Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card Review 2024

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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, American Express® Green Card, Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard®, Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Introduction to the Alaska Airlines Visa

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
is an excellent choice if you fly Alaska Airlines or use its miles to book partner awards. It’s currently offering an elevated welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you spend $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening. Plus, benefits like a free checked bag on Alaska flights and an annual companion certificate can save frequent flyers a lot of money.

Alaska Airlines Visa Overview

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is issued by Bank of America, and currently offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you spend $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening. In fact, Business Insider named this card one of the best Bank of America credit cards for several reasons which we’ll explore below.

The card has a $95 annual fee. But if you fly Alaska Airlines frequently, you can quickly recoup that expense 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 you spend $6,000 or more on purchases. That’s not even counting the value of the welcome bonus, which can be substantial, especially if you use it toward partner award flights.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

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 American Airlines.

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 spending on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is one of the easiest ways to earn Alaska miles. 

Note: As of September 2024, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines merged loyalty programs at a 1:1 transfer ratio between the two programs. Thus, a new way to get Alaska miles is by transferring Amex points to Hawaiian, then transferring them again from Hawaiian to Alaska. 

If you’re not sure you’ll use Alaska miles in the near future, but still want access to them as needed, it could be 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.

Alaska Airlines Visa Rewards

Welcome Offer

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you spend $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of your account opening. The welcome bonus miles are worth $1,050 in flights, based on what we believe Alaska miles are worth. You can potentially get even more value if you’re strategic about how you redeem your rewards. 

Earning Miles With the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card updated its earning structure with new 2x earning categories that can help you earn more miles on your everyday spending. 

Cardholders earn:

• 3x spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases — 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)
• 2x on gas and EV charging — service stations, automated fuel dispensers, marinas, marine service and supplies, and fuel dealers of fuel oil, wood, coal, and liquefied petroleum
• 2x on local transit including rideshare — local and suburban commuter transportation, including ferries, passenger railways, taxicabs, limousines, bus lines, tolls, and bridge fees
• 2x on cable and select streaming services — satellite and other paid television/radio/streaming services, as well as digital goods media such as books, movies, digital artwork/images, and music
• 1x on all other purchases

How to Redeem Miles with the Alaska Airlines Visa

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 under 5,000 Alaska miles in economy class each way.

The Alaska Airlines award chart for flights is as follows:

• Flights traveling less than 700 miles: From 4,500 Mileage Plan miles in economy to 13,500 miles for First
• Flights traveling 701 to 1,400 miles: From 7,500 Mileage Plan miles in economy to 25,000 miles for First
• Flights traveling 1,401 to 2,100 miles: From 12,500 Mileage Plan miles in economy to 40,000 miles for First
• Flights traveling 2,101 to 4,000 miles: From 17,500 Mileage Plan miles in economy to 52,500 miles for First
• Flights traveling 4,001 to 6,000 miles: From 25,000 Mileage Plan miles in economy to 75,000 miles for First
• Flights traveling 6,001 miles or more: From 30,000 Mileage Plan miles in economy to 90,000 miles for First

Alaska Airlines Travel Partners

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 Lingus
• Air Tahiti Nui
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Condor
• El Al
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• Hainan Airlines
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• Japan Airlines
• Korean Air
• LATAM Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Oman Air
• Porter Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian
• Singapore Airlines
• Sri Lankan Airlines
• STARLUX Airlines

Alaska Airlines partner rates vary based on fare class and destination. Some of these flights can cost thousands of dollars, particularly in first class, so premium-cabin partner award flights are your best bet if you’re looking to squeeze the most value out of your Alaska miles.

Alaska Airlines Credit Card Benefits and Features

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card offers a range of benefits, but most are only useful if you fly Alaska Airlines. 

Annual Companion Fare

On each account anniversary, Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card cardholders will receive a companion fare code after they spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. The companion fare code is 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 $122 ($99 base fare plus taxes and fees from $23). 

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 Signature® credit card holders plus up to six companions traveling on the same reservation get a free first checked bag on Alaska Airlines flights. However, you’ll have to use your card to pay for your ticket to receive this benefit.

Because the first checked bag normally costs $30 each way, this perk can offer big savings, especially if you fly Alaska a lot. But you’ll have to decide if paying with the card to get a free first checked bag is worth forgoing the travel protections you might receive by booking with a credit card with travel insurance.

Priority Boarding

Boarding the aircraft earlier gives you a better chance of finding space to store your carry-on and more time to get settled in. The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card offers priority boarding on Alaska flights as a benefit, which means cardholders and up to six companions on the same reservation can enjoy this perk — but again, you’ll have to use the card to pay for your ticket.

You’ll board before general boarding, but after Alaska Airlines elite members, Oneworld alliance elite members, first or premium class ticket holders, and preboarding groups.

10% Miles Bonus if You Bank with Bank of America 

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card now comes with a relationship bonus for cardholders who have an eligible consumer Bank of America checking/savings account or Merrill investment account. If you qualify, you’ll earn a 10% bonus on the miles you earn with your card. For example, if you’d normally earn 500 miles on a purchase, you’ll receive an extra 50 miles (10%) for a total of 550 miles.

