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Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card

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Limited Time Online Offer: Buy One Ticket, Get One for just the taxes and fees + 50,000 Bonus Miles

Card details, limited time online offer.

Buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) and receive 50,000 bonus miles. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™

Get a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases within the prior anniversary year.

Free checked bag + priority boarding

Free checked bag for any cardholder who purchases airfare with their card, and up to 6 additional guests traveling on the same reservation. Plus you'll enjoy priority boarding when you pay for your flight with your card, so you can get to your seat quicker.

Earn miles with no mileage cap

Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit purchases. Earn unlimited 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Flexibility with no blackout dates on Alaska Airlines flights and when booking with miles or a companion fare.

Get more out of your travels

Enjoy 20% back on Alaska Airlines inflight purchases when you pay with your new card.

Get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership purchased with your Alaska card.

10% rewards bonus

You can also earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America ® account.

For example, that means that for every 1,000 miles you earn on purchases, you'll receive 1,100 miles.

Interest Rates & Fees Summary †

Introductory apr, standard apr.

21.24% - 29.24%

Balance Transfer Fee

of each transaction †

† Please see Terms and Conditions for rate, fee and other cost information, as well as an explanation of payment allocation. All terms may be subject to change.

Note: minimum payments are applied to lower-interest balances first. Additional payments are applied to higher-interest balances first.

Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit purchases including rideshare, trains, even tolls and ferries! Earn unlimited 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. And your miles don't expire on active accounts.

You can also earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America ® account. For example, that means that for every 1,000 miles you earn on purchases, you'll receive 1,100 miles.

Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ – Get a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airline flights booked on alaskaair.com

With your Alaska Airlines Visa Signature ® credit card you earn unlimited miles and travel with no blackout dates on Alaska Airlines flights when booking with miles or a companion fare.

With one world ® Alliance member airlines and Alaska's Global Partners, Alaska has expanded their global reach to over 1,000 destinations worldwide bringing more airline partners and more ways to earn and redeem miles.

Security & Features

Stay protected, contactless chip technology, balance connect ® for overdraft protection, paperless statement option, digital wallet technology, online & mobile banking, account alerts, fico ® score.

Now, when you opt-in you can access your FICO ® Score updated monthly for free, within your Mobile Banking app or in Online Banking. FICO ® Score Program . The FICO ® Score Program is for educational purposes and for your non-commercial, personal use. This benefit is available only for primary cardholders with an open and active consumer credit card account who have a FICO ® Score available. The feature is accessible through Online Banking, the Mobile website, and the Mobile Banking app for iPhone and Android devices. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries. Data connection required. Wireless carrier fees may apply." data-footnote="ADDITIONAL_BENEFITS_FOOTNOTE_07" aria-label="Footnote 5"> Footnote [5] Learn More   about Free FICO Credit Score opens in a new window

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Cardholders now enjoy new ways to earn double miles on everyday purchases, priority boarding, expanded free checked bag privileges; for a limited time, new cardholders can receive 70,000 bonus miles after making qualifying purchases

A new year reveals new reasons to celebrate what makes the  Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card , co-branded with Bank of America, better and more valuable than ever. 

Our current and new cardholders can now take advantage of enhanced benefits when they use the card while traveling with us and while making everyday purchases – from earning more miles in new ways to boarding their flight earlier to continued savings with a free checked bag and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™.

Cardholders will enjoy these new benefits:

Earn Double Miles:  Cardholders now earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases made every day – including gas, local transit including ride share, cable bill and select streaming services. Alaska miles don’t expire so they can be redeemed at any time.

Relationship Bonus:  A 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases with an open, eligible Bank of America checking, savings or investment account.

Priority Boarding : Early group boarding when tickets are purchased with an Alaska Visa Signature® card. 

Expanded Privileges for Authorized Users:  Authorized users added by primary cardholders will now receive additional savings and convenience when the Alaska Visa Signature® card is used to purchase a ticket. Authorized users can continue to book their own travel with the card but will now also gain access to a free checked bag and priority boarding even when they’re not traveling with the primary cardholder (previously, authorized users needed to travel with the cardholder on the same reservation to receive a free checked bag).

