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Review: Is the Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card the best card for you?
If you like to fly Alaska Airlines and have a small business, the
For a limited time, the card is offering its highest-ever bonus of
Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021
Because Alaska is part of the Oneworld alliance and maintains its own relationship with several global airlines, Alaska miles are among the most valuable for domestic and international travel awards. For Alaska flyers, it’s one of the last airlines that award bonus miles based on mileage flown instead of a revenue-based model.
For these reasons, Alaska has a loyal fan base – and those who like Alaska will go out of their way to fly their routes. Between the friendly service, rewarding elite status, and valuable miles, there’s a lot to like about the airline, especially if their destinations work with your travel plans.
The
You’ll get a companion certificate every account anniversary when you pay the card’s annual fee, and a free first checked bag for yourself and up to six people traveling on the same reservation. Either of these benefits can make the card well worth keeping year after year.
You’re also able to get day passes to Alaska lounges for $25 (50% off the usual rate), and 20% back as a statement credit for Alaska inflight purchases.
If you don’t qualify for a small-business card, the personal
Comparison: Alaska Airlines Business card vs other Bank of America cards
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Annual fee |
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Rewards rate |
3 miles per dollar 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 |
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25,000 points (worth $250 in statement credits toward travel purchases) after you spend when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening |
50,000 points (worth $500 in statement credits toward travel purchases) after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening |
Travel 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
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N/A |
Up to $100 in airline incidental fee credits each year Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit |
Foreign transaction fee |
No |
No |
No |
Review |
Alaska Airlines Business credit card vs other small-business airline credit cards
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Annual fee |
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Rewards rate |
3 miles per dollar on Alaska Airlines purchases 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases |
2x miles on United purchases 2x miles on restaurants, office supply stores, and local transit and commuting 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases |
2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases 2x miles on eligible purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases |
Welcome bonus |
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Travel 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 |
2 United Club one-time passes per anniversary year Free first checked bag on United flights Priority boarding $100 United credit* |
Free first checked bag on American Airlines domestic itineraries Preferred boarding 25% back on inflight purchases American Airlines companion certificate after you spend $30,000 on purchases in an anniversary year |
Foreign transaction fee |
No |
No |
No |
Review |
*$100 United credit after making seven or more United flight purchases of $100 or more each card anniversary year
How to earn miles from the Alaska Airlines Business card
With the
Read more: The best airline credit cards of 2021
There aren’t any bonus categories other than Alaska Airlines purchases, but using your card for regular spending is one of the best ways to earn Alaska miles, other than flying Alaska or its partners.
How to use Alaska Airlines miles
Alaska Airlines has reasonable award prices on their own flights and a set award chart for airline partner awards, which is a big part of what makes Alaska miles so valuable.
Economy flights on Alaska Airlines under 700 miles start at just 5,000 miles one-way and go up to 15,000 miles each way for the longest domestic flights in coach, including to Hawaii.
Read more: How to earn, redeem, and maximize Alaska Airlines miles
Prices for partner awards vary based on distance, region, and airline partner, but it’s easy to check exact prices with Alaska’s award chart. A few of the best partner awards include:
- American Airlines business class from the US to Europe with a stopover for 57,500 Alaska miles
- Cathay Pacific first class from the US to the Middle East or Africa via Hong Kong for 70,000 Alaska miles
- Qantas business class from the US to Australia for 55,000 Alaska miles
You can use 15,000 Alaska miles to upgrade to First Class each way when traveling on an eligible paid Alaska fare, including companion tickets earned with your
Other ways to redeem miles include sharing them with someone else, donating them to charity, or purchasing magazine subscriptions.
Keep in mind, Alaska miles expire after two years of inactivity. Spending on your
Benefits and features
Annual companion fare certificate
Every year on your account anniversary, you’ll receive a companion fare certificate that allows a companion to fly with you from $121 ($99 for the fare plus taxes and fees starting at $22). This certificate is added to your account automatically, and you can use it on any Alaska Airlines flight that you book through alaskaair.com.
Depending on the itinerary, you can get a lot of value from this perk and easily cover the card’s annual fee. It’s valid everywhere Alaska flies, including Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, and Canada.
Free first checked bag
You’ll get a free first checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six people traveling on the same reservation. Alaska charges $30 to check a bag each way, so using this benefit even once or twice a year would recover the cost of the card’s annual fee.
Alaska Airlines discounts
When you pay with your
Fraud monitoring
Bank of America blocks potential fraud if they detect abnormal patterns on your account, and let you know when fraudulent activity is suspected via email and/or text.
$0 liability guarantee
You won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges made by others using your account. Claims are subject to dollar limits and verification.
Free FICO credit score
The primary cardholder is eligible to review their FICO credit score through online banking, mobile, and the Bank of America app. Your score is updated monthly and supplied by TransUnion.
Fees and costs
The
Read more: The best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees
Like most other cards, the
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