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The Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card is an excellent choice if you fly Alaska Airlines or use its miles to book partner awards. Perks like a free checked bag on Alaska flights and an annual companion certificate can save frequent flyers a lot of money, and discounts on inflight purchases and lounge passes are a bonus.
Review: Is the Alaska Airlines credit card the best airline credit card for you?
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is widely regarded as one of the most valuable frequent flyer programs — and not just for those who like to fly Alaska Airlines. You can often get the best value from Alaska Airlines miles when you redeem them for award flights on partners, including Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Fiji Airways.
That’s why many award travelers focus on Alaska miles, even if they’re not near a city served by the carrier. However, Alaska Airlines doesn’t partner with any of the major transferable bank points programs (like Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards®), so the easiest way to earn Alaska miles is with the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card.
The Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card is issued by Bank of America and currently comes with a welcome bonus of 40,000 bonus miles after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening.
The card has a $75 annual fee, but if you fly Alaska Airlines frequently, you could save a lot of money with perks like a free first checked bag (worth $30) on Alaska flights for yourself and up to six companions, plus the companion fare each year. That’s not even counting the value of the welcome bonus — which can be substantial, especially if you use it toward partner award flights.
If you’re not sure you’ll use Alaska miles in the near future, but still want access to Alaska miles, it’s worth earning Marriott points from any of the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards instead. You can transfer Marriott points to airline partners like Alaska at a 3:1 ratio (with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer), so that’s an option if you prefer flexibility.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
How to earn miles with the Alaska Airlines credit card
The Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card doesn’t have a complicated earning structure, which is a plus if you like to keep things simple. On the downside, it doesn’t offer any bonus categories beyond Alaska Airlines purchases, so if you’re looking to maximize your rewards on everyday spending, this isn’t the best card.
Cardholders earn:
3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases, which include Alaska Airlines tickets, Alaska Airlines flight subscriptions, inflight food and beverage purchases, lounge memberships, in-lounge food and beverage purchases, cargo purchases, and vacation packages billed by Alaska Airlines (Alaska Airlines bookings made through third-party sites won’t earn bonus miles)1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
How to use Alaska Airlines miles
Alaska Airlines flyers can get significant value when they redeem miles for award flights on the airline. The award chart for Alaska flights is distance-based, which means it costs more miles for longer flights. For example, short flights 700 miles or less in distance cost just 5,000 Alaska miles in economy class each way.
Here’s the Alaska Airlines award chart for flights at the lowest award level:
Flight distance Alaska miles required one-way (economy class)Alaska miles required one-way (first class)700 miles or less5,00015,000701 to 1,400 miles7,50025,0001,401 to 2,100 miles10,00025,0002,101 miles or more12,50030,000
Alaska Airlines also allows travelers to use miles toward a 50% discount when they book a ticket, up to certain limits — a 50% discount up to $100 costs 10,000 miles, and up to $200 costs 20,000 miles. Be sure to compare the cost of a full award ticket to what you’d spend on a paid flight because you’ll often get a better deal using miles (or cash) outright.
The Alaska Mileage Plan program offers another lucrative benefit: You can add a stopover to award flights, even on partners, at no extra cost. This even applies to one-way flights, which is rarely an option with other frequent flyer programs.
Alaska Airlines has a broad range of domestic and international partners, in part because it’s a member of the Oneworld alliance. You can currently redeem Alaska Airlines miles for award flights on the following airlines:
Aer LingusAir Tahiti NuiAmerican AirlinesBritish AirwaysCathay PacificCondorEL AL Israel AirlinesFiji AirwaysFinnairHainan AirlinesIberiaIcelandairJapan AirlinesKorean AirLATAM AirlinesMalaysia AirlinesQantasQatar AirwaysRavn AlaskaRoyal Air MarocRoyal JordanianSingapore AirlinesSri Lankan Airlines
Alaska Airlines has separate award charts and pricing for each partner, and there are a number of “sweet spots” that cost fewer miles compared to booking with other airline programs. For example:
First class from the US to Asia (via Hong Kong) on Cathay Pacific for 70,000 Alaska milesFirst class from the US to the Middle East or Africa (via Hong Kong) on Cathay Pacific for 70,000 Alaska milesBusiness class from the US to Australia (via Fiji) on Fiji Airways for 55,000 Alaska milesBusiness class from the US to South America on LATAM Airlines for 45,000 Alaska milesBusiness class from the US to Australia on Qantas for 55,000 Alaska miles
Some of these flights can cost thousands of dollars, particularly in first class — so if you’re looking to squeeze the most value from Alaska miles, premium-cabin partner award flights are your best bet.
