Alaska Airlines Credit Card

Key Takeaways

The Companion Fare is the most valuable benefit of this card, especially in your first year when it comes as part of the welcome offer alongside 50,000 miles. If you're planning to fly Alaska Airlines with a partner in the upcoming year, this card is an excellent choice.

However, after the first year, you must spend $6,000 annually to receive the $99 Companion Fare, which may not be worthwhile for occasional flyers. If you're primarily getting the card for the bonus and Companion Fare for a specific trip but don't regularly fly Alaska, you might want to cancel before paying the annual fee.

For those who fly Alaska Airlines even a few times per year, the card's additional benefits provide good value for the modest $95 annual fee.

How The Alaska Airlines Credit Card Fits In The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Ecosystem

Alaska miles are challenging to accumulate since they don't partner directly with most major rewards currencies, only with Bilt and Marriott. Besides these partnerships, there are limited options for earning Alaska miles:

• The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature is the airline's only personal co-branded card
• A comparable business version offers similar sign-up bonuses, benefits, and perks
• If you're an Alaska Airlines loyalist and have room in your Chase 5/24 status for a personal card, you could get both cards to accumulate miles faster and receive two $99 Companion Fares

While major credit card companies like Chase and American Express don't have Alaska Airlines as a direct transfer partner, there is an indirect method using American Express Rewards. Following the Alaska-Hawaiian Airlines merger, and because Hawaiian is an American Express transfer partner, you can transfer points from American Express to Hawaiian Airlines and then from Hawaiian to Alaska Airlines. This isn't the most straightforward redemption process, but it provides another avenue for maximizing your points.