Alaska Lounge+ Membership Discount:  Cardholders can enjoy $100 off the price of an  Alaska Lounge+ membership  every year when purchased with their Alaska Visa Signature® card.

With our newly enhanced Visa Signature® credit card, we strived to add benefits that mean the most to our cardholders – from adding value to their travel experience when using the card to earning more miles on things we buy all the time,” said Sangita Woerner, senior vice president of marketing and guest experience at Alaska Airlines. “All those earned miles with the card can be redeemed in our award-winning Mileage Plan program for flights on Alaska, our fellow  one world member airlines and our additional global partners.”

Cardholders will also continue to enjoy the card’s additional benefits:

Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ Every Year : Current cardholders will continue to receive a companion fare that allows them to book a companion flight from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) when bought with their Alaska Visa Signature® card. The companion fare becomes available annually after their card anniversary and it’s valid on all flights booked on  alaskaair.com . New cardholders must spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year to receive the annual companion fare.

Continuing Ways to Earn Miles:  Cardholders will still earn 3 miles for every dollar spent on eligible Alaska purchases and 1 mile for every dollar spent on all other things they buy.

20% Inflight Rebate:  Cardholders get back 20% on onboard purchases such as food, beverages and Wi-Fi when they pay with their Alaska Visa Signature® card.

Low Annual Fee:  Just $95 annually.

Now’s a great time to get the card. For a limited time, in addition to all the benefits above, new cardholders receive 70,000 bonus miles with  this offer . Those bonus miles alone are more than enough for a roundtrip ticket anywhere Alaska flies. To qualify, cardholders need to make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening their account.

“We are thrilled to work with Alaska Airlines in order to offer customers enhanced benefits on their Visa Signature® credit card,” said Jason Gaughan, Head of Consumer Credit Card Products at Bank of America. “With these new changes we’ve created more opportunities for customers to optimize their credit card rewards and get the most out of every dollar spent travelling or for everyday purchases. In addition, eligible Bank of America checking, savings or investment account holders can earn an additional rewards bonus.”

Alaska Airlines and Bank of America will launch similar enhanced benefits for the Alaska Airlines Visa Business card this spring.

Alaska and Bank of America announced last year an extension of our co-branded credit card agreement through 2030 to continue offering best-in-class benefits to our customers. 

Mileage Plan  miles earned by using the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card can be redeemed for free flights on Alaska and more than 20 of our fellow  one world  member airlines and additional  global partners  to more than 900 destinations around the world. Our guests can also use their miles to book hotel stays and upgrades on their flights.

For information about rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of this credit card, please see  Terms and Conditions . This credit card program is issued and administered by Bank of America, N.A.

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Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover.

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Bottom line

Best for Alaska Airlines perks

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Intro offer

50,000 bonus miles plus buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Buy One, Get One + 50,000 Bonus Miles!

Rewards rate

Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. Earn unlimited 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

1 mile - 3 miles

Regular APR

21.24% - 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Bankrate Score

Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.

Rewards value

Rewards flexibility

Why you'll like this: Its annual companion fare perk is among the most valuable benefits you can get on a mid-tier airline card.

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On This Page

• Current offer details

Alaska Airlines Visa Card pros and cons

• Reasons to get this card
• Reasons to skip this card
• Expert experience
• Alaska Airlines Visa vs. other travel cards

Best cards to pair with the Alaska Airlines Visa Card

• Is this card worth getting?
• Ratings methodology

What cardholders think

Alaska airlines visa signature® credit card overview.

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card has valuable benefits for the airline’s frequent flyers and a solid sign-up bonus and rewards rate. Cardholders can also hit the ground running with Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ on Alaska Airlines — one of the best deals you can find on an airline rewards card. Get Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines flights booked on alaskaair.com.

This card can be worth the $95 annual fee, but mainly for those who fly with Alaska Airlines often since you can only redeem rewards and take advantage of benefits with the airline.

