Rewards Points for Alaska Airlines Miles on a one – to – one basis. 1 MBNA Rewards Points = 1 Alaska Airlines Mile”
Despite the mention of point transferability, over the past year, MBNA was exceptionally quiet about the points transfer announcement. While the company offered sign up bonuses for meeting specific levels of spending and while it was mentioned in a few flyers, all outward marketing of this feature came and disappeared; including reference to any such ability on public facing websites.
The MBNA Alaska Airlines Transfer Announcement Offer:
MBNA Rewards Mastercard credit card holders got a message in the mail this week within the last month of the first year of their conversion, which ends August 31, 2024.
Sadly, the news is quite limiting, compared to what many were expecting.
Transfer is Allowed One Time Only:
The announcement indicated that MBNA would be offering a one time window to convert MBNA Rewards points into Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan points.
This is an unusual offer with credit cards such as the RBC Avion Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, usually having a standing “anytime” conversion feature to external points programs.
Transfer Period to Only Occur between August 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024
The announcement indicated that MBNA would be offering a window:
“to complete an optional, one-time redemption of your accumulated MBNA Rewards Points for Alaska Airlines Miles from August 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024.”
The letter also indicated that this is a one time “”take it or leave it” scenario:
“Please note that the redemption of MBNA Rewards Points for Alaska Airlines Miles is a one time option (ie: only one redemption request will be accepted) and any redemption request received outside the redemption window will not be completed”
How to Redeem:
To redeem points, the letter indicates that cardholders must call during the redemption window at 1-888-876-6262
- Your First and Last Name as it appears on your Mileage Plan Program Account
- Your Mileage Plan Program Membership Number, and
- The Number of MBNA Rewards Points you wish to redeem (up to maximum available rewards balance)
How Long This Will Take:
MBNA Rewards promises that these points will be deducted from your MBNA Rewards Account within 1 – 2 business days, but it may take up to 4 -10 weeks for your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles to appear in your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account.
My Take on This Offer:
Regretfully, this is much worse news than we had hoped.
It’s one thing to involuntarily convert existing card member customers from one credit card to another. However, the one time points conversion solution isn’t something that’s likely to resonate with many hard core Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan aficionado’s seeking business class reward redemptions, or those that got value from the Alaska Airlines Famous 2 for 1 Companion Fare.
I can’t help think that MBNA went into this arrangement with the belief that they would be able to negotiate a standing transfer arrangement with Alaska Airlines. However, it doesn’t appear that they were able to get to agreement with Alaska Mileage Plan, and have come up with this compromise as a one time interim solution.
It’s especially baffling since MBNA offered a number of sign up bonuses for this card in order to retain customers. By offering a one time transfer arrangement, MBNA is almost incentivizing customers to transfer their points out and eventually close their cards.
Regretfully, the MBNA Rewards Mastercard is now a vastly different credit card than the MBNA Alaska Mileage Plan Mastercard.
As a result of the lack of value of MBNA Rewards points, I’ll be taking advantage of the one time Alaska Airlines Transfer feature and moving all my 62,000 MBNA Rewards points over to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.
I’ll be closing my MBNA Rewards card shortly thereafter. I will likely pick up a no fee Mastercard for use at Costco Canada, which is really the only place that I use a Mastercard credit card.
In Summary: MBNA Sunsets the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Conversion Feature
I was really disappointed to see the end of the MBNA Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Mastercard. Although Alaska Airlines served mostly West Coast destinations such as Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary and Edmonton in Canada, I was still able to get a lot of miles out of this credit card.
The MBNA Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan credit card was exceptionally valuable for my travel patterns by allowing high value redemptions on Alaska Airlines, a great companion fare, along with the ability to earn miles on an US Based carrier’s frequent flier program, in my home country of Canada.
While I’ve tried to make it work with the MBNA Rewards Mastercard, and enjoyed a 35,000 point sign up bonus for use of the card, the lack of a standing conversion to Alaska Mileage Plan is an absolute deal breaker for me. As a result, I can’t see any value left in retaining an MBNA Rewards Mastercard. My intentions are to convert all the points towards the end of the offer period and start new somewhere else.
World Traveller 73 
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