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The Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card is worth considering if you fly Alaska or collect the airline’s miles, and it’s currently offering a record-high bonus. Plus, cardholders can save money on Alaska flights with perks like a free first checked bag and inflight discounts.
Review: Is the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card the best card for you?
If you like to fly Alaska Airlines and have a small business, the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card is a great complement to both. There aren’t as many ways to earn Alaska miles as other airlines, and Alaska is one of the few airlines with no bank transfer partners, so this card is a good way to get more Alaska miles in your account.
For a limited time, the card is offering its highest-ever bonus of Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card. The companion ticket is usually awarded after your account anniversary, but here it’s included as part of the welcome offer. The card has an annual fee of Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card ($75 total for one card, with the option to add more).
Because Alaska is part of the Oneworld alliance and maintains its own relationship with several global airlines, Alaska miles are among the most valuable for domestic and international travel awards. For Alaska flyers, it’s one of the last airlines that award bonus miles based on mileage flown instead of a revenue-based model.
For these reasons, Alaska has a loyal fan base — and those who like Alaska will go out of their way to fly their routes. Between the friendly service, rewarding elite status, and valuable miles, there’s a lot to like about the airline, especially if their destinations work with your travel plans.
The Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card earns 3 miles per dollar spent on Alaska Airlines, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. That’s a basic earning rate compared to other airline cards, but it’s the other benefits that make the card a keeper.
You’ll get a companion certificate every account anniversary when you pay the card’s annual fee, and a free first checked bag for yourself and up to six people traveling on the same reservation. Either of these benefits can make the card well worth keeping year after year.
You’re also able to get day passes to select Alaska lounges for $25 (50% off the usual rate), and 20% back as a statement credit for Alaska inflight purchases.
If you don’t qualify for a small-business card, the personal Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card is also worth considering. It comes with similar benefits and is offering a welcome bonus of Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card.
How to earn miles from the Alaska Airlines Business card
With the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card, you’ll earn 3 Alaska miles per dollar spent on Alaska Airlines purchases, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
There aren’t any bonus categories other than Alaska Airlines purchases, but using your card for regular spending is one of the best ways to earn Alaska miles, other than flying Alaska or its partners.
How to use Alaska Airlines miles
Alaska Airlines has reasonable award prices on their own flights and a set award chart for airline partner awards, which is a big part of what makes Alaska miles so valuable.
Economy flights on Alaska Airlines under 700 miles start at just 5,000 miles one-way and go up to 15,000 miles each way for the longest domestic flights in coach, including to Hawaii.
Prices for partner awards vary based on distance, region, and airline partner, but it’s easy to check exact prices with Alaska’s award chart. A few of the best partner awards include:
American Airlines business class from the US to Europe with a stopover for 57,500 Alaska milesCathay Pacific first class from the US to the Middle East or Africa via Hong Kong for 70,000 Alaska milesQantas business class from the US to Australia for 55,000 Alaska miles
You can use 15,000 Alaska miles to upgrade to First Class each way when traveling on an eligible paid Alaska fare, including companion tickets earned with your Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card.
Other ways to redeem miles include sharing them with someone else, donating them to charity, or purchasing magazine subscriptions.
Keep in mind, Alaska miles expire after two years of inactivity. Spending on your Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card counts as activity and is an easy way to keep your miles from expiring.
Alaska Airlines Business card benefits and features
Annual companion fare certificate
Every year on your account anniversary, you’ll receive a companion fare certificate that allows a companion to fly with you from $121 ($99 for the fare plus taxes and fees starting at $22). This certificate is added to your account automatically, and you can use it on any Alaska Airlines flight that you book through alaskaair.com.
Depending on the itinerary, you can get a lot of value from this perk and easily cover the card’s annual fee. It’s valid everywhere Alaska flies, including Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, and Canada.
Free first checked bag
You’ll get a free first checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six people traveling on the same reservation. Alaska charges $30 to check a bag each way, so using this benefit even once or twice a year would recover the cost of the card’s annual fee.
Alaska Airlines discounts
When you pay with your Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card, you’ll get 50% off day passes to Alaska airport lounges (San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York-JFK only) and 20% back as a statement credit on all Alaska inflight purchases. Lounge day passes are usually $60, so this benefit saves you $30 for each pass you purchase.
Fraud monitoring
Bank of America blocks potential fraud if they detect abnormal patterns on your account, and lets you know when fraudulent activity is suspected via email and/or text.
$0 liability guarantee
You won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges made by others using your account. Claims are subject to dollar limits and verification.