• 3 miles per dollar spent with Alaska Airlines
• 2 miles per dollar on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit purchases
• 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases

Expert Appraisal: Typical See our expert analysis

Limited-time online welcome offer

Limited time offer: Buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) and get 50,000 bonus miles with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Expert Appraisal: Good See our expert analysis

Rates and fees

• Annual fee: $95
• APR: 21.24% - 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
• Balance transfer fee: 4 percent of the amount of each transfer
• Cash advance fee:  See Terms
• Foreign Transaction fee: None
• Late payment fee: Up to $40

Other cardholder perks

• Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™
• Free checked bag for cardholder and up to six companions on the same reservation
• Priority boarding
• 20 percent back on Alaska Airlines inflight purchases
• $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership

Earn Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare every year starting at $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23).

Cardholders and up to six companions on the same reservation get a free checked bag on Alaska flights.

You can receive 20 percent back on inflight purchases when you use your card.

While Alaska Airlines is a oneworld Alliance partner, the airline has a limited route network.

The card's annual fee recently increased from $75 to $95, making it even less practical if you only fly Alaska Airlines occasionally.

You’ll need a good to excellent credit score for the best approval odds.

Why you might want the Alaska Airlines Visa Card

Like any branded airline card, the Alaska Airlines Visa card is excellent for frequent flyers of its respective airline, Alaska Airlines. It can be an ideal choice for customers of the airline who take annual or semi-annual trips because it includes generously boosted rewards rates and has some key perks that help you save.

Companion flights: For a friend or family member

You can earn a companion fare code when you spend $6,000 in one year with the Alaska Airlines Visa card ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23). This can be a great way to recoup your annual fee.

While spending $6,000 on your travel card is no easy task, it might help to look at this offer as an opportunity to save hundreds of dollars on a trip you’re sure to take each year. For instance, the average one-way Alaska Airlines fare hovers around $250 (before taxes). If you spend $6,000 in one year to earn this promotion and use the promotional code to cover companion airfare worth $250, then you’re looking at a return of roughly 4 percent, which rivals the cash back rate on some of the best cash back credit cards . 

Rewards: Boosted rewards for flights and some recurring purchases

Cardholders can earn 3X miles on flights and 2X miles on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and transit. In the right hands, these modestly boosted rewards categories can bring a healthy sum of miles. Regarding co-branded airline cards , 3X miles seems to be the standard among cards with comparable annual fees. You can also receive a 10 percent boost to your earned miles if you have an eligible Bank of America account.

Alaska Airlines also has a decent rewards program , with miles coming in at an estimated value of 1.1 cents, according to Bankrate’s latest valuations . This valuation isn’t exceptional, but it is more than you might expect on other cards and is far from the least valuable among airline miles. Plus, you’ll earn them at generously boosted rates, so your miles will stack quickly.

Welcome offer: Solid value with a little effort

While it may require some precise planning, the recent update to the Alaska Airlines Visa's limited-time online bonus has added significant value to the card. You can earn 50,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in your first 90 days with the card and snag a sweet "buy one, get one" deal on airfare (must pay taxes and fees).

Depending on how you use this flight can determine how valuable this welcome offer is. The miles with the welcome offer can be worth $550, based on the valuation of 1.1 cents, which is good value, but you can really boost the value of this offer by cashing in your buy one, get one offer on pricey airfare.

Perks: Free checked bags with priority boarding

Several credit cards include free checked bags , but not all have free checked bags for up to six people on the same reservation, something the Alaska Airlines Visa can boast. The only card that comes out ahead for this perk is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card , which offers a free checked bag on Delta flights for up to eight additional people on the same reservation. But if you’re a loyal Alaska Airlines customer, there is no replacement for the value that this card carries for multi-person reservations.

Plus, this card has priority boarding for as long as you’re a cardholder. Although this perk isn’t a huge value play, it can help ease tension in the airport and get you onto your plane and into your seat before most of the overhead bag space is cluttered.

Why you might want a different travel card

If you don’t use Alaska Airlines you won’t be able to make the most of this card. However, even if you are a frequent flyer of the airline and live near Alaska Airlines hubs, this card might not provide you with the best value for your specific circumstances.

