Compare the Features and Benefits of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card

The Amex Business Platinum is the one of the most expensive travel rewards cards on the market today. However, while its annual fee might be a bit on the higher side, the perks that come along with it are second to none, both from the business perspective as well as the travel angle.

For small business owners that hit the road (or skies) regularly, there really isn’t another card quite like this one.

On the travel perks side of things, the Amex Business Platinum has a laundry list of embedded extras from hotel and rental car elite statuses to complimentary access to airport lounges through the Global Lounge Collection. (See the key features and benefits above.)

However, this is a business card, after all, and where this card shines is in its statement credits. If you have business expenses that are with specific merchants, such as Indeed, Dell, and Adobe, the Business Platinum can tangibly help cut reduce costs. In addition, card holders get an extra half point per dollar (1.5X) on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, and purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. While a 1.5X bonus isn’t huge, it’s helpful that this spans a wide variety of business categories (and is capped at $2 million).

The Amex Business Platinum isn’t a card for everyone — that’s for sure. But for high-spending business owners who travel often (either for business or pleasure), this just might be the card for you.

Rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

With an affordable $95 annual fee and a great introductory bonus to boot, there are many ways to justify keeping the Alaska Airlines card in your wallet. In fact, there are two types of travelers who would benefit from this airline credit card: one who’s loyal to the West Coast-based carrier and wants extra perks when flying, and the other who wants an easier way to earn Alaska Airlines miles for bucket-list, premium cabin redemptions.

Let’s talk about the first type of traveler: Alaska Airlines frequent flyers. To start, you get a free checked bag on every Alaska flight and get to board the plane soon after elite status holders. While potentially less utilized, the 20% discount for onboard purchases and a $100 statement credit toward a Lounge+ membership can still prove to be beneficial if you frequently fly on Alaska Airlines network.

Now, let’s discuss the second traveler: the travel optimizer. That’s because Alaska’s Mileage Plan loyalty program allow you to redeem miles at a reasonable rate for a broad range of global airline partners beyond just Alaska. From Oneworld alliance partners to highly-rated carriers like Singapore Airlines and Starlux, Alaska miles are easily some of the most valuable airline miles out there.

As well, Alaska miles can be quite difficult to earn compared to other airline miles — unless you open the Alaska Visa to earn both the bonus offer and miles on eligible card purchases. Fortunately, the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card comes with a solid earning rate on Alaska flights and purchases (3x miles); everyday purchases including eligible gas, EV charging, cable, streaming services, and local transit (2x miles); and a standard 1x miles pr dollar spent on all other purchases.

No matter what your travel goals are with this credit card, the final component to discuss is Alaska’s famous companion fare, which you’ll earn as part of the welcome bonus — assuming you meet minimum spend from account opening. Essentially, you’re able to score a round-trip companion ticket from $99 (plus taxes and fees starting at $23), which can provide excellent value to many destinations. Best of all, cardholders get the opportunity to earn another companion ticket every single year by spending at least $6,000 on card purchases in the prior anniversary year.

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