Alaska Airlines, Icelandair are partners again

Alaska Airlines and Icelandair are back together again.

The airlines announced plans for a codeshare and frequent-flier pact on Wednesday. The tie-up is something of a surprise since the carriers ended a previous partnership only about two years ago. That previous frequent-flier partnership began in 2010, but Alaska Airlines and Icelandair revealed in 2013 that they had decided to pull the plug on the deal.

The airlines offered no precise reason for discontinuing their alliance at the time, though some frequent-flier blogs speculated that a 2012 Icelandair deal for cheap miles – which could be used for first-class Alaska Air tickets to Hawaii – may have chilled relations between the sides.

Whatever the case, the Alaska Airlines-Icelandair partnership is not only coming back, but it will be more robust than the previous iteration.

Reciprocal frequent-flier benefits will again be offered, but the carriers also plan to enter into a "codeshare" passenger-sharing pact. That allows the carriers to place their two-letter airline codes onto each other's flights and sell and market single-ticket itineraries that include a connection from one carrier to the other.

Reciprocal mileage-earning will begin Oct. 1, with redemption opportunities to begin later. The codeshare pact will launch Nov. 1, pending regulatory approval. Alaska Air says that Alaska Air miles earned by flying on Icelandair will count toward elite status in its Mileage Plan program. Alaska Air is offering double miles from Oct. 1 through Dec. 15 for its frequent-fliers who choose to earn Alaska Air miles when flying on Icelandair.

Also beginning Oct. 1, Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan MVP Gold and Gold 75K members will gain complimentary access to Icelandair's Saga Lounge at its hub at Keflavik International Airport near Reykjavik. Similarly, Icelandair's Saga Gold and Silver members will gain complimentary access to Alaska Board Room lounges in Seattle, Portland, Anchorage and Los Angeles.

Icelandair currently offers seasonal or year-round service from 16 cities in North America. The carrier offers connecting service to more than 20 destinations in Europe – including Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London and Paris – via Keflavik/Reykjavik. Icelandair's 11 U.S. destinations include Seattle, Portland and Anchorage -- all significant bases for Alaska Airlines that offer dozens of connecting options.

"This new partnership with Icelandair is another example of how Alaska is raising the bar to allow its Mileage Plan members to travel and earn miles to all corners of the globe through a diverse network of international carriers," Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines' chief commercial officer, says in a statement. "Icelandair offers our frequent fliers a unique option for flying and earning miles to Europe from our Seattle, Portland and Anchorage gateways."

"With today's announcement of our Alaska Airlines partnership, Icelandair continues to expand its network, including more flights, more gateways and more destinations," Helgi Mar Bjorgvinsson, Icelandair's sales and marketing chief, adds in the statement. "Our codeshare flights and mileage partnership will make travel seamless from the West Coast, reward frequent travelers on both Icelandair and Alaska Airlines, and offer our passengers even more options when traveling to Iceland and beyond."

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