Alaska Airlines Visa credit card benefits and features
The Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card offers perks, but most of them are only useful if you fly Alaska Airlines.
Annual companion fare
On each account anniversary, Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card cardholders will receive a companion fare code valid for round-trip economy-class travel on Alaska Airlines. You can use the companion certificate to book a guest, traveling on the same paid itinerary as you, starting at $121 ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees from $22).
This can save you a bundle of cash if you’re flying an expensive route. To use the companion fare, you must book online at alaskaair.com and enter your discount code at the time of purchase. Companion fare codes are valid for 12 months from the date of issue, but you can book travel up to 12 months past the expiration date.
Free checked bag
Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card holders will receive a free first checked bag on Alaska Airlines flights, as well as up to six companions traveling on the same reservation. Because the first checked bag normally costs $30 each way, this perk can offer big savings, especially if you fly Alaska a lot.
Inflight discounts
When you pay for inflight purchases with the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card, you’ll get a 20% discount in the form of a statement credit. The rebate applies to inflight purchases of food, beverages, and even Wi-Fi.
Alaska Airlines lounge pass discount
Cardholders are eligible for a 50% discount on one-time passes to Alaska Lounges (San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York-JFK only) when they pay with their card. Normally, a day pass costs $60, so you’ll save $30 with this benefit.
Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card fees and costs
Apart from the $75 annual fee, the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card charges fees for balance transfers, cash advances, and late and returned payments.
However, it’s a good pick for international purchases, because the card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
Alaska Airlines credit card vs other Bank of America cards
Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Annual fee
$75
$0
$95
Rewards rate
3x miles 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
40,000 bonus miles after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Card 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
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card (then a Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card APR)
No foreign transaction fees
Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
Up to $100 in airline incidental credits per year
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Car rental insurance
Baggage delay insurance
Trip delay insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Travel and emergency assistance services
Emergency evacuation and transportation coverage
Roadside dispatch
Purchase protection
Return protection
Extended warranty
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card review
Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card review
Alaska Airlines credit card vs other airline cards
Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card
United℠ Explorer Card
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
Annual fee
$75
$95, waived first year
$99, waived for first 12 months
Rewards rate
3x miles on Alaska Airlines purchases
1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
2x miles on eligible United purchases
2x miles on dining/delivery service purchases, and hotel stays booked directly with the hotel
1 mile per dollar on everything else
2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
2x miles at eligible restaurants and gas stations
1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
40,000 bonus miles after you make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening
60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open (plus, an additional 10k bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months)
50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Card 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
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit
Complimentary Premier upgrades
500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) for every $12,000 you spend on purchases***
Expanded access to United award flights
Car rental insurance
Baggage delay insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Trip delay reimbursement
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
No foreign transaction fees
Free first checked bag on domestic American Airlines itineraries
Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
25% back on AA inflight food and beverage purchases
$125 American Airlines flight discount certificate when you spend $20,000 or more in a card anniversary year
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card review
*When you use your United℠ Explorer Card to pay for your ticket, or the taxes and fees on an award ticket
****Up to 1,000 PQP in a calendar year for the United℠ Explorer Card
Alaska Airlines credit card frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is the Alaska Airlines credit card worth it?
The Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card is worth it for two types of people:
Frequent Alaska flyers who can take advantage of perks like free checked bags and an annual companion certificateAward travel enthusiasts who like to earn and redeem Alaska miles (but don’t necessarily fly Alaska often)
Because Alaska miles are among the most valuable frequent flyer miles (worth around 1.5 cents each, on average, based on Insider’s points and miles valuations), earning them from credit card spending can be quite lucrative. The Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card (and its small-business sibling, the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card) are your only credit card options for earning Alaska miles directly, so it can be worth hanging on to the card for the long term as well.
What credit score do you need for the Alaska Airlines credit card?
To be approved for the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card, you’ll typically need a credit score in the good to excellent range. That translates to a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 700.
Can you have more than one Alaska Airlines credit card?
It’s certainly possible to have both the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card and Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card at the same time, because they’re considered different card products.
How do I use the Alaska Airlines companion fare?
Each year on your Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card anniversary, you’ll receive an Alaska Airlines companion fare discount code in your Alaska Mileage Plan account. With the code, you can 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 passenger who’s purchased a paid ticket on the same itinerary.
Note that to redeem the companion fare, you must book both tickets (the paid flight and the companion ticket) at the same time on alaskaair.com, and you must use your Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card to pay.
How does the Alaska Airlines credit card free checked bag benefit work?
To get a free checked bag with your Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card, you must be the primary cardholder and include your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number on your reservation. This will allow you and up to six companions on the same reservation to receive a free first checked bag on Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, or SkyWest flights.
You don’t need to use your card to pay for your fare to receive the benefit.