Limited network: Lacks wide-spread coverage

Alaska Airlines connects cities along the western coast of the United States with international routes to Belize, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, the Bahamas and Canada. As a oneworld Alliance member, the airline has several partners, opening its flight network to more destinations. However, if you’re hoping to stick with Alaska Airlines, you’ll be disappointed to learn that the airline does not fly to many destinations. 

However, the airline has several partners as a oneworld Alliance member, opening its flight network to more destinations. Unfortunately, there are added fees and guidelines associated with transfers that can lower the value of your Alaska miles and make using them less convenient. The most viable way to redeem your airline miles is directly with Alaska Airlines on routes they serve. However, because the airline has fewer routes than most airlines, this might make the card a poor choice for travelers with plenty of variety in their travels — particularly regarding international travel via transatlantic routes. 

Rates and fees: Increased annual fee eats into rewards

This card once carried a $75 annual fee but was increased to $95 not too long ago, making it more difficult to recoup the cost of the card with rewards earnings. Other general travel rewards cards might have the same annual fee as the Alaska Airlines Visa card fee, but they may have rewards programs that are far easier to maximize. If you don’t foresee yourself spending enough on the card to earn enough miles to offset it, then the card is most likely not a good choice for you. For reference, you’ll need to spend roughly $2,900 on Alaska Airlines flights in one year to earn the cost of your annual fee back with the value of your miles at 1.1 cents upon redemption. 

You can also leverage rewards from other purchases to maximize your card’s value, but it will require substantial spending. If you spend $2,000 on purchases outside your boosted categories, $1,500 at eligible gas stations and $1,220 on Alaska Airlines flights, you’ll earn enough miles to offset the cost of your card’s annual fee at a redemption value of 1.1 cents per mile. Combined spending among these three categories is $4,700 at an average rewards rate of 1.8X miles just to earn back the cost of your card. If you opt for a general travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , you could offset the same $95 annual fee ( See Rates & Fees ) at faster rates with the same spending amount. 

We tried it: Here’s what our experts say

Despite living in Florida, Nick Ewen , a credit card expert at The Points Guy , has kept the Alaska Visa in his wallet for a number of years.

I love the Alaska Visa card, mainly because of the annual companion fare benefit it offers. I’ve used it to fly to Hawaii (with a stopover in San Diego), Portland and Seattle in years past — saving well over $1,000 in the process. And Alaska Airlines MileagePlan remains an incredibly valuable loyalty program thanks to its Oneworld and non-alliance airline partners. — Nick Ewan, Director of Content, The Points Guy

How the Alaska Airlines Visa Card compares to other travel cards

If you’re considering the Alaska Airlines Visa Card, you should compare it to other travel credit cards and airline cards before applying. Here’s how the Alaska Airlines Visa Card stacks up against cards that offer similar perks and rewards.

Recommended Credit Score

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠. 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries. 2x on all other travel purchases. 1x on all other purchases.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.

Some of the content regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is expired

Alaska Airlines Visa Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card lets you earn rewards for travel with more flexibility than a co-branded airline card and more miles for general purchases compared to the Alaska Airlines card, making it a better choice for cardholders who want to earn rewards on everyday spending. You can also redeem your miles to cover any recent travel purchase charged to your card.  Capital One also has its own airline and hotel partners, which include some oneworld partners that offer the same routes you can book with Alaska Airlines. Plus, depending on the transfer partner and flight or hotel, we estimate that Capital One Miles can be worth around 1.7 cents, which is almost double the value of Alaska Airlines miles. And while you won’t get airline-specific benefits, you get a fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership.

Alaska Airlines Visa Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

Along with ongoing rewards in a range of everyday spending categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers one of the best available sign-up bonuses on a travel credit card in its price range.

You can redeem your points for travel through the Chase Travel portal, statement credits, gift cards or merchandise, or you can transfer points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. If you redeem for Chase Travel, you also get a 25 percent increase to the value of your points.

Although the card doesn’t offer frequent flyer benefits with a specific airline, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card boasts a better overall rewards rate than most airline cards and points that are much more flexible.

