Most Valuable Perks of the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Credit Card

There are a few key perks that can make having a Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card worth it.

Access to the Companion Fare

When you have an Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, the Companion Fare is definitely one of your most valuable benefits. With a Companion Fare, you can get a significant discount on a paid ticket for a traveling companion.

Just book a ticket for yourself and your companion can travel on the same flight for $99 plus taxes and fees. You earn the first year’s Companion Fare as part of the welcome bonus: Get 50,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) with this offer. To qualify, make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Beyond that, the Companion Fare discount code is issued within the first two billing cycles after your account anniversary.

» Learn more: How to get the most from the Alaska Airlines Companion Fare

Free checked bags

With the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, you can get a free checked bag for yourself and up to six people traveling on the same reservation. Each person would normally pay $30 for the first checked bag. A family of four could save $120 each way every time they travel together and check four bags.

Cardholders can use this benefit an unlimited number of times, for as long as their Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is active. Tickets do not have to be purchased with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card to qualify for this benefit.

» Learn more: Alaska Airlines credit card review: Well worth $75 a year

Bonus can cover several flights

Credit card welcome bonuses sometimes offer enough miles for a single round-trip domestic flight. That doesn’t have to be the case with the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. With the Alaska Airlines MileagePlan program, you can redeem just 5,000 Alaska miles for a domestic flight under 700 miles. Using the current welcome bonus, you could book up to four of these short-haul round-trip flights. NerdWallet values Alaska miles at 1.2 cents each.

» Learn more: Here's how much your points and miles are worth

The bottom line

The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is a good fit if you travel Alaska Airlines frequently. Even if you only travel infrequently on short-haul flights, the free checked bag benefit can come in handy. And you can get great value out of the Companion Fare.