Charles H. Miller
Alaska Airlines frequent flyers should get this card for added perks on every flight they take with the company. The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card comes with a generous sign-up bonus of 30,000 miles (worth up to 3 one-way flights), as well as the ability to earn points for every transaction. Also, it comes with an annual Companion Fare, and free checked bag for the cardmember and up to six passengers on the same reservation. Plus, there’s more…
Highlights
- 30,000 miles sign-up bonus
- Annual Companion Fare
- Earn 3x miles on Alaska Airlines purchases, and 1x mile on everything else; Plus, 5x miles on Mileage Plan Dining.
- Free checked bag for the cardmember and up to six passengers on the same reservation.
- 12.49% – 19.49% Variable APR
- $50 Alaska Airlines Board Room lounge membership discount
- Visa Signature shopping and travel benefits
- $75 annual fee
How It Works?
Earn miles: Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on Alaska Airlines tickets, vacations, and cargo purchases; and 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else. Also, you can earn 5 miles per dollar spent through Mileage Plan Dining, which is a network of more than 11,000 restaurants and bars. There is no cap on the miles you can earn; miles do not expire except if your account is inactive for more than two years, or if no mileage is credited to your account during the first nine months after opening the account.
Redeem: Once earned, miles can be redeemed for flights and flight upgrades with Alaska Airlines and 14 partner airlines, including Delta, British Airways, American Airlines, AirFrance, Emirates, Korean Air, KLM, Qantas, AeroMexico, and more. Flights start at 10,000 miles for a one-way ticket and upgrades to First Class Cabin are available from 15,000 miles.
Sign-up bonus: 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months with the card. This is equivalent to 3 one-way tickets!
Free checked bag: As part of the deal, cardmembers get a free checked bag for themselves and up to six other passengers on the same reservation.
Annual companion fare: Every year you get a round-trip coach Companion Fare in the form of an e-certificate when traveling with another passenger on a paid coach ticket. This fare is valid for 12 months from the date of issue; it is valued $121 and includes base fare of $99, plus taxes and fees of $22 for a companion traveling on the same itinerary.
$50 lounge membership discount: Instead of paying $250 per year, cardmembers can get the Alaska Airlines Board Room lounge membership for $200. These lounges provide free Wi-Fi, conference rooms, and other amenities.
Visa Signature benefits: Including a number of shopping and travel perks and protections that make for a that much better experience.
Costs
- 12.49% – 19.49% Variable APR
- 3% Balance Transfer Fee
- 0% Foreign Transaction Fee
- $75 Annual Fee
At Bank of America’s secure website
Pros
- Generous sign-up bonus – worth up to three one-way flights, it will practically payoff the annual fee for more than 3 years.
- No just Alaska Airlines – with this card you can get award flights on 14 other airlines, such as American, Delta, British Airways, KLM, Emirates, Qantas, etc.
- Companion fare ticket – no need to travel alone when you can bring someone on board. For free. Every year.
- No foreign transaction fee – you won’t be charged an extra fee when using the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card outside of the U.S.
Cons
- Annual fee – even though it is easy to justify with the sign-up bonus, we know that some people won’t like it. And we don’t blame them. We would prefer to see that, at least, the first year is free. Alas, something’s gotta give…
Is This The Card For You?
As we usually say, if you fly some carrier often — grab its credit card to get something in return for every dollar spent with the company. The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card will go beyond that, offering some added perks as well as a generous sign-up bonus to sweeten the deal. In other words, if you do live/work in Alaska, fly by plane often (with Alaska Airlines), and can afford this card – go for it. You’ll get much better experience and a few added benefits…