Finding the right card to pair with the Alaska Airlines Visa can be difficult. It’s a branded airline credit card, so you won’t have many options if you’re hoping to combine points and bonus categories. However, it would pair excellently with a flat-rate travel rewards card or one that includes generous rewards with the option of transferring points to partnering airlines — particularly those in the oneworld Alliance.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Along with ongoing rewards in a range of everyday spending categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers the best available welcome offer on a travel credit card in its price range.

You can redeem your points for travel through the Chase travel portal, statement credits, gift cards or merchandise, or you can transfer points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. If you redeem for Chase Travel, you also get a 25 percent increase to the value of your points.

Although the card doesn’t offer frequent flyer benefits with a specific airline, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card boasts a better overall rewards rate and much more flexible points than most airline cards.

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Card is one of our top picks for flat-rate travel cards. The earning rate on all purchases is reliable and greater than what you’d earn on the Alaska Airlines Visa Card. 

The card also lets you transfer your earned miles to travel partners, many sporting a 1:1 transfer ratio. But like Alaska Airlines’ travel partners, many of these partners are international.

Who is the Alaska Airlines Visa Card right for?

Alaska airlines customers.

It’s difficult to recommend this card to anyone who isn’t a dedicated Alaska Airlines customer. If you fly with this airline regularly, you can benefit from its generous rewards rates. However, you’ll want to rack up at least $6,000 of card charges with the Alaska Airlines Visa to make the most of it.

Bankrate’s Take — Is the Alaska Airlines card worth it?

The Alaska Airlines Visa Card can be worth the $95 annual fee, but only if you can use Alaska miles and the card’s companion fare. If you live in an area not serviced by Alaska Airlines or frequently fly to destinations outside the airline’s service area, you may want to look at other card options.

Fortunately, there are many rewards and travel credit cards to choose from. No matter whether the Alaska Airlines Visa Card makes sense for your travel needs, you should consider all your options before you decide.

How we rated this card

We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.

Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest). 

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:

The primary criteria for a rewards or cash back card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics . 

Based on this data, we determine a “chargeable” spend (which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards). This includes the following spending by category:

• Groceries: $5,200
• Dining out: $3,000
• Entertainment: $2,500
• Gas: $2,100
• Apparel and services: $1,700

Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 23 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries. We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases, as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

We also rate cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance. 

To start, each rewards or cash back card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards or cash back cards. 

We also score each card based on how its annual fee influences its overall value. 

We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value. Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value, but if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score even if it carries a high annual fee. 

With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against other cards in the category when you subtract its annual fee.

Flexibility

We rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards and factor this rating into a card’s overall score. 

Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you redeem for some options versus others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners. 

We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating. 

We break down these tiers as follows:

• Tier 1 has less than standard card features (an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits. 
• Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges. 
• Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection. 
• Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs. 
• Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card

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How to Get the Most from the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card

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The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is popular among West Coast flyers and credit card maximizers alike for good reason: Its reasonable annual fee ( $95 ) can be easily offset by its solid combination of benefits.

But what if you want to do more than just "offset" the annual fee? Here are all the ways to get the most from your Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card , including earning and redeeming miles and optimizing the useful-but-complex companion fare.

Taking advantage of this card requires a bit of homework, but the effort is well worth it.

Maximizing the companion fare

For many, the annual companion fare that comes with the card each anniversary (as long as you spend $6,000 on the card annually) is worth more than the other benefits combined. The trick is using it to maximum effect.

Here’s how the companion fare works: You can buy two main cabin round-trip airfares on the same Alaska-flown itinerary for the price of one ticket plus $99 plus taxes and fees.

Let’s say you’re buying a ticket that costs $500 total, $150 of which is taxes and fees. If you use the companion fare to add another traveler to this itinerary you would pay:

$500 for the full-priced regular ticket.

$99 for the companion fare.

$150 for the taxes and fees on the companion fare.

Which comes to $749 total for two tickets. In other words, it would cut the price of the second ticket in half.

