Frequent flyers to benefit from Alaska, Singapore deal.

Singapore Airlines and Alaska Airlines frequent flyers will be able to earn miles on flights operated by both carriers thanks to a codeshare deal announced this week. The agreement takes effect from September 27 and will expand Singapore’s (SIA) footprint in the US, particularly in Alaska’s Pacific Northwest stronghold. It will see SIA add its “SQ” designator code on Alaska flights on routes serving 18 destinations in the US and Mexico. Read how Singapore Airlines fared in our annual awards. They are Anchorage, Baltimore, Boise, Hailey (Sun Valley), Loreto, Los Cabos, Mammoth Lakes, Medford, Mexico City, Minneapolis, Orange County, Portland, Puerto Vallarta, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Seattle and Washington (Reagan National). Existing codeshare flights operated by Virgin America, which was acquired by Alaska in 2016, are also included in the deal. The 19 destinations involved are Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas (Love Field), Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Kahului, Las Vegas, Nashville, New York (John F Kennedy), Newark, Orlando, Palm Springs, Portland, San Diego, Seattle and Washington (Dulles). Members of Singapore Airlines’ Krisflyer frequent flyer program and Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan will be able to earn miles when travelling on flights operated by either of the two carriers from September 27. Krisflyer members can also redeem miles for flights from the September 27 start date but Mileage Plan members will have to wait to an unspecified date to burn their points on SIA-operated flights. Singapore flies to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Houston (via Manchester, England).  It offers a direct flight to San Francisco using its Airbus A350-900 aircraft and has ordered specially modified ultra-long-range A350s that will allow it to service LA and New York direct from Singapore from 2018. “Our new partnership with Alaska Airlines enables us to improve connectivity between Singapore and the important North American market, providing customers with more codeshare destinations and enhanced KrisFlyer benefits,’’ SIA senior vice president marketing planning Tan Kai Ping said in a statement. “It reflects our commitment to continuously expand our network reach and offer our customers greater flexibility when planning their travel itineraries.’’ Singapore said the codeshare flights would be progressively made available through its various booking channels.