You can look at the 10% bonus another way — it effectively increases your earning rates on the card to:

• 3.3 miles per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
• 2.2 miles per dollar on gas/EV charging, local transit including rideshare, cable, and select streaming services
• 1.1 miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases

In-Flight Discounts

When you pay for inflight purchases with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® 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+ Membership Discount

Cardholders are eligible for a $100 discount on an Alaska Lounge+ membership when they pay with the card. The Alaska Lounge+ membership includes entry to Alaska-operated lounges and over 90 partner lounges, and normally costs at least $550 (the standard membership to Alaska lounges only doesn’t qualify for the discount).

Alaska Airlines Visa Annual Fee and Other Costs

Apart from the $95 annual fee, the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® 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. 

How the Alaska Airlines Visa Compares

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is a good card to have if you fly Alaska on a regular basis. But if you aren’t interested in building loyalty or getting perks with this airline, there are several travel credit cards worth considering instead. 

If you want access to Alaska miles without committing to a single airline, the 2024 merger between Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines works in your favor: Three of the four cards compared below earn rewards with these airlines, or can transfer miles to one or the other.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Business Insider’s top-choice travel rewards credit card deserves its accolades and then some, especially when compared side-by-side against the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a similar annual fee of $95, and comes with many brand-agnostic benefits for travelers.

But the rewards you earn from this card are Chase Ultimate Rewards, which are often much more flexible than earning miles that can only be redeemed on one specific airline and its partners. You also have the option of using your points to purchase cash flights on Alaska through the Chase Travel portal at a 1.25-cent value, which can help you build elite status with Alaska Airlines (or any other carrier, for that matter) while paying nothing out of pocket if you so choose.

Rewards earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are far more versatile than simply being redeemed at a 1:1.25 ratio through Chase Travel, however. The Chase Ultimate Rewards system offers many competitive benefits including more than a dozen Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners such as Marriott and United Airlines. 

Read more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred card review.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card vs. Bilt Mastercard®

The Bilt Mastercard® is worth mentioning because it has a $0 with several premium benefits. This Wells Fargo card is best known for its ability to pay your rent without charging a transaction fee, making it beyond valuable for people paying thousands of dollars each month in cities with high cost of living.

Furthermore, the Bilt Mastercard® is the only credit card beyond the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card that earns transferrable rewards for Alaska Mileage Plan. This card also offers generous opportunities to earn additional points, such as double miles on most purchases on the first day of the month, playfully known as “Bilt Rent Day.” The card earns 3x on dining, 2x on travel, and 1x on everything else, including rent. This credit card also offers cell phone protection — a valuable benefit on a card with no annual fee. 

Read more in our Bilt Mastercard card review.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card vs. American Express® Green Card
 

The American Express® Green Card earns valuable American Express Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred to Hawaiian Airlines, then transferred again to Alaska Airlines. This card has an annual fee of $150, which is easily offset by several high-value perks such as a $199 annual CLEAR airport security credit for expedited travel screening.

The American Express® Green Card is an underrated card that isn’t as flashy as most Amex credit cards, but comes with solid benefits for consumers who commute, dine out, and travel on a regular basis. You’ll earn 3x Amex points on restaurants, transit, and travel expenses, and 1x on everything else.

Amex points are worth 1.8 cents apiece on average, according to our valuations, which adds up to a generous return over a few short months of use. 

Read more in our Amex Green Card review.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card vs. Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard®

We don’t usually compare co-branded airline credit cards against each other. But with the Alaska/Hawaiian airline merger, the Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard® is now more of a “sibling card” to the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card that offers an easy way to top up your stash of Alaska miles if you so choose.

Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines best serve West Coast-based travelers, or people who frequently fly to the West Coast from cities served by these airlines. If you’re part of this demographic, you may be able to maximize the Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard®’s benefits, which include two free checked bags per passenger on flights purchased with this card, plus an annual $100 companion discount. The card also offers discounts of up to 25% on award flights.

This card has a comparable annual fee of $99, mirroring that of the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. It also has a similar earning scheme: 3x on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2x on gas, dining, and eligible grocery store purchases, and 1x on all other eligible purchases.

You’ll earn Hawaiian miles with this credit card, which can be transferred to Alaska at a 1:1 ratio. You can transfer just one point at a time if you so choose, unlike most other airlines which require a minimum transfer of 1,000 points per transaction.

Read more in our Hawaiian Airlines credit card review.

Alaska Airlines Visa Frequently Asked Questions

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Alaska Airlines Visa

The credit card experts at Business Insider examined the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card’s features to determine if it’s a good option for travelers. We compared it to similar airline credit cards in several areas, including:

• Ease of use — Does the card offer points or miles that are easy to earn and redeem? Are there various options for using rewards?
• Rewards earning — Is the earning rate on purchases good or better than competing cards? Is the welcome bonus offer valuable and competitive with other airline cards? 
• Benefits — Airline credit cards usually offer benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding, travel insurance, and airport perks such as lounge access or faster security clearance. How does the card compare?
• Annual fee — Can you get a value from the card that’s worth at least as much as the annual fee?

Here’s our guide to how we rate credit cards if you want to learn more about Business Insider’s rating methodology.