As you may notice, the trick to getting the most value from this benefit is to use it for high-priced tickets, especially ones without high taxes and fees. Thankfully, Alaska is pretty generous with what it allows to qualify as a "round-trip" ticket, so you can include stopovers, "open jaws" (which don’t return from or to the same city) and other more complicated itineraries.

If you’d rather keep things simple, the Companion Fare is great to use for family travel during the holidays, when even normal domestic flights can be pricey .

To use the companion fare, log into your Alaska Mileage Plan account on the website (not the app) and look for the "Discount and companion fare codes" section in the left column:

Look for the "shop" button to the left of your active code:

Then, do your flight search as normal. In the flight selection screen, you’ll see the companion fare price next to the weird red symbol:

Those are the basics of how to use this valuable fare. For an in-depth guide to squeezing the most value from it, check out our comprehensive guide to m a x i m i z i n g the Alaska companion fare .

Save on bag fees

When you book with the card, you and up to six companions on the same itinerary get one free checked bag each. This is one of the simplest benefits of the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card and one of the easiest ways to make the annual fee worth it.

The first bag usually costs $35 each way , so using this benefit on a single round-trip flight can nearly offset the annual fee. Doing so with a companion (or gaggle of companions) can save even more.

Keep in mind that this benefit is effectively nullified for Alaska elite status holders, who already get two free checked bags. That is, the free bag benefit of the credit card doesn't allow elite status holders to get an extra checked bag for a total of three.

» Learn more: Guide to Alaska Airlines Baggage and Other Fees

Earn miles through the card

This card offers two ways to earn Alaska miles: Through the sign-up bonus and through other spending.

Note: Miles earned through your card don't count toward earning Alaska’s MVP elite status. In other words, you can’t earn elite status by spending on the Alaska card.

Sign-up bonus

Here’s the current signup bonus: Buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) and get 50,000 bonus miles with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Note that minimum spending requirement, and make sure to hit it within the timeframe. This bonus is all-or-nothing, meaning you won’t get any of it if you spend even $5 less than this threshold amount.

» Learn more: Who benefits the most from the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card ?

Spending on the card

The earning structure on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is straightforward. You’ll earn:

3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases.

2 miles per dollar spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit including ride share purchases.

1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Since NerdWallet values Alaska miles at 1.3 cents apiece, this 3x multiplier on Alaska purchases is a decent return on spending. Other travel cards offer similar earning rates on travel spending, but none have points or miles that can be transferred to Alaska miles. So if you value Alaska miles, this is a good way to get them.

Also, if you have an eligible Bank of America account, you'll earn a 10% bonus on all miles earned from card purchases. That means if you spent enough to earn 1,000 miles on the card, you would actually receive 1,100 miles with the bonus.

Redeem miles

While earning miles through this card may be relatively straightforward, putting them to good use is the tricky part. Unlike some other airline loyalty programs like Delta (which offers a relatively narrow band of value), Alaska miles offer plenty of "sweet spots" and high-value redemptions. They just require a little work and patience to find.

Although Alaska offers plenty of interesting ways to redeem miles, the best value almost always comes the old-fashioned way: using them to book flights. To search for these award fares, check the "use miles" box in the Alaska flight search tool:

The best value is often found in three types of fares (or combinations of all three, as described below:

Partner flights.

Premium cabin flights.

Free stopovers.

Partner flights

Alaska is a member of the OneWorld Alliance, bringing its total partner count to 23 global airlines. Using Alaska miles to book flights with these partners is one of the best ways to get the most bang for your award buck.

However, not all Alaska partners are created equal, and some have far better award charts than others. Here are some airlines to target for partner redemptions:

American Airlines.

Cathay Pacific.

Japan Airlines.

( Note: Cathay awards aren't searchable on the Alaska website. You’ll have to call an Alaska representative to book these awards.)

And here are some partners you can generally avoid:

British Airways.

Singapore Airlines.

Why? British Airways flights often carry outrageous fuel surcharges, and Singapore’s partnership with Alaska, while decent, doesn’t offer great overall value compared with Alaska’s other partnerships with Asian airlines.

