Key facts
Even if you rarely fly Alaska Airlines, the carrier’s Mileage Plan program partners with nearly two dozen airlines in and out of the Oneworld alliance – from Cathay Pacific to Fiji Airways – where you can redeem your miles for lie-flat seats at a mind-boggling value. The ability to earn an annual companion fare on the Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card is the icing on the cake for guaranteed BOGO Alaska flight savings every year.
Annual Fee:
$95Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodOngoing APR:
20.24%-28.24% VariableBalance transfer fees
4% of the amount of each transactionForeign Transaction Fee:
0%When you do fly with Alaska, you’ll enjoy excellent perks including a free checked bag and priority boarding for up to six travelers on the same reservation, $100 off an annual Alaska lounge membership, and more.
Reward multipliers
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature cardholders earn 3x miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases; 2x miles on everyday categories like eligible gas, EV Charging, cable, streaming services, and local transit purchases (including ride share purchases, trains and more); and 1x miles on all other purchases.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases; otherwise earn 1X
Estimated Rewards Value: 5.1%
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.4%
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.4%
Estimated Rewards Value: 3.4%
Estimated Rewards Value: 1.7%
Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account.
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Earn Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare Every Year
Every account anniversary, Alaska Airlines Visa credit cardholders get the opportunity to earn an annual companion ticket after spending $6,000 or more on purchases in a year. Known as Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare, you essentially get two-flights-for-one from $122 ($99, plus taxes and fees around $23) to leverage anywhere in Alaska’s route network.
If you choose your route wisely, such as on one of Alaska’s transcontinental flights, you could be looking at hundreds of dollars in value from this one perk alone.
$100 Off an Alaska Lounge+ Membership
Enjoy a $100 discount on an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership, giving you access to nine of Alaska’s domestic lounges and more than 90 partner lounges worldwide, including American Airlines Admirals Clubs and Qantas Club locations. If you’re an Alaska elite status holder, the Lounge+ membership costs $550 while non-elite flyers pay $650 – so the discount can give you around a 15% discount.
20% Discount on Alaska In-flight Purchases
Whether you want to buy wi-fi, snack boxes or libations onboard, the Alaska Airlines Visa Card gives you a 20% discount – given as a statement credit – on all eligible inflight purchases.
10% Rewards Bonus for Bank of America Accountholders
If you have an eligible checking, eligible savings, or another eligible account with Bank of America, you can receive an additional 10% bonus on all miles earned from the Alaska Airlines card. For example, if you earn 100,000 miles from card spend in a year, you’ll receive an additional 10,000 bonus miles. Terms apply.
Free Checked Bags
Typically, a checked bag will run you $30 on a one-way Alaska flight. However, the Alaska Airlines card provides you with a free checked bag benefit on Alaska flights – if you book your airfare with the card – for you and up to six members on your flight reservation.
Priority Boarding
Get access to the overhead space bins faster with priority boarding for you and up to six members on your Alaska Airlines booking.
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
As a Visa Signature card, cardholders will receive secondary car rental insurance, which will cover loss or damage up to a defined limit after your primary rental car coverage. Be sure to call and ask about any specific car or country exclusions
Extended Warranty
Another great Visa Signature benefit is extended warranty, which gives you up to one year of additional coverage on an eligible manufacturer’s warranty on an item you purchased with your Alaska Airlines Visa credit card. Terms apply.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
No matter where you travel to, the Alaska Airlines card waives all foreign transaction fees (which typically can cost around 3% of each transaction).
No Fees for Authorized Users
There are no additional fees to add authorized users to your Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- Earn Alaska's Famous Companion Fare after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year.
- Rack up thousands of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles from the welcome offer to Alaska Airlines purchases to everyday spend
- Free checked bag and priority boarding for you and up to six travelers on the same reservation. Available for co-applicants and authorized users when they book a reservation too!
- Earning rates could be more competitive to rival other airline and travel cards
- The annual fee has recently increased from $79 to $95
- The $100 lounge membership discount may not move the needle for you to purchase a membership that costs at least $550 per year
Our review
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 for just $99 (plus taxes and fees of around $23), which can provide excellent value on many itineraries to West Coast 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.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Alaska Airlines card have an annual fee?
The Alaska Airlines Visa charges a $95 annual fee, which will be posted on your first statement and on every account anniversary.
Does the Alaska Airlines card get you into airport lounges?
While the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card got rid of its day pass benefit, cardholders can now get a $100 discount for an Alaska Lounge+ membership for access to 100+ Alaska lounges and partner locations worldwide.
Is it hard to get the Alaska credit card?
Prospective applicants for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card will need at least good to excellent credit to qualify. Remember that you’ll also want to be able to pay off your statement charges before the closing date and never carry a balance, otherwise you’ll accrue interest and negate the value of Alaska miles earned.
Is it worth getting the Alaska credit card?
Whether you’re an Alaska Airlines loyalist or want to earn valuable Alaska Airlines miles to book partner award tickets, the credit card comes with plenty of benefits for a sub-$100 annual fee card. Plus, you’ll have access to Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare.
How do I earn miles with the Alaska credit card?
Beyond the big sign-up bonus, the Alaska Airlines credit card provides 3x miles on Alaska purchases; 2x miles on gas and EV charging, cable, streaming services, and local transit purchases; and 1x miles on all other purchases.
Is there a better credit card than the Alaska Airlines card?
Alaska Airlines keeps things simple with one consumer and one business card. With no premium Alaska Airlines credit card, your best bet is to apply for the Alaska Airlines credit card to get started on earning Alaska miles.
Does the Alaska Airlines card charge foreign transaction fees?
This card waives all foreign transaction fees when you make purchases in a different currency.
Does the Alaska Airlines card have car rental coverage?
The Alaska Airlines card offers secondary car rental insurance as part of its Visa Signature benefits. However, coverage will only kick in after the primary policy on a rental car.
Does the the Alaska Airlines card come with any Elite Status?
No, the Alaska Airlines card does not offer elite status benefits or elite-qualifying miles.
Does the Alaska Airlines card offer extended warranty?
Yes, the Alaska Airlines card offers extended warranty coverage. Call for benefit limits and maximums.
Does the Alaska credit card offer purchase protection?
No.
Does the Alaska Airlines card offer trip protections?
The Alaska Airlines card does not offer travel-related coverage, although it does provide secondary car rental insurance.
What credit score do I need to get an Alaska Airlines card?
For your best chances of approval for the Alaska Airlines card, you’ll want to hold a good to excellent FICO credit score of at least 670.
What can I do with the points earned for spending on the Alaska Airlines card?
You can redeem miles in a virtually limitless number of ways. Alaska Airlines flights start at just 5,000 miles one-way for economy. However, the best option is to redeem your miles for Alaska’s global partners, where you can score business- or first-class tickets on international routes.
Does the Alaska Airlines card have Cell Phone Protection?
No, the Alaska Airlines cdit card does not offer cell phone protection.
