More Value in Your Wallet With the Alaska Credit Card Features

The Alaska Airlines Credit Card is quickly becoming a must-have for frequent flyers and savvy spenders alike. This article delves into the myriad features of the Alaska credit card, assessing how they add substantial value to your wallet.

Alaska Airlines Credit Card Offer

Currently, the Alaska Airlines Credit Card comes with enticing offers, including generous mileage bonuses upon signing up and making initial purchases. These introductory offers are especially lucrative for new cardholders looking to jumpstart their mileage earnings.

Alaska Airlines announces a special sign-up offer for new cardholders. Their Visa Signature® Card increased its miles bonus to 70,000 miles in a limited-time offer. In addition to the bonus miles, opening the credit card also gives access to the Companion Fare.

New cardholders are eligible for the limited-time bonus after making qualified purchases of at least $3,000 within the first 90 days of opening the account. The good news is that the spending also qualifies for earning miles along the way.

While current cardholders can’t get the sign-up bonus, they still benefit from the new card features, including 2x miles on purchases and a bank account bonus.

The Alaska Airlines 70,000 bonus miles offer is only available by signing up here.

Specific Benefits of the Alaska Credit Card

Earn Double Miles on Everyday Purchases

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Cardholders will now earn 2x miles for every dollar spent on the card. One of the biggest criticisms about the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card was that its benefits outweighed its use as a daily spending credit card. However, thanks to the new card features, Alaska Airlines makes the card much more valuable in your wallet.

One of the most attractive features of the Alaska Airlines Credit Card is its ability to accumulate miles rapidly. Cardholders earn:

• 3 miles for every dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. This includes tickets, in-flight purchases, and cargo services.
• 2 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. This makes every transaction, from grocery shopping to dining out, an opportunity to earn towards your next trip.

The original miles bonus was only one mile per dollar, which was lagging behind Delta SkyMiles and United Explorer credit cards which already offered 2x miles on additional spending categories. Now, cardholders can earn miles when purchasing gas, utilities, local transit or ride-share services, and streaming services.

Redeeming Miles

Redeeming miles is equally flexible and rewarding:

• No blackout dates on Alaska Airlines flights, providing freedom to travel when desired.
• Unique Mileage Plan allows for booking flights with Alaska Airlines and its global airline partners, offering a wide array of travel destinations.

Companion Fare

Another standout benefit is the Annual Companion Fare:

• Cardholders receive a discounted companion ticket each year, starting from just $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22).
• This fare can be used on any Alaska Airlines flight booked on alaskaair.com with no blackout dates, significantly reducing travel costs for couples or families.

Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™

The Companion Fare is a hallmark of the Alaska Airlines Credit Card, offering a unique value proposition:

• Cardholders can book a round-trip, coach-class ticket for a companion on the same itinerary for a significantly reduced rate.
• This benefit alone can offset the card’s annual fee if used strategically.

Priority Boarding

Alaska Airlines credit cardholder perks continue overlapping with benefits enjoyed by Alaska Airlines MileagePlus elite status. The airline upgrades cardholders with priority boarding on Alaska Airlines flights.

Use your Alaska Visa Signature card when making flight reservations to qualify for early group boarding. Early boarding applies to all tickets purchased in the reservation, including companion tickets.

Free Checked Bag Benefit

For those who travel frequently, the free checked bag benefit adds significant value:

• Cardholders and up to six other passengers on the same reservation can each check their first bag for free on Alaska Airlines flights.
• Bag fees range between $30-$100, depending on quality, making it an incredibly valuable benefit for families and groups.

The new update lets even more travelers enjoy the perks of free checked bags. All authorized users on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card account get access to all the cardholder benefits. Authorized users purchasing tickets using a credit card qualify for the free checked bag – even when traveling without the primary cardholder.

Alaska Airlines Lounge Access

Frequent flyers with Alaska Airlines get even more value when using the Visa Signature® Card on travel days. Travelers get a $100 discount on the Alaska Lounge+ Membership. The discount applies every year, which already covers the $95 annual fee for those who want lounge access.

The Lounge+ Membership discount joins the list of Alaska Airlines travel benefits, including a 20% rebate on in-flight purchases when using the credit card.

Starting February 1, 2024, the discounted membership costs $450 – Alaska Lounge (9 locations) and $650 – Alaska Lounge+ (9 Alaska Lounge locations and almost 90 partner lounges)

Experience travel comfort with lounge access:

• The card provides discounted rates for Alaska Lounge membership, offering a serene escape from busy terminals.
• Lounges feature complimentary refreshments, Wi-Fi, and comfortable seating, enhancing the travel experience.

Disadvantages to Alaska Airlines Credit Cardholders

Between the sign-up bonus and the increased miles bonus on spending, it sounds like an attractive deal for new and current cardholders. However, a closer look at the card updates shows that there are some disadvantages to holding the credit card.

Consider these costs before signing up for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card, which can impact whether it’s valuable to you or not:

• The annual fee increases from $75 to $95
• Companion ticket is only awarded after spending a minimum of $6,000 in the previous year
• New features overlap benefits with the Alaska Mileage Plan (frequent flyers can get many of the same benefits free)

While the updates add improved benefits and features to the credit card, these drawbacks can still devalue it.

Additional Information on Using the Alaska Credit Card

Using Alaska Airlines Flight Credit

To use your Alaska Airlines flight credit, simply book a flight through the Alaska Airlines website and apply the credit during checkout. It’s a straightforward process that can significantly reduce travel costs.

Checking Miles on the Alaska Airlines Credit Card

Cardholders can easily track their miles through the Alaska Airlines website or mobile app. Regularly checking your miles helps in planning trips and leveraging maximum benefits.

Linking the Alaska Credit Card to an Alaska Account

Linking your Alaska Credit Card to your Alaska Airlines account is simple. Log into your Alaska Airlines account, go to the account management section, and add your credit card details. This integration streamlines mile accumulation and redemption.

Is the Alaska Airlines Credit Card Worth It?

The new updates accomplish their goal of adding more benefits to having the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card. Both new and current cardholders get benefits from the credit card, and make it more useful in everyday spending.

New cardholders get rewarded with bonus miles and earned miles while reaching the spending limit, which can redeem for flights on 20 partner airlines traveling to more than 900 international destinations. Current cardholders also get increased miles bonuses and even more earnings if they have a Bank of America account.

One of the downsides to the Alaska Airlines credit card is the overlapping perks to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program. Members with elite status on the award-winning program already receive complimentary bags, discounts, and other perks. Frequent flyers who travel enough to earn any of the elite status tiers will get less value from the credit card when traveling.