» Learn more: Making sense of Alaska Airlines partners

Premium cabin flights

If you’re looking to get the absolute best return on your Alaska miles in terms of pure dollar value, you can’t beat first and business class redemptions, especially on partner flights. For example, you can get from North America to Japan in JAL business class for only 60k miles one way:

Compared with $2,857 for the same flight paying cash:

That works out to 4.7 cents per mile in value, well above our 1.3 cents baseline. That said, it’s important to ask yourself whether you would ever conceivably spend that much cash on a premium cabin ticket. If not, it might not make sense to book an equivalent award flight, even if the value is excellent.

Free stopovers

While other airlines devalue and restrict their award programs, Alaska has kept one of its most valuable policies: free stopovers on award flights.

A "stopover" is a long layover in a connecting city — we’re talking up to weeks or months long, so you can effectively get two trips for the price of one. For example, a business class flight from Los Angeles to Bangkok with a two-week stop in Tokyo on JAL costs the same amount (65,000 miles) as a flight from Los Angeles to Bangkok.

To search for stopovers, use the “multi-city” search option on the Alaska flight tool.

Keep in mind that the stopover must be in a hub city for that airline. So if you’re looking to fly through Tokyo, you can only book a stopover award with JAL.

In-flight purchases

Finally, the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card offers 20% back on in-flight purchases made with the card. This is hardly a huge perk (unless you’re a cheese plate addict), but it offers a good reason to keep the card in your wallet while traveling.

Discount on lounge membership

If you're a frequent Alaska flyer and you usually purchase the Alaska Lounge+ membership anyway, this card will save you $100 on the membership fee. Membership is usually $550 for Alaska elite status members or $650 for non-elites. Alaska Lounge+ includes access to the nine Alaska lounges, plus 90 other partner lounges.

The bottom line

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card often ranks as one of our favorite airline credit cards for good reason. It offers valuable perks like free bags and the companion fare without a budget-busting annual fee. That said, with a little research and dedication, you can get far more than average value from this card.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

British Airways Visa Signature credit card review: Combat high fuel surcharges and earn flexible Avios

Editors note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

British Airways Visa Signature Card overview

The British Airways Visa Signature® Card might not be your top choice for using one of your valuable 5/24 slots with Chase. However, its low annual fee, strong earning potential and credits to cover fuel surcharges make it a compelling option for many British Airways loyalists. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

* Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Some lucrative credit card options from foreign airlines are often overlooked, and the British Airways Visa Signature® Card — the only cobranded credit card that British Airways offers in the U.S. — is among them.

It has a $95 annual fee that isn't waived the first year and a recommended credit score of 670 or higher.

It doesn't come with common airline benefits such as a free checked bag or priority boarding. Nevertheless, it's one of the more valuable airline cards on the market because of its big sign-up bonus and money-saving perks.

Let's examine whether the card deserves a spot in your wallet.

British Airways Visa pros and cons

British airways visa sign-up bonus.

The British Airways Visa is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

According to TPG's September 2024 valuation , Avios are worth 1.4 cents apiece, so earning 85,000 Avios is worth $1,190.

One important note: Like other Chase-issued cards, the British Airways Visa Signature Card falls under Chase's 5/24 rule . If you've opened more than five credit cards in the past 24 months (from all banks, not just Chase), your application will likely be automatically rejected — even if you have a nearly perfect credit score. Related: Cards currently offering sign-up bonuses of 100,000 points or more

British Airways Visa benefits

Although the British Airways Visa lacks many of the usual cobranded airline card perks, such as a free checked bag and priority boarding, the ones it does offer can still save British Airways flyers a significant amount on cash and award tickets.

• Reward flight statement credit: Receive a statement credit three times a year of $100 for Economy (World Traveller) and Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) seats — or $200 for Business (Club World) and first-class seats — when you book a reward flight to London traveling on British Airways and pay taxes, fees and charges with your British Airways Visa Signature Card.
• Travel Together Ticket : Spend $30,000 on the card each calendar year and earn a Travel Together Ticket, which allows you to add a companion to a Reward Flight for no additional cost or save 50% on the Avios required if traveling solo. This is on any round-trip British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus redemption in any class.