Free FICO credit score
The primary cardholder is eligible to review their FICO credit score through online banking, mobile, and the Bank of America app. Your score is updated monthly and supplied by TransUnion.
Fees and costs
The Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card has a Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card annual fee, and doesn’t have foreign transaction fees, so it’s a useful card to take on trips abroad.
Like most other cards, the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card charges fees for cash advances, late payments, and returned payments.
Comparison: Alaska Airlines Business card vs other Bank of America cards
Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Annual fee
Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card
$0
$95
Rewards rate
3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases
1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
1.5 points per dollar on all purchases
2x points on travel and dining
1.5 points per dollar on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Travel benefits
Free first checked bag on Alaska flights
Alaska companion fare from $121 ($99 fare, plus taxes and fees from $22) on your card anniversary
20% back on Alaska inflight purchases
50% off Alaska lounge day passes (San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York-JFK)
No foreign transaction fees
No foreign transaction fees
Up to $100 in airline incidental fee credits each year
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card review
Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card review
Alaska Airlines Business credit card vs other small-business airline credit cards
Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card
United℠ Business Card
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Annual fee
Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card
$99, waived the first year
$99, waived for first 12 months
Rewards rate
3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases
1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
2x miles on United purchases
2x miles on restaurants, office supply stores, and local transit and commuting
1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
2x miles on eligible purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations
1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card
75,000 bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening
Travel benefits
Free first checked bag on Alaska flights
Alaska companion fare from $121 ($99 fare, plus taxes and fees from $22) on your card anniversary
20% back on Alaska inflight purchases
50% off Alaska lounge day passes (San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York-JFK)
No foreign transaction fees
Two United Club one-time passes per anniversary year
Free first checked bag on United flights*
Priority boarding on United flights
25% back on United inflight purchases
$100 United credit***
5,000 bonus miles each card anniversary when you have the United Business Card and a personal United credit card
500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) for every $12,000 you spend on purchases****
Expanded access to United award flights
No foreign transaction fees
Free first checked bag on American Airlines domestic itineraries
Preferred boarding
25% back on inflight purchases
American Airlines companion certificate after you spend $30,000 on purchases in an anniversary year
No foreign transaction fees
Review
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select card review
*When you use your United℠ Business Card to pay for your ticket, or the taxes and fees on an award ticket
***On the United℠ Business Card, $100 United credit after making seven or more United flight purchases of $100 or more each card anniversary year
****Up to 1,000 PQP in a calendar year for the United℠ Business Card
Alaska Airlines Business credit card frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What credit score do I need for the Alaska Airlines Business card?
Most people who are approved for the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card have an excellent credit score, which means a FICO score of at least 800, or a VantageScore of 750 or more.
If you’re not quite in that range, there are plenty of great travel rewards credit cards that you may be eligible for with good credit score, including the personal Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card (you can read our review of the Alaska Airlines credit card for more information).
Is the Alaska Airlines Business card worth it?
If you’re a small-business owner and fly Alaska Airlines frequently, the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card is worth it. The free checked bag perk alone can be worth much more than the annual fee if you check bags on Alaska even a couple of times a year, and the companion certificate can be worth hundreds of dollars depending on how you redeem it.
Even if you don’t fly the airline, earning Alaska miles can be a very rewarding strategy if you like to book award flights on Oneworld and other international partners. With numerous award chart sweet spots, you’ll often pay fewer Alaska miles for an award ticket compared to using other frequent flyer miles.
How does the Alaska Airlines companion fare work?
The Alaska Airlines companion fare you receive with the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card is awarded in the form of a discount code in the primary cardholder’s Alaska Mileage Plan account. It allows the cardholder to buy one round-trip economy class companion ticket on Alaska Airlines from $121 ($99 base fare plus applicable taxes and fees from $22 depending on your flight itinerary) when traveling with another guest who’s purchased a paid ticket on the same itinerary.
To use the companion certificate, you must book both tickets (the paid flight and the companion fare) at the same time on alaskaair.com, and you must use your Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card for the purchase.
How do I get a free checked bag with the Alaska Airlines Business card?
If you’re the primary cardholder and you’ve included your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan frequent flyer number on your reservation, you and up to six companions on the same reservation will receive a free first checked bag on Alaska Airlines flights. There’s no requirement to pay your fare with the card to receive this benefit.
One interesting caveat: The primary cardholder must credit their flight miles to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan to receive the free first checked bag perk on Alaska flights. However, companions aren’t required to do so.