• 10% flight discount: Get 10% off eligible British Airways flights when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
• Visa Signature perks: As a Visa Signature card, you'll get perks like lost/delayed baggage protection , purchase protection , secondary car rental insurance and access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection .
• No foreign transaction fees : You won't be charged extra fees when you use your card abroad.

Again, these are different benefits than you'll find on many cobranded airline cards, but they can provide significant value to those who regularly book award flights using Avios.

Related: British Airways Executive Club: Guide to Avios, elite status and transfer partners

Earning Avios on the British Airways Visa

The British Airways Visa outdoes most other cobranded airline cards on the earnings side. With the British Airways card, you'll earn:

• 3 Avios per dollar spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia
• 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel bookings made directly with the hotel
• 1 Avios per dollar spent on all other purchases

While these aren't impressive earning rates, the bonus categories and the value cardholders can get from the card's additional benefits make this a good card option for many British Airways frequent flyers.

Related: The best ways to earn British Airways Avios

Redeeming Avios on the British Airways Visa

The most obvious way to redeem the Avios you earn with the British Airways Visa is to book award tickets with British Airways. Thanks to British Airways' distance-based award chart, one of the biggest sweet spots in the program is for short-haul awards. The program charges a mere 7,250 miles for award flights that are 651 miles to 1,151 miles long during off-peak season and 13,500 miles for business class during off-peak season.

Still, British Airways imposes hefty taxes and surcharges on some of its own international award tickets.

Therefore, the best uses for Avios are sometimes for partner awards. You could redeem your points on more than a dozen Oneworld alliance airlines , such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Iberia.

Related: How to maximize the British Airways distance-based award chart

Transferring Avios on the British Airways Visa

You can transfer Avios on the British Airways Visa to other Avios-earning airlines like Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus, Finnair and Iberia. This allows you to travel to many Oneworld destinations and book them with these Avios.

As the mileage currency of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, and Finnair, you can transfer Avios between the five airlines.

Iberia tends to charge significantly lower taxes and surcharges than British Airways and periodically offers discounted award redemption rates , including business class to Europe, from just 34,000 miles one-way. Additionally, Iberia charges based on total miles flown instead of per segment, making it the winner for some connecting itineraries.

I have gotten good value from my Avios by using them to book through Iberia to fly from O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Madrid in business class for under 34,000 Avios each time.

Related: How to book Iberia flights to Spain (and beyond) using Avios

Which cards compete with the British Airways Visa Card?

You may decide to go with a different card that earns Avios or a card that earns transferable points that you can transfer to Avios, like one of these:

• If you are not over the 5/24 rule: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also comes with a $95 annual fee and earns 5 points per dollar spent on travel when booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal and 2 points per dollar on all other travel. It also earns bonus points on dining and select streaming services. For more information, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred .
• If you are over the 5/24 rule. The American Express® Gold Card has a higher annual fee of $325 (see rates and fees ) but also offers higher earning rates and comes with many valuable perks that offset the annual fee, including up to $424 in annual dining statement credits (enrollment required). The Membership Rewards points earned by this card can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to British Airways. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Gold .
• If you want to earn Avios with a different card: The Iberia Visa Signature® Card has the same earning structure as the British Airways Visa. However, it has more Iberia-specific perks, like a 10% discount when booking select Iberia flights. For more information, read our full review of the Iberia Visa Signature .

For additional options, check out our full list of the best airline credit cards .

Related: 5 reasons you should care about Avios

Is the British Airways Visa worth it?

The British Airways Visa is well worth it if you want to earn valuable Avios. Its benefits, like the 10% flight discount and the up to $600 reward flight statement credit, can easily help you recoup the annual fee cost. However, you'll likely prefer a different card if you're over Chase 5/24 or don't travel on airlines that use Avios.

Bottom line

Diversifying your portfolio of loyalty currencies is critical in the world of travel rewards, and the British Airways Visa represents a fantastic way to do just that.

With a valuable welcome offer, a low annual fee and the opportunity to get some of your taxes and fees credited back, this card is a great choice for British Airways loyalists.

Apply here: British Airways Visa Signature Card

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here .